Animal Crossing Adventures
by Master Mr B
Summary: Roll is just a young girl looking for her purpose in life and also looking for a new family. But she never expected to become the mayor of an entire town! Join Roll in her role as mayor of Animal Town as she learns to deal with her own past and eventually begin to travel from town to town making friends while learning more about the true meaning of family and friendship.
1. A New Leaf Part 1

Chapter 1: A New Leaf Part 1

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today turned out to be more eventful than I had anticipated! All I wanted was a chance at a new life here in Animal Town. But I never thought this would happen to me. It all happened so fast..._

A rail car quick clickity-clacked across the tracks as it made it's way towards it's destination. Outside it was raining rather heavily as the person inside just sat quietly in their seat waiting nervously for the train to get her where she wanted to go.

"I hope I made the right decision..." said the passenger. The said passenger was a girl, roughly eleven years old. She had golden blonde hair, which was tied up in a simple ponytail, blue eyes, rosy cheeks and was wearing a plaid prep-school uniform dress with some brown solid colored knee high socks and matching brown pumps. Next to her was a tote bag that she considered her purse since she could never afford an actual one. She also had a brown suitcase that had seen better days. Another important fact was that this girl was an orphan.

Yet she became an orphan from the harshest of circumstances. Her mother just flat out hated her, mainly because her father had abandoned them just after the girl had been born. Her mother had blamed her for the tragedy and didn't want to take care of her at all. Then one day when she was three, her mother had had enough and threw the girl into a trash can. It was a near passerby that found her scavenging through the trash for food when everything seemed to fall apart for the young girl. Her mother was later jailed and she was put in an orphanage. The orphanage was rather overcrowded and because of her circumstances she was very shy and had a hard time trying to make friends. Fortunately she wasn't ever bullied. Well...there was one or two incidents, but they eventually found teasing her was just a short thrill and soon grew bored of her and left her alone. Apparently parents where she used to live didn't find quiet and shy girls worth adopting either. It was all the girl ever wanted. Just to be accepted. Just to find someone to love her. Yet it seemed like that dream was almost impossible. At least until the current opportunity presented itself to her.

She had found an article in the newspaper about a special area in which children her age could move into a town and live their own lives. Since she figured the orphanage would be glad to get rid of her, she applied without telling them. They later found out. She told them that she didn't think they would have cared and that she was tired of feeling like a nobody. To her surprise they just wished her off and gave her a suitcase to pack a few things and within a couple of days she was taken to the train station alone and got on the train to her new town. What surprised her was that the main train stopped between two stations and she was then transferred to the very rail car she was riding right now and was on her way to the new town. While she was still puzzled as to why she was taken off her train and moved to this one, she was still saddened by how easily the orphanage let her go. She felt like they were eager to get rid of her. They were all smiling when she boarded and smiling as they pretty much shoved her on board.

"They never liked me," said the girl with a loud sigh, "they never cared if we ate or washed or played or even did our homework. Just that we stayed out of trouble and went to bed on time. Well whatever! Now I'm on my own. Maybe I can finally make something of myself instead of just sitting in a corner of a dirty room all day just dreaming and keeping to myself."

"I see," said a voice and the girl yelped in surprise. She turned to find a blue cat in an argyle shirt looking at her with a friendly smile.

"Sorry about that," said the cat, "anyway, I have a quick question for you." The girl just looked at the cat in amazement. She had heard of animals that dressed and acted like humans, but she had never seen one up close.

"Um...ok..." she replied softly.

"It's now 11:55 a.m., March 1, 2014, correct?" The cat asked her curiously. The girl found that a strange question but checked her pocket book calendar since she didn't even have a cell phone.

"Yes it is," said the girl shyly.

"Oh good, I was just checking," said the cat, "This watch of mine. It's gets thrown off easily sometimes! I'm just gonna plop a seat across from you. Hope you don't mind of course!" The girl said nothing as the cat walked over and took a seat cross from her.

"The name is Rover by the way," said the cat, "By the way...hold it! What is your name if I might ask so kindly?" The girl just looked at her feet for a moment, clicking the heels of her pumps together before she answered rather shakily.

"R-r-roll" She flinched at the name. Mostly because it was the name the orphanage had given to her. Her mother hadn't even bothered to give her a name and if she did, she never said it to her and sadly Roll couldn't remember it because she was so young when her mother abandoned her. The orphanage had come up with it because the social worker had given her a cinnamon roll to eat and she had eaten like rather sloppily. It had been assumed she just loved cinnamon rolls and the name stuck. While the cinnamon roll thing was true, she loved them, she still didn't like being named after one. It just didn't feel like a girl's name to her. Those who asked her name often looked at her funny when she told them that her name was Roll. She had often thought of changing her name but nothing really popped into her mind as an alternate. She was embarrassed telling Rover and yet to her surprise, she noticed that Rover just gave her a friendly smile.

"Ahh, Roll it is?" he replied, "That's a fantastically great name!"

"It is?" Roll answered, rather surprised at his complement and Rover nodded.

"Yeah! You seem like a really cute girl to me!" he answered. Roll couldn't resist a shy smile. It was the first time anyone had said her name was fantastic...or cute for that matter.

"So Roll tell me," Rover continued, "Where are you headed today?" Roll wasn't used to people talking to her. She wanted to disappear but she decided to just answer his question.

"Animal Town," she answered bravely.

"Ah, Animal Town huh?" said Rover as he began to ponder to himself, "yeah...ok...I don't think I've heard of it before. I wonder where it is..." Rover continued to ponder a bit before a light bulb lit up above his head.

"Oh right, map, map, map!" said Rover as he dug into his pockets and pulled out a large folded map, "Let's take a look at the train route here...and...oh yes, here are the towns! Maybe it's this one right here!" Rover showed Roll a map of a town in which was split rather evenly by a river running through it and most of the public buildings and villagers living on the south side of the river. Roll felt something inside of her light up. She had never even seen the town and yet...she knew that was the place.

"Yeah this is the town!" said Roll with a bit more excitement than before.

"I see," said Rover cheerfully, "That is where Animal Town is located. So do you get to go to Animal Town very often?"

"Actually, I've never been there before," Roll replied.

"Oh, today is your first time there huh?" Rover continued, "That sounds like tons of fun! Care to tell me why you're going to Animal Town?" Roll found the question rather redundant since her suitcase was right next to her. Then again...he could have assumed that she was visiting or just taking a trip.

"I'm moving there," she replied.

"Oh wow!" said Rover in amazement, "That sounds pretty good to me! But you said this is your first time there right? Have you even seen your house yet?" Roll shook her head.

"I'm hoping to find one," said Roll but she was groaning inwardly. She hadn't even given that too much thought. And it was so obvious too. Where did she think she was going to stay if she didn't get herself a house?

"Ah so I guess you'll be going house hunting then," Rover replied with a smile, "I suppose it will be more fun that way."

"Yeah," said Roll rather sheepishly.

"I hope you find an awesome little house and have tons of fun your tiny little town!" said Rover.

"Me too," said Roll, but she said that to herself. Then there was a happy little chime from inside the train.

"Animal Town!" called the train engineer, "Now arriving in Animal Town!"

"Oh hey!" said Rover, "it looks like we're about to arrive in Animal Town! Thank for chatting with me. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a train ride this much! Come to think of it...I've been riding the rails alot again lately. Haven't done this much traveling since 2002 or so...man that is weird...anyway good luck Roll."

"Thanks Rover," she answered bravely, but she was very nervous inside as the train pulled into the Animal Town station. She quietly gathered her things before she got up and stood by the exit of the train as it made a complete stop. She was ten greeted by a monkey wearing a blue suit and hat.

"This stop is for Animal Town," said a nearby monkey, "Everyone for Animal Town exit here. Eek Eek!" Roll quickly exited the train and waited by the entrance gate as the monkey quickly checked her bags for security reasons, which was done within seconds. Then he gave her the okay to leave the station and head into town. Roll just took a deep breath before she exited the train station and when she stepped into the bright spring sun. She was shocked to see two things, the rain had stopped and it was now nice and clear...as if it hadn't been raining at all and there was a rather large crowd waiting for her.

"OHMIGOSH!" shouted a blue cat excitedly, "Look who just got into town!"

"That's gotta be her right?" said a brown cat.

"We can't just stand here!" said a white wolf, "Everyone say hi!" A yellow shi-tzu was standing next to them, wearing a green and white shirt and vest with a red necktie and a navy blue knee length skirt and some bells tied into what appeared to be either a top knot or mini bun.

"Ok everyone," she directed, "Here we go...ready and...from those of us from Animal Town..."

"WELCOME!" They all shouted together. The shi-tzu approached Roll, who was still in a state of shock over what just had happened.

"Mayor, We're so happy you're finally here!" she answered. Roll's eyes shrunk in deep shock.

 _Mayor? Me?! Wuh?_

"W-w-w-ho's this mayor you're talking about?" Roll asked, feeling rather flustered, "Surely you...you can't possibly mean me?" The yellow shi-tzu just looked at her puzzled.

"Umm..." was her only response before she smiled and began to laugh, "Oh come on! Quit joking around...you know exactly who you are!" Roll was more confused than ever.

"You told us which train you would be arriving on!" the shi-tzu continued. Roll gasped once more.

"That wasn't me!" Roll protested, feeling more confused than ever. She never said she was going to be mayor or remembered ever talking to this yellow shi-tzu about her arrival! Yet the yellow puppy would not take no for an answer.

"Oh no! You can't fool me!" she answered, not believing a word Roll said, "Things are just as you said they would be! All is well! There is no mistake! Tee-hee-hee! You're a real jokester!"

"B-b-b-but..."

"Let's continue this discussion at the town hall shall we?" the yellow shi-tzu continued, "Here is a map of Animal Town Mayor Roll." Roll just could process what was going on and completely missed the fact that the puppy even knew her name as she just took the map in defeat. She did noticed that a certain building on the map was flashing, which surprised her since it was just a typical paper map.

"That flashing spot is the town hall," the shi-tzu explained, "So let's head that way together shall we?" Roll wanted to keep protesting that she wasn't the mayor, but it was just no good as the yellow shi-tzu guided her down the center of town, across the town only bridge and then straight towards the town hall. Once they stepped inside, Roll just stood in front of what appeared to be her desk as the shi-tzu stood across from her.

"Mayor, this town hall is your base of operations," she explained, "Oh, and I completely forgot to mention that I'm on your staff too! I'm Isabelle, your secretary, and I'm here to help you in any way I can!"

"O-kay..." said Roll nervously. This was all still very overwhelming for the blonde girl.

"If I can be a bit frank," Isabelle continued, "I was rather surprised to see someone as young as you exit the train..."

"Well don't you think..."

"Our former mayor held this position for many, many years, and was quite set in his ways," said Isabelle cutting her off, "but youth is a breath of fresh air. And exactly the new image that this town needs. You're perfect for the job."

"Really?" Roll asked surprised.

"Of course," said Isabelle, "and also we need you to get started right away in your work as mayor. Therefore we must complete your resident registration. A mayor really should be a resident here!" Isabelle laughed as Roll just smiled. She had been worried about her registration and was grateful that someone was going to help her take care of it.

"So what is your name?" Isabelle asked and then realized her mistake, "Oh Roll...duh...Okay, we've covered that...and next..." Roll was about to ask how she knew her name when Isabelle made a shocked look.

"OH NO THIS IS BAD!"

"What? What's wrong?" Roll asked worried and with some panic and urgency in her tone.

"I can't believe I completely forgot something so vitally important!" Isabelle retorted as if to scold herself, "In order to register you as a resident, we need your address for the form!

"Oh no!" Roll exclaimed, "I don't even have a house! I just got here!"

"Well there aren't any vacant houses here," Isabelle pondered, "but you can build one!"

"Really?" Roll asked in surprise.

"We really should have you decide where you are going to live before we proceed!" Isabelle continued, "and here I made you come all the way to town hall for nothing. Sorry for being so flakey."

"It's okay, Isabelle," said Roll, not wanting Isabelle to be so hard on herself, "I've just been winging it so far so where do I need to go to build a house?"

"Um, on the other side of the tracks, on Main Street," said Isabelle, "is Nook's homes, which is the real estate office...this might make more sense if you take a look at your map!" Roll pulled out her map and noticed that it was flashing another icon again, this time just above the railroad tracks and behind the station.

"See the railroad tracks at the top of the map?" said Isabelle, "Head north from there to get to Main Street. Some fresh air and exercise would do you good. A trip to Main Street may be just what we both need. It'll give me a chance to stay here and continue with your registration, and you need to find Nook's Homes. Once you find a place to live, come back and visit me right away so we can complete your registration okay." Roll just sighed inwardly. She should have known that her registration wouldn't be that easy.

"Okay Isabelle," Roll conceded, "I'll see you later." Roll then just slowly made her way out of the town hall and just made a direct beeline towards Main Street. She didn't really feel like talking to anyone at the moment. Her mind was still trying to process what had just happened. She didn't have much time to think before she arrived at what was Main Street. She noticed a few shops here and there, but she really wasn't in the mood to shop at the moment. Her biggest concern was finding the location to Nook's homes. It only took her a few minutes before she saw the sign and went inside. That was when she found a brown tanooki, wearing a shirt n vest with some brown pants, busily adjusting a few displays of what appeared to be house parts when he gasped and saw her.

"Oh hello, welcome, welcome!" he answered, "You must be the new mayor, am I right?" Roll wished she could have said no, but just said shyly.

"That's me."

"Well Isabelle at the town hall told me to expect you!" he replied, "My name is Tom Nook and on behalf of the Animal Town chamber of commerce, I'm pleased to welcome you!"

 _Chamber of commerce? Wow...sounds very...political...and important._ Roll thought to herself.

"So Roll...You're today because you want to build a house yes?" he continued.

"Yeah...I do..."

"Very good! Very good!" Tom Nook replied, "I can build one just about anywhere you want, yes. I can indeed!"

"Anywhere?" Roll asked, feeling rather excited.

"Yes, yes, within certain boundaries of course," he answered, "So have you decided on where you want to live?"

"I think so," Roll pondered an obvious uneasiness in her tone.

"Well this won't take long at all!" Tom Nook replied with a laugh, "Just take me where you want to build your new home, Roll!" Roll just let her heart be her guide as Tom Nook put on a yellow jacket before following her back towards town hall. She had picked a nice plot of land just southwest of it. Tom noticed her examining the land once they had stopped walking.

"Yes, yes! So you would like to build your house here?" he asked.

"Is...is this spot okay?" Roll asked timidly. She really didn't know what the conditions would be in order for her house location to be acceptable and she hoped where she was standing was good enough. Tom Nook looks around a second and just smiled.

"Yes, yes! There is plenty of space here to build you a house," said Tom Nook, "and it's close to the recycle shop, so it's convenient if you like changing up your home's look. We just might have to remove some plants and anything buried in order to start building. But if your OK with that, we can start right away! Just hold on a moment. Let's see...it will look something like this..." Suddenly a could appeared over the both of them and Roll found everything around her disappear for a moment. It frightened her until she noticed the whiteness clear and there before her was her house. It was a small house, but still...it was her house...her new home.

"I love it!" said Roll excitedly and she clapped her hands together and bounced on her feet a little, "Yes that would be perfect!"

"OK! It's decided then!" said Tom Nook, "it will take a bit of time to build your house, so for today, let's reserve the space for you!" Tom Nook pulled out a collection of metal stacks and some rope and marked out a rectangular area about 6 by 4 land units in size.

"There we go, yes, yes, wonderful!" said Tom Nook as he finished staking the land for development, "Ta da! And with that, this space is officially yours, Roll! Umm, including the cost of the land, materials, building costs, et cetera..." Roll groaned inwardly. She knew that was coming, but she dreaded to see what the numbers would be.

"Well the calculation is complicated, so I can't come up with it just now," said Tom Nook sheepishly, "I'll tell you the total later!"

"Okay," said Roll with much dread in her tone.

"Anyway, I'm sure you're busy since you just moved here," said Tom Nook, "Once you've taken care of other things, stop by my store again to get the bill, hm?"

"Sure," said Roll with very little enthusiasm.

"...Ah, but I suppose you still need a place to rest your head, right?" Tom Nook continued, "Give me just a second!" Within a few seconds the tanooki had set up a rather simple tent.

"Ta-ta-ta-DA!" said Tom Nook, even doing a small dance, "I'll let you borrow this tent so you have a place to sleep! I've also put up a mailbox, so you can even start receiving mail! (It's a little shabby looking though...)" Roll just smiled. To her, that yellow tent was better than the sleeping cot and room she had back at the orphanage. Plus it gave her something she never had before.

Personal space and Privacy

"I bet you rarely see a tent with a mailbox right?" Tom continued, interrupting her train of thought as he laughed. Roll couldn't help but laugh back.

"At least I have a place to live," said Roll, feeling content with the tent for the moment. Tom Nook laughed.

"Well, I'll be returning to my shop," he concluded once he stopped laughing, "so let's part ways here. Roll you need to head back to town hall, hm? Now that you know where you'll be living, you have to get registered as a resident, so talk to Isabelle. In the meantime, I'll work out the numbers. Come by my shop again later. Thanks for your business! I do appreciate it, yes, yes!" With that Tom Nook headed on his way back to main street. Roll just watched him disappear before she made her way back to town hall, which was just a few steps away from her new home.

"Oh Mayor Roll, Welcome back!" said Isabelle, "Did you find the perfect space to call home?"

"Yeah...I did," said Roll as she cupped her hands together waiting to see what else she needed to do regarding her registration.

"Wonderful! I'm very happy to hear that!" Isabelle replied, "You're in temporary housing for now right? I do hope your house is completed soon. Living in a tent can be very tiring."

 _I wouldn't know. I've never been camping...unless you consider sleeping in a cardboard box in an alley camping_ Roll thought.

"Now about your registration," said Isabelle as she proceeded back to business, "I've completed as much as I can, but there's one thing I need to know. When is your birthday?" Roll suddenly felt very uncomfortable. When was her birthday? She honestly didn't know. That was how cruel and rough her life had been. She hadn't even been told when her birthday was! She knew she had to think of something quick. If she told Isabelle she didn't know, then the horrendous round of 20 questions would come about her past and she didn't want anyone to know about that. She nervously grabbed the cloth of her skirt a few times before she remembered seeing a certificate with her name on it and it had a date on it! She guessed that must be her birthday.

"December 17," said Roll quickly and decided to just go with that.

Oh, so you're a Sagittarius as well?" Isabelle asked excitedly.

"As well?" Roll asked puzzled at her excitement.

"My birthday is also in December too, the 20th to be exact," said Isabelle, "Thank you very much for that...just let me type this up and there! Please take this!" Isabelle then handed Roll a card item, which she took and tucked into her pocket.

"That is your Town Pass Card, or TPC for short," Isabelle explained, "It's like an ID card that proves you live here in Animal Town. Your TPC is kept up to date with what you do and accomplish here and also allows you to visit other towns."

"Okay," said Roll.

"All right then..." said Isabelle but seemed like she was losing her thoughts again, "this wraps up just about everything we'll need to process your move...oh right! The last thing we'd like you to participate in is a ceremony that commemorates your arrival here as Mayor. If you look at your map again, the area with the X is the event plaza. We hold special events there every now and then and even special visitors will arrive there. We'd like for you to plant a tree in the square so it can become a great symbol for our town! Come on!" Isabelle grabbed Roll by the hand and quickly pulled her over the plaza across from the town hall.

Soon Roll found herself standing in the center of the town square. There surrounding her was the blue cat, brown cat, and white wolf from earlier this morning, but there was also another brown cat but had yellow eyes. A reddish-brown furred rabbit, another white wolf, a grey stripped cat, a white elephant, a tan alligator, yellow dog, and a white squirrel. They were all gathered around the village to watch her do something. Roll didn't like being the center of attention too much and felt very shy and quiet. She didn't want to make eye contact with anyone. Luckily Isabelle was standing across from her as the shi-tzu handed her a small sapling.

"So...please take this sapling!" Isabelle instructed, "Now plant the sapling by hand Roll and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. Put your heart into it!" The interesting thing about Roll was that she loved dirt and mud, especially in her hands and between her toes. Yet she was a neat freak when it came to things indoors. Either way, she had no problems grabbing the soil and planting the sapling.

"Let's remember this day that on March 1st 2014," said Isabelle proudly, "Roll became the mayor of Animal Town." Everyone cheered and applauded excitedly. Roll couldn't help but blush at all the attention. Soon the crowd dispersed until it was just her and Isabelle.

"Mayor Roll, congratulations," said Isabelle, "I hope this tree grows just as strong and lively as Animal Town! All of us are looking forward the wonderful changes you have for this town! Mmm...well then. The tree has been planted, so please relax for the rest of the day! I have other tasks to attend to, so I'll head back to the town hall...So please spend the rest of the day as you like. Look around town and greet your new neighbors and if there's something you don't understand about Animal Town or just don't know what to do I can give helpful advice on living here at the town hall. Feel free to come and ask anytime Mayor! Good work today!" With that Isabelle headed towards the town hall. Roll decided to head back to her tent so she could unpack and get settled down now that she had time to breathe and get her bearings. She headed back towards her tent and allowed herself in. She was just scoping her surroundings and setting her suitcase and tote bag down she heard someone opening the entrance.

"Huh?" Roll asked stunned when she turned to see Isabelle entering.

"Hello Mayor Roll," said Isabelle, "Sorry to intrude!"

"Is something wrong?" Roll asked but she noticed Isabelle was too busy looking around her empty tent.

"Wow! So exciting!" said Isabelle, "It's just like you're camping isn't it?! It reminds me alot of my childhood!" Roll just blinked but also felt envious since the closest she ever had camping was sleeping in a trash can when she was first thrown out of her first home.

"Everyone would get all worked up, and we'd roast marshmallows and make popcorn over the fire," Isabelle continued, "We'd always burn the popcorn a bit, but you know something? That just made it extra delicious!" Roll just listened attentively, but hearing her story made her want to cry. She felt sad that she didn't have any fun memories to share herself. Roll was soon derailed of her train of thought as Isabelle continued.

"Oh no, sorry about that Roll!" said Isabelle, "guess I got carried away again. Anyway, I brought you something nice!" Isabelle reached into her pockets and gave her a red lantern.

"I thought I'd seen one somewhere, so I searched though the storage closet at the town hall," said Isabelle, "and sure enough, it was in there! I thought it'd be perfect for you, since you're sleeping in a tent."

"Just for rent right?" Roll asked.

"Oh no Mayor, it is yours to keep!" said Isabelle, "Do you mind setting it down and trying to use it for me please?" Roll just looked at the lantern as she set it in the upper right corner and turned the dial, which made the tent glow a faded shade of orange-yellow.

"Super!" said Isabelle, "since it's so old. I wasn't sure if it would work properly, but it looks like it works just fine! Well, that's all from me for today! Sorry to bother you! Enjoy the rest of your day off and try to go to bed early so you'll be ready for tomorrow!" Roll just nodded as Isabelle made her way out and Roll sat on her knees while she unpacked, but then she remembered something.

"Oh Isabelle!" she called out. The shi-tzu had just exited the tent and peeked back in.

"Is something the matter Mayor Roll?" she asked concerned.

"Umm...what's the dress code for a mayor?" she asked. She didn't want to tell Isabelle that the only dress she had was the one she was wearing. Isabelle just smiled.

"There isn't really a dress code here," said Isabelle, "Just as long as you look presentable! If you check the shop known as the Able Sisters, you'll see what kinds of clothes and dresses you can wear, even accessories! In fact, before the previous mayor left, he removed the mandatory law making villagers wear shoes and socks. He felt it unfair since it only involved human villagers. As you can see, even I am not wearing any shoes. I have them, but...never really wear them."

"So..." Roll pondered aloud as she looked at her pumps and socks, "I could do my mayor duties and be barefoot?" Isabelle chuckled.

"Pretty much," said Isabelle, "Whatever you find comfortable! Just be courteous of others to wipe your feet before entering their homes if you do. Anything else?"

"No...that was it," said Roll, "Thank you." Isabelle smiled and left the tent. There really wasn't much unpacking Roll had to do. Her suitcase just had a plain white nightshirt for bed and some essentials like her toothbrush, a small towel for washing and another for drying and a small collection of comic books she liked to read that were old and worn. Even her tote bag just had a compact mirror that had a crack in it since it was a toy one, a small purse to carry money in but was empty at the moment, and a pink pen that she kept along with a small notebook which she often wrote journal entries in. She had also managed to sneak in an old pillow from the orphanage into her suitcase so she had at least that to sleep with, but not much in terms of a blanket.

Yet while it was early march, the weather was much warmer than she was used to. She looked at her shoes and slowly took them off. She breathed a long sigh of relief before tugging off the socks. Roll felt much better as she wiggled her now bare toes so her feet could breathe. Back at the orphanage, she hardly ever wore her shoes or sock unless she was told to or when they wanted her to go outside for fresh air. She hated shoes and she hated socks even more. They always made her feet itch and they made her feet smell too. She then looked at the discarded socks and shoes. Both articles were very old since she had had the same pair for well over year. While she hardly wore then, they were donated so one could tell their age. The pumps were scratched and faded and the socks had a few small holes on them. As she stared at them, she could hear a small voice echoing behind her head.

 _That's all you deserve._

 _You don't deserve better._

 _You're not special!_

 _You're useless!_

 _Nobody loves you!_

 _NO ONE EVER WILL!_

Roll felt tears prick the edge of her eyes as she kicked her shoes and sock across the tent to the outer wall and panted heavily for a moment and let out a long loud sigh.

"I think I better go find out what I owe for this place," she said to herself, "Thought I have no idea how I will come up with the money." Roll then went towards her shoes before looking at them in disgust and kicked them once before heading out of the tent barefoot.

"I hate shoes!" she said aloud, "and that includes socks too! The orphanage always made me wear them! Now I live on my own and if I don't want to wear shoes no one is going to make me! Isabelle even told me. If I want to, I can go barefoot here, there, or anywhere I see fit!" She looked at her feet and wiggled her toes again before her anger settled and added.

"Unless I find a really cute pair," said Roll, "I still need something for rain and snow." She snorted since that meant she couldn't get rid of the brown pumps but she could at least get rid of the socks. Roll was so used to not wearing shoes and socks that her legs had adjusted to colder weather. She even once went outside on a snowy day with just her pumps and her legs weren't even cold. Well they did get cold, it wasn't until after being outside for over an hour. Same with her feet. She could walk sidewalks and other flooring barefoot on a snowy day as long as their wasn't any frost or snow on it. That was her limit. Plus winter was already over so she had plenty of time to find something to keep her legs warm.

"Leggings are pretty popular," said Roll to herself, "Plus they'll keep my legs warm and my feet can still breathe in the colder weather seasons. Hopefully I can find some..." Then she remembered Tom Nook mentioned a nearby shop called Re-tail that was not too far away from her tent. The map said the place was good for recycling so she hoped it would be a good place to discard her socks.

"Might as well check it out," said Roll as she tucked the socks into her pockets. She quietly made her way in when she saw a smaller version of Tom Nook speaking to a pink Alpaca.

"Good afternoon Timmy," said the Alpaca, "What might I do for you today?"

"Good afternoon Reese! Oh a customer brought in this tape deck to the store the other day and I wanted to see if I could sell it here," said the young tanooki.

"Oh well you can choose to sell it yourself by putting it on display or you can just sell it outright for 120 bells," said Reese.

"Outright is fine," said Timmy, "I don't need it."

"Very well," said Reese. Timmy then handed her the item and Reese gave him the bells.

"Thank you," said Reese, "Feel free to bring us any other unwanted items, you can sell them yourself or sell them to us."

"Thank you Reese, see you," said Timmy as he turned to leave and saw Roll.

"Oh hello there!" said Timmy, "You must be the new mayor I've been hearing so much about! My name is Timmy. My brother and I own a shop on Main Street called Nookling Junction so please drop by when you've got time."

"Oh ok, thank you," said Roll politely as Timmy left the shop. Then Reese turned to address her.

"Why hello there dear," said Reese, "welcome to Re-tail. This is place where we take the items you don't need and make them useful for others. We also take any items you don't want and give you bells for them as well. There are some exceptions but you'll find out about those when you bring them in."

"Really?" said Roll, "Well I have something but...they so old and worn..."

"Well let's have a look at it shall we dear?" Reese asked kindly as Roll handed her the worn out socks. Reese took a look at them and just smiled.

"We can take these off your hands for 50 bells," said Reese. Roll blinked, mainly because she didn't think she was going to get any bells for them.

"Well...thank you," said Roll as she put the coins into her purse, "If I find anything else I don't need, I'll be sure to bring them in."

"Okay dear," said Reese, "you can also sell the items yourself if you want to as well for next time and we have some items for sale if you are interested."

"Thank you," said Roll, "but I'll come back later. Right now these 50 bells are all I have."

"Well there is plenty of resources that you can find in the village to make money dear," said Reese, "Isabelle can give you the details later if you ask."

"Okay, thank you Reese," said Roll simply with a shy smile, "Good bye."

"Good bye, come again when you want to recycle!" she called out as Roll left the shop. Roll nodded and made her way to Tom Nook's shop. She just allowed herself in and approached the tanooki nervously.

"Welcome, welcome," said Tom Nook with a grin, "How may I help you?"

"I'm...here about the cost for the house," Roll asked nervously. Part of it was because she wondered if tanooki would say anything about the fact she was barefoot. Tom Nook smiled and didn't seem to notice or care about that.

"Ah, yes, yes!" he responded, "So in order for construction to begin, we will require a down payment first."

"Oh...o...ok," said Roll, feeling rather anxious, "how much is the down payment?"

"Well once the calculations are made the total amount needed for the down payment comes to..." Tom Nook paused for a second as if to added some extra tension to Roll who was curling her toes together nervously.

"10,000 bells," he answered and Roll felt her heart drop into her stomach.

"Ten- _thousand?!_ " said Roll with a groan and Tom Nook answered.

"Yes, yes, but you should have no problem getting the funds," said Tom Nook, "there are plenty of sources in town where you can raise the funds. It is much more efficient than just part time work, yes."

"So I've heard," said Roll dreadfully.

"Well then, when you have the bells, just come and see me, yes," said Tom Nook. Roll just nodded and made her way out of the shop and groaned as she slowly made her way back to her tent. Once she was inside she slumped to her knees in defeat.

"How am I supposed to come up with ten thousand bells?!" Roll vented to herself, "Living by yourself is harder than I expected!" Roll just sighed in defeat as she just looked about her rather empty tent and looked at the lantern just glowing in the corner. By now it was later in the day and the sun was slowly setting into the horizon so it would soon be dark outside and Roll really had nothing else to do. She didn't have any money to explore the shops and she didn't feel ready to introduce herself to anyone just yet. She wanted to make friends, but she was afraid to talk to people. She had never tried to walk to up to someone before and just introduce herself. It scared her.

"I've always just kept to myself," said Roll, "and that is what I wanted to do here, but all that has changed. I walk into this town and suddenly I am made the mayor and now I have a house but have no idea how to pay the costs to it! Maybe moving here wasn't such a good idea after all." Roll just sighed quietly before changing into her nightshirt and grabbed a cloth to use as a spare blanket and her pillow. The sun had just set, but Roll just wanted to day to end and after a few hours of struggling she finally fell asleep, hoping that the night's sleep would help her decide what to do about her situation in the morning.

 _I knew many things were gonna change when I made the choice to move out on my own. I didn't expect this. Only my first day and I feel way over my head! What do I do...what am I going to do..._

 **And that concludes the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed and will keep reading. Roll's journey will feature multiple adventures written in story arcs that have 3 to 4 parts each. Depending on the story, they might have even 5 or possible 6 parts. It all depends on the story, but Animal Crossing has so much content to explore and features and backstories so there's plenty to write about. Plus the story is not set to end after she lives here for year. These adventures will continue past that and eventually include Happy Home Designer. Plus some of the elements of that game will be part of Roll's story as well as dream furniture and clothing items and even customization features that alot of gamers wished were in Animal Crossing.  
**

 **For the most part, I'll try to keep special characters' backstory as canon to the games as possible. I still want people to relate to their own towns and experiences when they read.**

 **Plus any citations or references from non-Animal Crossing content will be mentioned here in the bold text.**

 **Okay...see you next time!**


	2. A New Leaf Part 2

Chapter 2: A New Leaf Part 2

The next morning, Roll woke up and slowly stretched her arms. She gasped a bit once she saw the unfamiliar surroundings before everything that happened yesterday came back to her and slowly calmed down. She just sighed as she sat up from the tent floor and relaxed her muscles.

"Wow," she thought as she pulled her knees into her chest, "This ground is more comfortable than that tacky bed I used to sleep in!" Roll then began to think as she hugged her knees into her chest.

"So what am I going to do now?" said Roll, "I'm not cut out for this mayor stuff and as much as I want a house, I don't know how to make money to make the down payment! I've never had a job before. Sure I've done chores before but...I've never had a job! How can I even do this! Why am I even here? I don't know how to be a mayor! I don't even know how to talk to people either!" Roll just continued to think for a bit more before she figured.

"Maybe if I just pack up and leave, I can get out of here before anyone finds out!" said Roll. Roll looked about as to what to pack up first. Then she stopped herself and smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Roll, where exactly are you gonna go?" she asked herself and no the answer. It was just then she heard someone tap the entrance of her tent.

"Mail call!" said a voice. Roll groaned.

"I guess everyone is up," she muttered as she looked at her clock and saw that it was actually 9am.

"Guess I didn't wake up that early," she muttered, but she clearly had been exhausted since she fell asleep just before 9pm last night. Roll just stood up and ironed out her night shirt, which was knee length, before exiting her tent to find a pelican dressed in green was standing outside her tent, not even bothering to tie her blonde locks which were halfway down her back and a few hairs sticking out.

"Good morning, my name is Pete," he replied, "Sorry to wake you up but I thought I would introduce myself! Normally I'll just leave you any mail that you have at 9am and 5pm daily. As you can see, the mail flag on your mailbox is now blinking to show that you've got mail. Just be sure to check your mail regularly. If it gets too full, I won't be able to deliver you any new mail okay?" Roll just yawned a bit.

"Okay," she replied sheepishly with a nod.

"Have a pleasant day Mayor!" said Pete before taking flight and disappearing. Roll didn't bother to watch him leave as she opened her mailbox and found a single letter inside.

"I wonder who would sent me mail," said Roll, "I haven't even met anybody else in own other than Tom Nook and at least." She quietly opened the letter and read what was inside.

 _Mayor Roll_

 _On behalf of everyone here, we welcome you here to Animal Town. We hope you'll do a great job as mayor and enjoy your new life here! We look forward to how you will shape and make this town an even happier place to live!_

 _Animal Town counsel._

Roll just looked at the letter before she crumpled it up and tossed it into her tent.

"I don't know what to do!" Roll shouted aloud to herself as she slumped to her knees and held her head, hearing that everyone was excited to see her be the mayor made her feel more frustrated than ever. She wasn't used to being encouraged by people so it made sense that letter would make her rather stressed.

"Why do I have to be the mayor?" Roll asked aloud even though there was nobody there to answer her. She then turned to see the Town hall just a few yards away. She then sighed quietly before she ducked back inside of her tent and changed back into her orphanage dress since that was all she had to wear. She nearly put on her old pumps before kicking them away. She had been outside and her bare feet were very comfortable in the morning spring air, which she found the cool air very comfortable for her as well as refreshing. She seemed to relax a bit staying barefoot and left it at that. Soon she found her hair tie and put her hair back into its ponytail before making her way to town hall. She walked inside as Isabelle was busily working on some papers. The shi-tzu perked up when she saw Roll walk inside...until she saw how upset she looked.

"Oh Mayor Roll, is everything alright?" Isabelle asked when she saw the distressed girl walk into the town hall. Roll just quietly walked up to her bouncing on her now bare feet as she looked at Isabelle quietly. She wanted to be firm with what she wanted to say, but in the end, she just looked wishy-washy.

"Isabelle," she began quietly and also embarrassed that her voice cracked, "What...what makes you think that I can be a mayor here?" Isabelle just looked at her funny until she saw that the girl looked really upset and on the verge of tears.

"I just came here to find myself a new life," Roll pressed on, "and to make something for myself! Then I show up here and I'm being called the mayor! Isabelle, I don't know who told you I was coming or said that I was the mayor, but I know this to be true: I. AM. No. Mayor! I'm just an eleven year old girl whose looking for a place to call home." Isabelle just gave her a smile.

"You practically said the reason why you were made the mayor." she answered simply. Roll took a step back and set her hands on her hips.

"Wuh?"

"You said you came here to find yourself and make a life for yourself," said Isabelle, "what better way to do that than to become the mayor of Animal Town?"

"But I have no idea on how to be a mayor!" Roll protested, "or what to do either!"

"You'll learn in time," said Isabelle.

"How?" Roll asked upset, "I feel way over my head right now! I don't think I can do this!"

"Did you really think I was gonna just throw you into this job and expect you to know everything just like that?" Isabelle asked calmly. Roll almost said yes but then closed her mouth since it would bring up her past and that was one road she didn't not want to talk about with anyone. Isabelle just smiled.

"If you're having trouble about what to do, seeing that you just moved here, I could give you some advice," Isabelle offered. Roll just released a long deep breath before she answered. She figured she could at least hear what Isabelle had to say. Obviously the shi-tzu had more faith in her that she had in herself.

"Please do," Roll asked, nearly pleading and rubbing her bare feet together nervously.

"OK, I can give you advice on making the most of your life here!" Isabelle replied, "After all, it's my job to make sure being a resident in Animal Town is top notch, Roll! Let's see...what kind of advice would be good for you right now..." Isabelle pondered until she got an idea and her face lit up. "...Ah! Come to think of it...Have you met the other villagers yet? It is a good idea to get to know the other residents so you can build friendships with them! Don't you want to make friends Roll?"

"Friends?" said Roll, acting as if the word was so foreign to her, "friends...my own...friends...yeah...I would like to make friends." She never thought anyone would want to be friends with her. Then again, she wasn't used to having people talk to her, if at all.

"Well making friends and socializing is one of the most important aspects of being a mayor Roll," Isabelle explained, "Plus whenever their house has lights or smoke coming from the chimney, that means they are home! So you can just allow yourself in...unless they are sick or sleeping of course!"

"So...I guess that means I have to introduce myself to others?" Roll asked with a slight groan.

"I can see you're very shy," said Isabelle, "but there's nothing to be afraid of. Everyone here is really friendly. You might get some skepticism from Cranky and Snooty villagers..."

"Cranky and Snooty?" Roll asked. Isabelle giggled to herself.

"In all the years I've been here," Isabelle explained, "I've learned that villagers come in many different personality types, but it seems that they can be classified into eight different personality types. We've got at least one of each here in Animal Town and there are twelve villagers who live here. So you can just try the person's house and see if they are home. If they are, you'll be able to introduce yourself to them. Otherwise, they might be just strolling about doing their own things and such, which you can just walk up to them and say hi. Don't worry, you'll bump into everyone eventually. Now go on."

"Isabelle..."

"You'll be okay," the shi-tzu replied gently, "Don't think about it so much. Just introduce yourself and the rest of the conversation will take care of itself. The same can be said with making friendships too. It will come in its good time." Roll wanted to protest but she knew Isabelle was right. her only defense was...

"What if..."

"They'll like you," said Isabelle, as if reading the girl's mind, "I know they will." Roll just looked at her for a moment. Stunned Isabelle knew what she was about to say.

"Do you have ESP or something?" she asked. Isabelle giggled.

"No," said Isabelle, "But I am aware of your situation at the orphanage. Like I said before, the best way to get out of your shell is to go up to people and introduce yourself. Now go on. You'll feel better once you do." Roll just sighed in defeat as she dragged her bare feet across the floor and left town hall. She just walked about rather cautiously when she found two houses near the south edge of the town, but both of them were empty. While Roll was inwardly relieved a bit, it still meant she would have to look elsewhere for someone to introduce herself to. She kept walking west until she found a blue thatched house with a pink roof and matching pink door. She also saw smoke puffs in the shapes of butterflies coming out of the chimney stack, letting her know that someone was home.

"Cute house," said Roll, "wonder who lives there? (sigh) Guess I...better introduce myself..." Roll felt very nervous as she slowly approached the door and was just about to grab the door knob when the door opened, causing her to step back a bit as the blue cat exited her house and locked the door.

"Time to see what the latest gossip is!" said the blue cat with a squeal.

"Um...excuse me..." said Roll timidly and in such a small voice she thought she wouldn't be heard, but the cat did and turned to face her.

"Hey, you're the new mayor aren't you!" she exclaimed. Roll smiled shyly as the cat gasped excitedly.

"OMG!" she squealed, "The mayor herself comes to visit my humble little home! I'm so honored, silly!" She clapped happily and Roll couldn't help but giggle a little at the blue cat's peppiness.

"By the way my name is Rosie," she continued, "and I'm kind of the Animal Town's superstar, silly!" She posed triumphantly.

"What is your name?" she asked afterward, "I think I heard it from Isabelle, but I want you to tell me!"

"My name is...Roll," the girl answered, wondering what kind of reaction she would get with the name. Rosie giggled.

"That is, like, the CUTEST NAME EVER!" she squealed, "I just love your name, silly! It's totally cute like me!" Roll smiled, happy that Rosie liked her name but felt a bit embarrassed by how excited the cat was about it. Suddenly the blue cat approached her, her eyes full of anticipation.

"So why did you move here, silly?" she asked as she clearly couldn't not stay still for one second, "Are you alone? Or are you living with a friend? or how about...how about...how about..."

"I...came alone," Roll answered sheepishly. Rosie gasped excitedly.

"SHE CAME ALONE!" she exclaimed and then bounced on her feet.

"I got it!" Rosie continued, "You obviously running away from your old town in order to forget the face of that man and heal your broken heart! Naturally you're clearly on a path of discovery and so are traveling alone. And that journey brought off the beaten path and brought you into this distant town!" Rosie's eyes became glossy a bit at her own dramatic tale of Roll's journey here. Roll just looked at her strangely and while Rosie wasn't that far off from the truth, in terms of wanting to forget the past, she was still grossly exaggerating her journey here.

"That is...not quite it," said Roll calmly.

"It has to be!" Rosie retorted and sighed giddily, "I, too, wish to be carried off by a prince on a gallant steed! Oh it's so romantic, silly!" Roll just gave her a sheepish smiled as Rosie continued to gush for another minute or two before she let Roll go. Yet Rosie continued to gush about how someday her prince would come for her and they would live happily ever after. Roll couldn't help but giggle as she listened to Rosie a bit longer before heading on her way. Then she noticed another house near the town plaza that looked a bit more traditional but had light and dark shades of pink walls and roof.

"This girl must be just as hyper as Rosie," Roll muttered as she was about to make her way towards the house when someone bumped into her from the side.

"Oops!" said the voice, "Sorry, I guess I was getting a little distracted! Oh it's the new mayor! I'm Alfonso. Nice to meet you, it'sa me!" Roll was taken aback at how friendly he was for a moment before recomposing herself.

"Hello," Roll finally replied, "my...my name is Roll and y-y-es, I'm the new mayor. What were you thinking about?" Roll wasn't even sure why she asked that, but she figured it was good conversation starter. This talking to people still felt very awkward for her.

"Oh this package I picked up from Nookling Junction, it'sa me!" Alfonso replied, "I had ordered a dozen pies for my lunch!"

"Pies?" said Roll surprised.

"Uh-huh," said Alfonso, "I just love a desserts, all different kinds. Especially apple pie! It's like my favorite dessert of all time! Oh the taste is flooding back to me just from the smell from the box and it feels like I'm falling into a dream! IT'SA ME!" Alfonso went into a daze and Roll just giggled.

"Say Roll, custard or tiramisu? Which do you like better?" Alfonso asked.

"Uhh..." Roll was rather stunned at the question since she had never had pie before, but Alfonso just smiled.

"Personally, I really love them both! (sigh)" he gushed, not waiting for an answer when a yellow dog with orange eyes appeared with a bug net. He was apparently trying to catch a white butterfly, but kept missing.

"Benjamin!" Alfonso complained, "You said you were going to wait for me before we started the bug hunting!" Benjamin stopped chasing the butterfly and turned to face him.

"Sorry, but the butterflies aren't going to wait all day, alrighty!" he retorted, "and you were taking too long! I was falling asleep!"

"You always fall asleep from long waits! It'sa me!"

"Same for you bro!" Benjamin snorted before he noticed the blonde girl standing nearby.

"Say...who is the girl next to you, alrighty?" Benjamin asked curiously, "Got yourself a girlfriend Al?" Benjamin made kissing sounds and Alfonso rolled his eyes. Roll felt her cheeks turn light pink a bit in embarrassment.

"Like I am good enough to be anyone's girlfriend," she muttered, thought nobody heard her.

"Very funny, it'sa me!" said Alfonso indignantly, "This is Roll. She's the new mayor of Animal Town!" Roll waved shyly as Benjamin seemed a bit spaced out before his mind clicked.

"Oh right!" said Benjamin, "She's the blonde girl who planted that tree in the plaza yesterday. I forget things sometimes but I remember them even faster, alrighty!"

"(cough) Right," Alfonso teased and got bopped in the head with a net, "OW!"

"Anyway, nice to meet you Roll," said Benjamin, "did you wanna catch butterflies with us?" Roll just smiled at the offer but shook her head.

"No thank you Benjamin," said Roll, "I just moved in and I...well...I don't even have a net!" Benjamin looked disappointed but smiled.

"Well I hear there's one in Nookling Junction," said Benjamin, "so you better hurry there when you've got the chance, alrighty."

"Oh...ok...thanks Benjamin," said Roll.

"Now come on Al!" said Benjamin as a peacock butterfly went by, "The butterflies await!" Benjamin tried, but failed once more, to catch the butterfly and chased after it. Alfonso grew excited.

"Hang on!" said Alfonso as he instinctively shoved his package into Roll's hands and pulled out his net, "Wait for me!" Alfonso chased after his friend, leaving Roll stunned and alone.

"O...k..." said Roll trying to get her bearings when she remembered Alfonso's package in her hands and gasped, "What am I supposed to do with this now?" While the smell of the pies was making her hungry, she knew better than to eat something that wasn't hers. She didn't even have a refrigerator, or any furniture for that matter. This was quite a predicament until she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned to see that it was the calico cat from yesterday.

"If you leave the package in their mailbox, or store it in your pocket, kitten," she replied, "you can keep it stored safe and sound as well as fresh until Alfonso comes back." Roll just blinked for a moment before she smiled at the cat.

"Thank you," said Roll as she tucked the box into her pocket, "Umm...miss..."

"The name is Purrl, kitten," she answered with a smile, "it is very nice to meet you. I am eager to see what you plan to do to make this town a fun place to live!"

"I've heard..." said Roll sheepishly.

"Is something wrong, kitten?" Purrl asked.

"Just...nerves...uhh...Purrl," said Roll quietly.

"Ahh...I see...new job jitters I see, kitten," said Purrl, "well that is nothing to worry about dear. As long as you do your best, I'm sure you'll do just fine." Roll was rather touched hearing her say that and smiled.

"Thank you," said Roll, "but...how did you know?" Purrl chuckled to herself.

"I've been around...and I pick things up," she replied, not wanting to imply she was old, just experienced, "I can tell you're really nervous and clearly are not used to talking to people, but that's nothing to worry about dear. As time goes by, it will get easier, kitten."

"Thanks," said Roll, "it was nice meeting you."

"Likewise kitten," said Purrl, "now go on dear. I'm sure you've got other villagers to meet." Roll nodded before she went on her way. She still wanted to go towards the pink house she had seen earlier when she noticed another house that had a nice collection of red pansies around their house.

"Oh those are really pretty," said Roll and bent over to sniff one when...

"HEY JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" someone shouted and Roll yelped as she fell backwards into her rear. She turned towards the voice and found a tan colored cat with brown stripes and yellow eyes sounded by black eyeliner. The cat glared fiercely at Roll with her two fangs making her look even more fierce.

"Trying to steal my red pansies huh?" she snapped, "think you can sneak onto a girl's turf and help yourself when she not around, purrty?" Roll just looked at her fearfully and couldn't speak.

"This is my house and those flowers are MINE," she scolded, "and I expect them to stay there, thank you very much, so don't you forget it!" The cat very close to her face and then noticed that Roll was very close to crying. She just looked apathetic to her teary eyes until she noticed that Roll had started cry. She just sighed.

"Hey ease off, I was just messing with ya, purity," said the cat, "Just cause I'm a girl doesn't mean boys can take advantage of me you know. A girl's gotta be tough and defend her turf ya know, dude?" Roll just sniffled a bit before nodding in agreement.

"Sorry," Roll whimpered as she tried to calm down, "I just wanted to sniff the pansies. I wasn't going to take them. I was also just trying to introduce myself to the other villagers." The cat looked puzzled until she realized who she was.

"Oh, you're the new mayor!" she exclaimed, "Roll isn't it? My apologies there dude! I guess when I get on the defense I often don't realize who I'm talking to when I rant. But enough of the apologies. My name is Katt. That's Katt with a K, not a C, solo A, and two T's, not one, and don't you forget it, purrty."

"Yes maim," said Roll obediently but also with a tone of intimidation, but Katt snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Oh please Roll," said Katt indignantly, "You can call my mother maim. Just call me Katt okay."

"Okay...Katt," said Roll shyly. Katt just sighed at her timid nature.

"Girl, I'm not gonna bite," she answered in exasperation, "So chill out okay." Roll then just chuckled a little and gave her a warm smile. Katt just chuckled to herself as she helped Roll to her feet.

"That's better," said Katt, "now just take it easy and if you ever need help, this Uchi has got your back, purrty."

"Uchi?"

"Some fancy name for big sis," said Katt, "Japanese origin and something like that. Anyway, enjoy the flowers...just don't pick them." Katt laughed as she grabbed a fishing rod and headed towards the river. Roll just watched her leave as she wiped away the left over tears from her eyes. She felt so childish for crying like that and snorted to herself. She had lost her interest in sniffling the flowers and went on her way to meet her next villager.

The next three villagers were very subtle in their introductions. Lolly was busy fishing and was too busy concentrating to really offer much conversation but her friendly hello helped Roll feel less insecure after her confrontation with Katt. Roll had a hard time speaking to Rudy since he seemed to have alot of exercise on the brain and took off right after the introduction to continue his jogging, thus keeping the conversation between the two short and brief. Marshal didn't seem to be in the mood to talk to her and was very quiet. Yet for some reason he just kept staring at her, which unnerved her a bit. This only made the conversation rather awkward as he just looked at her blankly with his trademark frown before she dismissed herself and left without another word.

Soon, Roll found herself back at the south end of the event plaza where she found another villager she hadn't met was inside his wooden house with a grey roof and the very pink house she had avoided was right next door. She saw that there was chimney smoke in the wooden house, but not the pink house.

"Darn," said Roll, she had been hoping to meet the villager in the pink house but the said villager wasn't home yet, "I guess I can see who lives in the wooden house." Roll slowly approached the wooden house and found that the door was locked.

"That's odd," said Roll, "it's the afternoon and the door is locked. I hope everything is okay..." Roll bravely knocked on the door. She was quickly surprised when a light grey wolf swung open the door quickly, surprising her.

"What do you want!" he snapped angrily. Roll was a little taken aback by his tone but she plucked up courage. She didn't want to be taken as being a baby by another villager. At least that was how she thought Katt probably thought of her.

"My name is Roll and I'm the new mayor of Animal Town," said Roll, "I...I thought I would come and introduce myself to you and say hello."

"Well...hello Roll," said Fang hastily, "the name is Fang, cha-chomp. So if you're finished here. I would like to be alone!" Roll felt hurt.

"Sorry I bothered you," said Roll quietly, looking sad, but Fang said nothing and shut his door loudly. Poor Roll felt rather defeated. She decided to leave and find a place to have some time to herself for a while.

With a few minutes, she began to follow the river edge until she reached the eastern border where there was large waterfall that marked the beginning of Animal Town's river. She just decided to sit near the edge of the river, putting her bare feet into the water and splashed around for a bit.

"This is harder than I thought," said Roll to herself, "It just feels so weird talking to people. I'm so not used to it either. I haven't even made a friend either..." She sighed as she kicked the water contently for a little while. She began to look around the small pond that acted as the mouth of the eastern waterfall when she noticed another white wolf. At first she thought it was Fang, but then she took a closer look and noticed that this wolf had a different shirt on, whiter fur, and had a large curl in her hair. The wolf was also donning some makeup around her eyes, which enhanced her long eyelashes. Roll just stared at her feet and then the wolf and then back at her feet before pulling them out and standing up.

"Well guess I better introduce myself," said Roll as she ironed out the skirt of her dress. It didn't help that there was only one bridge in town and Roll had walk all the way around to get to the wolf. She had just crossed the bridge when she noticed Fang had come out of his house and was just walking around.

"Oh hello there Roll," said Fang, "Looks like you're keeping busy, cha-chomp."

"Oh hi Fang," said Roll quietly, "Are...you still mad at me?" Fang blinked a bit when he heard that.

"Excuse me, cha-chomp?" he asked, stunned by her question.

"It's just...when we meet earlier, you seemed rather annoyed about me," said Roll quietly, "I don't know what I did to upset you..." Fang looked at her blankly before he remembered their first meeting and chuckled.

"Oh, you're still worried about that," said Fang as he gave her a friendly pat on the head, "My bad! Sometimes I just wake up on the wrong side of the bed! And I get a little cranky. Sorry about that." Roll smiled and giggled a bit.

"What's up cha-chomp?" he asked regarding her giggle.

"I'm just glad it wasn't something I did," said Roll, "I really thought you didn't like me." Fang laughed.

"Of course I like you Roll," said Fang with a smile, "You're a good kid." Roll just smiled, feeling much better.

"Thank you Fang," said Roll, "I gotta meet the other villagers so take care."

"You too," said Fang, "and if anyone does say they don't like you. You just come to me. I'll straighten them out for you, cha-chomp!" Roll smiled and nodded, feeling grateful that he was looking out for her as she made her way back to the white wolf, who was just reading in a lounge chair outside of her own house .

"Umm...excuse me?" Roll asked once she was just a few feet away from the wolf. The wolf continue to read for a bit as if to seem that she was ignoring her, but the truth was she wasn't. Roll didn't realize this.

"My name is Roll," she continued shy as she rubbed her feet together, "I am the new mayor of Animal Town. I thought I would introduce myself."

"Well thank you dear," said the wolf, still keeping her eyes on her book, "My name is Whitney. I have a pitcher of iced tea could you please refill my glass please, snappy?"

"Sure thing," said Roll as she took the glass and went to refill the cup, ice included. Whitney then just slowly lifted her face out of her book and watched the blonde girl before a warm smile crept onto her face.

"You really are new to being a mayor aren't you?" she asked gently.

"Yes maim, I am," said Roll as she had just finished refilling the cup.

"You have a sparkling essence about you that is rather sweet, snappy," said Whitney. Roll looked rather stunned at the complement as Whitney got up from her chair and walked towards her.

"Well being mayor might often lead to you do not so glamorous work from time to time," said Whitney as she took her cup and stood before her, "but a polished lady can shine brightly in any circumstance."

"R-r-right," said Roll, unable to resist a soft smile.

"Come see me anytime," said Whitney, "And I'll show you how to be proper lady in any circumstance, snappy." With that, Whitney gave Roll smile and a wink before turning away with her iced tea in hand. Roll looked at her baffled for a few moments before she walked away without another word. She had not taken more than a dozen steps or so before she looked back towards Whitney's house.

"What a beautiful lady," said Roll quietly to herself.

By now it was approaching the late afternoon, and Roll was feeling rather tired. She was feeling more and more tempted to eat the pies Alfonso had left, but her conscience wouldn't let her.

"Now what do I do?" said Roll, "I'm hungry...I didn't even eat breakfast...or lunch for that matter..." Her stomach gave aloud growl and she just rubbed her stomach when Alfonso arrived.

"Hey there it'sa me!" said Alfonso, "Umm...I was wondering...I kind of left a package behind and...well..."

"You mean these?" Roll asked as she presented the package to him. Alfonso beamed excitedly as he took the package back and tucked it into his pockets. Roll groaned quietly since she was hungry and wanted a share. Alfonso went for a slice when he saw Roll just standing nearby, looking lost in thought.

"Here," said Alfonso, "I hope you like fresh apple pie!" He handed her a rather large slice to her. Roll just looked at it with watering lips before she took a large bite and savored every bit of it. She was fighting hard not to stuff her face with it since she didn't want to be given any more food related nicknames. Alfonso, however, just shoved an entire slice into his mouth and munching it happily so Roll could have done the same, but she wanted to be polite.

"Thank you for the pie slice Alfonso," said Roll with a timid but cute smile, "It was delicious." Alfonso just smiled with his mouth full and went to eat another slice whole.

"Sure thing, it'sa me," said Alfonso with his mouth still full, "and if you're still hungry you can always shake a nearby tree for some fruit. There are plenty of apples around town and no one owns any of the trees around here...or the flowers. Katt had no right to claim those red pansies. They just grew there on their own cause she waters them all the time!" Alfonso rolled his eyes as he brought up the brown cat as Roll just listened.

"Oh...I see," said Roll, "well thank you again Alfonso. I'm gonna find myself some fruit cause I'm still hungry!" Alfonso just nodded as he gobbled down a third piece of pie as Roll went to look for a nearby apple tree. It didn't take her long before she found one and noticed how the tree was filled with hundreds of juicy reddish-yellow apples just waiting to be picked and collected. Roll felt her mouth water as she noticed an apple on a low branch and tried to stretch and reach for it, but she was too short. She took a deep breath and tried again, using her toes to give herself some extra reach, even trying to jump as high as she could but her finger were just short of touching the fruit. Roll snorted.

"I might not be an athletic type of girl, but I know how to climb" she said aloud, "Most wouldn't climb a tree barefoot, but I find that I can grip the tree better using my toes. Plus I'm not afraid of scratching my feet and toes for that matter. Neither am I afraid of falling." The last part was just mostly talk before she tried getting a grip on the side of the tree with her hands and bare feet before she slowly tried to climb the tree. At first she seemed alright until her left foot slipped and Roll found herself landing on her back with a thud. Roll just sighed in defeat when she heard the sound of someone giggling behind her. Roll turned herself over so she could sit on her knees when she noticed a white elephant with yellow hair smiling at her.

"Looking to collect some apples," she asked, "I can help you out with that, tootie."

"Thank you, but I think I can get to them myself," said Roll, "I know how to climb." Roll then stood up and tried climbing the tree again. Margie just watched her for a moment with a smile.

"You know all you need to do is shake the tree, tootie," said the elephant, "I'm naturally very strong. It seems to be one of my talents. Getting the opportunity to use it...is really more efficient."

"Efficient?" Roll asked as she hung on the main tree branch upside down until she lost her grip again and yelped as she landed on her back once more. She groaned from the impact but luckily Animal Crossing trees aren't very tall. Yet that didn't mean the impact hurt any less. The elephant giggled a bit before helping Roll to feet and gently rubbed her back to soothe the stinging pain the blonde girl felt from the landing.

"Come on," the elephant encouraged, "I know something that is even better than apples!" Roll just obeyed as she rubbed her sore back. Soon her back had settled and they arrived at what was a tree filled with cherries instead of apples.

"Cherries!" Roll exclaimed as she walked up to the tree and eyed the reddish fruit hungry.

"They are from my home town, tootie," said the elephant as she walked up to Roll as the girl marveled at the fruit.

"Say," said the elephant, "Let's pretend we are making cherries pies, but the slices are circles instead of triangles okay?" Roll looked rather puzzled but nodded as the elephant took a seat on the grass in front of the tree.

"Let's think about how we would eat them by ourselves," the elephant continued as Roll sat on her knees beside her, "The first and second slices are no problem, but once I get to the third...all I wanna do is go on a diet!" Roll giggled.

"I understand that," said Roll. From her days in the orphanage, it was common for her to try to stuff her face sometimes because the food was limited and you wanted to get your share or else go hungry with all the children fighting for their share of the food. And she was also the age where she was beginning to think about her figure. She wasn't chubby, but she wasn't super skinny either. Then again...she's only eleven.

"What do you do in those situations?" the elephant asked.

"I often say to myself: I really should be eating all this pie," said Roll as she closed her eyes and then smiled, "But then I stuff them all in my mouth!"

"That's just what I would do!" the elephant chortled, "I mean...if you don't eat them, they just get tucked away in the fridge...time will pass and you'd forget about them. And it will end up in tragedy!"

"Uh-huh," Roll agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

"I believe thinking things is also a talent," the elephant continued, "just like food will go to waste if it's not eaten, the same thing goes for your talents, you have to put them to good use too."

"Put them to good use?" said Roll, not understanding the analogy.

"You see," said the elephant, "by talking about helping you, I was also able to help myself." She stood up and lightly shook the tree, not even making the tree rock an inch, but enough for a pair of cherries to fall from the tree and into the ground. She picked up one of the cherry pairs and handed them to Roll.

"Here you are!"

"Oh thank you," said Roll and bit into the fruit and munched on it happily. Margie did the same until they finished at the same time.

"Delicious!" they said together.

"I just love cherries!" said Roll, "even more than apples...I think." They both chuckled.

"Anyway, my name is Roll, I'm the new mayor of Animal Town," said Roll.

"As for me, my name is Margie," said the elephant, "it is very nice to make a new friend." Roll's eyes shrunk as she looked at the girl surprised.

"Friend?" Roll repeated.

"Of course," said Margie, "Why else would you be introducing yourself to everyone if not to make friends?" Roll just looked at her feet nervously.

"True...but..." said Roll quietly, "Isabelle said that introducing myself and meeting everyone would make me a good mayor."

"It does," said Margie, "it's good to get to know people, but don't you want to make friends?"

"Of course I do," said Roll, "it's...just...I'm..." Roll realized she was about to spill something personal and stopped herself but she knew she had to come up with something. Margie just smiled.

"Shy?" she guessed.

"Yeah," said Roll, not wanting to say more until her stomach growled again. Margie chuckled as Roll blushed a little in embarrassment.

"Come on," said Margie, "I'm invited some friends over to join me for dinner, I would be honored if you would join us."

"Oh I don't want to intrude!" said Roll sheepishly with her hands in the air.

"I insist," said Margie, "you've got a talent to socialize with people and you need to keep using it so it won't be forgotten." Roll wanted to protest but then conceded as she Margie escorted her back to her little house, which was near the lone cherry tree. Roll was careful to wipe her bare feet before walking inside and was greeted by a pair of gasps. There inside were Margie's friends: Rosie, whom she had meet, and burnt orange rabbit she had been waiting to meet since this morning.

"Hi Mayor Roll!" said Rosie, "I didn't know you were joining us for dinner, silly!"

"Oh this the mayor?!" exclaimed the bunny as she stood up to say hello, "It is really cool to meet you Mayor Roll, my name is Bunnie. We're going to be the best of friends, tee hee."

"You wanna be my friend too?" Roll asked surprised since the red bunny has just met her.

"We both do, silly," said Rosie excitedly.

"We are going to have so much fun together, tee hee!" said Bunnie giddily, "hanging out, talking about boys, reading gossip magazines, and so much more!" Bunnie hopped up and down excitedly, making Roll laugh.

"You bet Bunnie," said Rosie, "did you hear about..." The two girls just continued to share gossip between each other as Roll just smiled to herself. Margie then gestured for Roll to take a seat as she got dinner ready. Roll just listened for the most part with the conversation going on between Rosie and Bunnie, especially once dinner was served and she ate quietly. She was grateful that despite the sloppy eating nature she was used to, she had learned a thing or two about manners on her own. It was just another one of her many talents that she had taught herself since on one else bothered to teach her. As the conversation between Rosie and Bunnie continued, soon they were asking her questions so she felt included in the conversation. Roll was timid at first but after an hour of chatting, she found that she had more to say then she thought. And the foursome chatted til long after the stars came out.

While Roll still wasn't sure if she would be a good mayor, she had grown some confidence that she could make friends. She could only hope her other duties for being mayor would be this much fun. However, she knew she had just gotten started.

Yet her biggest achievement today was that she had taken her first step in making friends.

 **Parts of the dialogues between the villagers are based from the English translation of their dialogues from _Dobutsu no Mori_ , otherwise known as the 2006 Animal Crossing Anime movie, which never got a US release date. (Sigh) **

**Stay Tuned for the next part!**


	3. A New Leaf Part 3

Chapter 3: A New Leaf Part 3

Roll woke up bright and early the next morning, quickly got dressed, and was ready to go as she crawled out of her tent. She couldn't help but sigh contently as she curled her toes into the soft grass.

"It's nice when I can just walked out of my own...uhh...tent and not get scolded for not wearing shoes," said Roll, "I've never felt grass this soft before in my life." She just looked at her feet with a small smile, but it faded once she looked at her dress.

"I really do need some new clothes," said Roll, "but I still need to find out how I can make some money around here." She then turned towards her mail box and found that she had mail. She opened the box to find that there were three letters inside. Roll opened each of them one at a time. They were from Rosie, Bunnie, and Margie respectively. Each letter made her smile since they were filled with words of encouragement. Yet it was while reading Margie's letter she found a present attached to it.

"I wonder what this is?" Roll thought as she opened the package to find a brown beret inside.

"Oooh pretty!" said Roll as she tried it on. She smiled as she took it off.

"A perfect fit too! I hope I can find a new dress to go with it today," she added as she tucked the beret into her pocket. Then she headed towards the town hall. Meeting everyone as well as her dinner date with Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie had taken all of her energy yesterday. In fact, when Margie had gone to wash the dishes, she had fallen asleep in the elephant's personal sofa. She barely remembered Margie carrying her back home when she fell asleep on the elephant's sofa, but Margie wasn't at all bothered having to carry her back to her new home. Either way, Roll was refreshed and ready to start another day towards becoming a mayor. Her mind had been made up in terms about whether she wanted to stay or try to leave. She definitely wanted to stay, but she still wasn't sure if she had what it took to be a good mayor. Despite that, she was willing to try as she entered town hall where Isabelle was just finishing up another set of papers.

"Morning Isabelle," said Roll.

"Oh good morning Mayor," said Isabelle cheerfully, "I see you're in a better mood this morning." Roll nodded as she approached her desk.

"Yeah, I mean I still feel unsure about if I've got what it takes to be mayor," said Roll, "but it helps that I have friends now who believe in me. At least I think they do..." Roll chuckled sheepishly and Isabelle giggled.

"Well just know that I believe in you too!" said Isabelle, "Now I'm guessing you're here to see what else you can do to be better mayor?"

"Yes Isabelle," said Roll politely.

"Let's see..what else can I advise you on..." Isabelle pondered, "Oh yes! That reminds me...Roll have you ever written a letter before?" Roll did her best not to make any eye contract.

"No, I haven't," she answered honestly, "But I know how to write a letter. Just never actually sent one."

"Everyone here in town loves letters!" Isabelle replied, "Even close neighbors often send letters to each other just because. We really do have a fantastic postal system, if I can boast for a moment or two. If you want to write a letter, you will need some stationary. If you're okay with using regular lined paper, I have some I can give you. I want you to put it to good use!" Isabelle reached under her desk and handed Roll four sheets of lined paper, which came with complementary envelopes that were all stamped and ready to go for delivery.

"You can use letters to greet new neighbors, introduce yourself, or for any reason whatsoever," Isabelle explained, "Anybody here in town would love to get a happy letter from you. However, sometimes townsfolk get so happy they show off any old letters they get to other people...I'd advise you not write anything you wouldn't want others to see. Just assume that everyone will read it."

"That's good to know," said Roll. It was tough enough trying to think what to write and who to write too. She didn't need to worry about having her personal thoughts out in public.

"Lastly, you can also attach presents to letters as well," said Isabelle, "Once your letter is ready to send, you can mail it using the post office on Main Street. I'm sure you've seen the building right next to Nook's homes."

"I have."

"Good, now go write those letters!" said Isabelle.

"Okay," said Roll, "umm...do you have place I can..." Isabelle looked blank for a moment before she slapped her forehead.

"I'm such a dummy," she muttered, "Over here Mayor!" Isabelle opened a small opening so Roll could enter behind the shi-tzu's desk and was lead towards a black editor's desk and a large but comfy office chair. Roll couldn't resist spinning around in the chair at least once when she sat down in it.

"This desk is where you can conduct official mayor business and stuff," said Isabelle, "but you can also use it for letter writing for now. Anything that is set on the desk is yours so feel free to use whatever you like to write your letters. Once you are finished, you can head to the post office and mail them!"

"Okay, thank you," said Roll politely as Isabelle headed back to her desk, jingling as she walked away. Roll just set the sheets of paper and found herself a black pen and began to ponder about who to send a letter to. It didn't take too long to decide since she knew three people she could easily send letter to. She decided to start with Rosie first.

 _Dear Rosie,_

 _Thank you for being my friend. I really hope we can continue to hang out and get to know each other while I live here in Animal Town._

 _From Mayor Roll._

"Hmm," said Roll as she proofread the letter, "Isabelle, do I need to be formal with my letters?"

"Not really," Isabelle answered, "Whatever works for you. Just remember to keep what you write appropriate and well mannered. I really wouldn't advise sending love letters if you can help it or don't mind your crush being made public." Roll snorted.

"Like I would find a boyfriend here," Roll muttered.

"You never know," Isabelle chuckled. Roll just rolled her eyes and changed the end to just her name without the "mayor" in front of it. Then she proceeded to write a similar letter to Bunnie. Once she got to Margie's letter, she found that she had more to say.

 _Dear Margie_

 _Thank you so much for the beret. I can't wait to go shopping for a dress that will go with it! I also think I'm beginning to understand what you meant about using your talents. With your hope, maybe I can learn just what my talents are._

 _Talk to you soon, Roll._

Roll felt the most satisfied writing that last letter as she tucked the sheets into the envelopes. She then sealed the envelopes shut and then left her desk so she could mail them. She had just exited the town hall when she noticed Rudy jogging by.

"Good morning there, mush," he replied as he jogged in place, "You going my way." Roll chuckled to herself.

"Is your way towards main street?" she asked, hoping he would say yes since she would like some company to join her to the post office.

"That would be correct, mush," said Rudy, "Come on. Let's jog!"

"Jog!" said Roll, "but I'm...ahh!" Roll had no time to retort as she soon found herself being forced to jog with Rudy to main street. She found it annoying that Rudy kept telling her to lift her knees higher when she couldn't due to the fact she was wearing a skirt, a knee high skirt to be more precise, with her outfit. By the time they reached main street, Roll was exhausted and breathing heavily as she lay down on the side of the road. Rudy just shook his head.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," said Rudy, "someone is clearly out of shape. Guess that's something we need to work on, mush. We need a mayor that's in shape and ready for anything you know." Roll just glared but couldn't answer since she was still struggling to find her breath.

"Well you still did better than most," said Rudy, "Not many human villagers can jog barefoot...or in a dress for that matter so I'll give you props for that!"

"Thanks," Roll muttered in exhaustion.

"Guess I'll be on my way," said Rudy, "Thanks for joining me for part of the jog, even if it was a short trip."

"A short trip!?" Roll exclaimed as she sat up stunned.

"Yeah, we didn't even do a quarter mile, mush!" said Rudy, "I usually do 10 to 20 a day! And I better get going if I want to get near twenty. See you Roll!" Rudy than quickly jogged back down the stairs to town and went on his way. Roll just looked at him for a moment before letting out a loud huff. That jog had gotten her hot and while being barefoot helped in cooling her down, she was still wearing a long sleeved dress and it was now damp from her sweat.

"I seriously need a new dress," she remarked as she slowly stood up. Her feet were still sore from the jog, but she managed to walk into the post office without anyone suspecting she was in any discomfort. A white pelican was at the desk waiting for her.

"Welcome to the Animal Town post office," said the white pelican, "You must be the new Mayor, Roll. Is that correct?"

"Yep, please to meet you!" said Roll as she cupped her hands together with the letter in her hands.

"My name is Pelly," the pelican answered, "What can I help you with today?"

"I would like to mail a couple of letters please," said Roll as she handed her the three letters. Pelly took the letters and put them into the cubby for delivery.

"All right I'll send this off for delivery right away," said Pelly, "Thank you for choosing the Animal Town post office! Feel free to drop by anytime when you have letter to mail. Plus my sister works during the night time so you can visit then as well."

"So...you're open 24 hours?" Roll asked.

"That is correct."

"That is so cool," said Roll, "Well thank you for your help Pelly. See you."

"Goodbye," said Pelly, "and please come again soon." Roll nodded as she made her way out and went straight back to town hall. Isabelle took notice of Roll's hot and bothered condition as she came in.

"What happened to you?" said Isabelle, "I thought you were just going to the post office."

"Rudy," Roll muttered as she fanned herself with her hand. Isabelle giggled.

"Well a little exercise is good for you every now and then," she answered, "so did you mail a letter okay?"

"Yeah, I've delivered some letters to a few of the villagers," said Roll.

"That's great," said Isabelle, "So I'm guessing you want some more advice I presume?"

"Yes please," said Roll politely, "If it's not too much a bother..."

"Not at all!" said Isabelle and began to think, "Hmmm...then...Ah! I know! Roll, have you been the beach yet?"

"Not yet," said Roll, "I...didn't even know we had access to the beach below. Must have not been paying attention." Roll chuckled sheepishly to herself and Isabelle chuckled herself.

"Well this town has two slopes that lead to the beach Mayor Roll," said Isabelle, "If you have a fishing rod or a wet suit, you can fish or dive and have a lot of fun down there. It is so relaxing to just listen to the waves and walk along the beach collecting seashells! Oh, I know! If you have time, why don't the two of us go down there together right now?"

"Okay!" said Roll, for she had been feeling a little nervous going to the beach by herself. She wanted a beach buddy.

"It would be nice to find a seashell to take home as a souvenir of our little trip," said Isabelle, "Ah! Oh my! I should apologize! That was too bold of me, wasn't it?"

"Huh?" said Roll. She was going to say okay to that idea!

"Really, it would be enough if you picked up some seashells," said Isabelle, "if you happen to go down to the beach and remember that, it would be a nice thing to do...for me." Roll just blinked before her mind finally processed what Isabelle was implying. She liked seashells and wanted her to pick one up for her as well as the fact that she was clearly too busy to go with her to the beach. She figured that since Isabelle was helping her that bringing her a shell wouldn't be a tough task for her to do.

"Okay, though you could have come with me," said Roll, "Why can't you?" Isabelle just sighed and pointed to a large stack of papers. Roll looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry," said Roll, "I didn't know hiring me would be so much work for you..."

"It's not you," said Isabelle, "That's just politics for you, which is alot of red tape and alot of paperwork. I'll be okay so don't worry about that. If I wasn't too busy I would go with you."

"Can I help?"

"Do you know all about the complex wording of political documents and regulation forms and studied law, politics, and government?"

"No..."

"Then you wouldn't be of much help at the moment," said Isabelle.

"Just don't overwork yourself okay," said Roll with concern.

"I won't," said Isabelle, "I'll manage. Have fun collecting sea shells."

"Okay," said Roll quietly, "and I'll be sure to bring you one. Do you...have a favorite in particular?" Isabelle smiled and shook her head.

"It's hard to chose," said Isabelle, "and don't worry about bring me one. Just bring some shells back here and I'll tell you what you can do with them." Roll just nodded as she left town hall and began to think to herself.

"Now where are the slopes for the beach," Roll pondered as she pulled her map and began to scan her fingers along the beach.

"Hey there, alrighty," said Benjamin as he gave a yawn, "the sun is so bright it feels like its shooting lasers into my brain." Roll couldn't resist a giggle at that remark.

"So what are you up to, alrighty?" he asked.

"I'm trying to figure out where the ramps are to the beach," said Roll, "I was told there are seashells there for me to collect."

"Oh those are easy to find!" said Benjamin, "see these rectangles that are a little darker than the dirt paths along the cliff?" Benjamin pointed a finger near the one closest to the town hall.

"Oh so there's a ramp right next to Rosie's house!" said Roll, "Thanks Benjamin."

"Sure thing!" said Benjamin, "Come on! I'll take you there!" Roll was a little stunned by his offer.

"Really?" said Roll, "Why?" Benjamin was rather stunned by her own question.

"Well...can't boys and girls be friends, alrighty?" Benjamin asked with his own uncertainty in the answer, "Does it have to be...romantic?" Roll just blinked before she giggled.

"No, boys and girls can be friends," said Roll, "I guess I'm just not used to boys asking me to be my friend." _Probably because boys never wanted to. They never thought I was good enough or pretty..._

"Well I like you...in that sense," said Benjamin, "and I wanted to go fishing down there for my lunch, alrighty. Do you mind the company?" Roll was interrupted by her train of thought and shook her head.

"Not at all," said Roll, "Let's go!" Benjamin smiled as he led her down the cobblestone paved ramp towards the beach. Roll released a long and deep sigh as she felt the soft sand between her toes. She then noticed that the beach itself was not too narrow or wide and the ocean waters were not only calm but also shallow too as the waves crashed quietly along the edge of the beach. it was along that edge where she found several different sea shells littered sporadically. Roll was eager to get started when she noticed that Benjamin had already equipped his fishing rod and had started walking near the edge of the water, clearly looking for fish to catch. Roll just smiled and let him be before going off on her own in the opposite direction.

As she reached the edge of the sand where the waves were lapping quietly along the shore, she just felt the urge to get a little closer and soon she was standing in the damp sand and allowed the gentle waves to wash against her bare feet. She giggled since the shifting of the water tickled them and hopped a little to splash around for a bit. Once she had her fun, she began looking around for seas shell's to collect. She didn't have to look too hard since the beach was apparently littered with them. There were too many for her to fit into her pockets, but she was still rather selective with what she chose to pick up since she wanted to give Isabelle a really pretty sea shell. She was glad she had read about different types of seashells over the internet so she knew the names for most of the shells on the beach. It was just then she noticed a sparkly bluish-black shell and picked it up.

"Oooh, This is a pearl oyster shell," said Roll, "and they are really rare to find too! This is the one I'm going to take to Isabelle!" Roll tucked the rare shell into her pockets and found that she just had enough space for it too. She then made her way back towards the ramp and noticed that Benjamin was waiting for her.

"Found yourself some sea shells, alrighty?" he asked.

"Sure did," said Roll, "Isabelle said she wanted one so I'm gonna take them over to her right away."

"Cool," said Benjamin, "I'm just going to stay down here until I find myself I big fish for lunch. I've caught a few common ones, but I still have plenty of space for some more. So see ya later, alrighty!"

"See you Benjamin," said Roll, "and thanks for helping me find the ramp to the beach."

"You're welcome," said Benjamin, "there's also a second ramp just east of the event plaza just so you know for the future. Now I've got big fish to catch. See you!" Benjamin then dashed down the beach with his fishing rod. Roll just smiled as she made her way back to the town hall. She was surprised at two things and they both regarded her bare feet. The first was there was no sand stuck to her feet and that her feet were already dry. She didn't think about it too much as she gave her toes a wiggle and headed back to town hall. Since her feet weren't coated in sand or wet, she just entered the town hall without any concern about getting the floor dirty.

"Hey Isabelle," said Roll, "I found a friend to show me the beach. It's so pretty down there too!"

"I'm glad you found the beach Roll," said Isabelle, "Did you have fun collecting lots of seashells?"

"Sure did," said Roll as she pulled out the pearl oyster shell and set it on her desk, "Here you go. I figured you would like this shell!" Isabelle gasped when she saw the shell and took it happily.

"Oh my! You actually remembered to bring me a seashell?!" said Isabelle in shock, "Oh thank you so much. I'll put it in my room and take good care of it! I think decorating a room with seashells can make for very interesting interior design!" Roll giggled at her happiness.

"So...what next Isabelle?" she asked once Isabelle settled.

"Well aside from designing your house," said Isabelle, "You can sell seashells at the recycle shop for a handful of bells! Roll, I'd love for you to see all sorts of different shells and find the one you like the most! Oh and please take this as thanks for the seashell!" Isabelle ducked into her desk again and gave Roll a basket of fruit, but unlike the town fruit, which was Apples. These were Oranges!

"My mom recently sent me a box with a orange," said Isabelle, "Actually, she sent me 3! And she specifically told me I should share them with people because that's what good puppies do. Animal Town is known for the Apple because it is the local fruit. But my hometown is famous for the orange. I'm sharing them with you, so you can eat them, sell them, or plant them, whatever you like. Plus if you sell them, you'll get more bells than when you sell a regular apple. I hear people who make orchard of such fruit can make quite a nice living from planting and selling them."

"Interesting..." said Roll, seeing planting them as the best possible option.

"Give the planting a try," said Isabelle, "All you need is a shovel. Timmy and Tommy often sell a shovel at Nookling junction from time to time. If not, just check back another day. They will have one soon enough. That is where I got mine! And if you bring your shovel here, I can teach you how to plant trees and some other nifty tricks."

"Okay," said Roll, "I guess I'll go to retail first since my pockets are still pretty full from gathering all those seashells." Isabelle chuckled as she nodded in agreement before watching Roll make her leave out of the town hall.

"So...I can make money selling both fruit and these sea shells," said Roll, "Just how much I can make is the bigger question." Roll headed directly towards Re-Tail and walked inside to find Reese just adjusting some sale signs as she walked in.

"Oh hello Roll," said Reese, "what can I do for you?"

"I have some seashells that I wanted to sell," said Roll as she presented Reese with the fourteen sea shells she had inside her pockets.

"Okay then, I'll start crunching the numbers," said Reese and pondered for a moment, "Let's see...I think I can part with about 2400 bells for all of it. Does that sound good to you?" Roll was rather surprised at how valuable the shells were and smiled.

"That would be just fine Reese," said Roll, considering she didn't have any money at all. Reese smiled as she handed the girl the bells and Roll put them into her empty coin purse.

"Thank you Reese," said Roll, "So I can sell almost anything to you huh?" Reese chuckled.

"Anything except for garbage items, but you'll know what those will be beforehand. I'll always let you know if I'll be giving you bells or you have to pay a fee to dispose of certain items," said Reese.

"Okay, thank you," said Roll, "See you later Reese." The pink alpaca smiled.

"Please come again," said Reese as Roll left excitedly out of the shop and headed back down the beach to sell some more shells and a basketful of apples, which earned her another 2000 bells. So she now had 4400 bells in her pouch and clapped excitedly.

"Now I can go shopping!" said Roll since she finally had some cash on her. She quickly rushed over to main street and saw the brown shack that was named Nookling Junction. She noticed how basic the shop looked two.

"I hope they have something worth buying on main street," said Roll as she eyed her pouch of bells, "and I gotta make sure not to spend too much either since I only have a few bells on me." Roll took a deep breath before she opened the door and walked inside. It was there she found Timmy from her first day in town was managing the shop.

"Oh hello there Mayor Roll," said Timmy, "welcome to Nookling Junction! Here we sell a variety of items each day so please feel free to browse around. Please do!" Roll nodded as she looked around the shop for items. Before her were two tables, the first had both a shovel and a net. The second table, had some stationary, some yellowish paper, and what appeared to be some sort of cookie. Yet it was the shovel that caught her attention first.

"Oh I really could use this shovel," said Roll as she walked up to it, "how much for it?"

"Oh I see your interested in the shovel yes, yes?" said Timmy, "the price is 500 bells. Do you wish to buy, do you?"

"It's a deal!" said Roll excitedly, "here you go!" Roll then took out five hundred bells and deposited it into Timmy's hands.

"Thank you, I have received 500 bells, so shiny!" he replied as he put them into the pocket of his blue apron as Roll looked at the bug net.

"I guess I might need a net too in the future," said Roll, "especially if I want to play with Benjamin and Alfonso to collect butterflies." Timmy nodded in understanding.

"The price for the net is also 500 bells, are you interested? are you?" he asked her curiously. Roll nodded as she handed him the bells.

"Thank you very much, much," said Timmy, "Anything else you would like? anything yes?" Roll looked around for a moment. Since she still didn't have a house, she didn't see the need to add any more furniture. Plus she only had 3400 bells left and she didn't want to spend them all without visiting the clothing...wait...was there a clothing shop in town? She had never asked!

"Excuse me, Timmy," said Roll politely, "but do you know if you sell any clothes?" Timmy shook her head.

"Unfortunately, we don't," said Timmy, "but the Able Sisters do, yes they do!"

"The...Able sisters?" said Roll curiously.

"They are the ones who create and sell clothing," said Timmy, "You can head there once you're done shopping here. Yes you can!"

"Okay, I'm about good here for now," said Roll, "thank you for the net and shovel Timmy!"

"Thank you for shopping here today," said Timmy, "Please feel free to stop by our shop anytime." Roll smiled as she exited the shop and looked further down where she saw a two story flat in which has the sign "Able Sisters" posted above one of two main doors.

"So this must be the place," said Roll, "I hope they've got some cute clothes for me to wear." Roll took another deep breath and walked inside and there before her were two hedgehogs busily at work. The blue one perked up as she turned around to say hello.

"Hey there welcome!" said the blue hedgehog, "Welcome to the handmade fashion palace of the Able Sisters! You must be the new mayor that everyone is talking about!" Roll nodded.

"I am," she replied, "My name is Roll and what is your name?"

"My name is Mabel," the blue hedgehog answered, "it is an honor to meet you! Over there doing the sewing right now is my older sister Sable." Roll turned to where the sewing machine was located and saw a brown and rather tired looking hedgehog busily working quietly behind an old machine that had clearly seen better days.

"Nice to meet you Sable," said Roll but there was no answer. In fact, Sable didn't even acknowledge her. Roll felt a little hurt until Mabel gave her a soft smile.

"I have to apologize for my sister," said Mabel, "she tends to get into her work to the point that she often tunes people out. She does the same to me. But I'm sure you're here for more than just our family problems." Roll just smiled sheepishly. She could only wish she had family problems, but she didn't have a family. Not yet anyway.

"Well as you can see," Mabel continued, "we've got lots of various types of clothes available from dresses to shirt, tees, and tanks, and even bottoms like pants, shorts, and skirts. You can also try on anything you like before you buy it and if you find something you really want to wear, you can wear it out after you purchase it." Roll was a bit distracted thinking about not having her own family but she managed to hear what Mabel said and just smiled with a timid nod.

"Okay then, feel free to look around," said Mabel, "Oh! and before I forget! Before you leave, be sure to check the other room just east of us. That's where my sister works!"

"But isn't..."

"That's my oldest sister," Mabel explained, "she does the sewing, but there's also a middle sister named Label. Yet she prefers to be called Labelle. She sells handmade umbrellas, accessories, and headgear. If you are interested in that kind of stuff please feel free to check out her wares."

"Okay," said Roll, "Let's see what you guys have for today..." Roll only had to scan the outfits once before she bounced on her bare feet excitedly.

"OMG! Cute clothes!" said Roll, "now what do I want to wear?" Roll looked about and saw a pink polka tee and a matching skirt.

"Oh I really like these!" said Roll, "how much for the skirt and the top Mabel?"

"Oh the funky dot tee and skirt," said Mabel, "They are great if you're going totally cute with your style. The tee 432 bells and the skirt is 360 bells if you want both." Roll just gasped at the price tag.

"Wow, that's a really great deal," said Roll, "here is 792 bells Mabel. Umm...do you know where I can change?" Mabel giggled.

"You can change comfortably over there," said Mabel, pointing to a small nook with a curtain on it "See anything else you would like?" Roll took notice of a yellow-bar tee and some green plaid bottoms that came just below the knees on her if she wore them.

"That yellow tee would be nice and those capris would be kind of cute too," said Roll. Mabel giggled.

"Those are just shorts for boys Roll," said Mabel, "but they would make cute capris for you if you want them and the tee, they are both 320 and 360 bells each." Roll didn't waste too much time pulling out the bells and gave them to Mabel.

"Thank you very much," said Mabel, "that's a total 780 bells and accounted for." Roll smiled as she went into the change booth. While she loved the color pink, she actually picked the yellow bar tee and the green plaid shorts. She untied her hair with the full plan to go pigtails, but then she remembered something and popped her hair out of the dressing booth with her hair down.

"Umm...Mabel?" she asked timidly, "do you have any hair ties?" Mabel just looked around the shop for a moment until she snapped her fingers and headed towards the desk near the front of he shop and offered a spare hair tie to Roll.

"How much?" she asked.

"On the house," said Mabel, "I'm just glad I keep extra for customers." Roll smiled and got to work tying her hair into a pair of downward pigtails and put on the beret Margie gave her this morning which complemented the outfit perfectly. She gently came out of the dressing room in her new yellow bar-tee and green plaid shorts (or baggy capris as she called them) and examined herself in the mirror and smiled.

"You look adorable!" said Mabel, "Don't forget to check out the accessories shop when you're done!"

"Okay, and again thank you so much for the new clothes!" said Roll and walked over the accessories section where Labelle was just watching over the store.

"Welcome," said Labelle simply.

"Hello, are you Labelle?" Roll asked.

"Yes I am," Labelle answered simply.

"Okay, um..." Roll felt a little insecure with Labelle's short talk, "I'm the new Mayor and I came to see about some new accessories."

"Very well," said Labelle and said nothing. Her staring unnerved the blonde girl as she just started looking around for anything interesting. Her eyes caught the sight of a red umbrella.

"Oh red is my favorite color!" said Roll, "How much for this Labelle?"

"Ahh, I see your interested in the red umbrella," said Labelle, "that is 320 bells if you want it."

"Okay, sold," said Roll and then examined her purse and saw that she only had about 1500 bells left. _I better be more careful with what I buy here, but it's so hard and GASP!_ Roll noticed a head mannequin donning a heart shaped hair clip and fell in love with it.

"That would so be perfect with my new funky dot outfit!" said Roll, "how much?"

"240 bells," said Labelle with a small grin. Roll handed her the money and tucked the hew hairpin into her pockets. Roll glanced over at the other accessories but told herself that was enough since she only had 1268 bells left in her wallet.

"See you," said Labelle with a quick grin and Roll just nodded and left the shop and headed back into Animal Town when she saw Rosie wandering nearby.

"Hey there silly!" said Rosie, "(GASP) Oh Roll I love your new outfit! It's so cute!" Roll giggled as she gave the blue cat a smile.

"Thank you," said Roll, "doing some shopping too?"

"Just window shopping, silly," said Rosie, "So I'm guessing you went clothes shopping?"

"Yeah," said Roll, "I just gotta figure out where to put my extra tools and clothes and other things."

"Do you know about the lockers, silly?" she asked.

"Lockers," she asked puzzled. Rosie just looked at her shocked.

"Isabelle didn't tell you about the lockers, silly?" she repeated surprised and then smiled, "well then you've come to the right kitty! Now listen Roll, instead of always keeping your items tucked into your pockets, you can store the items you're not using into the lockers. Come on! I'll show you!" Rosie grabbed Roll by the arm and pulled her back into town and into the entrance of the train station. Rosie then stood before the locker furthest away from Porter. He just noticed them heading towards the lockers but then went back to his own business.

"This is your locker," said Rosie, "see?" Roll looked and noticed that the locker had her name etched into it.

"Cool, my own personal locker," said Roll and opened it, she found that the locker was separated into three layers: top, middle, and bottom, with enough space to store about 60 items each.

"Wow, that's alot of space," said Roll as she deposited her new clothing items and an extra basket of apples into her locker and then closed it so the only things in her pockets were her 1268 bells, shovel, and her net.

"You can always come here to store any items you want to save for later and don't want to sell them," said Rosie, "plus these lockers are also connected to each other."

"Connected to each other?" said Roll curiously.

"If you buy a closet, a dresser, or any other type of storage items," Rosie explained, "You can access your items from here as well as your very own house, silly! Even station lockers in other towns. There is actually a closet being sold at retail and the best part is that it is being sold at a discount!"

"But I'm still living in a tent!" said Roll.

"So what, silly?" said Rosie, "It's never too early to start decorating your home. Just because it's a tent instead of actual house doesn't mean you can't have nice things inside of it. Now come on! Let's get you that closet so you can access your items at home!" Roll wanted to protest but then Rosie just glared at her.

"Would you rather just change your clothes hiding behind the locker door, silly?" the blue cat asked her. Roll blushed and noticed that Porter had blushed as well and turned away. Roll could only sighed in defeat.

"I only have 1268 bells," said Roll quietly.

"It's enough, now come on, silly," said Rosie as she dragged her back to Retail and to their luck the clothes closet was still there.

"Hello there Rosie and Roll," said Reese. Bunnie than noticed something and gasped excitedly since she had been browsing around the shop for past twenty minutes or so.

"Oh Reese," said Bunnie, "I noticed this clothes closet is on sale and I might be interested in it." Rosie and Roll looked at each other in agape.

"Oh no," said Rosie and Roll together as Reese just smiled at the reddish bunny.

"That clothes closet is being sold my Purrl," Reese explained to Bunnie, "the asking price is 1050 bells." Rosie and Roll just held their breath as Bunnie looked deep in thought.

"SOLD!" said Bunnie as she purchased the clothes closet and the two girls both groaned as they made their way out. It wasn't much longer before Bunnie came out and noticed the two girls sulking outside the shop.

"Hey you guys, lovely day isn't it, tee hee?" she replied cheerfully, "I like your new outfit roll, the iconic look is totally you!" Rosie just growled at her while Roll just looked away sadly.

"What's...going on?" Bunnie asked when she noticed their sour faces.

"Roll needs a storage space!" Rosie explained, "and _you_ just brought the closet she wanted!" Bunnie just looked gasped and then looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry," said Bunnie sadly, "I didn't know! I just needed a new one since my old one broke. I had no idea..." Bunnie just looked at her with glossy eyes and was ready to cry when Roll just sighed.

"It's okay," said Roll, "I only have 1268 bells anyway so it's not like I can afford a new one. Not even that green dresser I saw at Nookling Junction. I already sold all the shells and corral I found at the beach!"

"Have you found the money rock?" Bunny asked.

"Money rock?" Roll asked puzzled.

"Come on!" said Bunny, "it's the least I can do...unless you want me to give you the one I just bought. I don't mind, tee hee. I can just wait for another..."

"No, it's okay," said Roll, "You bought that with your own money Bunny. I want to buy my own. Now where's that money rock you're talking about?"

"Well I don't know exactly where it is to be precise," Bunny pondered, "but I do know that once a day, one of the giant teal rocks scattered around town contains free bells. The only way to extract them is to hit the rock with a shovel, tee hee."

"Good thing I just bought one," said Roll, "So let's try it. There's a rock near my house so I can try that one first. Rosie and Bunnie nodded as they followed the blonde girl back towards her house and the rock was exactly one square away from the rock.

"That will make things alot easier!" said Bunnie, "because it is recommended that you dig three holes behind you before hitting the rock cause when you strike the rock, you kind of get knocked backwards, tee hee!"

"Wouldn't that make me just fall into the holes and mess up?" Roll asked since the idea of digging holes made no sense to her.

"You would think that, but actually the holes buffer you from getting pushed too far away from the rock so you can get all the bells from the rock," Bunnie explained, "I use this trick myself and it's how I find myself plenty of money for shopping for lots of cute clothes and furniture! Give it try with this rock! Once you see money pop out, keep hitting it as fast as you can cause if your too slow you won't get as many bells, tee hee."

"Okay..." said Roll as she stood just an inch away from the back of her house fence. She took a deep breath and hit the rock. And on her first strike a coin popped out of the rock and she kept trying to hit the rock as quickly as she could. After the fourth coin, money bags started popping out until four of them had come out and the bells stopped popping out of the rock. Rosie and Bunnie cheered her on as Roll looked at the money scattered all around the rock.

"I...I can't believe it!" said Roll as she looked at the money with an excited smile on her face.

"Believe it Roll!" said Bunnie excitedly, "You got the maximum amount of money from the money rock and found the rock on your first try, tee hee!"

"Great job Roll," said Rosie, "Now you should have enough for the dresser and to pay the fee for your house now right, silly?" Roll just looked blankly for a moment before she realized that Rosie was right.

"That is true!" said Roll, "I was so focused on finding myself some new clothes with the money I made that I had forgotten about my down payment. Let me see how much I got here. She quickly combined the coins and money bags together and counted up the bells she found and added them to her previous coins.

"Wow!" said Roll, "I have 17,368 bells now. That is more than enough for that dresser and the down payment!"

"Hooray!" said Rosie and Bunny together as they applauded her and then Bunnie gasped.

"But it is still on sale?!" Bunnie asked out of the blue. Roll and Rosie gasped before the threesome headed back towards Nookling Junction. Rosie smiled as they burst into the door, startling Timmy.

"What's with all the commotion, please tell me?" he asked, trying to settle the thumping of his heart.

"Sorry Timmy," said Roll politely, "I just realized that I needed that green dresser you are selling today. May I buy it please?" Timmy just settled his racing heart and gave her a friendly smile.

"Why of course!" said Timmy, "the asking price is 2240 bells." Roll winced at the price and Rosie gave Bunnie a glare. The bunny just looked away to draw attention away from herself as Roll rolled her eyes at the two.

"Deal," said Roll, "and now that I think about it, I probably could use that modern wood bed too since I've been sleeping on the floor with just towel for a blanket."

"You've been sleeping on the tent floor with just a towel for a blanket?!" Rosie and Bunnie exclaimed.

"Why didn't you tell us, silly?" said Rosie with concern.

"Yeah we could've found you a spare bed or at least some extra bed sheets, tee hee," added Bunnie.

"I didn't feel right asking," said Roll, "plus while I don't mind the extra help. I do want to earn my own things. Anyway what's the price for the bed Timmy?" Timmy just nodded.

"It's 1680 bells," he answered. Roll nodded and handed him the bells and took the bed as well.

"Thank for the purchase and the bells, so shiny," said Timmy.

"Come on you guys," said Roll, "let's set this stuff up back at my place." Rosie and Bunnie just exchanged looks at her before they conceded with smiles on their faces. Yet they couldn't help but have some sense of worry about Roll. There seemed to be something about her...something that she wasn't telling them. Why else would she be so comfortable living without even the simplest of necessities? They didn't have much time to think about it as Roll excitedly brought them to her tent and she quickly set up the dresser along the eastern wall and her bed in the upper left hand corner of her tent.

"There, now I have a bed to sleep in, a place to store extra stuff and my clothes," said Roll, "and I still have more than enough money for my down payment! Hopefully, what Isabelle teaches me next doesn't take too long!"

"Tom Nook is open till 8pm, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"And it's just a little past mid-day," said Rosie, "What is Isabelle going to teach you, silly?"

"She was gonna show me other things that I can do with my shovel," said Roll, "as well as how to plant fruit trees and such." Rosie and Bunnie just exchanged smirks with each other.

"Can we come with you?" they asked together and Roll gave them both warm smiles.

"Sure," said Roll happily, "I would like the company!" Rosie and Bunnie smiled.

"Then let's get going, tee hee!" said Bunnie as they headed out. Roll was the last to leave but she took another look at her tent and felt satisfied with it.

Now it was starting to feel like her own place.

Even if it was still just a tent.

 **Another reference from** ** _Dobutsu no Mori_** **can be found here if you can find it.**


	4. A New Leaf Part 4

Chapter 4: A New Leaf Part 4

Roll, along with Rosie and Bunnie, entered the town hall just as Isabelle was apparently deep in thought and looking at some sort of book. Roll was rather stunned to see Isabelle playing actually doing a crossword puzzle game rather than working on her usual papers. She and the two peppy villagers just approached her casually.

"Isabelle?" she asked curiously. Isabelle yelped and tossed her crossword puzzle book high into the air in surprise.

"Oh I am so sorry," said Isabelle nervously as her book hit the floor, "I was working! Honest I was!" Roll just smiled as Rosie and Bunnie snickered quietly to each other.

"Isabelle, as long as you are getting your work done, I have no problem with you taking a break," said Roll, "Well I came back to show you that I got a shovel. They had one for sale in Nookling Junction!"

"That's good, great score there, Mayor," said Isabelle, "and I see you've done some clothes shopping too."

"Is my outfit okay for a mayor?" said Roll, "you said that if they sell it at Able sisters that it would be okay to wear..." Roll suddenly felt a little subconscious about her attire until Isabelle just chuckled.

"You look fine Roll," said Isabelle, "and very pretty too. I like the idea of a mayor dressing on the casual side. It makes you more approachable. I didn't know Able Sisters had capris."

"There boy's shorts," said Roll since they were just barely below the knees, "but I think of them like capris since girl's shorts are generally shorter."

"True," said Isabelle, "but it's nice to see a mayor casually dressed."

"She's right, silly," said Rosie, "You are more approachable since you dress so casually."

"Plus you look so pretty too," said Bunnie, "Not too many girls can wear the plaid shorts and still look cute n girly, most would look more tomboyish, tee hee. That's not a bad thing after all but...anyways, I like your outfit and if no one else does then that's their problem!" Roll just smiled, feeling rather encouraged at Bunnie's words. She walked over to her.

"Do you really meant that Bunnie?" she asked.

"Of course I do," said Bunnie, "you're my friend and I like hanging out with you!"

"I do too," said Rosie, "and I've noticed you've felt insecure cause you're barefoot. Don't be, silly! If that's what make you who you are then who care what others think! Just do it!" Roll felt her eyes water as she gave them both a smile.

"Can...can I...well..." she stuttered as Bunnie and Rosie looked at her curiously.

"Can you what, silly?" Rosie asked.

"Don't be shy with us, tee hee," Bunnie added, "What's up?"

"Can...can I give you guys a hug?" said Roll timidly, "I like to give hugs." Bunnie and Rosie just smiled before they shared a long and giggly group hug with each other. Isabelle just waited patiently until the pulled away before speaking again.

"So...you got a shovel," said Isabelle, "and you're ready for my little tutorial about planting and other tricks with the shovel?" Roll approached her desk and nodded.

"I like the feeling of dirt between my toes," she answered honestly with a giggle as Isabelle began to ponder about how to begin her tutorial.

"Hmm...I did say I'd teach you how to plant trees. Well... since you've got a shovel with you. Let's get started with that first."

"So what do I do?" Roll asked eagerly.

"First you use your shovel to dig a hole where you'd like to plant your tree," said Isabelle, "then choose which fruit you want to bury and toss it into the hole."

"Just like that?" said Roll surprised, amazed the procedure sounded so simple.

"Correct," said Isabelle, "However, there are things you can do to make sure your tree grows nice and strong. For example, where you plant it can make a big difference. Somewhere like in the shadow of a building, too close to another tree, or next to a river or a cliff...if you plant in places like those, the tree won't grow big and strong. It'll just end up wilting. So when you choose a place to plant a tree, make sure you give it plenty of space to grow!"

"How will I know if I planted it too close or just the right distance away?" Roll asked, feeling a bit puzzled.

"Think of it this way," said Isabelle, "if you can't walk around the tree a full 360 degrees when near these rivers or cliff edges you planted it too close."

"Alright I'll give it a try," said Roll, "I still have those three oranges you gave me earlier today and I would like to try making a small orchard. Now I just need to find a good place to plant them. Come on you guys!"

"Ready when you are, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"So...you guys just came in here to support Roll I see," said Isabelle as she made their way out of the town hall.

"Of course, silly," said Rosie, "what are friends for?" Roll just smiled happily as the three made their way out of the town hall and she began to ponder where would be a good place to plant the oranges, tapping her left foot on the cobblestone while she considered the possible areas. Bunnie and Rosie were deep in thought as well until Bunnie's eyes lit up.

"Oh! I know the perfect place to put plant the oranges, tee hee!" said Bunnie, "Follow me you guys!" Roll and Rosie just exchanged curious looks as the excited rabbit took off. The two girls soon followed after her as she led them down the river and across the bridge to the area where Purrl had her house. There was plenty of empty land surrounding it, more than enough for an orange orchard.

"This would be a great spot, tee hee," said Bunnie, "And it's close to retail so you won't have to travel to far to sell the extra fruit and there's plenty of space around here!" Roll surveyed the area and aside from an extra apple tree and some non-fruit trees the area was a good place for an orange orchard.

"This place is a perfect," said Roll.

"Great idea Bunnie," said Rosie. Bunnie blushed at all the attention.

"Glad I could help," she replied shyly as Roll remembered what Isabelle had said about the spacing of the tree. She dug into the ground when she felt she was far enough away from Purrl's house and created a nicely sized hole. It was just then the calico cat burst out from her house.

"Just what do you think you're doing to my property, kitten!" she scolded angrily as Roll jumped back frightened by her harsh tone when Rosie came to her defense.

"First of all Purrl," said Rosie sternly, "the only land that belongs to you is the area inside of your fence. Anything outside that range is first come first serve, silly!"

"Well that doesn't mean that I like the idea of there being holes all over the place, kitten!" Purrl retorted. Roll just felt shut down and just looked saddened and let her shovel drop to the ground. Bunnie noticed how downcast she looked and went to comfort her.

"Hey don't be sad Roll," said Bunnie, "It's just the misunderstanding is all!"

"Let's just go somewhere else," said Roll quietly and turned to leave.

"Roll, don't leave, silly," said Rosie, "Instead of letting Purrl talk to you like that. Why not tell her why you were digging that hole!" Roll just sniffled.

"I don't wanna fight with anyone," Roll croaked, "If it's a bother that I'm here..."

"Now hold on just a moment there, kitten," said Purrl, "I never said it was a bother that you were here. I just saw you digging this hole and wanted to know what you were up to! I caught Benjamin and Alfonso digging up part of the town once looking for something and I didn't want this beautiful area being flooded with holes."

"I...well...I...I..." Roll then just began to cry. Purrl gently approached her.

"I can tell you obviously meant no harm," said Purrl, "now tell me why you were digging that hole, kitten. Stop crying and just tell me the truth." Roll did her best to calm down, but she couldn't stop crying.

"I just wanted to plant some fruit trees here," she sobbed. Purrl's face looked stunned and then she laughed.

"Well why didn't you say so in the first place, kitten?" said Purrl excitedly, "what kind of fruit dear?" Roll tried to dry her eyes before she pulled out the basket of oranges Isabelle had given her. Purrl gasped excitedly.

"These are satsuma oranges!" she exclaimed excitedly, "MILKANS!" Purrl gushed excitedly as Roll looked surprised and her tears finally started to slow down.

"Milkans are my favorite fruits, kitten," said Purrl, "Ever since I moved here, finding them has been very rare since I don't travel too much from town anymore. It would love it if you planted a milkan orchard here. Then I could get one whenever I wanted!" Roll smiled as she wiped her eyes before picking up her shovel and headed back towards the hole she had dug.

"Purrl, Isabelle gave me tips on how to measure out plating the tree, but I'm still not..."

"The distance you picked is just fine, kitten," said Purrl, "it should grow nice and strong. Are you planting all three?"

"Why not, silly?" said Rosie, "the more we plant the faster the orchard will grow with all those delicious oranges!"

"I'm getting hungry just thinking about them, tee hee," Bunnie added as she rubbed her stomach. Rosie and Purrl laughed as Roll just smiled quietly before planting the orange into the hole, causing a small sapling to pop out from the dirt. Purrl then helped Roll figure out the right distance to measure out how far apart the saplings should be planted and soon all three oranges were planted.

"So what do we do now?" Roll asked.

"Nothing much now, kitten," said Purrl, "if the saplings grow, you'll see a tiny tree here the next day."

"They grow that fast?" said Roll surprised.

"Sure thing," said Purrl, "The soil here is so good that a full sized tree grows in about four days, kitten, and if the sapling looks wilted and brown it means that the spot you planted was no good."

"Oh I hope that's not the case," said Roll with concern.

"Based on the way you planted them, kitten," said Purrl, "you've done everything right. Now it's just up to fate what these three saplings do."

"Oh...okay," said Roll, "Well...thank you for helping us Purrl and sorry for upsetting you. I'll make sure to ask next time I dig nearby." Purrl just chuckled.

"There's no need to apologize, kitten," said Purrl, "I guess I overacted because the last time someone was digging they left a mess. I know that despite being barefoot that you're not a messy or sloppy girl correct."

"N-n-no, not at all," said Roll, as she rubbed her toes together, "I just like being bare foot. If it bothers you..."

"Not one bit, kitten," said Purrl, "if it makes you happy Roll. It really doesn't matter what I think. You be barefoot cause it makes you happy." Roll just nodded and then gestured for Bunnie and Rosie to follow her back to town hall. They were about halfway there when they decided to outpace her a bit and stop her from walking.

"Roll, what happened back there, tee hee?" Bunnie asked worried.

"Why did you let Purrl tell you off like that, silly?" Rosie asked. Roll just said nothing and lowered her head. She really didn't know why...well actually she did, but she didn't want to walk about it.

"I...well...I don't like confrontations okay," Roll snapped, feeling her eyes water again, "I don't want to talk about it!" Roll then tried to steady her breathing as Bunnie and Rosie exchanged looks with each other.

"Roll, were you...bullied when you were younger, silly?" Rosie asked. Roll just groaned. Why couldn't they just drop the subject?

"No..." said Roll quietly, "I...I...just...I'm not good with defending myself and it's something that I need to work on. I already feel stupid enough as it is so can we please just drop it!" Rosie and Bunnie just looked at her sadly before they gave her a hug each.

"Well, just know that when you are ready to talk that we are here for you okay, tee hee," said Bunnie, "We care about you."

"Yes we do, silly," said Rosie, "and we've got your back. We won't let anybody mistreat you around here so don't you worry about that." Roll just smiled.

"Thanks you guys," said Roll, "now shall we let Isabelle know the trees are planted?"

"Sure," said Rosie.

"But are you sure you're going to be okay?" Bunnie asked. Rosie and Bunnie really did care deeply for their new friend and their concern about her had grown as a result of the incident. So far they learned she was living with not even the bare necessities and she was willing to let people tell her off and shut her down.

"Yeah, I'll be okay," said Roll with a smile. They just smiled back.

"Alright, silly," said Rosie gently, "Let's head back to town hall then." Roll nodded as she led the way. Bunnie and Rosie shared one more concerned look before following close behind. In fact, they each slipped a hand into each of Roll's since she had put her shovel away. The fact Roll curled her fingers into them let Bunnie and Rosie know that their gesture was accepted. Holding hands also helped the blonde girl feel better too. Isabelle was waiting for them when Roll walked in.

"All done planting them Isabelle," said Roll, "thanks to Bunnie, we ended up planting them near Purrl's house. She seemed to appreciate it."

"Once she found out that Roll wasn't destroying the land," Bunnie whispered to Rosie and the blue cat just nudged her to let it go...for now.

"Well there is more than you can do with the shovel," said Isabelle, "If you have a shovel, you can bury things, but you can also dig up things that were previously buried. Do you know how to dig things up? I can teach you if you like?"

"Please do!" said Roll.

"Okay," said Isabelle, "Have you been walking around outside and come across a star mark on the ground?"

"Yeah, I was wondering what those were," said Roll.

"That mark means something's is buried there that can be dug up with your shovel," Isabelle explained, "Sometimes you might even find a fossil. However amateurs like us can't tell what kind of fossils they are. But no worries! At the edge of the shopping district is a museum. If you take your fossils there, they'll be assessed for free! If you donate to the museum, we'll have a better collection in our museum for everyone to see them. You can also take assessed fossils to Re-Tail and sell them for a fair amount of bells too. As a staff member of the town hall, I love seeing the museum develop as a result of donations so feel free to do whatever works for you."

"Okay, guess I'll go fossil hunting then," said Roll as she headed on out, "Come on you guys. Let's go look for some fossils!" Rosie and Bunnie smiled as they made their way outside and began to scout around for any star marks. Roll seemed to be deep in thought as she look about.

"I seem to recall there being a star mark around her somewhere," said Roll as she continued moving forward. She was so busy thinking and talking that she didn't see the star mark in front of her. However Rosie and Bunnie did.

"Uhh...Roll," said Rosie.

"Just a second Rosie," said Roll as she continued to move closer to the star, "Now where was that..."

"Roll there's a mark right in front of you, tee hee!" Bunnie shouted. Roll gasped but still kept moving forward.

"Really? Where is...is...is...oh...oh! OH! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" THUD!

As soon as Roll walked over the star mark, the ground beneath her caved in and she tumbled into a large pit. Rosie and Bunnie rushed over to her and found Roll just leaning against the narrow wall of the pit and rubbing her left foot.

"Roll, are you okay silly?" Rosie asked. Roll grunted a bit as she continued to rub her ankle. Rather than falling backward as the ground caved in. She had landed square on her bare feet when she hit the bottom of the pit before falling into her bottom. Unfortunately, her left foot twisted a bit as she fell down.

"Isabelle didn't say anything about some of these star spots being traps!" Roll complained, "That landing might have done a number on my ankle!" Roll continued to hold it since her ankle was starting to hurt. Bunnie knelt down since the pit itself was only a few feet deep and helped Roll climb out since she could only use one foot as the moment, but the front toes hit the edge of the pit as Bunnie pulled her out.

"Ow-owowow!" Roll yelped as she grabbed her foot and felt her eyes water since her left ankle hurt while she sat down on the grass where the pitfall had been. While she was surprised that the hole she was in had filled in on its own, she was more concerned about her foot. Rosie went to examine it when Roll pulled both her feet away as she tucked them into her chest.

"Come on, silly," said Rosie in a motherly tone, "Let me see your foot, if you've injured it, we need to know." Roll was hesitant to but then shakily extended her foot so Rosie could take hold of it. Roll was nervous that it was going to hurt more when Rosie took hold of it, but was surprised to see that the blue cat was being very gentle and was just examining it carefully. After examining it for a couple of minutes, she gave Roll a smile.

"It's just a light twist Roll," said Rosie, "It might hurt for a little bit...but you'll be okay once you start walking on it. It's not even swollen. You just moved it wrong when you fell in."

"How many of those things do I need to be worried about?" Roll asked as she just kept her left foot extended. Bunnie giggled.

"Luckily there is only one that appears in town each day," said Bunnie, "It would probably be big help if you can find these things and dig them out before someone else falls in and gets seriously injured.

"Good idea," Roll grunted since her foot still hurt as she tried rotating it to get the kink out of it.

"Need help standing up, tee hee?" Bunnie asked. Roll just looked at her, wanting to say no thank you, but just conceded as Bunnie and Rosie each grabbed her by an arm and slowly pulled her up to her feet. At first she just stood on her right foot and then tried to stand on her left foot. It hurt as she did so, but after a few false starts she was able to at least rest her foot on the ground.

"Can you walk, silly?" Rosie asked. Roll limped about for a few steps and just nodded.

"I'll be okay," said Roll bravely, "Now come on. We've got some fossils to find!" Rosie and Bunnie nodded as they followed her. While they were worried at first since Roll was clearly limping about for a few minutes, but once they came across a second star mark, Roll was walking normally.

"Good thing I saw this one," said Roll, "I know the pitfall seed for today was taken care of but I'm just glad I saw it rather than walked over it."

"How's your ankle feeling, tee hee?" Bunnie asked concerned. Roll just smiled as she lifted her left foot and wiggled her toes.

"It's feeling much better now," said Roll, "Just a bit stiff, but I'm not in any more pain thank goodness. Now let's see if this is a fossil!" Roll dug into the star and there on the blade of the shovel was a blue object with a shell decal on it.

"That's a fossil, alright!" said Rosie, "There are usually four of these scattered about the town. You've got one, now let's find the other three!"

"Okay," said Roll as she tucked the fossil into her pockets and then their search continued.

A few hours later, Roll had managed to find all of the fossils in town. Once she had all four, she only needed a few seconds before she decided to just donate the fossils to the museum. She was tempted to sell them, but she figured that Isabelle would teach her other ways to make money. It was late afternoon when they arrived at the front gates of museum and entered the main hall. Roll couldn't help but look around.

"Wow, so they've got four exhibits here!" said Roll.

"Unfortunately, they are all empty, tee hee," said Bunny, "When the old mayor left Animal Town, there was this accident in which the museum was leveled and wiped out everything that had been collected here so we're hoping that you'll be able to help us restore the museum and recover all that was lost." Roll just looked at the four fossils she had collected and nodded with a grin of determination.

"I'll do my best," said Roll, "now where do I find out what these fossils are?"

"Try the sleeping owl over there, silly!" Rosie suggested as the blonde girl then noticed the owl apparently fast asleep while standing up.

"Umm...excuse me..." Roll asked gently.

"Zzzzzzzz...hooooooooo...WHO!" The brown owl suddenly woke up with a start as he noticed that he had a few guests at the museum, "Oh I beg your pardon, I must have dozed off!" He took a look at Roll and then clapped his hands excitedly.

"Oh hello there!" he replied, "You must be the new mayor of Animal Town! Oh I'm quite pleased to meet your acquaintance!"

"Nice to meet you too," Roll replied politely, "Mister..."

"Mister is what they call my father, what not," said the owl with a grin, "The name is Blathers. I assume this is your first visit the museum is it not?"

"Yes it is," said Roll.

"Well now welcome to the Animal Town museum where we display the finest collections of bugs, fish, deep sea creatures, Blathers accessed fossils, and even fine works of art!" he said proud and then sighed sadly, "at least we used to until the big accident. Have to start the collections all from scratch I'm afraid. I hope as Mayor of Animal Town that you'll do your best to help us restore the museum to its former glory, who-who!" Roll smiled.

"Well...that's why I am here Blathers, " said Roll, "I found these fossils in town, with some help from my friends, and I wanted to see if they are any of the fossils you are looking for."

"Well allow me to assess them then," said Blathers. Roll handed him all four fossils.

"Oh, more than one I say...well let's have a look..." Blather quickly examined the fossils and gasped, "All of these fossils are not part of our collection! Oh I do hope you'll consider donating them to the museum!" Blathers was literally pleading for the girl to donate them. Roll giggled to herself.

"Well that's why I brought them here," said Roll, "I'm sure I'll learn other items that I can sell to make bells." Blathers smiled happily.

"Oh thank you very much!" said Blathers as he tucked the fossils into his pockets, "I can assure you these fossils are in good hands and will be displayed in a timely fashion. We gladly appreciate your generous donation! Please enjoy the rest of your visit."

"You're welcome," said Roll, "and thank you."

"Oh Roll," said Rosie, "I just remembered another easy way to make some money, silly."

"Really?" said Roll, "How do I do that?"

"If you shake some of the non-fruit trees and cedar trees," Rosie explained, "sometimes you can find lots of bells in the trees and even a piece of furniture or two!" Roll hummed with interest as they made their way out of the museum and headed back into town. Roll then noticed a small cluster of non fruit trees near the train station and decided to give them a shake. The first tree dropped a coin.

"Hey I got something," said Roll and looked at the coin, "Only 100 hundred bells thought, but better than nothing I guess..." Roll continued to shake the trees in the area, finding a couple of more coins and then headed towards another cluster of non-fruit trees near Margie's house. Rosie just smiled but then noticed that Bunnie looked worried.

"What's wrong, silly?" she asked her friend. Bunnie just looked deep in thought.

"I feel like there's something else we need to tell Roll about tree shaking," said Bunnie, "but I can't remember exactly what it is." Rosie just looked at her for a moment and began to think herself as Roll shook another tree and down fell a green leaf. Roll picked it up and gasped in surprise.

"A pink vanity!" she exclaimed, "that is so cool! I always wanted a vanity." She tucked the object into her pockets and then shook another tree. Everything seemed to slow down as Roll noticed a honeycomb fall out of tree, immediately followed by the sound of loud buzzing. Bunnie and Rosie just remembered what they had forgotten to tell Roll regarding shaking trees!

"RUN ROLL!" Rosie shouted.

"HEAD FOR MARGIE'S HOUSE, TEE HEE!" Bunnie added. Roll was frozen for a moment and then screamed as she ran for her life towards Margie's house. Rosie and Bunnie followed close behind. They could tell that the bees were gaining on her. Margie had just exited her house when she saw the frightened Roll running towards her house with a large swarm of bees gaining on her.

"Hurry inside, tootie!" she called out, "before..."

Too late.

Margie winced and Rosie and Bunnie slowed down and covered their eyes as the bees caught up Roll and showed her no mercy as they stung up her face good, knocking her to the ground before dispersing into places unknown. Roll was left face first when she slowly got up and turned around. All three girls winced at the sight of her face, which had been stung up good and even the left eye was swollen shut. The poor girl looked miserable.

"I...guess I forgot the mention the chance of bee huh, silly?" said Rosie sheepishly, chuckling a bit to lighten the mood. Roll said nothing and opened her compact mirror to examine herself. It only took a second before her lips just quivered.

"WAH!" she wailed as she began to cry loudly. While part of it was because her face hurt, she also felt embarassed and humiliated cause of her now swollen face. Neither Rosie, Bunnie, or Margie were aware of the fact that Roll had issues thinking she was pretty and beautiful. Having a swollen face didn't help. Bunnie and Rosie just knelt beside her for comfort, but Roll buried her face into her knees so no one could see her. Margie arrived just a few moments after.

"Roll, look at me," she spoke to her in a motherly tone, "Look at me right now!" Roll obeyed and lifted her head, but she continued to cry quietly as Margie smiled at her.

"Please don't look at my face!" she begged, "Leave me alone!"

"Roll, there's no need to cry," said Margie, "These things happen when you're shaking trees sometimes, tootie."

"I didn't know," she sobbed. Margie glared at Rosie and Bunnie who just looked downcast.

"I forgot," said Rosie sadly.

"Same here," said Bunnie, "We're so sorry Roll! We didn't mean to leave you at the mercy of those bees!"

"If only I hadn't sold my last case of medicine, silly!" Rosie added, regretting that action, "you wouldn't be hurting!" Roll just looked at her and turned away.

"Just leave me alone!" said Roll quietly. Rosie began to cry.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed, "I didn't mean for you to get hurt!"

"We don't want to leave!" said Bunnie, wanting to cry herself, "We're not gonna leave you alone like this! We're your friends, tee hee! Please don't push us away!" Roll just looked at them surprised. She was used to people just leaving her alone when she got hurt or was just depressed. This was first time she had seen someone who cared. It was the first time someone cried because they knew they were the reason she got hurt. Now Roll felt a little guilty seeing Rosie on her knees and crying as Bunnie just held her for comfort.

"We all care about you very much Roll," said Margie, "And I also happen to have some medicine. Take it so your face will feel better, tootie." Roll just nodded sadly as she took the medicine and used it. As if by magic, her face didn't hurt anymore and she even looked at her face using her compact, finding that the damage to her face had been completely undone. She crawled over the Rosie, who was still crying and hugged her.

"I forgive you Rosie," said Roll, "I know you didn't mean it. Please don't cry." Rosie settled and gave her a smile as the cat dried her own eyes and Roll got to her feet and dusted off her shorts/capris.

"We better get back to the town hall," said Roll, "Thanks for the medicine Margie." The elephant nodded as Roll walked away quietly. Rosie and Bunnie just looked at Margie and then Roll. Margie quietly urged them to go with her and two friends followed behind. Roll arrived solo back at the town hall.

"Okay the museum now has four new fossils in its exhibit and my ankle is fine despite tumbling into a pitfall seed," said Roll annoyed and wanting to forget about what had happened earlier, "thanks for the heads up about those things!" Isabelle chuckled to herself.

"Sorry," she replied, "Those only spawn once a day. Anyway ready for more advice?"

"Sure, assuming it doesn't risk me getting injured again," said Roll, not wanting to bring up about getting stung by shaking trees. Yet the incident was clearly implied as Rosie and Bunnie quietly allowed themselves in.

"This area has alot of natural resources, so you can also find many different kinds of fish and bugs," said Isabelle, "That is why there are so many people who've made fishing and bug catching their hobby. Actually, it's more than a hobby. Everyone around here makes alot of money catching fish and bugs too. You can find fishing rods and nets for sale at Nookling Junction. If you see them, be sure to pick them up right away! During this season, fishing and bug catching are highly recommended. By the way, which do you think you'd like to try first?" Roll thought for a moment. She almost wanted to say bug catching, but then she remembered she didn't have a fishing rod and hoped that Isabelle would have a fishing rod on her.

"I'll try fishing," said Roll.

"In that case, why don't you use this as an opportunity to make your fishing debut?" said Isabelle, "Have you noticed that purple book I gave you that came with the lantern?" Roll then blinked and then pulled out the book from her pocket.

"I was wondering what this was for!" said Roll.

"That is where you keep a record of all the bugs and fish you've caught," said Isabelle, "So get a fishing rod, and catch at least three different kinds of fish. Then show me your encyclopedia! And if you're having trouble finding a fishing rod, just come back and...I see that look on your face Mayor. Need a fishing rod huh?" Roll just smiled and nodded.

"I see," said Isabelle, "why don't you buy one of the fishing rods we keep here at the town hall for situations like this? Only 500 bells."

"Sounds good to me," said Roll, "Nookling Junction only had the net and the shovel today." Roll handed Isabelle the bells and then went to find a good place to fish.

"Roll, hold up," said Isabelle and the girl stopped but didn't turn around, "Are you alright? You seem a bit stressed." Roll just sighed to herself.

"It's just been a long day," said Roll quietly, not wanting to say more. Isabelle just hummed to herself.

"Well, try not to wear yourself out Roll," said Isabelle, "You don't need to learn everything in a day." Roll just nodded with a small smile and headed out of the town hall. Rosie and Bunnie stayed behind to speak to Isabelle.

"Isabelle," said Rosie.

"Oh hello, Rosie, Bunnie," said Isabelle cheerfully, "How may I help you?" The two friends looked at each other and then to Isabelle.

"Can you tell us something about Roll, silly?" Rosie asked. Isabelle was rather puzzled about the question.

"What about her exactly?" she asked skeptically.

"Something regarding her past, tee hee," Bunnie explained, "Her previous living location and such..."

"Well her information is classified..."

"We're worried about her, tee hee," Bunnie snapped, clearly upset, "Today, she let Purrl nearly tell her off and when shaking trees she got stung by bees and had a meltdown!"

"She pushed us away a couple of times too, silly!" said Rosie, "also when she fell into the pitfall! She acts like when things go wrong for her she's all alone in the world and that isn't true."

"It's like she thinks no one cares of she's hurt or with what she has to say," said Bunnie, "She lets bad things and other people shut her down. We're worried about her!" Isabelle just sighed. They were putting her in awkward predicament. She thought for a moment before she figured a good middle ground.

"All I can say is that Roll came from an overcrowded orphanage," said Isabelle, "the type where you either make yourself heard or get lost in the crowd. Roll was one of the few that got lost in the crowd."

"And I'm guessing she was a loner too," said Rosie, "she's seems to act a bit awkward with us around."

"We're were worried she had been bullied or abused, tee hee," said Bunnie. Isabelle inwardly groaned. She had heard plenty about her past from the orphanage, but even she didn't know the complete story. Just the general facts, but they were sacred facts that she just couldn't spill to anyone, especially Rosie and Bunnie. While the two were genuinely concerned, she was well aware the blue cat and red rabbit were big gossipers.

"Well the best thing you can do is be her friend and show that you care about her," said Isabelle.

"We've been doing that!" said Rosie, "but Roll just seems to close up when we try to ask her anything personal."

"Well, just give her some time," said Isabelle, "You've only been her friends for barely a couple of days. I'm sure you two didn't share all your deepest and darkest secrets with each other on day 1."

"Actually, we kind of did, tee hee," said Bunnie and Rosie giggled to herself. Isabelle just rolled her eyes.

"Well, not everyone does and you guys know that," said Isabelle, "give Roll her space and keep being her friends and when the time is right. She'll open up to you about her past. I can't say anymore because it would violate the Animal Town code of confidentiality and you know how we all like to respect each other's privacy."

"We know," Rosie and Bunnie said together quietly, knowing that there was nothing they could do to help their friend at the moment but just give it time. It wasn't much longer before Roll came back into the town hall.

"I know you said I only needed three types of fish, but I went to the river and found seven! See for yourself Isabelle!" Roll proudly showed her encyclopedia to her and Isabelle smiled.

"Great job Mayor Roll," said Isabelle, "Now you're off to a great start on your fishing encyclopedia! See if you can fill out the entire encyclopedia for fish as well as bugs and deep sea catches. You can either sell your fish to Retail for bells or donate your catches to the museum so others can see all the different types of fish Animal Town has to offer year around! And for your hard work. Allow me to give you this!" Isabelle ducked under her desk and presented Roll with a tin watering can.

"This watering can is what you can use to water flowers," said Isabelle, "You will need to water flowers to keep them from wilting and so you can grow more flowers. Sometimes flowers of the same types might even produce a flower of a rare color so try to group different color flowers of the same type! Also don't feel sad if a flower does wilt, just water it and it will perk up the next day as long as you don't pluck it out."

"Good to know," said Roll, "I really do like to garden."

"Cause you enjoy the soil between your toes right silly?" Rosie asked with a giggle and Roll nodded with a smile.

"Well that is all I can teach you for now," said Isabelle, "Now you'll know how to at least make a living and improve the area of Animal Town! How you grow and develop Animal Town's environment will be completely up to you!"

"Isn't there more that I can learn?" said Roll curiously, "I feel like all you've taught me so far is how I can make a living for myself. Other than growing orchards of fruits, donating to the museum, and watering flowers, there has to be more for me to do as Mayor of Animal Town!" Isabelle smiled at her eagerness to learn.

"I'm glad to see your enthusiasm Roll," said Isabelle, "but you've learned alot today and you need to just rest and have time to yourself! Tomorrow I'll teach you about how you will be able to develop Animal Town!" Roll wanted to protest but just conceded quietly with a nod. She was getting tired anyway.

"Okay," said Roll, "thanks for all the advise Isabelle! I better get going so I can donate these fish I found and get my down payment on my house so I'll finally have an actual house to live in instead of a tent!"

"Alright then," said Isabelle, "Go on, then after that. Try to relax and enjoy yourself!" Roll smiled as she exited the town hall. Bunnie and Rosie just quietly followed behind without another word. Isabelle just watched them leave, hoping they would take her advise in getting Roll to open up.

Roll decided to bid Rosie and Bunnie farewell for now so she could make the donations and her down payment to her house alone. Bunnie and Rosie didn't want to leave her alone, but conceded out of respect since even they understood the importance of personal space. Roll just took her time walking to Nook's homes, feeling satisfied with all she had learned that day and it was about half an hour to closing when she arrived.

"Welcome, welcome," said Tom Nook, "How may I help you today?"

"I've got the down payment for you on my house!" said Roll excitedly, "Here!" Roll reached into her pocket and pulled out a pouch with the 10,000 bells inside of it."

"You brought me the money?!" he exclaimed, "Let's have a look, hm?...Yes! Yes! Exactly 10,000 bells! That does make me happy." Tom Nook tucked the bells into his own pocket.

"Very good, very good," He replied with satisfaction, "The money makes everything official, and work on your house can begin at once. You can also choose the color of your newly built home's roof. So what color will it be, hm?" Roll gasped excitedly as she pondered for a second before she knew her answer.

"Can...can I have a red roof?" she asked. Tom Nook laughed at her shyness.

"So you would like a red roof hm?" he asked for confirmation.

"Yes sir," said Roll.

"Yes, Yes! Got it! I will make sure your house is ready to go by tomorrow morning," he answered, "and also...to tell you...oh yes, yes of course! I must tell you all about home remodeling!"

"I can remodel my house too?!" Roll exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, yes!" said Tom Nook, "Once you're house is finished, you can update the exterior! The exterior includes the walling, the roof, the fence, the sidewalk, the door, and the mailbox!"

"Wow!" said Roll, already thinking of how she wanted to change her house in her own mind.

"Every day, I will have new samples of different types of exterior parts so please stop by if you get curious," said Tom Nook, "For the moment, you must be looking forward to tomorrow, yes? Thanks much!"

"Thank you Mr. Nook," said Roll happily as she left the shop and hopped on her bare feet with glee.

"YAY! I finished paying of my down payment!" she shouted, "I'll have my home tomorrow!" Roll happily skipped back to her house, feeling much more cheerful and whistling a happy tune as she made her way back to her house.

 _So much had happened to me over the past three days..._

 _First I became the mayor, then I made some new friends named Rosie, Bunnie, and Margie. Now I have the skills I need to make a living here and have lots of fun as well. And I'm sure there is more that I can learn as I get more adjusted to my life here in Animal Town. I still don't know if I have what it takes to be a mayor, but I'm more than willing to give it my best shot!_

Roll had been writing about her personal events inside her diary over the past three days using the lantern Isabelle had given her for light. Since she still didn't have a desk or a table, she just wrote in her diary in her bed and propped up her legs as a desk. Once she had finished, she tucked the journal back into the new dresser before turning the lights off.

"I still don't know if I'm cut out to be a mayor," Roll said to herself as she lay in her alpine bed, "but I feel like I'm supposed to be here." Roll was soon fast asleep. She was so tired, she slept right through the whole construction session that had removed her tent and allowed them to build her a house.

Her own house.

 **And that concludes the first story arc in Animal Crossing Adventures. But this series is far from the over! This is just the beginning. There will be more adventures to come for Roll and her life in Animal Town! So keep reading and stay tuned for the next story arc.**

 **Here's a preview!**

 **Miss Popular: Now that Roll has learned how to make a living, she needs to earn the approval of the town! Can she obtain an 100% percent approval rating? And is Roll seeking more than just being an accepted as mayor, but for who she is?**

 **Find out next time!**


	5. Miss Popular Part 1

Chapter 5: Miss Popular part 1

Roll was woken up the next morning to the sound of a steady pitter-patter on the top of her roof and...

wait a second

Did she just hear what she thought she just heard?

"Pitter-patter on the roof?!" Roll exclaimed to herself as she sat up in bed with a start. Her shock then turned into joy as she looked around her living space. No longer were the walls arched like a tent, but she now had four solid walls, two of which had windows and a ceiling over her head. She jumped out of bed, feeling the new floorboards beneath her bare feet.

"I can't believe it! I finally have my own house now!" she shouted with glee as she twirled about a few times before collapsing back into her bed and giggled happily. She finally had her own house. She finally had a place to call her home. Sure, it was rather small, but Roll wasn't complaining about it. It was her home, her own house, and she felt very proud of it.

"My own house," she said quietly to herself, "my own home!" She was just enjoying herself when she heard a knock on the door. Roll clapped excitedly.

"Oh my first house guest!" said Roll, "Hold on please!" Roll quickly threw off her night shirt and grabbed her funky dot outfit and quickly tied up her hair into her pigtails and put on her beret before opening the door.

"Oh hello Isabelle," said Roll, "what brings you here today to my (giggle) new house?" Isabelle smiled as she held a green gingham umbrella in one hand and closed it as she allowed herself inside.

"Sorry to intrude Mayor," said Isabelle as she closed her umbrella as she walked in. She began to survey what little furniture Roll had in her house, which was just her green dresser near the southeast corner and her alpine bed against the north wall.

"I see your house preparations are complete congratulations!" said Isabelle as she took a slow deep breath, "that fresh lumber smell from a new house is so nice, isn't it?" Roll took in a big whiff and exhaled contently.

"It does smell nice," said Roll, curling her toes on the wooden floor contently, "and I like the feeling of the wood on my feet too!" Isabelle giggled quietly to herself.

"That's reminds me, I brought over some new wallpaper to commemorate the occasion!" said Isabelle, "here you go!" Isabelle reached into her pockets and presented Roll with the wallpaper. Roll took it excitedly.

"Oh, thank you Isabelle," said Roll, "Just...how do I set it up?"

"It's easy," said Isabelle, "just toss the wall paper at the walls and the rest will take care of itself. Give it a try!" Roll looked at her funny before she did just that and soon her once barren, common walls were coated in bright yellow with darker shaded paw prints.

"Oh that is so pretty!" said Roll, "thank you Isabelle!"

"You're welcome," said Isabelle, "You can also do the same with the flooring as well. And the flooring can vary so be sure to experiment to see what works for you...or whatever you enjoy feeling beneath your feet!" Isabelle giggled since she could see Roll staring at her feet and rubbed her toes against the wooden floor. Roll blushed when she realized she had gotten distracted.

"Heh...yeah, I'll do that," said Roll, slightly embarrassed. Isabelle chuckled regarding Roll's fascination of being barefoot and then gasped.

"Oh dear, I just remembered that there's something else that I wanted to tell you as well!" said Isabelle, "See that switch near the doorway! You can use that to turn off the lights in the house if you want to light up the entire room instead of just using your lantern. That's is up to you. Well, I better go for now. Thanks for having me over Mayor Roll!"

"Thanks Isabelle for visiting and the wallpaper," said Roll as she watched the shi-tzu leave and then closed the door to clean up a bit before getting ready to leave. She had just grabbed the doorknob when she remembered that Isabelle had been carrying an umbrella when she had arrived and had been awaken to the sound of a "pitter-patter on her roof". She looked out her new window and saw that it was raining rather steadily outside. Roll just sighed to herself as she stared at her feet once more.

"Guess I'll need some shoes today," said Roll as she looked at her brown pumps with disgust. In general, Roll felt disgusted having to wear any type of shoe, but these brown pumps she wasn't afraid to admit she flat out loathed with passion.

"Ugh, those stupid shoes don't even go with my outfit," Roll complained, "and I'm not changing out of my pink tee and skirt! Pink of one of my favorite colors. Well red is my top favorite, but pink is a close second...along with blue." She just grunted bitterly at the shoes as she slipped them on her feet, not enjoying the feeling of them on her feet at all. It didn't help that because they were so old they felt hard, itchy, and downright uncomfortable for her.

"They are all I have though and the rain might be too cold to go barefoot in right now since it's still early March," said Roll and just let out a long and loud sigh as she glared at them once more.

"I really hate these shoes," she muttered as she made her way outside with a miserable look on her face. She looked towards her mailbox and found that she had a letter from Bunnie.

 _Dear Roll_

 _Considering how little you've got for personal suggestions, my instincts are telling me that you probably only have one pair of shoes. Anyway, I had an extra pair of these for you to wear so I hope they will be of some use to you!_

 _Take care, Bunnie._

Roll laughed happily once she finished reading Bunnie's letter.

"Talk about good luck!" said Roll excitedly, "I wonder what kind of shoes she got me." Roll unclipped the present attached to the letter and opened it. She gasped in awe as the package revealed a pair of orange thick banded sandals that had a magenta flower on them with some orange backing on the heel, yet they were still pretty much a slip-on sandal.

"Oh these are cute!" said Roll, "and they go way better with my clothes than these stupid old pumps!" Roll changed out of her brown pumps and switched the sandals. Roll lifted her foot and smiled. Despite the thick band, they were open toed so her feet could still breathe and stay dry. Plus, since they were brand new, they felt a thousand times softer and more comfortable on her feet. Roll was very happy wearing them.

"I love em!" said Roll, "and it's not as cold out here as I thought so these sandals will do what they need to do in keeping the cool rain off my feet! Now I'm ready to head to town hall to find out what I need to do next in becoming the mayor that I need to be!" Roll then went to toss her brown pumps into the house when she stopped herself and looked at them angrily. Those darker thoughts began to plague her mind once more.

 _You don't deserve any better!_

 _You're not good enough!_

 _No one will ever love you or accept you!_

 _This is all you're worth anyway!_

Roll grunted angrily before she shoved them into her skirt pockets.

"First thing I do today when I get done with Isabelle is get rid of these once and for all," said Roll sternly, "I'm sure I'll find a new place for shoes and I want to be rid of these stupid pumps once and for all!" Roll nodded with determination as she opened up her umbrella and marched towards town hall with full intention of making sure she was rid of those old pumps before the day was over. Roll closed her umbrella as she entered the town hall where Isabelle was waiting for her.

"So Roll, now that you've gotten settled in and know how to make a living here," Isabelle began and then began to daydream a bit, "Wow, I really kind of envy you!"

"Why?" Roll asked puzzled.

"Cause my own bedroom is still completely full of unpacked boxes, and it feels like I moved so long ago!" Isabelle replied and then looked at the girl nervously, "So...please don't tell my brother! I don't let him into my room for just this reason!"

"I...didn't know you had a brother," Roll remarked but Isabelle ignored it and moved on.

"Ahem," Isabelle continued, getting her bearings together, "Right! I was going to tell you about the town hall! For starters, right now I'm standing at the service counter. This is the information hub of Animal Town! In addition to giving advice here, I also provide other services when I'm at my post here in town hall. So just let me know if you ever want to change the town tune, or flag, or learn about citizen satisfaction!"

"Okay," said Roll with a nod.

"And for future reference," said Isabelle, "to get advice or provide input, you'll need to stand at the counter just like everybody else. No special treatments on that respect mayor!"

"What if it's something else or personal?" Roll asked, but wasn't even sure why she brought that up. Isabelle just smiled.

"I'll let you know if that is the case," said Isabelle, "Now let's move onto your responsibilities here as May...

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" Isabelle shouted, causing Roll to jump.

"What? what is it?" Roll asked, looking around frantically.

"I almost forgot the most important part of your mayor responsibilities!" said Isabelle in panic and then sighed sadly, "Before you can start laying out your vision for Animal Town, you'll need a town development permit." Roll groaned quietly to herself.

"Why does everything have to be so difficult?" Roll asked, she might not know alot about politics, but she knew enough about the complexity of government regulations and red tape from her schooling. Despite her shyness and insecurity, Roll was actually very, very smart. She was pretty much the class nerd. She was so smart that she had actually graduated high school at the top of her class just last year. One would think being a high school graduate at age 11 would be a great confidence booster, but it wasn't for Roll. She didn't have time to think further about it before Isabelle coughed to get her attention again.

"Getting the permit takes a bit of work," said Isabelle as she recollected herself and got them both back on track, "but don't worry Roll! I'll help you out! That's what I'm here for!" Roll smiled as she released a deep breath.

"Okay, let's do this!" said Roll with as much determination as she could show.

"You know, I just love your can-do attitude, Mayor Roll!" said Isabelle, "If you remember from yesterday, there's a very special chair in the back of this room that's reserved just for you! And as mentioned before, when you need to work on official mayoral business, just sit in that chair and I'll help you out! So just come see me when you're not overly busy so can we get started on your town-development permit!" Roll just looked a little stunned as well as confused.

"So...are you overly busy right now?" Roll asked sheepishly, not understanding that Isabelle didn't require her to start with the town-development permit right away, "cause I'm not busy at the moment..."

"I'm busy, but not overly busy..." Isabelle pondered and just laughed, "Just kidding! Go take a seat and we can get started!" Roll smiled as she almost ran towards her chair and took a seat, spinning twice in the chair as Isabelle walked up to her. Roll sat up and adjusted her skirt before giving the shi-tzu her full attention with a cute smile on her face.

"Hello there, Mayor Roll," said Isabelle with a chuckle, "Sorry, just protocol there! So you'd like to work on the application for your town-development permit! Is that correct?"

"Correct Isabelle," said Roll formally with a giggle.

"Okay, so let me explain the prerequisites for the permit, shall I?" said Isabelle and Roll nodded, "The first requirement is that you own a house in town!"

"We were just there you silly puppy!" Roll giggled.

"Very funny," said Isabelle, smirking, "Since you're obviously own a house, you're all set there!"

"One step ahead of the game!" said Roll.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," said Isabelle, "The second requirement for the town hall-development permit is the gain the approval of the citizen here in Animal Town." Roll's upbeat attitude suddenly plummeted into the pits of her stomach as she turned away sadly.

"Hey, I didn't mean to break your spirits," said Isabelle, "earning citizen approval is alot easier than you think!"

"It is?" Roll asked doubtfully and curiously.

"In order to gauge citizen approval, I'll regularly survey the townsfolk to see what they think of you!" Isabelle explained. Roll groaned inwardly.

"What...they think of me?" she whimpered.

"The best way to raise your approval rating is to improve the town and the lives of those who live here!" Isabelle continued.

"How do I do that?" Roll asked quietly, not feeling as enthusiastic about her mission.

"For starters," said Isabelle, "According to a preliminary survey, your current approval rating is 36%." Roll's eyes widened when she heard her current rating.

"I'm surprised...it's not at zero," said Roll quietly, but Isabelle heard.

"Why would it be at zero?" Isabelle asked curiously. Roll stumbled to find the right words when she quickly cleared her throat.

"Never mind Isabelle," said Roll. The shi-tzu was tempted to ask further questions but could tell Roll didn't want to talk to she decided to move on.

"Well the law requires that all applicants have a 100 % approval rating, so let's make that our goal!" Roll just looked at her dumbfounded.

"How can any mayor have a 100% approval?" said Roll, "even in school they taught you when it comes to politics that you can't ever make everyone happy!" Isabelle smiled.

"Well according to the way the approval rating is done," said Isabelle, "You're only concern is making the approval rating go up! It won't ever go down. I can assure you that. You can just talk to me from your mayor's chair anytime you want to know what your approval rating is okay?"

"Oh," said Roll plainly, not understanding the approval rating system, "What do you suggest I do to improve my approval rating?" Isabelle pondered for a moment and then got an idea.

"Why not come up with a town flag and town tune?" said Isabelle, "Something catchy that screams Animal Town and also has your own personal touch!" Roll just looked a bit blank for a moment and then just nodded with a smile.

"Okay," said Roll slowly, "Do you mind if I sit here to do that and...where can I..."

"Check your desk for paper, pens, and other things," said Isabelle, "Once you create a tune and/or a flag design, I can convert it for you so don't worry about that. Plus all writing materials are erasable for environmental purposes. Just get comfortable and try to come up with something nice okay. No rush." Roll's first response was the kick off her sandals and wiggle her toes before searching for a piece of paper. She was glad she had taken a class on music so she knew her music scale. She began to ponder about a tune for a few minutes before she smiled excitedly and began to jot down the notes. She took a few more minutes proofreading it since she found that she could only fit up to 16 notes for the tune so she adjusted the notes. When the tune was written out is read: C-_-C-_-C-D-C-B-C-C-_-C-_ , which was actually only 14 notes, but that was just fine for her. When she was ready, she decided to approach Isabelle's desk.

"Umm...Isabelle," said Roll.

"Oh hello," said Isabelle formally, "What can I do for you Mayor Roll?"

"I think I have a tune," said Roll and handed her the note. Isabelle smiled as she read the chords.

"Care to give us a sample of the new tune?" she asked and Roll just chuckled sheepishly.

"Do I...have to?" she asked nervously. She really didn't like being the center of attention.

"Don't be so shy Mayor," said Isabelle, "If the villagers are going to learn the new tune, they need to hear it being sung by their own mayor."

"Isabelle, I...I don't even know if I am a good singer," said Roll sadly, "I bet if I sang it, it would probably sound worse that it does on paper."

"Nonsense," said Isabelle, "I'm sure your voice isn't that bad, plus the town tune doesn't even have words. It's just something you're supposed to whistle or hum to, not completely sing!" Roll then blinked a bit before sighing quietly.

"I'm still nervous to whistle," said Roll, "especially since I'm being watching or listened to." Isabelle hummed and began to think before she got an idea.

"Roll, close your eyes," said Isabelle. Roll looked puzzled and obeyed.

"Now forget what you see," said Isabelle, "Forget that I'm here and just feel the music in your heart! And let it come out!" Roll groaned nervously as she tried to concentrate. Isabelle noticed that Roll looked rather sad and decided add this as well.

"I don't know who told you that what you do or have to say doesn't mean anything," said Isabelle firmly, "but that isn't true. I care and I want to hear you sing our new town song. I know you can do it." Roll just opened her eyes and just looked at her sadly.

"You know...don't you?" she asked. Isabelle just sighed quietly.

"I know you came from the orphanage that was in your old town," said Isabelle, "and that it was overcrowded and you had a hard time trying to make yourself heard there. That's not the case anymore, Roll. Everyone here cares about what you have to say!"

"Only cause I'm the mayor..."

"No cause you have something to say and you opinions and ideas matter," said Isabelle, "and my response to that is this: Tell me, Roll. Tell me what you have to say." Roll just bit her lip since she felt like she was going to cry but just held her composure. She took a deep breath and then whistled her new tune. Her whistling was a little timid but Isabelle smiled cause despite the softness, the sound of the tune could be heard.

"Come on, put more happiness into it," said Isabelle. Roll tried again, while it was still timid, it was much clearer than the first time. Isabelle clapped for her.

"That tune is perfect," said Isabelle, "I'll be sure to let the rest of the villagers know about it and soon they can whistle and hum it whenever they please. So thank you very much for the town tune. Now how's the town flag coming along?" Roll just blinked and put her hands on her hips.

"Isabelle," said Roll, "I just barely came up with the town tune. I haven't even started thinking of an idea for a town flag." Isabelle giggled.

"Well go on, and just take your time with it," said Isabelle, "by the way Roll, why did you take your shoes off?" Roll just looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes with a small smile on her face.

"I think better barefoot," said Roll, "I'm inside, not in the rain, and you said I could get comfortable while I did the town tune and the flag." Isabelle just chuckled to herself.

"Well just don't forget to put them back on before you leave town hall," said Isabelle, "where did you put them anyway?"

"I just set them underneath my desk," said Roll.

"You can keep them near the edge of the door," said Isabelle, "It's more polite that way." Roll just made an O with her mouth and nodded before setting her sandals near the door like Isabelle had said before heading back to her desk and grabbed another sheet of paper. After thinking for about twenty minutes, she just started to doodle for a moment and then she got an idea. She had to erase several times before she got the picture just right, but in the end, her proposal for the town flag was...a basket of apples.

"It might not be the most original town flag," said Roll, "but I worked really hard on the colors since I didn't just draw two ovals together and color the whole thing red. I even added shadows and even some shades of golden yellow since the apples I really like are the yellow-reddish kind. Those are the ones that grow here and they are absolutely the tastiest! Plus I even added a few leafs around it so it looks like it's on the branch just waiting to be picked. I think I'll stop talking to myself now." Roll giggled nervously as she cleaned up her desk and then went to stand before Isabelle's desk.

"Okay, Isabelle," said Roll, "I have for you a design for the town flag. I call it the "yummy apple"." Roll presented the design to Isabelle and she laughed when she saw it.

"This is one really good drawing of an apple, yummy too," said Isabelle, "Okay then, just give me a moment here..." Isabelle then headed towards a machine and apparently started to scan her drawing. Roll just watched with interest as her design was apparently uploaded to the machine and suddenly some cloth was extracted from the machine and she gasped. There was her town flag design, now stitched perfectly into a nicely made flag. And not just one flag, but two!

"Oh wow," said Roll, "It's looks even better than I could have imagined it!" Isabelle smiled.

"Just give me a few minutes to hang these up and then I can tell you what else you can do." said Isabelle. Roll just nodded as Isabelle grabbed her umbrella and headed out to town hall. Roll then realized that she was just alone as she just paced about the town hall, examining every nook and cranny as she walked about. It entertained her for a moment until she remembered why she was making a town tune and a town flag in the first place.

"How can making a town tune and a town flag that's just a nicely drawn sketch of some apples in a basket make me popular?" said Roll, "and to get people to like me? I was never a popular girl..." Roll crossed her arms and just tapped her left foot into the ground as she looked out of a nearby window and just watched the rain come down.

"I figured that I would need to worry about getting some sort of approval," Roll continued to think aloud, "but I'm not popular...I never was...nerds are never popular in school. How am I supposed to earn the approval of the entire village...when I couldn't...when I couldn't even prove my worth with my own family...all they saw me as was just trash...disposable...unwanted..." Roll sniffled a bit before she crawled under her desk and just let herself cry. For Roll, whenever she felt upset and depressed, small compact spaces were her personal safe places. It wasn't much longer before Isabelle arrived and thought that Roll was missing.

"Mayor? Roll?" Isabelle called out, "Did she leave?" Isabelle then turned and saw her orange sandals were still by the door.

"I hope she didn't..." then Isabelle heard the sound of crying and used her ears to follow the sound. It wasn't long before she found the blonde girl sniffling underneath her desk.

"Mayor?" she asked concerned. Roll just continued to sniffle as she looked at her sadly. Isabelle just gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Why are you crying?" she asked gently. Roll just sniffled a bit more as she looked at her with tear stained cheeks. She didn't want to say why she was crying and just said bravely.

"Just nervous." Isabelle just hummed in understanding.

"Everything is going to be okay Roll," said Isabelle with a encouraging smile.

"But I'm not a popular girl," Roll protested in tears, "I was lucky if people even noticed me!"

"Well now is your chance to be noticed," said Isabelle, "The type of popularity that you are striving for is not the same type of popularity that you are probably thinking or are used to."

"Huh?" said Roll puzzled.

"Well, come on out of there and sit in your chair," Isabelle instructed in a motherly tone, "Then I'll explain to you what I'm talking about." Roll just wiped her eyes and crawled out of her little nook and took a seat on the chair, adjusting her skirt as she turned her chair so she was facing her with her hands in her lap.

"The type of approval I'm talking about has to do with just showing people that you are a responsible person," said Isabelle, "You can increase your approval rating by talking to the villagers and doing favors for them when requested, watering flowers, pulling up weeds, and disposing of any trash you find by taking it to Retail."

"So...I can become popular by helping people and keeping the town clean?" Roll asked.

"Of course," said Isabelle, "and doing it with a kind and compassionate heart will also earn you bonus points! Plus the more the villagers see that you are mayor that not only cares about the town, but themselves as well, you'll get your approval rating to 100% in no time."

"But...but what if they don't like me?" Roll asked worried.

"Why would they not like you?" said Isabelle. Roll said nothing since she really didn't have a reason why and Isabelle just smiled.

"Like I said, Roll," Isabelle continued after seeing that Roll had nothing else to say, "some villagers might be a bit skeptical of you, but that doesn't mean that their views about you won't change or are they rejecting you. None of the villagers will ever ask you to do impossible, dangerous, or image damaging tasks Roll. This is a very familial town and we look out for each other. You don't have to worry about being bullied by anyone. Standing up for yourself won't kill your approval rating. It will only help improve it." Roll looked at her skeptically.

"Rosie and Bunnie told you about Purrl didn't they?" Roll replied, slightly annoyed that they ignored her advice to drop that incident.

"Well, Purrl, as well as Kat and Fang, can get a little fussy sometimes and they can be a bit defensive sometimes over nothing," said Isabelle, "I just don't want you letting anyone shutting your down!"

"This socializing still feels rather...uncomfortable for me," said Roll quietly. Isabelle just smiled.

"It's gonna get better, I promise," said Isabelle, "So the only other thing you can do besides what I mentioned before is also write a message on the town hall. Can be anything you want to write and as long as it's not offensive or inappropriate of course. If it helps you feel better, thanks to your new town tune and flag, your approval rating is already risen to 45%!"

"Oh wow," said Roll amazed as she wiped her eyes.

"So if you're ready, put your sandals on and start talking to the villagers," said Isabelle, "and if you see any weeds, pluck em out, and since it's raining you don't have to worry too much about flowers. Though...these flowers actually enjoy a watering despite the rain and doing so increase your approval rating."

"Oh...ok..." said Roll slowly as she rose from her chair, "I...guess I better get going then." Isabelle offered the blonde girl a hug, which she took eagerly.

"You'll be okay," said Isabelle as they pulled away, "just say hello and ask them how they are doing and the favors will come to you."

"Okay," said Roll as she slipped her sandals on and grabbed her umbrella, "I'll see you later then." Isabelle waved Roll goodbye as the blonde girl left town hall. She was still pondering about what she should write on the town hall message board when she noticed one of the weeds Isabelle was telling her about in the grass.

"That's it?" said Roll, "Well that doesn't look to hard." Roll grabbed it with one hand and found that the weed clearly had some deep roots and was having trouble making it budge. She then closed her umbrella and then used both hands. After some tugging she pulled it free from its current spot of residence and watch it disintegrate into thin air. Roll just breathed out a sigh of relief.

"At least I don't have to carry them to retail," said Roll to herself as she pressed on. She eventually found three more said weeds along the way and took the time to pull them out.

"I wonder just how many of those things are in town?" Roll thought as she reached the town message board.

"Now what can I say?" said Roll and began jotting down the first thing that came to mind.

 _Hello everyone_

 _I really hope to make you all proud as mayor of Animal Town! I hope you'll learn to like me._

 _Roll_

She looked at the message before tearing it off and tossing the sheet into a nearby recycle bin for disposing unwanted posts and old notifications.

"Well that sounded wishy-washy," said Roll annoyed, "maybe even downright desperate. I'm not desperate for public approval...at least I think I don't...(sigh) well, let's try this..."

 _Greetings one and all from your new mayor!_

"Too over the top," said Roll as she threw that note away as well, "Come on...think of something general rather than formal or personal...hmm...maybe this..." Roll the wrote this message out quickly.

 _Hello everyone_

 _Hope you have a great day!_

 _Roll_

"That's much better," said Roll, "Simple and not too emotional. I hope people will read it."

"Kind of hard to have a good day in this weather cha-chomp," said a voice. Roll jumped to see Fang was trying to see the message board. '

"Could you move a bit?" he asked, trying to be gentle but still sounded a bit brash. Roll just blinked a bit before taking a few steps back and nearly falling over as she bumped the side of the entrance to the train station.

"All I said was to scoot, not fall," said Fang.

"S-s-sorry," said Roll, "and I'm sorry if you're not having a good day." Fang looked at her puzzled.

"I never said I was having a bad day," said Fang, "just that rain gets me down a bit, cha-chomp."

"Oh, my bad," said Roll, "Any...thing...new today?"

"Just that this rain doesn't look like it's going to be stopping anytime soon," said Fang, "I'm not one to play out in the rain, but if it's you're cup of tea than who am I to judge?" Roll just nodded feeling a little insecure since she had been enjoying the rain.

"I...am enjoying the rain," said Roll, "I even got new sandals to wear to keep my feet dry." Roll lifted her right foot to show them to Fang. He just nodded when he looked at them.

"Interesting," said Fang quietly, "Well there appears to be nothing new happening in town today, cha-chomp, but that doesn't mean we can use that an excuse to slack off. I can't let the weather be an excuse for me to do nothing today so I'll talk to you later Roll." Roll just nodded with a timid smile.

"O-okay," said Roll, "See you later Fang!" Fang nodded as he walked away. Roll just headed in the other direction to see if there were any other weeds to pick up. As she was walking about, she saw that there was a single fish swimming about in the pond.

"Oh!" said Roll, "Maybe it's one of the fish I need for the museum." Roll switched from her umbrella to her fishing rod and cast her line. After a few seconds of ignoring her bobber, the fish bit down on it. Roll struggled a bit to reel it in and then pulled out...a tin can?

"Oh great," said Roll, "now what do I do with...oh right! Isabelle said I can deliver this to Retail so it can be disposed of!" She tucked the spare can into her pockets before deciding to see if she could find her money rock. The first three rocks she tried were no good, then she noticed a fourth near the west side of the river and went to strike it. To her surprise, it exploded and produced a single grayish cluster of ore.

"Oh wow!" said Roll, "That rock gave me a piece of silver! I'm sure that will sell for a good amount of bells!" Roll excitedly picked up the spare ore and tucked into her pockets and then found another cluster of weeds and pulled them out as she continued her way about search for her money rock. She finally reached Retail and noticed a small rock close by at the edge of the lake.

"Might as well give it a try," said Roll. She walked up to the rock and was about to dig her hole when she noticed a set of purple violets growing nearby where she was going to dig a hole.

"No need to kill the flowers over this," said Roll, "I wonder if I can just tuck flowers into my pockets?"

"You actually can, snappy," said Whitney. She had been walking by when Roll was examining the flowers.

"What were you planning on doing with those flowers, snappy?" she asked curiously. Roll could feel her shyness coming on as she plucked the flowers from the ground and tucked them into her pockets. She took a deep breath and quickly found the words to speak.

"I just...wanted to move them out of the way while I try to see if this is my money rock," said Roll and then added a bit defensively, "I was going to put them back. Honest! I wasn't going to just destroy them!" Whitney chuckled.

"You can do whatever you please with those flowers, snappy," said Whitney with a calm smile, "you could also replant them elsewhere or use them in your house for decor. I noticed that you seem rather busy cleaning up Animal Town."

"Yeah," said Roll, "Someone has to pull up the weeds and dispose of the trash..." Roll then noticed another small lake with a fish in the center of it.

"And I think I might have just found some more," said Roll as she grabbed her fishing rod and tossed it into the lake. This "fish" bit right away but just as Roll had expected, the "fish" was actually...a tire?

"How on earth does someone drop a tire into the lake?" said Roll surprised, "I don't even see any roads around here where I car could drive or even fit! And how does a tire look just like a fish? Something around here are just so confusing..." Whitney laughed as she shook her head.

"It's just one of those things in life, Roll," said Whitney.

"What things?" Roll asked with a puzzled look.

"There are just some things in life that cannot be explained," said Whitney, "The sooner you learn to accept that. The sooner you'll head will stop hurting trying to comprehend it." Roll just looked at her for a moment and then at the tire. She couldn't help but feel disappointed for some reason hearing that as she tucked the tire into her pockets. Whitney noticed her disappointment as well as her confusion but chose not to ask her about it. She could tell Roll wasn't ready to open up just yet.

"You'll understand someday," said Whitney, "While it is good to think about things, as Margie says, it isn't good to think so much about things that it becomes a burden to you. That is Whitney's advice for today." Roll just looked at her curiously, letting the words sink in a bit before she just nodded.

"Okay," said Roll quietly as she attempted to see if this was her money rock. Fortunately it was and she quickly was able to get all the bells out of the rock, earning her another 16,100 bells. Whitney just watched Roll extract the bells from the rock and then left the blonde girl alone. Roll was just satisfied that she had found some extra much needed bells for herself.

"These will definitely help," said Roll as she put her coin curse away, "In case if I see anything worth buying at main street or the Able Sisters." Since Retail was just a few feet away, she decided to head inside so she could tell her ore and dispose of her trash since it just took up space in her pockets and doing so would help her improve her approval rating.

"Hello there Roll," she said cheerfully as the blonde girl walked inside, "glad to see you are managing in the rain! How may I help you?"

"Well I have her an old can and spare tire," said Roll, "and I found this silver ore that I'm assuming is worth a good amount of bells." Reese took the items and examined them carefully before smiling.

"The silver, yes, but I will have to charge a disposal fee for the other two if that is okay with you," said Reese. Roll just sighed, knowing that trash disposal wouldn't be free.

"Okay," the blonde girl conceded, "I hope the fee isn't too expensive."

"Not one bit dear," said Reese, "In fact, the value of the silver covers the cost completely so I'll be giving you 2920 bells for everything." Roll's face lit up excitedly and even clapped too.

"Oh yay!" she replied happily, "That will be great. Thank you." Reese nodded as she handed Roll the bells and the girl put them into her pouch. Roll then noticed that Margie was examining the lady palm that had been on sale since Roll first came to town. She decided to walk up to the elephant to see if what she was thinking.

"Are you interesting in buying that lady palm Margie?" Roll asked curiously. Margie turned to the girl and smiled at her.

"I've been thinking that this plant would be a perfect addition to my house decor," said Margie, "and the price seems rather reasonable..." Margie looked deep in thought as Roll examined the plant herself. She had only seen Margie's house once, but she happened to think that the house plant would be a perfect addition herself.

 _Maybe giving her some advice might help my approval rating too._ Roll thought

"I think it would be a good addition to your house," said Roll, "I would suggest that you buy it!" Margie then looked at her for a moment and then smiled.

"Well if you think it's a good idea than who am I to refute it, tootie," said Margie with a smile, "Excuse me Reese, I would like to buy this plant here."

"Okay," said Reese as Margie paid her and the elephant put the item into her pockets.

"I just love it when I can go window shopping and end up actually buying something," she said giddily, "thank you so much for your help Roll." Roll just smiled as Margie continued to look around. The blonde girl turned to leave when Reese tapped her shoulder.

"I would like to thank you myself," said Reese, "it's always nice to see the mayor help us out in selling some of the items here at Retail."

"Oh your welcome," said Roll, "in fact...maybe there's something here that I can buy to help you out. I kind of need a chair for my new house."

"That common chair is being sold by Fang for 500 bells," said Reese. Roll was shocked at how cheap it was and smiled excitedly.

"I'll take it," said Roll as she handed the bells and put the chair into her pockets.

"Thank you once again," said Reese, "and don't be shy if you have anything you would like to sell on the flea market either. That is why this place is called Retail. We do more than just recycle trash and paying for unwanted items here. We also allow others to sell off their own unwanted items so that others can use them."

"So that means certain items and clothing will get thrown away as they are brought here and sold," said Roll, "cause when one user is done with them, others can buy and use them!"

"Exactly," said Reese, "and if you become one of our regular customers. I'll let you have access to another way we "recycle" old, worn, and used items."

"That's cool," said Roll, "kind of wish I had access to that service right now...I just remembered that I wanted to give you these." Roll then pulled out her old brown pumps.

"I've been wanting to get rid of these since I got here," said Roll, "Now that I have these new sandals. I can wear these on rainy days instead of these old pumps. But they are so old and worn that I just couldn't sell them outright! They don't exactly look too presentable." Reese examined her old shoes and smiled.

"We can take them off your hands for 115 bells if that's the case!" she answered and Roll just looked at her agape.

"I'm...I'm...wow," said Roll, "I didn't think something that old and tattered would be worth...anything." Reese chuckled.

"What you might see as something old and worn, we see as something that can be made new," Reese replied, "So do we have a deal or do you want to try selling these outright?" Roll just sighed, not fully understanding what Reese saw in her old pumps. To her, they were just a reminder of some painful memories. Memories she didn't want to remember or talk about.

"I'll take the bells," said Roll, "I think you'll have a better use for them than me." Reese smiled as she took the pumps and handed Roll the bells. Roll said thank you and left the shop when she remembered the set of violets in her pocket.

"I almost forgot to put these back," said Roll and headed back near the money rock when she stopped in her tracks.

"Actually," Roll thought, "Isabelle said that a good mayor waters the flowers regularly. Maybe it would be easier if I had all the flowers around the town in one place. Rosie said that any flowers outside the fences can be picked up and rearranged as I see fit. But...I think I'll just leave the red pansies that are near Katt's house alone. I don't want to have any confrontations with her again." Roll then noticed the red pansies close by.

"I hope she won't mind of I water them though," said Roll as she pulled out her watering can. She was almost about the dip it into the pond to fill it up when she saw that the can was already full of water.

"Interesting..." she pondered but not for long before she went over the red pansies and watered them one at a time. When she had finished, she noticed that the water in her can hadn't depleted.

"Are these watering cans bottomless or something?" she asked.

"You could say that," said Katt as she walked up to her, "what are you up to, purrty?" Roll plucked up courage.

"I thought I would just water your pansies for you," said Roll bravely, "Isabelle said that even if it rains. It's helps to still water the flowers so they say healthy and strong." Katt smiled.

"That is quite true, purrty," said Katt, "even a strong flower can't be strong unless it's given a helping hand from time to time. So thanks for helping me out, purrty. I really appreciate it." Roll just stared for a moment and then smiled.

"You're welcome Katt," said Roll, "I was glad to help you out!" Katt smiled as she examined "her" flowers, which were now sparkling since they had just been watered. Katt just smiled and began to bounce on her feet happily, whistling a tune. Roll then realized that it was the very town tune she had come up with earlier that day. That made her feel good inside as she watched the cat dance for a few seconds and then went on her way to gather up the rest of the flowers. There weren't too many to gather, just barely a dozen when she planted them near her house. She tried to group them by type for the sake of trying to grow more and increasing the possibility of getting hybrids, even thought she had no clue what color combinations even made such flowers. Then she watered each of them one by one. When she had finished, she just examined her work as the rain continued to fall around her.

"The flowers actually make the area around my house look really pretty," said Roll, "Maybe when I get enough flowers, I can try making some sort of flower garden." She giggled at the idea as she continued to look at the flowers for a little longer, each of them sparkling with happiness at being watered by her. She then thought back to Katt and how happy she was when she watered her flowers for her. It made her feel good about herself that she could make the cat so happy.

"Helping people out isn't as difficult as I thought it would be," said Roll, "and it's nice to feel useful to people too..." Roll then had another epiphany.

"It's not as difficult as I thought it would be talking to the villagers either," she thought aloud, "and they were all so nice to me too, even Fang." Roll then took a deep breath and released it slowly, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain against her umbrella as she stared at her flowers once more.

"I know helping people will help my approval rating," said Roll, "but if I really want to make sure that my friends don't grow tired of me I gotta show them that I can be a good friend to them too, a good friend to the rest of the village. Guess that means that I gotta make a bigger effort to try and talk to villagers instead of just letting them come to me. Like Isabelle said, the more I talk to them, the better my chances are that I can help them out and build friendships with them!" Roll then nodded with determination as she patted the left side of her skirt, which produce a light jingle. That sound made her giggle to herself.

"Shopping might be more beneficial to me right now," said Roll, "but I'm sure giving the shop keepers my time and business would make them like me too! And I just remembered...that payment I gave Tom Nook was just the down payment! Maybe showing him that I can be responsible and payoff my house debts quickly will make him like me too! I'll finally be loved and accepted!" Roll jumped into the air excitedly as she dashed away towards main street. Along the way, she noticed that the three orange trees she planted had become tiny trees already and also were nice and strong.

For her, they were a sign of hope, hope she was finally going to find happiness and acceptance.

 **The Town Tune is my best interpretation of the theme song for Nook's homes in Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer. Feel free to copy, improve, and use it for your own New Leaf towns.**

 **Anyway...stay tuned for the next part!**


	6. Miss Popular Part 2

Chapter 6: Miss Popular Part 2

The first shop Roll decided to visit on main street was Nook's Homes. She skipped happily in the rain, not afraid to splash about in the puddles just wearing sandals.

"I'm not afraid of a little water on my feet," she giggled as she approached the building and headed on inside. She was surprised to see an otter nicely dressed on a red suit and yellow tie behind some sort of red promotional display.

"Welcome, welcome!" said Tom Nook, "Yes! Roll, you have a most excellent sense of timing! Allow me to introduce you to someone. This is the Happy Home Academy's special advisor, Lyle. He's going to start coming out here on a daily basis to offer advice on the building of wonderful homes." Roll turned to give Lyle her full attention as the otter gave her a professional smile.

"Hey. You. Nice to meet ya." said Lyle in his traditional banter, "Me? Like the tanooki said...I'm Lyle. The Happy Home academy? I'm the Animal Town area manager. Bang! Right? You're the mayor? Of this burg?"

"Yes sir, I..."

"Lucky me," Lyle cut off, "You got a house in Animal Town? Congrats. You're good people! Here's the deal. The skinny. Happy Room Academy? Was just rooms...Now? Not just one room. No. We went big! Bang! We do the whole house. We research day and night! We're the experts. Here's the truth. Happy Homes make happy people! It's a big step for us. Brave new world. New Ball game. We're ready. We're the Happy Home Academy! This here? Nook's Homes created this space. Just for Lyle. Bang. Why? Me. You. Opportunity. Business basics, right here, right now. Oh members only. You want to talk, Roll? You know where to find me. Come find me. Bang!" Roll couldn't help but feel a little flustered after his conversation and Tom Nook just smiled at her flustered nature.

"Well, you heard what he said, hm?" said Tom Nook.

"I...guess..." Roll said uncertain, not wanting to sound rude. She heard him, but she wasn't sure what exactly he was trying to tell her.

"If you have any questions about putting rooms together, you should ask Lyle for advice, yes, yes!" Tom Nook clarified.

"Oh ok," said Roll.

"Well then, let me also comment that the preparations for your house are all complete, yes?" he asked her. Roll smiled and nodded.

"Yes they are," said Roll, "and I guess that it why Lyle is here too."

"That is correct, yes, yes," said Tom Nook, "Lyle is here because we have all house owners become members of the HHA, free of charge. If you pay attention to his tips for house decor, you'll be able to design a home of finest quality and decor."

"Cool," said Roll, "Mr. Nook..."

"Just call me Tom, yes," he corrected.

"Oh sure, sorry Tom," said Roll, "I came because I know that I only paid part of my house debt. I wanted to request the numbers for the rest of my debt please." Tom Nook stared and then laughed.

"Well, aren't you a responsible young lady, yes!" said Tom, "well the if we add up all the costs, the total cost of your home loan comes to...39,800 bells. Pocket change really!"

"I guess," said Roll, feeling a little worried about the debt, but considering she had close to 20,000 in her coin purse, she wasn't too worried about it.

"And for future reference, yes," said Tom Nook, "you do not pay me your loans directly."

"So I send you a check by mail?" Roll asked and then went agape for a second, "Wait a minute! I don't even have a bank account!"

"Really, last time I checked the ABD, you're account was in the computer records, yes," said Tom Nook, "perhaps you should check that out yourself in the post office, hmm?"

"What is a...ABD?" she asked, "and I didn't even see it when I went to the post office yesterday."

"ABD. Automatic Bell Dispenser. Place of storing bells. Storing, not spending. Bang!" said Lyle, "Store, withdraw, or pay debts. Those be the functions. Yes it is." Roll just stared and the nodded with a smile.

"I get it," said Roll, "and I guess I have an account. Isabelle didn't tell even me. Anyway, I'll be sure to payback the loan as soon as I can Tom."

"No rush, no rush," said Tom Nook, "I'm no loan shark."

"(Cough) Right," said Lyle and received a death glare from Tom Nook. Roll covered her mouth to hide a giggle.

"Ignore him, yes," said Tom Nook, "I'm no loan shark. You pay off your debts in your time. I've got full confidence that you'll pay back what you owe, yes, yes!"

"Okay, thank you Tom," said Roll and turned to the Lyle, "It was nice meet you too. In fact Lyle, may I ask you for some advice." Roll was hesitant to ask since Lyle's dialect was hard to understand, but she figured some decoration advice wouldn't hurt.

"Ah. Happy. That what you want. Happy Home! You want it. We got it. Bang," said Lyle, "First off, fung suei. Fung Suei crucial to success. Success in wealth. Success in getting items. Success in everything. Boom! Let's talk color. Color good. Color and Fung suei, like peanut butter and jelly. Ketchup and mustard. Bacon and Eggs. Yellow is wealth. Red is items. Green is everything else. Got it? You do! Yellow west. Green south. Red east. Got that to? You do. Make home happy! You will! Bang!" Roll just looked at him like a deer in the headlights and just bravely nodded.

"Yes sir, thank you," said Roll uneasily before making her way out of the shop. She need to get some fresh air to make sense of what Lyle just said. But in the end she just grunted to herself.

"It's all Greek to me!" Roll frustration, "Fung suei is hard."

"No it isn't sulky!" said a voice and she turned to see the white squirrel just staring at her with his traditional frown in his face.

"Then could you explain it to me, umm...Marshal?" Roll asked uneasily, feeling a little guilty for almost forgetting his name. Marshal just continued to stare for a moment before he gave her a rather cute smile.

"Well for starters, sulky," said Marshal, "Fung suei for a house isn't that complicated. It only focuses on three colors, Yellow to the west, green to the south, and red to the east. Yellow items increase your chances of finding more bells like in trees and money rocks might give you more bells than usual. Red items increase your chances of finding items during special events, trees, and even shops. Green items increase your luck in general, including the categories above as well as fish and bug luck. While fung suei can't eliminate bad luck, it can minimize it and help you maximize your profits and spoils on a good day." Roll smiled and nodded in understanding.

"I see," said Roll, "Well that makes a whole lot more sense. Thank you for clearing that up for me, Marshal!" The while squirrel smiled.

"You're welcome sulky," he answered happily, "There are even items that will increase your general luck no matter where you place them in a house, but I'm not 100% sure on what those items might be. Well I know a couple...like this lucky white cat I've got here in my pockets. Here...you can have it, sulky!" Roll gasped in surprise as the white squirrel handed her the item.

"Oh why thank you!" said Roll, "Umm...how much..."

"It's on the house, sulky," said Marshal, "I'll see you later." With that Marshal went back to his window shopping. Roll couldn't stop smiling.

"He might not be as grumpy as I thought," said Roll to herself as she headed towards Nookling Junction. They didn't really have much that she wanted other than some stationary for more letters. But she still purchased the two pieces of furniture just to help them out, which were a ball catcher filled with basketballs and a tea tansu. She hoped to make use of them or just sell them at Retail for someone else to buy them. She then headed into the Able Sisters. Since she definitely needed more clothes, she felt more excited coming here to do her shopping.

"Welcome to the fashion made palace of the Able Sisters," said Mabel cheerfully, "Oh Mayor Roll, how may I help you today?"

"Just here to see if you've got any more cute clothes for me today," said Roll and then turned to Sable, "How are you doing today Sable?" Sable said nothing and just got back to work. Roll felt hurt but Mabel just sighed with a smile on her face.

"It take alot of work to get her to open up," said Mabel, "if you keep stopping by, she'll start opening up soon. So take a look around and see if you want any of today clothes selection!" Roll nodded and gasped.

"I see quite a few items that I would like to have!" said Roll excitedly. She noticed that the Able Sisters had not just one but three dresses for sale today. Two were short sleeved while the third was sleeveless. Roll walked up to the first short sleeved dress which was blue dress.

"That's the embroidered dress," said Mabel, "and you know as well as I do that the cute style is totally you!"

"You really think so?" Roll asked shyly. Mabel chuckled at her shyness.

"Of course," said Mabel, "The price for the dress is 640 bells."

"I'll take it," said Roll, "and what about this dress over here?" She pointed towards the dress that looked like a pair of overalls with a white and brown stripped tee.

"That's the overalls dress," said Mabel, "it's another cute style and a true Sable original."

"I'll say," said Roll, "I've never seen a dress like this before. It's so pretty! I'll take it!"

"Great, the price is 580 bells," said Mabel and Roll handed Mabel the bells. Then she looked at the final dress, which was sleeveless dark purple dress with white flowers on it.

"Spring time can be a good time for a sleeveless dress right Mabel?" she asked and the blue hedgehog giggled to herself.

"I believe so," said Mabel, "That's the floral knit dress. The price is 640 bells if you're interested."

"I am," said Roll as she gave her the bells, "And I'll even that take that cute denim skirt with the white lacing on it! A girl can never go wrong with denim skirts." Mabel nodded as Roll handed her another 480 bells and then headed into the accessories area where Labelle was working. The reddish-brown hedgehog was just adjusting her displays again when she noticed Roll walk in, but said nothing. Roll just went about her shopping until she noticed a very cute red ribbon in display. Next to it was another ribbon in blue.

"Oh, pretty!" said Roll, "I've been wanting a ribbon for so long Labelle. How much?"

"That's the red ribbon," said Labelle, "It's 240 bells. The blue ribbon is also 240 bells."

"That's a great deal!" said Roll, "I'll take both of them!" Roll handed Labelle the bells and then continued to browse around. When she didn't find anything else she wanted, she made her way back to town, she was just entering the grounds when she saw Lolly walking up to her excitedly.

"Hello there, bonbon," said Lolly, "I noticed that you've got a tea tansu on you!" Roll just nodded, but it kind of bugged her a little as to how Lolly even knew what was in her pockets.

"Yeah, I just bought it," said Roll, "did you want it?" Lolly clapped excitedly.

"Oh if it really okay with you, bonbon," said Lolly, "I'll give you 2500 bells for it!" Roll gasped. That was more than what she paid for it, but she felt something deep inside of her saying not to take the bells. She knew she could have used those bells towards her house loan, but she didn't feel right taking advantage of Lolly like that. She wasn't a greedy person.

"Lolly, how about I just give it to you?" said Roll and she gasped in shock.

"Wuh...really? You would really just give it to me, bonbon?" she asked for confirmation, "I really don't mind paying you for it!"

"Of course Lolly," said Roll, "I can make money myself. Here, you need this more than I do anyway. I just bought it to help out Timmy and Tommy." Roll handed the tansu to her, Lolly took it eagerly and smiled happily.

"You're so sweet, bonbon!" she replied, "Thank you so much. I won't forget this!" Lolly then skipped away, whistling the town tune. Roll just smiled as she made her way back towards retail.

"Hello there Roll, what can I do for you?" Reese asked.

"I have a ball catcher in my pockets," said Roll, "and I was wondering if I could put it up for display?" Reese smiled happily.

"Of course dear," said Reese, "please select one of the empty display spaces near the back wall." Reese guided her towards the four displays and Roll chose one of the displays near the center and set the item on display.

"Okay, then," said Reese, "Have you thought of a good price for it?" Roll pondered to herself. Since wasn't going to charge the full price she paid for, which was 2040 bells. She then came up with a good sale price.

"Let's try 1500 bells," said Roll, figuring 25% off was a fair discount. Reese smiled as she wrote down the price tag and set it next to the item.

"There we go!" said Reese, "Now when your items sells, we will transfer the bells into your ABD account."

"Thanks Reese," said Roll and then turned to leave when she saw a blue alpaca, who was asleep at his desk. Roll went to speak to him.

"Umm.."

"STOP!" Reese shouted and Roll jumped away from the blue alpaca, holding her chest in fright.

"Please don't wake up him," said Reese, "My Cyrus has been working late recently and he's been really tired. So please just let him sleep okay." Roll just tried to calm herself down and then nodded.

"I'm sorry," said Roll, "I didn't mean to upset you." Reese just smiled.

"It's alright," said Reese, "When the time is right and he's awake, I'll introduce you to him." Roll just nodded as she left the shop and headed back to her house, dropped off the items she had purchased before making her way back to town hall.

"Hi, Isabelle," said Roll.

"Oh hello again Mayor Roll," said Isabelle cheerfully.

"Hello Isabelle," said Roll, "I've pretty much done what you've suggested and I've managed to interact with a few villagers too. So has my approval rating changed at all?" Isabelle just looked at her with a grin.

"Please take a seat in your chair," said Isabelle. Roll just nodded as she headed towards her chair and took a seat. Isabelle walked over to her.

"Well what can I help you with Mayor Roll?" she asked officially. Roll just giggled to herself.

"I want to know my progress on my town-development permit," she answered.

"Ok then," said Isabelle, "As you know Roll, in order to apply for your town permit, you need to get a 100% approval rating. Currently, you're approval rating is 73%."

" _73 percent!?_ " said Roll in shock, "Wow...just...wow..."

"I told you that raising your approval rating wasn't that difficult," said Isabelle, "Just keep interacting with the villagers and socializing with them and your approval rating will reach 100% in no time!" Roll just nodded as she hopped out of her chair.

"Thanks Isabelle," said Roll, "You know...I have to admit that this socializing is still kind of...awkward, but after talking to a few villagers earlier today...talking to people here isn't really that difficult."

"Doesn't it feel good when you do though?" said Isabelle and Roll smiled.

"Yeah...it...is..." said Roll quietly, "It's nice to feel...needed...like you can make a difference. I really want to show that I can be a good friend to everyone Isabelle. Do you have any more advice as to how I can be better at socializing with others?"

"Just keep your ears open and let the villagers know that you care about what they have to say," said Isabelle, "Doing favors isn't the only way to increase your approval rating or make friends you know. When people learn that you care about what they have to say, they will learn to confide in you about their feelings and thoughts with you."

"What kind of favors will they ask me, in general if you could give me some information on that," Roll asked curiously. Isabelle pondered for a moment.

"Hmm...based on what I have learned," said Isabelle slowly and then her thoughts came together, "Oh yes, I remember now! Some of the tasks involved with villagers include playing games with villagers, delivering packages, trading items with each other, retrieving a certain item for them which could be a fish, bugs, or even furniture, and even home invites."

"You mean...people actually would want to come over to my house?" Roll asked surprised.

"They might even ask you to go visit their houses as well," said Isabelle, "if you've got the time, you should try to schedule a good time for visits and such. That will help you build friendships too because they see that you want to spend the time to get to know them."

"Makes sense," said Roll, "Alright, I'll give it a try. I just hope that whatever I have to do to earn my 100% approval won't be too difficult."

"Well, it won't be easy, but the effort will be worth it," said Isabelle, "You're doing just fine so far. Now keep up the good work Roll!" The blonde girl just nodded bravely and then headed out of town hall. Since she didn't really see any villagers walking nearby, she felt a little lost since there wasn't anyone she could really interact with.

"Now what do I do," said Roll as she patted the pockets of her skirt and then remembered that about her house loan.

"Oh right," said Roll, "I have a debt that I need to pay and I still need a fair amount of bells. Hmm...I guess I'll try some river fishing." Roll headed towards the river pond just behind the train station. As Roll approached the waterfall pond, when she noticed that Benjamin was trying to catch a fish and missed. He grunted angrily as he slammed his fishing rod on the wet grass.

"I'll never get that stupid fish now, alrighty!" Benjamin grunted and then sighed sadly. Roll looked at him sadly.

"Hi Benjamin," said Roll gently, "what's wrong?" Benjamin just looked at her sadly.

"I'm trying to catch a pop-eye goldfish," said Benjamin, "I think I finally had a chance to catch one, but when it bit. I pulled and it let go. I've been out here for hours trying to get one, alrighty!"

"I think I know what those look like," said Roll as she pulled out her encyclopedia, "Oh yes, I've gotten that before. I'll find you one Benjamin!" Benjamin smiled excitedly.

"Alright, Roll to the rescue," said Benjamin, "I'll be waiting for my precious goldfish, alrighty!" Benjamin then headed away from the pond and Roll began to search around trying to find Benjamin his black eyes Gold fish. Rather than scare off fish that she didn't need, she tried to catch them instead. While this tended to fill up her pockets rather quickly, it also earned her an additional 10,000 bells after a few hours of effort. Roll was busy counting up her bells and found that she had close to 30,000 in her pouch.

"Just another 10,000 or so," said Roll to herself as she continued her search. She made another walk around the edge of the river when Rudy approached her out of the blue.

"Hey there ladybro," said Rudy, "I hear that the best way for someone to practice their ninja skills is learning how to train into train in the art of stealth, mush."

"Interesting," said Roll, trying to actually sound interested.

"So I wanna to ask if you'd play a little round of hide and seek with me," said Rudy, "Are you up for it, mush?" Roll just smiled. She had never played hide-n-seek but that was only cause she was never asked to play with kids at the orphanage. Yet she knew how to play. Plus she wasn't having much luck finding that gold fish so I little break wouldn't hurt.

"Sure, I'll play," said Roll.

"Awesome, ladybro!" said Ruby excitedly, "But it won't be as much fun if we just play alone, mush. Give me a second to round up a few players first. So how about you meet me over by the event plaza while I find some people to play with us, mush?"

"Okay Rudy," said Roll, "I'll head there right away!" Rudy nodded and quickly jogged a away to find some others to play. Roll turned to leave the river when she noticed a tiny fish.

"Oh, that might be it!" said Roll and then remembered she needed to get to the event plaza before making a choice, "A few seconds shouldn't hurt if I get this fish first." Roll cast her line and the fish bit right away, so Roll reeled it in and got a goldfish. However, it was a regular goldfish, not a pop-eyed one."

"Darn," she muttered as she tucked it into the pocket and then noticed her encyclopedia that it was a new catch, "Guess I'll be going to the museum once the game is over." Roll quickly rushed over to the event plaza. She arrived just in time since Rudy arrived with Katt and Alfonso right behind him.

"Well then let me explain the rules for you," said Rudy, "The three of us will hide and it will be your mission to find all three of us within ten minutes. If you can do that, then you will win! Also, we won't hide inside of buildings or houses so you will only have to worry about searching outdoors. Okay?"

"Okay," said Roll.

"Alright, you close your eyes and count to ten, no peeking and no rushing countdowns," Rudy replied with a sly smile, "Once you reach ten, your ten minutes will start. You'll know times up cause I'll blow this here whistle." Rudy blew it once, making everyone cover their ears.

"Got it," Roll groaned as she held her head.

"Then let's get started in 3...2...1...GO!" Rudy shouted as Roll closed her eyes. While she could hear them scampering away, she kept her counting steady.

"1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10!" Roll counted, "Ready or not, here I come!" Of course nobody replied but she just began to scout around the village in hope that she would find someone peeking or lurking about. She knew that they only had two types of hiding places, behind trees or behind houses or buildings. So she started searching through a group of trees closest to her. That was when she saw Bunnie walking around the area. The Bunnie smiled excitedly when she saw the blonde girl.

"Oh hi Roll, what-cha doing, tee hee?" she asked curiously.

"Rudy asked me to play hide and seek with him and his friends," Roll answered as she kept moving through the trees searching for them, "and I've only got ten minutes to find them."

"Want some help, tee hee?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know if it would count if you found them Bunnie," said Roll.

"Maybe not, but I can help you look," said Bunnie.

"Sure that's not against the rules?" she asked, "I don't want to be called out for cheating." Bunnie just made a resignation face.

"Oh never mind then, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I wanted to ask if you would like to come over to my house later today?"

"Sure," said Roll, "I don't think I've been to your house yet."

"Okay then," said Bunnie, "Come by once you've finished your game. I'll wait for you."

"Sure Bunnie," said Roll, "Oh, and thank you for the sandals. They go perfect with my outfit!" Roll lifted her leg to show the bunny. Bunnie giggled.

"They do look cute on you," said Bunnie, "not as cute as me, tee hee, but cute in your own right."

"Uhh...thanks," said Roll, not sure of that was a complement or not.

"Welcome," said Bunnie, showing by her smile that it was, "I'll see you later!" Bunnie skipped happily away and Roll continued her search for Rudy's friends. Suddenly she felt like she was being watched as she looked through another cluster of trees and then someone peeked out of their tree and startled her.

"Ahh!" Roll and Alfonso shouted together.

"I got you!" Roll called out once she realized it was the alligator. Alfonso grunted to himself when he saw her.

"Aw man!" said Alfonso, "I just had to peek, it'sa me! Who else have you found?"

"You're the first," said Roll, "I still got to find the other two." Alfonso felt a little bummed at being found first, but he was also feeling confident their team would win.

"Well good luck then," said Alfonso, "I'm gonna eat a snack until times up." Alfonso shook his tree and grabbed a few apples and began to munch them sloppily. Roll just left him to his apples and continued her search. It was about a minute later that she found Katt behind a nearby tree when she noticed another tiny shadow in the river.

"Oh, I think I've got the time," said Roll as she grabbed her fishing rod and cast the line. The fish bit after the second tap of the bobber. Roll eagerly pulled it in, but to her disappointment is was just a pale chub.

"Darn," she groaned, despite the fact that it was a new catch for her. Then approached Katt who had tried to scoot away from Roll to avoid being spotted. But her long tail had given her away.

"Gotcha Katt," she called out.

"ROAR!" Katt shouted at her.

"EEEK!" Roll shrieked as she took a few steps back and nearly fell into the water. Katt laughed.

"You're really are easy to scare you know that, purrty!" she teased. Roll just pouted.

"I gotta find Rudy," she said indignantly before muttering under her breath, "I'm so sick of people teasing me like that."

"He's not my boyfriend!" she called out, misunderstanding Roll and thinking the blonde girl had said something along those lines under her breath. Roll's stunned and puzzled look showed Katt that she been way off.

"I never said he was," Roll replied with an inquisitive look on her face. Katt's face turn deep red before she made a 180 so Roll couldn't look at her.

"Just go!" she bellowed. Roll suddenly felt very angry.

"Whatever!" she shouted back and stomped away. As she continued to walk away, she suddenly felt her anger turn into confusion.

"What am I angry about?" she asked herself as she stood on the only bridge of Animal Town, "cause Katt and Ruby might be together. There no confirmation about it, other than Katt's blushing. But...why would them being together make me so angry. I'm only eleven. I don't even know if I'm even into boys yet." Roll just looked at reflection in the river for a moment before she sighed.

"What boy would want to date me is the better question?" said Roll, "I guess I might as well face facts. Katt is beautiful. I'm not." Roll sighed quietly as she continued to just stare into the river for a moment before she remembered she was in the middle of a game...with a time limit.

"I better keep looking for Rudy," said Roll, wanting to take her mind off of feeling sorry for herself and headed towards the north side of town to find the jock cat. She continued to scout around when she noticed someone peeking out of their hiding spot. Roll just shook her head at him doing that. She just slowly approached him casually before tapping his shoulder.

"Hello?"

"HOO-YA!" he should.

"AHH!" Roll shouted in surprise as she bumped the tree behind her. Unfortunately the impact shook the tree and out came...the dreaded beehive.

"Not again!" Roll shouted and dashed towards Margie's house. Rudy looked stunned and then followed behind.

"Wait for me, mush!" he shouted. Unlike last time, Margie was inside reading her book when she was saw Roll rush inside and Rudy soon followed as well.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting any..." Margie then heard a loud buzzing that soon faded away. It didn't take her long to realize that they had been running away from another beehive. Plus they both looked out of breath as well.

"We're you shaking trees again Roll?" she asked in a motherly tone. Roll couldn't speak and just groaned. Thinking that Margie being angry with her would kill her approval rating.

"It's not...her..fault," said Rudy, trying to catch his own breath, "We were playing...hide and seek...and I scared her...when she found me...She bumped into a tree that had a beehive. Luckily you were home so we could escape. Once you've caught your breath, Roll. We can continue our game." Roll was a bit stunned that Rudy even defended her. Margie was still giving Roll a skeptical look.

"Roll, why didn't you just tell me that?" Margie asked Roll curiously, "I literally was about to scold you and you would have let me! I hate scolding people...and its worse when I do it at the wrong time!" Roll just said nothing as she started at her feet.

"Roll...answer me?" Margie asked gently but firmly with her hands on her hips. Roll just looked at her sadly.

"I'm not good with confrontations," she answered almost in a mumble, "I don't like people mad at me." Margie blinked and then laughed.

"I'm not mad at you," said Margie, "but I know you wouldn't go shaking trees without knowing how to defend yourself against bees either. I thought you let Rudy dare you into shaking trees or something. Plus I am a bit worried hearing you were so frightened that you bumped a tree hard enough to shake it."

"I wasn't scared!" Roll snapped, "he...surprised me..."

"Yeah...I did, sorry about that mush," said Rudy, "The bees are long gone. Once you go inside a building or house, they don't come back. At least not from the same beehive, so you can get the honeycomb without a problem too."

"I'll get it lat..." Roll then remembered that she didn't want to leave litter on the ground, "okay, I'll pick it up before we head to the plaza." Rudy nodded as they made their way out of Margie's house.

"Roll," said Margie softly, "are you sure you're okay?" Roll just nodded bravely and then went to leave but Margie grabbed her hand off the door.

"Margie I got to go!" Roll protested, "Rudy is waiting and Bunnie is waiting for me to visit her too!" Margie just looked at her puzzled.

"So you can defend yourself," said Margie and Roll just sighed loudly.

"I'm sorry Margie," said Roll, "I just have a hard time speaking up for myself, especially when people seem angry or annoyed with me." Margie just sighed and then gave her a nod.

"There is no shame in defending yourself," said Margie, "I know sometimes parents can get a little intimidating, especially when you are young, but there is a fine line between defending yourself and sounding like you're telling someone off."

"Well what do you do when you've been shut down?" Roll asked and then bit her tongue, knowing she had said too much.

"What?" Margie asked stunned.

"I gotta go, see you later!" Roll retorted and dashed off before Margie could stop her. Margie just watched her leave sadly before closing her door. Feeling she hadn't gotten her questions answered, but was left with a very important clue. Roll apparently felt shut down, which made it hard for her to express or defend herself. Or at least keep herself from being bullied or told off.

Meanwhile, Roll had arrived back at the town plaza where Rudy had already been rejoined with Katt and Alfonso.

"What took you so long, it'sa me?" he asked curiously. Roll didn't want to explain anything and just said simply.

"Nothing important," said Roll, "but that was fun though. Thanks for the game of Hide n Seek."

"Oh no problem, ladybro," said Rudy, "it's looks like I'll have to work on my stealth skills. Here, take this as a prize for you winning the game!" Rudy then handed Roll a piece of furniture. Roll gasped when she saw what it was.

"A gold lucky cat?!" said Roll amazed.

"Yup, I don't really have much use for it, mush," said Rudy, "anyway, enjoy your victory while you can, cause you won't win the next time!" Rudy gave her a fierce glare but then smiled and jogged away. Roll just looked at him stunned before tucking the gold cat into her pockets and approached Katt.

"I've been seeing you alot today...awkward," said Katt with a sheepish smile. Roll groaned inwardly. Being told that after what happened certainly made her feel worse.

"Sorry, Katt," said Roll, "I just wanted to apologize for earlier." Katt looked puzzled and then remembered what she was talking about.

"Oh no worries, purrty," said Katt, "As I said before, sometimes I shoot my mouth off for no reason. We're cool so I'll see you later okay dude." Roll nodded and she walked away. She was going to talk to Alfonso when she noticed that he already had disappeared.

"I'm not doing so well in socializing with people as I had hoped," said Roll, "I guess talking to people isn't as easy as I thought." Roll just sighed then noticed the second ramp leading to the ocean. Despite the rain, she figured maybe a walk alone by the sea shore would do her some good. She had just arrived at the ramp and was about to make her way down when she gasped.

"I almost forgot about Bunnie!" said Roll and quickly headed towards her house. She made no hesitation to knock on the door. The reddish brown Bunnie opened right away.

"Hey there, tee hee," said Bunnie, "you're a bit early." Roll blinked and then noticed Bunnie's nearly wall clock and saw that not even ten minutes had passed. Roll thought more time had passed and just chuckled sheepishly.

"I seriously need a clock," said Roll sheepishly, "or a watch to be more precise..." Bunnie just chuckled at her sheepish nature.

"Well come on, take your shoes off if you want and relax on one of my two regal sofas," said Bunnie, "The tea is just about ready. I hope you don't mind...(tee hee hee)...Cinnamon." Bunnie wondered if Roll would get the joke. Roll just huffed to herself annoyed as Bunnie laughed to herself.

"Not one bit," said Roll afterward just letting Bunnie be happy, "Some tea would be nice."

"Awesome tee hee," said Bunnie, "I also made some yummy butter cookies too so we can have a tea party! And there are plenty of the latest gossip magazines in my rack over there if you want to read for a bit while I get everything ready!"

"You don't need any help?" Roll asked. Bunnie shook her head.

"You're my special guest, so you relax while I get everything ready myself," said Bunnie, "besides you must be tired after that game of hide and seek. If you wanna lie down for a bit to rest, feel free to do so. I'll wake you up when everything it ready." Roll couldn't suppress the yawn that had decided to escape her mouth and just nodded as she tucked her sandals near the entrance of the house as well as setting her beret on the table and then took a seat on the sofa before slowly curling up to the left edge and fell asleep. Bunnie just smiled as Roll took her nap. Within ten minutes, the tea was ready and Bunnie set up the tea pot on the table nearby along with some extra plates for the cookies and napkin boats. She was just about finished when she heard whimpering and groaning near the sofa. She noticed that Roll looked in deep distress.

"Roll..." she called out.

"No...no!" Roll called out in her sleep, "Please stop! Please...go away!" Roll began to shutter and her brow became glossy from sweat. Bunnie grew worried. Suddenly Roll to scream as if she was being beaten and Bunnie began to shake her fearfully.

"STOP! STOP!" Roll cried out, acting as if someone was shoving her about, but it was just Bunnie shaking her.

"Roll wake up tee hee!" Bunnie shouted worried, "wake up!" Roll then shrieked loudly before she woke up with a start and panted heavily. Bunnie had jumped back for a moment before approaching the blonde girl. Roll was just wiping her brow and then noticed the worried Bunnie watching her. Roll groaned sadly, feeling rather embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," she replied sadly.

"Don't be," said Bunnie, "what happened?" Roll just shuttered. She didn't want to remember what had happened in her dream as a few tears left her eyes. Bunnie just looked at her sympathetically when she heard another knock on the door. She knew she needed to get that, but she didn't want to leave poor Roll alone.

"Roll, I gotta get the door, please just calm down and I'll be back okay," said Bunnie. Roll said nothing as her tears just left her eyes and Bunnie rushed to the front door. It was Rosie, carrying her mint gingham umbrella in one hand and a rolled up magazine in the other.

"Hey there silly!" said Rosie cheerfully, "I wanted to return that magazine I borrowed from you last...Roll?" Roll just covered her face and continued to cry. She just wanted to disappear and she wanted to leave the house, but with Bunnie and Rosie blocking the doorway, she didn't have any ways of escaping what she felt was a very embarrassing situation. Bunnie then gently pushed Rosie out of the house and closed the door behind her.

"What's going on, silly? Why is Roll crying? Why is she so upset?" Rosie asked a mile a minute. Bunnie hushed sternly.

"Will you keep it down!" Bunnie snapped, "We don't need the whole village knowing about this, tee hee!"

"Hey, I wasn't going to tell anybody about this!" Rosie retorted, "there's a fine line between gossiping and knowing when something is wrong and you know that. You should talk. You gossip more than I do!"

"Do not!"

"Do too"

"Do not!"

"Do too!" Rosie retorted, "Anyway, enough about us. This has to do with Roll. Now what's going on here?" Bunnie just snorted before calming herself down.

"I invited Roll over to my house," said Bunnie, "and she was taking a nap when she suddenly started groaning and shouting in her sleep. I tried to wake her up, but she ended up waking with a start and screamed. I was just asking her what happened and she started to cry. I'm hoping she'll tell me what happened, tee hee."

"What if she doesn't," said Rosie concerned, "Roll seems to shut down whenever this kind of stuff happens, silly."

"She probably would have taken off if we're weren't by the door," said Bunnie, "and I certainly don't want Roll thinking I'm trying to trap her either. What do we do?" Rosie pondered for a moment and then got an idea.

"I think I know what we need to do," said Rosie, "If you don't mind me helping her to." Bunnie smiled.

"Not at all, tee hee," said Bunnie, "If there's anyone I would go to for help, it's my best friend!" Rosie then whispered her idea to Bunnie. Bunnie just nodded contently once Rosie finished explaining things. Rosie smiled and gave her a nod as they made their way back inside. Bunnie then picked up Roll's shoes and held them in her hands as they both approached the still crying blonde girl. Rosie just took a seat next to her and Bunnie sat on the opposite side with her sandals in her lap.

"Hey there silly," said Rosie gently. Roll just looked at her sadly and then looked away.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, silly" Rosie started, "and we we're not trying to trap you here either. Bunnie was just filling me in on what happened. Nightmares are no fun. I still get them from time to time." Roll just sniffled and Bunnie nodded in agreement.

"She's right, tee hee," said Bunnie softly, "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. Here are your sandals if you want to leave."

"But just know this silly," said Rosie, "if you stay here to cry. You won't be sorry. We'll stay with you and keep you company until you feel better." Rosie then placed a hand into hers.

"We won't leave you like this," said Bunnie, "but if you want to leave. The door is open for you, but like Rosie said. You won't regret it if you stay. I promise you that, tee hee."

"We're your friends, silly," said Rosie, "and we care about you."

"We're here for you," said Bunnie, "but it's up to you, tee hee." Bunnie then presented her with the sandals. Roll just looked at them with glossy eyes before she took them and stood up. Bunnie and Rosie just watched her head towards the door. Bunnie gave Rosie a "I knew she wouldn't stay!" glare. Rosie just smiled and gestured with her head to look again. Bunnie noticed that Roll hadn't left but just was putting her sandals back near the door. She then slowly walked back and sat back down between them. Rosie and Bunnie just took her hands and held them and Roll just let her tears flow. Rosie and Bunny just gave her sympathetic smiles as they held her hand and use their free hand to rub her back for comfort. Roll welcomed both gestures and just let herself cry.

Deep down, she wasn't even sure why she was just letting herself cry with these animals...

No...that wasn't true...she knew why she was crying.

Bunnie and Rosie cared...they cared that she was crying and that she was upset.

They stayed with her...when others would have just walked away.

That touched her heart...so much that she could no longer control her tears even if she tried.

She wasn't sure what to say about her tears, but for the moment. She was just happy she wasn't alone. It was the first time she had ever cried and felt better doing so.

 **Crying with her friends is a big deal for Roll, but just how much will she open up? And will she get to 100% approval rating? She's almost there!**

 **Find out...next time!**

 **Also I am referring to Animal Crossing Wikia site for the points earned when doing certain tasks for the approval rating points if anyone is wondering how I'm calculating it.**


	7. Miss Popular Part 3

Chapter 7: Miss Popular Part 3

A good hour had passed before Roll had finally stopped crying and was now just quietly drinking her cup of cinnamon tea. Next to her was a plate of freshly made butter cookies. Rosie and Bunnie had kept their word and stayed with her until she had run out of tears. Once she had calmed down, they guided her to the table so she could enjoy the refreshments Bunnie had made. Roll hadn't really said much after she stopped crying but was feeling a little better once Bunnie offered her the treats and she gladly accepted them. The truth was she wasn't sure exactly what to say about her situation. She still wasn't even sure if she even wanted to talk about her situation or why she had chosen to stay and cry herself out. But unlike the past few times she had been asked about her past, she didn't feel right just staying quiet and not telling them anything. Bunnie and Rosie clearly wanted to be her friends and they clearly cared about her. She didn't mind the friendship. That wasn't the problem. It was opening up about her dream that seemed to trouble her the most.

Her dream had been about her time in the orphanage, back when people didn't really pay attention to her and despite her best efforts in her dream, she was ignored and shut down. Then she saw her mother in her dream, constantly attacking her with harsh and crude words to make her feel useless and alone. Roll had attempted to stand up for herself but then the mother in her dream had grabbed her and...

Roll shuttered in her chair as she quickly tried to erase the memory from her mind. While she knew her mother was now in prison for what she did to her, the blonde girl always had that constant fear that her mother would escape and come after her. Roll shuttered again. She didn't want to think about this anymore...or talk about it. Instead she decided to speak up more about what was bothering her today. She figured at least opening up about that would satisfy the blue cat and burnt orange bunny. Roll set down her empty tea cup on her saucer.

"Would you like more tea or cookies, Roll?" Bunnie asked politely.

"It's okay," Roll declined politely, "Thank you." Bunnie nodded as she cleared the cups and plates from the table since everyone had finished. Despite the drama, it didn't take away from the fact Roll was hungry and Bunnie's butter cookies were, in her opinion, irresistible. She had eaten about four of them before she had stopped herself from having a fifth. She was watching her figure after all. Eating had gotten her some time to collect her thoughts a bit, especially since tea was known to help calm the mind, but she still didn't know what to say.

"Feeling better now, silly?" Rosie asked her caring tone. Roll just let out a sigh as she pulled her legs into her chest so she could hold her now bare feet while she rested her head on her knees. She also took care to adjust her skirt for modestly since it was knee high when standing up and was shorter when she sat down.

"A little," said Roll honestly and also quietly.

"Did you want to talk about it?" Bunnie asked gently as she finished up her own up. Roll just looked at her sadly and sighed.

"I...I...guess I'm just a little stressed," said Roll, struggling to find the right words to say. Bunnie and Rosie just looked at her with interest.

"Stressed about being mayor, silly?" Rosie asked. Roll nodded.

"In order to really do my job, I need to get a town-development permit," said Roll, "and that requires that I have a 100% approval rating! That's seems so impossible. It's not possible to get everybody to like me!"

"Roll this isn't like other towns," said Bunnie, "There are only twelve villagers living here, tee hee. It should not be difficult to get everyone to like you!"

"Maybe," said Roll as she fingered the top of her left foot, "Isabelle says that apparently I earn my approval rating points by doing certain tasks around town, such as socializing, and gardening, etc. and that it can't go down."

"Then that makes it even easier," said Rosie, "If you just mingle with everyone and do favors for them, silly. Then you'll have those points in no time."

"But I don't like the idea of people disliking me!" Roll snapped, "cause I don't understand why they wouldn't like me! What would be wrong with me!?" Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other and then at Roll, who just bit her lip and looked away.

"Roll, has anyone said that they dislike you?" Bunnie asked.

"Well, maybe...I...I don't..."

"Roll, did anybody here in Animal Town say that they don't like you?" Rosie asked, much more sternly. Roll just looked at her nervously and then sighed as she shook her head.

"...No...no one has said that but..."

"But what, silly?"

"I guess I'm just not used to being popular is all," said Roll, "and I don't really know how to be popular. I was never popular back where I used to live."

"You mean back at the orphanage?" said Bunnie and then clasped her mouth. Roll just looked at her shocked and upset.

"Who...who told you..."

"Word gets around, silly," said Rosie, not wanting to say that Isabelle had told them, "Animal Town isn't closed off to the world you know." Roll just groaned and buried her face into her knees and hair, which had become untied from her squirming earlier. Despite the short ponytail and pigtails, Roll's hair was fairly long or just more then halfway down her back. She hadn't bothered to retie it.

"Roll it's nothing to be ashamed of, tee hee," said Bunnie, "We're not going to judge, but if you were a shy girl, then it makes a lot of sense why you find it hard talking to people or making friends."

"But we do hope you'll be honest with just this one question, silly," said Rosie, "We're you bullied at the orphanage?" Roll lifted her head and removed a strand of her blonde hair from her face before answering firmly.

"No," said Roll simply and quickly, "The orphanage wasn't cruel to me." _They just ignored me and didn't really pay attention to me._ Roll added in her head and then looked away. She didn't want to talk about her past anymore. Luckily, Bunnie and Rosie seemed to have accepted her answer.

"Alright then tee hee," said Bunnie, "We just wanted to make sure. We don't want you feeling so down on yourself."

"If it makes you feel better, silly," said Rosie, "we like you. And we're really glad that you're going to be the mayor of this town!"

"We've got all praises for you whenever Isabelle does her routine surveys," said Bunnie, "(giggle) Isabelle once told us we could cool it since apparently no matter how much we give our opinions, it only gives you three points each. We wish we could earn you more points but that's just how the systems works apparently. And I'm blank on new favors at the moment." Roll just smiled timidly as she brushed her hair back again. Rosie just smiled as she gave Roll her two hair ties back since they had just fallen onto the sofa cushion.

"I found these underneath my seat, silly," said Rosie, "I figured you might need them. But if I can be honest, you're hair is really pretty down." Roll just smiled as she took the ties back. She didn't really believe Rosie, but chose not to say anything as she tried to retie her hair. Rather than tie her hair back into her pigtails, she just tied a single downward ponytail and put her beret back on.

"Thank you, Rosie, Bunnie," said Roll, "It means alot to me to have your support and thank you for listening to me. I better get back to work. I still gotta find Benjamin and get him a pop-eyed goldfish."

"You better hurry then, silly," said Rosie, "it's already after 3pm and after 4pm they stop spawning." Roll gasped as she saw the clock.

"Okay, then thanks for having me over and I'll see you guys later okay," said Roll as she quickly slipped on her sandals and was about to leave.

"Wait!" Bunnie shouted.

"What's up Bunnie?" Roll asked as she got the backing of her sandals fixed so her sandals were secured to her feet.

"You gotta tell me what you thought of my house, tee hee," said Bunnie. Roll just blinked before she chuckled.

"I love it, Bunnie," said Roll, "very modern."

"Aw, you're just saying that," said Bunnie, touched by her words.

"I'm not, I mean it," said Roll. Bunnie smiled.

"And that's what I like about you, tee hee," said Bunnie as she clapped, "You're always so sincere. Anyways, see you later and please drop by anytime okay?"

"Sure," said Roll, "and thanks for the tea and cookies too. They were delicious. And thanks for helping me too Rosie. Bye!" Bunnie and Rosie waved her goodbye as Roll left the house was about to put up her umbrella when she noticed that it had stopped raining.

"Oh good, guess I won't...need..." Roll was about to take off her sandals when she remembered that the ground was probably still wet.

"Well...it's not as bad as when I had to wear those stupid pumps I sold," said Roll, "I can leave the sandals on a little longer." Roll then went on her way and was about halfway across the event plaza when she was stopped by Purrl.

"What's the rush there, kitten?" she asked curiously.

"Benjamin wanted me to find him a pop-eyed goldfish," said Roll, "and it's already past 3pm. I don't have much time to find one!" Purrl smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Well when you do finish with that, can you help me with something, kitten," Purrl asked curiously, "I had borrowed something from Whitney a long time ago and I forget to return it. I'm too embarrassed to take it back myself so...would you be willing to deliver it for me?" Roll noticed that Purrl looked rather desperate for help and nodded.

"Oh thank you, kitten," said Purrl, "Here is the package and be sure to deliver it to her by the end of the day." Purrl presented Roll with the package. As Roll tucked it into her pockets, Purrl took off in the other direction. Roll then headed towards the river. For about thirty minutes, she wasn't having much luck at all and since she didn't want to accidentally sell off any new catches, she just stuck to tiny shadows. Sadly, there weren't too many around. Roll then noticed that Whitney walking nearby and remembered her package. She knew she was running out of time, so she figured talking to Whitney would be three birds in one stone for her. One, she could learn the time. Two, she could give Whitney her package. Three, she hadn't talk to her today so just speaking to her would increase her approval rating.

"Excuse me, Whitney," said Roll gently, "do you have the time on you? I don't have a watch on me." Whitney smiled as she looked at her own wrist watch.

"It's 3:52 snappy," said Whitney, "Got an appointment soon dear?"

"No, just I've been looking for a pop-eyed goldfish for Benjamin and I haven't found one yet," said Roll, "I don't want to let him down. I've been searching the river alot today but no luck..." Roll sighed as Whitney smiled at her.

"Try that shadow over there, snappy," Whitney suggested. Roll then noticed a tiny shadow and cast her line quickly. The fish bit down so quickly that Roll almost thought she was gonna miss, but she didn't and reeled it in and gasped.

"My pop-eyed goldfish!" she exclaimed.

"If you're persistent enough dear," said Whitney, "you can always accomplish your goals." Roll just smiled as she looked at the fish a little longer and then tucked it into her pocket. Whitney had turned to leave when Roll caught up with her.

"Hold up Whitney," said Roll, "I have a delivery for you."

"A delivery you say, snappy," said Whitney, "what could it be?" Roll then pulled out the package and presented it to Whitney. Whitney took it with anticipation.

"Oh it's that "thing" that I leant out to Purrl," said Whitney, "that was quite a while ago, snappy. In fact, it was so long ago that I already had purchased a replacement."

"Oh no," said Roll, feeling like she was to blame for not delivering it right away. Whitney just smiled at her regardless.

"Would you be interested in buying it from me," said Whitney, "Only 120 bells." Roll was just shocked.

"It's really okay to sell it," said Roll, "won't Purrl get mad about that?" _Will Purrl be mad at me for not delivering it to her fast enough?_ Whitney shook her head.

"Nope, it's my item," said Whitney, "I can do whatever I want with it. So would you like to buy it?" Roll just looked puzzled and then just conceded with a nod and handed the white wolf the bells. Whitney smiled as she put the bells away and gave her the package.

"Enjoy the contents, snappy, see you later," said Whitney with a cheerful smile and walked away. Roll just watched her walk away for a moment before she decided to open up the package. To her surprise it was another tee shirt. It was solid green with large L on it. She recognized the L logo.

"Oh cool Whitney gave me her extra Luigi shirt!" said Roll, "This will go with that denim skirt I bought earlier today!" She tucked the tee into her pockets and then remembered the gold fish.

"Oh I better get this to Benjamin as soon as I can," said Roll, "I just wonder where he could be?" Roll decided to go towards his house first. Unfortunately, he wasn't home.

"Shoot," said Roll, "Where could he be now?" She pondered for a moment or two before she began to scout the town on her own. While she had been outside for most of the day, she was still learning where everything was. In fact, it had taken her about thirty minutes before she found his house. She had only searched the south side of the river within an hour and just sighed in exhaustion.

"Where is he anyway?" said Roll, "I'm just glad the fish is still alive and well inside my pocket. Who knew that it automatically stored itself in a bowl of water in my own pockets. Sigh, this place certainly defies all logic, but as long as I keep the town safe and happy, that's what counts." Roll giggled to herself as she looked around on the north side of town but still couldn't find him.

"I guess I can donate these other fish I have in my pockets since they are just eating up space," said Roll, "hopefully by the time I come back, Benjamin will be easier to find." Roll then headed towards the museum, which was located to the east of the entrance and she had just started walking down the path across from Nookling Junction and the Able Sisters when she noticed the very dog she had been looking for!

"Benjamin!" she called out. The dog jumped in surprise and then noticed Roll rushing up to him.

"Oh...hey there Roll, you surprised me," said Benjamin, "what's up, alrighty?" Roll just gave him a warm smile.

"I've got something for you!" she said eagerly. Benjamin looked clueless until he remembered his little request.

"You mean...you got it?!" Benjamin asked surprised and excited. Roll smiled as she reached into her pockets and presented him with the pop-eyed goldfish.

"That's it!" said Benjamin, "That is the fish I've been looking for! Oh thank you so much for finding it for me!"

"You're welcome," said Roll as she cupped her hands behind her back.

"Hey there little guy," Benjamin told the fish, "You're going to come home and stay with me, alrighty." Benjamin then tucked the fish into his pockets.

"So...I guess I owe you a nice thank you gift," said Benjamin.

"It's okay," said Roll, "I'm just glad I could find you that fish. It's after 4pm after all." Benjamin just looked at her, touched by her modestly.

"You're a really cool girl," said Benjamin, "but I really do want to give you something. I'm sure you could always use a table of sort."

"I...don't actually have a table," said Roll.

"Well then it's a good thing I have this then," said Benjamin as he pulled out a lovely table. Roll gasped excitedly as she took the furniture.

"Oh I like this, it's so pretty," said Roll, "I like pink."

"Yeah, someone got it for me as a funny joke and luckily I saved it," said Benjamin sheepish, "I know you could use it more than I could." Roll couldn't resist and she suddenly hugged him. Benjamin was left stunned and in two seconds Roll pulled away in surprise and her cheeks pink.

"S-s-sorry," said Roll, feeling rather flustered, "I didn't mean to be so bold. I...just...I was...happy...I'm not into you at all...not that you're not likable. I mean...I'm just grateful for the present. I didn't mean to invade your personal space or embarrass you..." Roll just wanted to run. Benjamin did feel a bit awkward but then he noticed how flustered she was and soon his insecurity faded and he just looked at her sympathetically.

"It's okay," said Benjamin, "You just surprised me. I'm glad my present made you happy. I don't mind the hugs if you like giving them. It's the kisses that bug me." Benjamin made a face and Roll did the same before they both laughed.

"Well, thanks for the lovely table," said Roll, "I'm glad I could help you out."

"You're a good friend Roll," said Benjamin, "thanks again." Benjamin then headed towards Nookling Junction. Roll just watched him leave.

"Never thought boys would wanna be my friend," said Roll, "but Benjamin and Alfonso seem to like me. Nice to be noticed by boys instead of boys going "ew cooties" when they see me." Roll then headed back to the museum as the sky continued to clear and by the time she came back out. The cloudy sky had become more partly cloudy.

"Maybe I'll be able to take off my shoes before the day is over," said Roll to herself as she made her way back towards Main Street. When she arrived, she noticed that Purrl was just walking about.

"Oh Purrl!" said Roll, "I gave that package to Whitney just like you asked me to."

"Oh that's great, kitten!" said Purrl, "So what did Whitney have to say?" Roll suddenly remembered what had happened and she suddenly felt very nervous. Purrl noticed that she looked rather worried.

"Did Whitney scold you or something?" she asked. Roll just looked at her sadly and shook her head. Purrl just looked at her with concern.

"Talk to me, kitten," said Purrl, "No matter what happened, being honest is always the best thing that you can do." Roll just whimpered before she took a slow deep breath.

"I'm so sorry," Roll said in an outburst, "I went to give the package to Whitney and she said that that she had replaced the item already."

"She went and replaced the item?!" said Purrl in shock and Roll nodded sadly.

"I didn't think going fishing for a little bit before giving it to her would have made her go and replace the item you borrowed!" Roll continued sadly, "I'm so sorry!" Roll felt like she was gonna cry again when Purrl stared and then laughed.

"You silly little girl!" Purrl remarked, still laughing, "You did nothing wrong dear! I told you that you had until the end of the day to deliver that to Whitney and you did."

"But I was too late!" said Roll.

"No kitten," said Purrl, "This was my fault. I said that I had forgotten to return it and apparently I was the one who held onto that shirt for too long and that is why Whitney replaced it. That is why I asked if Whitney scolded you for that?"

"No, she just said that she replaced the item and then asked if I wanted to buy the old one for 120 bells," said Roll, "I hope you don't mind if I keep it." Purrl smiled.

"As long as it's being put to good use, you may have it, kitten," said Purrl, "but no more sadness from you okay? I may be a bit fussy, but I know you weren't at fault. I asked you to do something and you did it just fine so I thank you for your help." Roll just sniffled and smiled as she felt better.

"Sorry," said Roll, "I just didn't want to let you down."

"You didn't dear," said Purrl, "so don't be sad anymore, kitten."

"Okay, guess it's just been a busy day," said Roll.

"I've noticed that you've been doing alot of favors recently," said Purrl, "is there a reason behind it?"

"Well part of it has to do with my town-development permit," said Roll, "but in all honesty...I really just want to prove to people that I can be a real friend. I want people to see that I can be someone they can count on. I just want people to like me." Purrl hummed and nodded.

"Well may I give you some advice, kitten?" she asked.

"Sure," said Roll, wanting to be polite as well as being curious as to what Purrl wanted to say.

"You don't have to try so hard," said Purrl, "we all want to be your friend."

"Really?" said Roll, "I...it seemed like with some people..."

"We all have different personalities and that means we all have different ways of expressing how we show interesting or liking of people," Purrl explained, "Some villagers, it is obvious while with others it might seem like you have to earn their respect, but in reality they already do accept you and they are more fond of you that they claim to be."

"I see," said Roll.

"Just do your best, kitten," said Purrl, "there is no need to overwork yourself trying to get people to like you...or accept you. We already do." Roll just smiled and nodded.

"Okay," said Roll, "I better get to town hall. I need to see Isabelle about some business. I'll see you around Purrl...unless you've got something else you need done."

"I'm good for now," said Purrl, "Go on. I'm sure you're busy." Roll nodded and then made her way back to town hall, but then decided to do some more river fishing for a little longer. But first she stopped at her house to drop off her new table and clothes. She also removed her sandals and placed them by the side of the door since she didn't need them indoors...or at all for the matter. Then she realized that she didn't have any room to place it in her house and just tucked it into her drawer when she heard a knock on the door.

"Hello Roll, mind of I come in, tootie?" Roll smiled since she knew that it was Margie.

"Come on in Margie," said Roll as the elephant made her way into the house.

"Hi there, I was just passing by and I thought I would come and see how you were doing, tootie," she replied.

"Well I am glad to have you here Margie," said Roll, "Please make yourself comfortable...if you can since I only have a single chair." Margie just smiled as she looked about the house before taking a seat in the single chair Roll offered.

"How are you feeling, any better, tootie?" she asked kindly.

"Yeah," said Roll as she wigged her toes, "sorry about earlier. I was just stressed out cause I'm not used to socializing with people and I just wanted everyone here to like me."

"We do like you," said Margie, "and we also care about you too. I care about you, tootie."

"I know," said Roll, "I started crying when I took a nap at Bunnie's house and they were nice enough to support me when I was bawling like a dummy." Margie gave her a concerned look.

"Why were you crying?" Margie asked. Roll really didn't want to answer the question so she gave her a similar answer she had given Bunnie and Rosie.

"I just...wanted to prove myself," said Roll, "show that I can be reliable and a friend worth having and keeping." Margie just smiled.

"Well, you don't have to try as hard you think," said Margie, "and you don't have to burn yourself out doing that either."

"That's what Purrl said," said Roll, "I guess its cause some people seem really fond of me and others still seem a bit...I don't know how they think of me."

"Well everyone is different," said Margie, "but I can assure you that nobody dislikes you." Roll nodded in understanding.

"Thanks Margie," said Roll, "I don't know how many villagers know where I came from, but I came from an orphanage where I was the shy, not very popular, and not very noticed kind of girl. Being open with people is really hard for me."

"I understand," said Margie, "It's not easy trying to make friends when you're used to keeping to yourself. But I can assure that if you give us all a chance you won't be sorry. Plus if you give others a chance, then others will give you a chance as well. Doing favors, playing games, and inviting others to you house can help build friendships, but being able to open up with others is what will really develop those long lasting friendships."

"Aren't...you scared to open up to people?" Roll asked timidly.

"Sometimes, but I can assure you that if you take the chance, you won't be sorry," said Margie and then heard the clock chime six times to show that it was 6pm, "Well I think I've taken enough of your time. So I'll let you go for now, but if you ever need a friend or want to talk just come and find me."

"Okay," said Roll, "and thank you stopping by and chatting with me."

"No problem at all, tootie," said Margie and then remembered something, "Oh! Before I forget, this is for you!" The elephant reached into her pockets and presented Roll with a dapper tee.

"You can never have too many cute clothes and this shirt is one of my favorites," said Margie, "I had an extra and now I want you to have it." Roll smiled as she put the tee into her drawer.

"Thank you," said Roll.

"You're welcome," said Margie, "See you later, tootie." Margie then went on her way. Roll sighed contently and decided to just leave her sandals behind as she went to continue with her routine. The grass was still a bit damp, but she just welcomed the moisture on her bare feet as she made her way towards the river. since it was past 6pm, she wanted to see about catching as many fish as she could so she could pay off her house debt before Tom Nook closed that day. She was just about to cast her line when Rosie approached her.

"Hey silly!" said Rosie, bouncing on her feet.

"Oh hi, Rosie," said Roll as she kept her eye on her line, "What's up? You look like you're bursting with news!"

"I noticed that you've got a fishing rod on you, silly," said Rosie, "I was...well..." Rosie seemed a bit shy about her favor, but Roll couldn't help but giggle. Rosie always seemed so outgoing to her, so seeing the blue cat look so shy was a first for her.

"What is it Rosie?" she asked curiously. Rosie still looked at her bashfully.

"I would really like to get myself a char," said Rosie, "but they are pretty rare to find and are only out at this time until 7pm. I wanted to ask...if you could..." Roll just smiled.

"I'll give it my best shot," said Roll, "I really will. I needed to fish to get myself some more bells for my home loan anyway." Rosie gasped excitedly.

"Oh I knew you would be the right person to ask about this, silly," said Rosie, "I'll be waiting for my super special friend to find me my super special fishy!" Rosie turned to leave when she stopped herself.

"Wait a minute," said Rosie, "who says we always have to leave you to the task alone? Like some company?" Roll smiled.

"Sure," said Roll, "come on! Let's see if we can find you that fish!" Rosie clapped in agreement when they were both stopped by Fang.

"I hear you girls are going river fishing, cha-chomp," he replied, "and well...I would really like a river fish for my decor...any kind would do." Roll giggled. She was enjoying the fact that she would not only get to do her fishing, with a friend, but would be able to help out two more villagers in the process.

"Sure," said Roll, "I'll be sure to find you a really good catch." Fang chuckled.

"It doesn't matter if its common or rare, cha-chomp," said Fang, "as long as it comes from you." Rosie awed.

"You really are a softie aren't you Fang," said Rosie cutely. Fang coughed a bit and glared at her and then to Roll.

"Okay, fine, but don't tell anyone, cha-chomp!" Fang snapped and then stomped away as if angry, but he wasn't. Roll just giggled since she saw through his little facade.

"Guess Purrl and Margie were right," said Roll, "Everyone expresses gratitude in different ways."

"True," said Rosie, "I'm just wondering one thing though..."

"What is that Rosie?"

"Should I have brought some pom-poms to cheer you on while you fish?" she pondered and Roll just laughed. Rosie soon laughed as well before they walked along the side of the river. Rosie didn't mind that Roll caught a few other fish, including a cherry salmon that she planned to take to Fang. When they reached the waterfall, Roll bravely approached the edge of waterfall and peeked over.

"Good thing I'm not afraid of heights," said Roll. That didn't mean that Roll didn't have any fears. She had a few fears, but that's another story. She scouted the bottom of the waterfall where the water ran off into the sea. She didn't see hardly anything until she noticed a small shadow peeking out from the waterfall.

"Is that it?" Roll called out to Rosie walked up to her and looked where she was pointing and smiled.

"That's it silly!" said Rosie, "Good luck!" Roll nodded as she cast her line. Rather than toss it into the bottom area. She cast her line above and just let the flow of the waterfall guide her bopper to the water below. The shadow saw her line right away but it kept teasing her by just tapping the bopper. Roll was getting shakey after it tapped her bopper a third time.

"You can do it!" said Rosie as it tapped a fourth time. Then it went for a fifth time and bit. Roll's timing was spot on. As soon as she heard the "plop" of the bopper, she reeled it in and out came the coveted char. Rosie jumped up and down with glee...while hugging Roll excitedly.

"You did it, you did it, silly," said Rosie, "you found me my special fishy!" Roll just chuckled as she handed the blue cat her fish. Rosie took the fish and tucked it into her pockets and then gave Roll another tee.

"This is a dark polka tee," said Rosie, "It's a really cute design that would look great on you, silly! Thanks for helping me get my fish."

"You're welcome," said Roll and then noticed another appear in the water, "Oh! Now I can catch one for the museum!" Roll cast her line and this time, the second fish bit after only tapping the bopper once. Roll was very pleased as she tucked the fish into her pockets and tried to keep it separate from the other fish she had collected so far.

"I'm gonna go put my new char in my house, silly," said Rosie, "Then I'll get my rod and we can fish together for a bit okay?" Roll nodded since she had to deliver her cherry salmon to Fang as they parted ways. Fang was very pleased with his new fish and surprised her with a dark polka skirt so she now had a complete outfit, which made Roll happier.

The two friends soon rejoined and fished together for the next hour or so. By the time, it was just past 7PM. Roll had earn another 18,000 bells from just river fishing and this included the three or four occasions in which she had fished out more cans, tires, and even the dreaded das boot. But in the end, the trash disposal didn't hurt her finances too much and she still got plenty of bells each time she emptied her pockets. She was now counting up her bells in her wallet since Rosie had already bid her goodbye.

"Wow, I have over 50,000 bells," said Roll excitedly. That was more than enough to pay off her next home loan. She immediately ran over to the post office where the ABD was kept and tapped the screen to activate it.

"Good evening Roll," the monitor said on the screen, "What service do you wish to do?" Roll noticed that three options came up: Repay debt, Deposit, and Withdraw. Roll tapped the repay loan and noticed a coin slot nearby where she began to quickly drop in the 39,800 bells she owed. Roll was worried at first she had put in too much, but the ABD dropped the excess coins back to her once the debt amount hit zero.

"All debt has been repaid, thank you for using the ABD," said the monitor. Roll jumped for joy.

"Yay!" said Roll, "my house debt is now paid for!" Roll then rushed over to Nook's homes to tell the tanooki the good news.

"Oh hello there Roll," said Tom Nook as she walked inside, "I just noticed that you've paid off your debt in full! Well congratulations are in order yes. I had much confidence that you would pay off the debt." Roll smiled and nodded in agreement.

"However..."

"Huh?" said Roll, suddenly feeling a little worried.

"Isn't you house a tad bit on the small side, hmm?" said Tom Nook. Roll could see what Tom Nook was trying to do, but she did know that her house was getting cramped with what little furniture she had.

"Yeah...it is getting rather tight..." said Roll.

"Well, now that you've gotten your home loan paid off, might I convince you into expanding your house a bit, hmm?" said Tom Nook.

"Umm...sure," said Roll, still feeling a bit uncertain.

"The total cost of this home loan comes out to 98,000 bells," said Tom Nook, "that is perfectly fine, yes, yes?" Roll just sighed inwardly, but deep down she wasn't too worried about it. She had earned close to 40,000 bells that day from fishing in the river and she had been told by Rosie that ocean fishing had even more valuable fish, especially at night.

"Let's do it," said Roll confidently and Tom Nook smiled.

"Very good, very good," said Tom Nook, "construction will be done in the morning." Roll nodded as she exited the shop. Since she was able to donate her new char earlier, Roll headed towards the ocean. She enjoyed the fresh sea breeze and the still damp sand under her bare feet as she cleaned the beach of some new shells and did a few rounds of ocean fishing to earn her some more bells.

It was just after 10PM and Roll was exhausted as she made her way inside of town hall, she noticed that Isabelle wasn't working but doodling in another crossword puzzle.

"Now what's a six letter word for "getting in trouble"," she pondered aloud. Roll chuckled to herself.

"Busted," said Roll.

"Thank you," said Isabelle, "wait those letters don't...wait who...AAH!" Isabelle jumped as she saw Roll just standing in front of her desk innocently and her crossword book slipped out of her hands and into the air as she stood up.

"I was working honest," said Isabelle quickly, "It was just a little puzzle to stretch my brain cells! Hon-..."

BONK

As the saying goes, what goes up, must come down. Just as Isabelle was trying to explain herself, the book conked her on the head.

"Ow..." she muttered. Roll giggled to herself as she waited near the side door so Isabelle could let her in. Isabelle just rubbed the spot where the book had bonked her on the head before letting her in and Roll headed towards her mayor chair.

"Good evening mayor," said Isabelle, "How may I help you today?"

"I wanted to hear what my progress is for my town development permit before I turn in for the night," said Roll.

"Okay then," said Isabelle, "I'm guessing you've been really busy socializing with the other villagers."

"Yeah," said Roll, "It's been rather..emotional..."

"Emotional?" Isabelle asked curiously. Roll just sighed, wishing she had just kept her mouth shut.

"I've just been feeling really stressed from trying to socialize and trying to do a good job getting the villagers to like me," said Roll. Isabelle just gave her a supportive smile.

"You're doing a better job that you think," said Isabelle, "I just got the recent survey of your approval rating if you want to hear where you stand?" Roll took a deep breath and gave her a brave smile.

"Let's hear it," said Roll.

"You're current approval rating is...100%," said Isabelle. Roll just went agape and Isabelle soon became worried as Roll seemed in a state of shock.

"Mayor? Mayor!" Isabelle called out as Roll looked frozen until she snapped her fingers. Roll shook herself out of her shock and just looked at the shi-tzu with uncertainty.

"Can...can you repeat that please?" she asked a bit frazzled.

"You're current approval rating is 100% percent," said Isabelle, "Great job." Roll just looked at her before she burst into tears. Isabelle looked worried as Roll sobbed loudly.

"Mayor Roll, are you alright?" Isabelle asked.

"I'm just so happy," Roll sobbed, "and overwhelmed Isabelle. I mean I actually did it. I got the entire town to like me! They really, really like me! For the first time in my life, I feel...special!" Isabelle wasn't fully sure what Roll meant by that, but Roll continued to cry tears of joy. Yet this meant alot more to her than anyone would realize. Having 100% approval rating meant more than just getting her town-development permit.

She felt needed. She felt accepted. Something she had wanted for a long time coming.

 **Apologies for not describing Bunnie's fur color properly in previous chapters. I thought it was reddish-brown, but she's actually burnt orange so I'll go with that from here on out.**

 **I also know downward pony tails aren't a hairstyle in game, but I'm sure there are plenty of female players who wish there was.**

 **But that concludes the second story arc. Hope you enjoyed it! Roll's clearly got alot of growing to do, but she'll learn just how special she is in good time.**

 **Here's a Preview of the next story arc:**

 **Befriending Sable: Sable is known for being shy and reserved and Roll understands that better than most. As she gets Sable to open up, will she learn how she can be open with her new friends?**

 **Find out...next time!**


	8. Befriending Sable Part 1

Befriending Sable part 1

To say that Roll was overjoyed at reaching her 100% percent approval rating was an understatement. It took a good hour before she stopped crying and finally went to bed once Isabelle had her application submitted for authorization. Apparently it was going to take several days before the processing would be completed and Roll would be able to start getting to work on developing the town. Roll wasn't too concerned about that. She still felt like she could do more around the village anyway and try to increase her friendship with the other twelve villagers. Over the next five days, Roll had continued to develop her own routine in which involved socializing with the villagers, finding her money rocks, visiting the shops regularly, and continuing the pay off her debts as she expanded her house. Everyone was happy to see her and they seemed to be opening up to her more and more each day. Even those like Fang and Katt were being much nicer to her. Roll was growing the enjoy her life in Animal Town, but she would admit that she still had a lot to learn.

Roll had also proved herself to be rather persistent. She had managed to not only upgrade her house once during those five days, but actually twice. If there was one thing that could be said about Roll. It was that she was a hard worker. She would spend any free time she had fishing in both the river as well as the ocean in an effort to pay off her house loans. She worked hard to take care of her house loans so she didn't have to worry too much about debt. By now her main room was maxed out, and she now had a second floor where had set up as her bed room with a lovely bed, dresser, and even a vanity. She even had a desk across from her so she could write before going to bed. The main room was now just a rather spacious living room consisting of some green and red furniture and the complete set of lucky cats which really helped raise her general luck as she kept some of her green items near the south wall and red items near the east.

Toiday was bright sunny say as Roll woke up that morning and dressed into a demin skirt, a daisy tee, and a yellow star hairpin with her hair in a simple ponytail. She had also increased her wardrobe as well during the last five days so she now had plenty of clothes to pick for wearing each day. And of course, she stayed barefoot unless it was raining. Since it was sunny, she was barefoot. She was happier when she didn't have to wear shoes. She liked feeling the soft grass beneath her feet, digging her toes into the dirt and feeling all the different changes in the terrain as she walked in and out of the shops. She eagerly got dressed and headed downstairs to start her routine. She had just opened the door when she saw that Isabelle was waiting for her.

"Morning Mayor!" said Isabelle.

"Morning Isabelle," she replied, "Has my town development permit finished being processed yet?" Isabelle just chuckled and shook her head. Roll made it a habit to ask everyday about it.

"Not yet," said Isabelle, "but any day now. Don't worry!" Roll just sighed.

"Just keep helping everyone and doing what you are doing already," said Isabelle, "You're already popular as it is." Roll giggled. It was still humbling for her to hear that she was popular.

"Anyway," said Isabelle, "There is a visitor waiting for you at the town hall."

"A visitor?" said Roll, her tone filled with curiosity, "who is it?" Isabelle just chuckled to herself.

"You'll see," Isabelle replied, "Come on!" Roll just looked at the shi-tzu before following her towards town hall and went inside. There before her was an elderly turtle wearing a red tropical shirt and pair of blue shorts with a straw boater on his head.

"Excuse me sir," said Isabelle, but the older turtle seemed to be just surveying the office and ignoring her. Isabelle rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

"EXCUSE ME SIR!" she shouted loudly. The elderly turtle snorted in surprise a bit and then turned to face the shi-tzu.

"Oh hello there," said the turtle, "You are the new secretary...uhh...Isabelle as I recall...uhh...what was I doing here again?" Isabelle sighed as the turtle began to think and Roll covered her mouth to suppress a giggle.

"Mister Tortimer," said Isabelle as calmly as she could, "You came here to meet the new mayor." Tortimer looked clueless for a moment and then it came back to him.

"Oh yes, yes," said Tortimer, "That is exactly why I had come all this way. That and to visit the town I once called home."

"So...you were the former mayor of this town sir?" Roll answered and the turtle looked at her skeptically.

"Who are you?" he asked. Isabelle faceplamed herself.

"Mister Tortimer," said Isabelle, "This is Roll. She is the new mayor of Animal Town!" Tortimer examined her for a moment. Roll just stood in place nervously, clicking her heels together despite being barefoot, before he gave her a warm smile.

"Well then, it is a please to meet you," said Tortimer, "I see that I have left Animal Town in good hands indeed. As I said before I used to be the mayor here before I retired. Now I live on a special tropical island where it is summer all year around. After all the years I've spent working, it is nice to find a place to settle down and relax for once in my life. Life there is never boring either cause there is always plenty to do...now why am I here again?" Isabelle let out a hard, but annoyed chuckle. Roll just giggled herself as Tortimer looked into deep thought before he suddenly remembered.

"Oh yes, I remember now!" said Tortimer, "I am here because I wanted to extend an invitation for you to come and visit my island home!" Roll gasped excitedly.

"You mean I get to go visit a tropical paradise!" said Roll and hopped up and down with glee as she clapped to herself. Tortimer smiled at her excitement.

"At the island, you can fish, swim, deep sea dive, and more," Tortimer explained, "and judging by your excitement I can see that you would definitely accept my invite?" Roll nodded with a wide smile on her face, but then she realized something.

"Umm...is it just for me alone?" Roll asked and Tortimer smiled.

"You should be able to invite a few friends with you if you so desire," said Tortimer, "and my island could use some extra tourism. Very well then, sprout! I'll shall notify the captain to start making regular stops here in Animal Town here starting tomorrow." Roll clapped once more with excitement. Isabelle smiled as well before Tortimer made his way out of the office and back to the pier that was located near the south ramp to the beach.

"Oh a tropical island getaway," said Isabelle once he left the town hall, "You must tell me all about it since...heh...you know I am overly busy with work." Roll then crossed her arms and tapped her barefoot impatiently.

"You better not be overworking yourself," said Roll.

"I'm not," said Isabelle, feeling a little defensive before Roll just smiled and sighed to herself.

"Well if there's nothing else going on, I better get going with my routine," said Roll, "see you later Isabelle...and don't work too hard."

"Yes mother," said Isabelle annoyed and Roll just glared back angrily. Isabelle was only joking but she could tell she had touched a nerve. She had never seen Roll look that stern before. It unnerved her a bit, but she didn't show it.

"Sorry," she answered feebly. Roll softened a bit before she left the town hall. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty for getting so angry with Isabelle. But when Isabelle said that, she just felt so agitated.

"Ugh, let's just get to work," said Roll as she grabbed her shovel and went to look for her money rock. While she did that, she usually took extra care to search for any fossils as well so she could donate them to museum as well as collect any gems from rocks that were not part of the town. Today she found the gem rock away after two rocks failed to produce any bells. She gasped excitedly when she saw what popped out of the gem rock.

"A real ore of gold," said Roll, "I hope it isn't fool's gold. I guess I'll find out in good time." She tucked the ore into her pockets before she continued her routine. Once her routine was finished, she collected the bells she had earned from selling the gold ore, which was real and valued at 4000 bells. She decided to check out the shopping. She managed to score herself a game shelf from Nookling Junction before heading to the Able Sisters. Mabel, as usual, was there to greet her.

"Hey there, welcome to the handmade fashion palace of the Able Sisters," she said warmly.

"Hello Mabel," said Roll, "I can't wait to see what clothes you've got on sale today!"

"Well, we've got plenty to chose from so please take a look around," said Mabel. Roll nodded with a warm smile as she was about to browse around when she noticed that Sable was hard at work. Roll approached the brown hedgehog with a warm smile.

"Hello Sable, nice to see you today," said Roll cheerfully. Sable continued to say nothing. In fact, it had been like that every day she had come in. Almost a week had past and Sable had yet to say a single word to the blonde girl. Roll felt upset and Mabel could see it on Roll's face.

"It's okay Roll," said Mabel, "Sable is just a very reserved person. She's doesn't open up to people that easily." Roll looked at Mabel sadly as she was fighting back tears.

"What's wrong with me?" said Roll sadly, "Isabelle said I have a 100% approval rating! I was sure that included all of you! I mean...do you like me?" Mabel just gave her an assuring smile.

"Of course I like you," said Mabel, "We all like you."

"Everyone except Sable," said Roll as she eyeballed the busy hedgehog sadly, "she won't even talk to me. I bet she talks to the other villagers. Why won't she talk to me?" It was just then Margie entered the shop with her sketch pad.

"Good morning you guys," the elephant said cheerfully.

"Oh hey there Margie!" said Mabel.

"Welcome!" said Sable, lifting her head from her work. Roll just looked dumbfounded.

"Hey Roll," said Margie as the elephant walked over to Sable's work station.

"I'm sorry I'm always barging in while you're working!" said Margie apologetically.

"Oh it's no problem," said Sable happily, "it's always nice when we get to see of Margie's fabulous designs right?"

"Oh yes!" Mabel added, "I just love getting to see the latest Margie original design!"

"Come now, show it to us Margie!" said Sable excitedly. Roll just looked at them jealously before turning away and headed into the accessories section of the shop. She suddenly didn't feel like buying anything today, yet she hadn't really looked either.

"Welcome," said Labelle in her blunt manner.

"Whatever," said Roll gloomily as she looked about the shop for anything interesting. She then noticed a grayish-tan fedora.

"How much for this?" she asked quietly.

"That's the grandpa hat," said Labelle, "it's 420 bells." Roll just looked at her sternly. Labelle's blunt attitude was getting her feel even grumpier than she already was.

"Deal," said Roll in a irritated tone as she slapped the bells into Labelle's hands and grabbed the hat, but didn't bother putting it into her pockets until she left the shop. Labelle just looked at her before looking at the bells and just tucked them into her pockets as Mabel peered into her side of the shop.

"Labelle, have you seen Roll?" she asked, "She didn't buy anything today."

"She just brought one of my accessories and then stomped out," said Labelle, "she seemed kind of grumpy when she handed me the bells. She even glared at me...what did I do?" Mabel just sighed to herself.

"It's not you, Sis," said Mabel, "Sable is still giving Roll the silent treatment and it's upsetting Roll. The poor girl thinks Sable doesn't like her."

"Oh," said Labelle quietly and just looked away, unsure of what to say. Mabel then looked at her with her hands on her hips.

"You like her don't you?" Mabel asked. Labelle just blinked the question and then shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess," said Labelle. Mabel looked offended and then shook her head at her.

"You may have worked for Gracie dear sister," she remarked, "but you clearly didn't learn how to treat and befriend regular customers."

"Says you!" Labelle snorted, "Gracie said that there are two ways of selling merchandise: The Gracie way or the wrong way. I am a Gracie endorsed fashion designer..."

"Don't we know it!" Mabel grumbled, "whatever. Next time just say no!" Mabel then stomped away and grunted angrily to herself. Labelle just shrugged her little sister's attitude and went back to work. Mabel just stomped back into the main clothing section where she saw her sister continuously working at her sewing machine as if the there was no such thing as an outside world. Mabel growled at her before she took a spare thimble and tossed it hard at Sable's head.

"OW!" Sable yelped as the thimble hit her square between the eyes and she stopped her working.

"Mabel, why'd you do that?" she asked. Mabel just glared at her angrily.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who pays attention to what going on beyond this stupid shop!" said Mabel, "You and Labelle are the same! Always off in your own little worlds and ignoring the important things going around you!"

"Well what exactly did I miss this time that you feel is oh so important?" Sable asked. Mabel just huffed.

"Our own mayor feels like you don't like her," said Mabel sternly, "and she's hurt cause you keep ignoring her. She been here for a week and you've made no effort to even open up at the slightest! Can't you just say hello without it "Putting you behind schedule"?" Mabel couldn't help but air quote. Sable just looked at her with her tired eyes before looking back at the patch she was working and just went back to work. Now it was Mabel's turn to feel a tad offended as Sable didn't even bother to answer the question.

"Well?" she asked impatiently. Sable just continued with her work and had tuned her out. This time Mabel couldn't just laugh it off.

"DARN IT SABLE WILL GET OFF THAT STUPID MACHINE AND LISTEN TO ME!" Mabel yelled furiously. Sable stopped and glared back at her sternly.

"You need to settle down young lady!" she shot back sternly.

"Quit talking down to me like I'm some kind of baby!" Mabel yelled, "I'm an adult for crying out loud!"

"Not when you take that kind of tone!" Sable yelled.

"Well maybe if you would stop ignoring me and answer my question..."

"I don't have to answer anything to you! We've got too much work as it is!"

"Ugh! You are so infuriating! Just answer the question!"

"I DON'T HAVE TO!"

"WHY!"

"CAUSE I SAID SO!"

"I HATE YOU!"

"I HATE YOU MORE!"

"COOL IT THE BOTH OF YOU!" said a third voice as Labelle came between them and split them apart, "We're on the job right now you guys! And we can't sell our clothes if the two of you are butting heads in the middle of the shop! All that's gonna go is drive customers away!" Sable and Mabel glared at other and looked away with arms crossed.

"She started it!" Sable pouted.

"Don't you make me the bad guy!" Mabel shot back in a loud tone.

"Mabel, why don't you take a walk and cool off please," Labelle suggested. Mabel looked at her, feeling betrayed.

"Why do I always have to take a walk?!" She snapped, "Make Sable go! She's the one sitting on her butt all day..."

"That's enough!" Labelle interrupted, "GO! NOW!" Mabel just growled, balling her fists. She was ready to punch something but held back...with difficulty.

"Fine!" she spat bitterly, "I'm done! You two go on with your professionalism and all work and no socializing and tell me if business booms! I quit!" With that, Mabel left their shop, slamming the door hard and walked away with no intention of coming back. Sable tried to just go back to work, but it wasn't longer before she was crying. Labelle gently rubbed her back.

"Mable didn't mean that," said Labelle, "Just let her cool off okay." Sable just sniffled and tried to focus on her work as Labelle gave her a sympathetic smile and walked back to the accessories section. As for Mabel, she had continued down main street and headed towards the town area. She had just crossed the train tracks when her eyes began to water and she started to cry as she looked for a place she could be alone for a while. While her tears were mostly due to frustration, she was also feeling guilty for losing her temper.

Meanwhile, Roll had returned to the ocean to continue her fishing so she could pay off her next house debt, which was a whopping 298,000 bells. She had already paid off about 60,000 already but still had a long way to go and only kept between 30,000 to 35,000 in her pockets for things that she might need. Roll had just wanted to be left alone as she continued her fishing, but she didn't have much time to fish alone when Rosie and Bunnie appeared.

"Hey there, silly"

"What's up, tee hee?"

"Just fishing," said Roll bluntly as she caught another sea bass. She was growing to despise that particular fish. Also the squid, especially since the last time she caught one it inked her bare feet, disgusting her. Bunnie and Rosie looked at each other before resting their hands on the sides of their hips.

"Alright Roll, what's bugging you?" Rosie asked.

"Yeah, you'll feel better if you just tell us," said Bunnie.

"Why?" said Roll, rather rudely, not wanting to talk about it at all.

"Like we told you a few days ago, silly," said Rosie, "You're stuck with us."

"We won't let up until you speak up, tee hee," said Bunnie, "It isn't good to keep things bottled up inside. You'll feel better if you just talk." Roll just sighed. She might as well since she couldn't focus on her fishing. Plus the giant shadow she had been trying to catch ended up biting too fast for her and she missed her chance to catch it. Roll just groaned to herself as she put her fishing rod away.

"Okay..." said Roll quietly as she rubbed her hands together. Rosie and Bunnie smiled as they each took one of her hands and guided her further down the beach. It wasn't long before Roll found the words to speak.

"I don't think Sable or Labelle likes me," said Roll and Rosie and Bunnie just looked at her shocked and with stunned faces.

"Really?" Rosie replied.

"Why do you think that, tee hee?" Bunnie asked curiously.

"I've been talking to Sable since I first got here," said Roll, "same with Labelle, but neither of them ever really want to talk to me." Roll just sighed sadly.

"I'm sure they are just busy," said Rosie.

"I know Sable tends to be rather reserved," said Bunnie, "she takes alot of effort to get her to open up."

"Has she opened up with you guys?" said Roll, "she seems really friendly with Margie."

"That's because Margie visits her every day, Roll, " said Rosie, "but that doesn't mean that Sable was open with her all the time. Margie had to work at it, silly."

"Plus it helps that she shares the same interests with Sable, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Sable is a fashion designer in her own right and Margie is striving to become one." Roll just looked down at her feet.

"I don't know what my dream is yet," said Roll, "Unless being mayor is considered a dream?"

"A dream is something that you want Roll," said Rosie, "It's not something that is forced upon you."

"I never felt..." Roll then sighed since she wasn't going to lie to them, "Okay...maybe when I first got here I felt like that, but once I saw that I could really do something important and that people like me and want me here,...(sigh). I've kind of started growing into the role. But I...I don't know if that relates to Sable in any way." Bunnie and Rosie just smiled.

"You'll never know unless you try, tee hee," said Bunnie, "just don't give up. I really don't think Sable doesn't like you. She's just the quiet type and rather antisocial."

"You think so?" Roll asked hopefully.

"Of course silly," said Rosie, "As I recall we once knew this blonde girl who was really shy and didn't want to open up to us. She's still a bit antisocial too."

"Really who was she?" Roll asked. Rosie and Bunnie gave her looks before she realized that they were referring to her. Roll's cheeks turned deep red for what was apparently a blonde moment on her part.

"Oh...heh...right..." said Roll, feeling embarrassed as she just stared at her bare feet. Rosie and Bunnie giggled to each other.

"No worries Roll," said Bunnie, "We know you're slowly starting to open up, tee hee."

"And we know you're learning that we're here for you too, silly," said Rosie, "So just keep trying and soon Sable will warm up to you." Roll smiled as the flush from her cheeks finally disappeared from her face and she felt better.

"Aw you guys," said Roll as she opened her arms for a hug, which the two went to embrace her together for a threesome group hug. They chuckled as they pulled away. Then she heard the sound of someone crying not too far away, they continued down by the beach where they found a blue hedgehog sobbing as she appeared to be curled into a tight ball, but the interior of that blue sphere pulsed as she continued to cry. Roll rushed over to the distressed hedgehog.

"Mabel...is that you?" Roll asked gently, taking extra care when nudging her not to get stuck by her quills. Mabel sniffled a few times before she uncurled herself and noticed the blonde girl as well as Rosie and Bunnie, who looked at her worried.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Bunnie and Rosie asked at once. Mabel just sniffled some more before extending her legs and wiping her eyes.

"I got into a fight with my sisters," Mabel explained, "I noticed how upset Roll looked at Sable ignoring her. I tried to find out why she was being so distant and if she did or did not like you. Instead of answering me, she brushed me off. Then we got into a fight and Labelle had to break us up cause we started yelling at each other. I was told to take a walk to cool off so I said that I was done and left the shop. I really don't want to go back at all right now. I just wanted to be alone at first, but I don't mind the company." Mabel offered a smile, but Roll just looked at her sadly.

"This is all my fault!" said Roll, "I shouldn't have said anything. Now I've ruined someone else's family with my own stupid insecurities!"

"Now wait just a minute there Roll," said Mabel as she stood up, "You didn't do anything wrong. You just want to be friends with Sable. Someone who clearly has her stupid head in the clouds and is too busy in it to pay attention to anyone else but herself!" Roll looked at her stunned since the blue hedgehog had raised her voice at the end of her comment. Mabel panted heavily, clearly still angry with Sable.

"You don't mean that silly," said Rosie, "You're just upset right now. You know Sable loves you alot. Take is from someone whose an older sister herself." Mabel just snorted before sniffling.

"Well, I just wish she wasn't so closed up all the time," said Mabel, "people care about her too you know. I've seen all of you try to be her friend. I just don't get why she's so cautious all the time when making friends. Well...I have my hunches, but...she's never really confided in me about stuff. I think she still sees me like a little kid. It's just...frustrating sometimes. I could help her...but she acts like...she doesn't want to be helped. I don't know what to do anymore...but she's hurting...and I feel so helpless." Mabel felt like she was gonna cry again but slowly recomposed herself. Rosie handed her a cloth to clean her sticky cheeks.

"It's will be okay, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I'm a big sister too. Sometimes things just get heated between siblings, but you can't stay mad at her forever."

"Staying angry doesn't solve anything," said Roll, wanting to get into the conversation despite not having any sisters, "I know Sable made you mad, but could...could you really turn your back on her?" Mabel just glared and turned away before more tears left her eyes and she shook her head.

"I just wish she trusted me enough to confide in me," said Mabel, "She opens up more with the customers than she does with me sometimes. I thought Labelle would have helped with that, but it just seems like Sable is never going to come out of her shell and let her family help her." Roll just looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry..."

"Stop!" said Mabel, "this is something that I've had to put up with since I was a baby. It's something that I've hoped someday would change but after all the years of hope and optimism I've had...(sniff)...even I get discouraged. Nobody is perfect you know. Anyway, I don't know what's the deal with Sable and Labelle, but I just want you to know that you're my friend. Why else would I be confiding in you about this?" Roll just smiled and hugged her warmly. Mabel accepted the embrace as she dried her tears.

"Well thank you Mabel," said Roll, "I really appreciate that. I guess I just don't understand what's wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you," said Mabel, "Sable is the one with the problem here!"

"Then why am I not good enough?" Roll asked upset. Mabel just looked stunned.

"You...don't think you're good enough?" said Mabel. Bunnie and Rosie just looked at her sadly.

"Is that why...you were so distant from us, silly?" Rosie asked.

"And why you don't defend yourself, tee hee?" Bunnie added. Roll just wrapped her arms around her chest and rubbed her bare feet together.

"I...just...I just grew up not thinking much of myself okay," she answered feebly and then added very timidly, "back off." Mabel suddenly felt like someone had opened her eyes. She looked at Roll in a new way.

 _She doubts herself. She...doesn't think much of herself. Just like...like Sable..._ Mabel suddenly looked and saw her sister in Roll's place as her words repeated in her mind.

"I just grew up not thinking much of myself," said Sable. Mabel had heard those words from Sable so many times over the years but she had never thought much of it. Could it be...Sable didn't feel good enough to be Roll's friend...or to be anyone's friend for that matter?

"Mabel...are you okay?" Roll asked after a good minute of starting, "You're making me feel really subconscious right now." Mabel blinked and when Roll said that, she imagined Sable once more as Roll said that.

 _Roll's just like my sister! Forget that she's the mayor! She and my sister have the same thoughts about each other!_ Mabel snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Roll once more and asked her a crucial question.

"Roll, how do you like being the center of attention here in Animal Town?" Mabel asked.

"I don't like it all," said Roll quietly, "I feel like everyone is watching me...just...just..." Mabel suddenly saw her sister once more as she said something that touched Mabel's heart.

"...waiting for me to screw up and reject me." Mabel just looked at her and then smiled.

"That's all I needed to know," said Mabel quickly, "Thank you Roll. Now if you excuse me, I've got a sister I need to make amends to. I'll see you guys tomorrow okay."

"Um...okay..." said Roll, feeling quite puzzled about Mabel's questions before the blue hedgehog made her way off the beach and back into town. Rather than heading straight back to the shop, Mabel decided to take a detour to the newly growing orange (aka milkan) orchard to collect her thoughts. She took a seat next to the trees and began to collect her thoughts. The more she thought about it, the more Mabel could see a connection between the two.

"So Roll is insecure too," said Mabel to herself, "and she's afraid of being ridiculed and rejected too. I wonder if anybody else could tell me more about Roll and her insecurities." Mabel then got up and headed towards Purrl's house first since the cat was at home. She lightly rapped on the door and waited for the cat to answer the door.

"Why hello there, kitten," said Purrl as she opened her door to greet her, "I'm surprised to see you here at my doorstep. Are their any sales coming up at the shop?"

"I am actually not here to sell or advertise Purrl," said Mabel, "I'm actually here on a personal matter. You see...I wanted to ask you a question about Roll." Purrl's smile turned serious as well as skeptical. Purrl wasn't sure why Mabel would ask personal questions about Roll and she felt the need to protect the blonde girl.

"I see, kitten," said Purrl slowly and skeptically, "What do you want to know about her?"

"Does Roll have trouble with confrontation?" Mabel asked, "According to some questions I asked her...she seems shy and insecure. Maybe even struggles with having self-confidence." Purrl crossed her arms.

"And why exactly are you gathering information about her?" Purrl asked, slightly defensively, "Why do you need to know about such matters, kitten?" Mabel smiled. Mostly cause she was glad Roll had friends who looked out for her.

"I have a feeling she might have a few things in common with Sable, my big sister," Mabel explained, "and she's kind of been taking longer than normal to open up to Roll. I think they might be able to relate to each other because they have the same issues." Purrl then smiled.

"I see, kitten," said Purrl, "What did you want to know about Roll?"

"Well...does Roll have issues standing up for herself?" Mabel asked again. Purrl gave her a shocked expression.

"You have no idea, kitten!" said Purrl, "The other day I saw her digging some holes near my house. It turned out she was just planting the first of the milkan trees. I was worried she was just going to dig holes all around my house and I demanded to know what she was doing. Rather than just say she was plating the trees, she just...coward back and started crying. She was literally going to let me chew her out when all she was doing was planting." Mabel pondered as she listened carefully to Purrl's story.

"Interesting," said Mabel, "that really helps me alot so thank you Purrl."

"Anytime, kitten," said Purrl, "I'm glad what I told you was of some use to you." Mabel waved her good bye and then decided to head to Margie's house next. Fortunately, Margie was walking about nearby and the white elephant went over to the blue hedgehog.

"Oh hi, Mabel," said Margie, "I'm surprised to see you walking about the town today."

"Well, it's a long story," said Mabel quietly and Margie gave her a skeptical look.

"Did you and Sable get into a fight again, tootie?" Margie asked. Mabel just huffed and nodded.

"Long story short," said Mabel, "Roll doesn't think that Sable or Labelle likes her. I don't really know what Labelle's problem is, but I do know that Sable has self-confidence issues. It seems like Roll apparently has the same problem as Sable from what I've heard from her as well as Purrl." Margie just sighed.

"She does seem very shy and reserved," said Margie. She didn't like the idea of talking about Roll like this.

"Well I was told that Purrl that Roll apparently has issues standing up for herself and speaking up," said Mabel. Margie just sighed quietly to herself.

"I'm guessing Purrl isn't that far off," said Mabel, taking the sigh as a clue Purrl was not just speculating that fact.

"Purrl's dead on correct about that, tootie," Margie confirmed, "Just a few days ago, Roll was playing hide and seek with Rudy. When she found him, he scared her into a tree and she accidentally made a beehive drop out of it. They rushed into my house for safety. I thought Roll had been dared to shake some trees, which had caused a beehive to fall out. She was going to let me scold her. I felt awful afterward once Rudy explained that it had been just an accident, but Roll wouldn't have never said nothing if Rudy hadn't spoken up."

"I see," said Mabel, "and why did Roll just let you do that to her?" Margie huffed to herself.

"I honestly don't know," said Margie sadly, "I even asked her and she didn't want to talk to me. All she could say was that she didn't like confrontations. The only clue she gave me was that she felt shut down, but then she walked away before I could get anything else out of her. I haven't found a good time to speak to her again about that either...She's opening up slowly, but she's still very boxed up when it comes to her...problems..." Mabel just made an O with her mouth.

"Roll really is like my sister," said Mabel, "When I asked her how she felt being the center of attention, she said she felt like she was being watched and was afraid of being rejected."

"Just like Sable!" said Margie.

"And she told me that she doesn't think much about herself," Mabel continued, "I think Roll suffers from low self-confidence."

"I think you might be right, tootie," said Margie, "I just hope she will be easier to deal with in believing in herself."

"Well...how old is Roll?" Mabel asked.

"I think she said 11, tootie," said Margie.

"I see," said Mabel, "This really helps. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a certain sister I need to talk to. And I clearly owe her an apology." Margie smiled.

"You'll feel better after you do so," said Margie, "take care and I hope you can help both Sable and Roll. I'll keep trying here in town when I can."

"Okay, thanks Margie," said Mabel, "and keep up the good work with those designs. I really like seeing them."

"I will!" said Margie as she continued on her walk. Mabel made her way back to the shop and just allowed herself back in. She found that Sable was just busy at her sewing machine as usual and Labelle was nowhere to be found. She just sighed to herself and made her way towards the custom display stands.

"Mabel..." The blue hedgehog just stopped in her tracks and turned around and saw her older sister. The elder hedgehog just looked at her with tears just leaking out of her eyes. Mabel found that her eyes had replenished themselves and she started crying too, especially seeing by the brown hedgehog's sticky cheeks that this wasn't the first time Sable had cried since she had left. Sable opened her arms and Mabel rushed into them as they embraced and cried into each others arms. It was a good twenty minutes before they pulled away with eyes full of tears.

"I'm sorry," they said together sadly. It was quite often these two would get in heated arguments like this and would often apologize right away. It was a testament to how close they really were despite their contrasting personalities.

"I didn't mean what I said," said Mabel, "I just...just..." Mabel sniffled since she wanted to be honest but not start a fight. Sable wiped the younger hedgehog's tears away with her thumb.

"Go ahead," said Sable, "I'm listening."

"I just think you're an amazing person and you're just hiding away by that sewing machine," said Mabel quietly, "I just wish...you didn't have to work so hard...I want you to believe in yourself. I want you to be able to talk to me when something is bothering you. I want you to be happy..." Sable just looked at her for a moment and then let out a large sigh. She may have acted like she was clueless to the world outside, but she was well aware of the fact that her personality, as well as her issues, often bothered Mabel to come extent.

"She's not the only one," said a voice as Labelle came into the room. She had been listening from afar, "I sometimes feel like I'm to blame for the fact..."

"Shut up Labelle," said Sable sternly, "It's not your fault I wasn't worth sticking around for..." Sable's eyes went wide and she clasped her hand over her mouth.

"I...I didn't mean...oh no..." Sable turned away, not wanting to talk anymore. She took a step towards her sewing machine when Mabel grabbed her hand.

"Please let me go," Sable asked, nearly pleaded. Mabel just looked at her with concern.

"Sable," said Mabel calmly, "I learned something about our mayor today!" Sable stopped tugging and turned to face her with much curiosity.

"What did you learn about Roll sis?" Labelle asked curiously.

"She's suffers from low self-esteem," said Mabel.

"What?" "Really?" Labelle and Sable said together. Mabel nodded.

"They told me that Roll is really shy, she hates being the center of attention, and twice when she was confronted by two villagers over something that was no big deal, she shut down," said Mabel.

"You don't say," said Sable, feeling awkward.

"She even asked me why you guys dislike her and what was wrong with her..."

"What? I don't dislike her at all," said Labelle, "I was just being professional! I like her. She's always so sweet when she comes by and says hello to me. It's makes my day! That was why I asked why she seemed to glum today and stomped out. That's not like her to be that cold to me. I never meant to make her think I disliked her."

"Good to know," said Mabel, "but what about you Sable?" Sable just lowered her head quietly and just said nothing. Mabel looked at her puzzled as did Labelle.

"Why do you dislike her?" Mabel asked.

"I like her," said Sable, "It's just...

"Just what?" Labelle asked. Sable felt like she was about to burst.

"HOW CAN I HELP HER WHEN I CAN'T EVEN HELP MYSELF!" Sable exploded, "You don't think I see myself in her! I know how she is. You don't need to snoop to figure that out about her!"

"I wasn't snooping!" said Mabel calmly, "I wanted to learn more about why she would think you didn't like her when all you've done is tune her out. You do that to me all the time! But even I know you don't dislike me!"

"Of course not," said Sable, "I just...wish I could help her...but I don't know how..." There was a long silence as Sable made her way back to the sewing machine. Sable had just started another pattern when:

"Talking" Sable stop working and saw Labelle looking at her with a serious look.

"Try talking to her, just like you do with the others," said Labelle, "just be her friend. I'll try to do the same. Maybe...Mabel is right...I could learn to be more cheery with people, especially people looking for a friend." Mabel smiled, grateful that Labelle was gonna take her advice. Sable said nothing but just gave her a tiny nod before getting back to work. Mabel and Labelle did the same. Sable knew they were right.

Maybe the best way to help herself...was by helping Roll...

The only problem was...could she find the strength to just...try...

 **For story purposes, normally by day three of playing as well as talking to Sable, she starts to warm up to you as well as Isabelle informing you about Kapp'n. I just want to show that Roll is earning these special friendships and privileges in her own right as well as delve a little deeper into the sisterhood of Mabel and Sable.**

 **Plus the conversation with the Able Sisters and Margie is based from** ** _Dobutsu no Mori_** **.**

 **Stay tuned for the next part.**


	9. Befriending Sable Part 2

Befriending Sable part 2

The next day, the Able Sisters were busy as usual at the shop. Mabel was quietly getting the selection of clothes that were going to be for sale that day onto the nearby display stands. Sable was hard at work with another set of patterns for new clothes at the sewing machine. It was just a few minutes before it was time to open up. Sable let out a long yawn as she continued her sewing by her machine. Mabel heard her and quiet approached the busy looking hedgehog.

"You worked late last night again didn't you?" Mabel asked in a motherly tone. Sable just sighed to herself. It wasn't the first time Mabel had lectured her about not getting enough sleep and about not overworking herself. She knew those were the reasons she looked tired to everyone who saw her, but for once in her life, work wasn't to blame for her exhaustion.

"Not really," said Sable quietly, "I couldn't sleep last night. Not even trying to do extra patterns or cross stitching could help me fall asleep." Mabel softened as she looked at her concerned.

"Can...you tell me why you had trouble sleeping this time?" she asked gently. Sable looked at her and saw the sympathy in her eyes. She could remember all the time she had told her off when she was troubled. After yesterday's fight, she didn't want to go through that again. She knew Mabel was an adult despite being the youngest sister. Even if she couldn't help, Mabel was a good listener...mostly.

"I've just been thinking about what you said...about Roll," Sable explained slowly, "and I just really hope I can help her..." Mabel was taken aback. She was so used to being told off that she hadn't expected Sable to open up all of a sudden. But she still smiled, happy Sable was finally confiding in her like sisters should.

"I know you will," she answered, "You might have struggled with your own self-confidence, but when it comes to helping others...you're very wise and very helpful too. You never had a problem help me all these years. I know I come to you less, but that's just cause I've grown up. I still need you." Sable smiled as she started to work on her pattern when the clock struck 10am and it was time to open up the shop. Mabel had barely just unlocked the storefront door when a certain blonde girl wearing her beret, hair in pigtails, with her yellow horizontal striped tee with a dry denim skirt walked inside of the shop.

"Hello Roll!" said Mabel cheerfully, "You're here early this morning."

"I couldn't sleep and I woke up early," said Roll, "and I decided to visit you guys once the shop was open."

"Well come on in Roll and take a look around," said Mabel. Roll smiled as she was about to see the clothes when she noticed Sable hard at work and just ignoring her as usual. Roll was tempted to ignore her, but she remembered what Bunnie and Rosie had told her last night. She slowly approached Sable, bouncing her bare feet on the wooden floor before clearing her throat.

"Good morning Sable, how are you?" Roll asked. She was going to count to three before she walked away.

 _...1..._

"I'm doing fine thank you Roll," said Sable, "I really appreciate you coming in to see us every day!" Roll looked dumbfounded. Sable had actually spoken to her and Roll was left speechless. Mabel noticed the silence on Roll's side and tried to lighten the mood a bit.

"Well Sis," said Mabel with a smirk, "You're sure becoming fast friends with Roll aren't you? Sable is always asking "when is Roll coming?" and things like that." Sable just glared at her cheeks flushed pink. That was actually true since Sable knew her name by now, but she didn't like Mabel telling Roll that out in public.

"Oh stop embarrassing me sis!" said Sable annoyed, "but I'll admit I have been asking my little sister that question lately. I have been thinking of you, Roll. How are you doing today?" Roll snapped out of her thoughts and gave the brown hedgehog a smile.

"I'm doing just fine. Thank you for asking Sable," said Roll softly with a smile.

"Please continue to shop and browse our designs," said Sable with a smile.

"Ok," Roll nodded, "and Sable?"

"Yes Roll," she asked.

"I really love your clothes," said Roll, "I feel so pretty when I wear them. I used to be more of a dress type of girl, but all these cute skirts and tee I like being able to mix and match top and bottoms. They're so soft and comfy too." Sable smiled again and Roll turned away and began to browse through the clothes. She ended up buying a tee and a tank as well as another pair of jinbai shorts (or capris as she called them) before heading towards the accessories. Mabel just watched her disappear before taking the bells the blonde girl had given her to put in the cash register.

"Did you see that?" said Sable. Mabel was a little stunned at being addressed and turned to face her sister curiously.

"Huh?" Mabel asked curiously.

"Did you see the look on Roll's face when I talked to her," said Sable, "She seemed so happy. Like there was a sparkle in her eyes. It was as if...talking to me...me of all people...made her day." Mabel smiled.

"Well it is a big deal for you to talk to someone like that," said Mabel, "I know that must have been a bit awkward for you..."

"It...actually wasn't as awkward as you thought," said Sable, "and you know while I see what you said about her was true. She does appear to be real shy and insecure. Yet...she's also got a quality that not a lot of mayors have."

"What that might be sis?" Mabel asked curiously.

"Humility," said Sable, "she appreciate the simple things in life and she's clearly still trying to find herself. And when I look into her eyes...I can see something in her."

"What might that be?" said Mabel.

"Need," said Sable, "She's seeking something and maybe I can find out what it is." Mabel hummed in understanding.

"Well is there anything I can do to help you Sis?" said Mabel, "You don't have to do this alone."

"Well...would you mind if I..."

"Fine," said Mabel, knowing she was referring to their stories about the past, "but try not to embarrass me too much okay!"

"It's not my fault you were so cute when you were a baby," said Sable. Mabel rolled her eyes and got back to work.

Meanwhile Roll was just returning back to town when she bumped into Bunnie and Rosie as they were making their way towards main street.

"Hey there silly," said Rosie, "how was your shopping trip?"

"Did you find anything good, tee hee?" Bunnie asked curiously.

"I found some cute clothes," said Roll, "anyway, guess what you guys? Sable actually talked to me today!" Bunnie and Rosie hopped up and down with glee.

"That is wonderful, tee hee," said Bunnie, "See! We told you that if you just be patient and keep talking to Sable that everything would be okay in good time."

"That is true," said Roll, "I really would like to try and become her friend. There's just something about her. Something that feels like...she might understand how I feel." Bunnie and Rosie smiled.

"Do you mean about your insecurity and shyness, silly?" Rosie asked.

"Yeah," said Roll and then faced them, "I mean...no offense to you guys. You guys are great to talk to and stuff, but there's just something that makes me want to...confide in her..." Roll didn't want to be rude and say she felt more comfortable going to Sable but Bunnie and Rosie understood.

"We get it silly," said Rosie, "If you think Sable can help you, than you've got our support."

"Yeah, tee hee," said Bunnie, "just know that we've got your back too. And we hope you'll feel comfortable to come to us about what bugs you too. We care about you ya know..."

"Thanks you guys," said Roll, "You two really are the great friends. You're always there for me. That means alot to me." Bunnie and Rosie awed before giving Roll a hug each.

"Come on silly," said Bunnie, "I've got lunch ready at my house and you are invited."

"Okay, cool, I'm pretty hungry after all that shopping!" said Roll as the skipped away with her friends. Roll was feeling much more cheerful for the rest of the day as she enjoyed her lunch with Bunnie and Rosie and then headed back to do some more routine fishing and favors for the villagers when they were available. Mabel even noticed that Sable seems in a better mood for the rest of the day after finally talking to Roll. While Sable denied it, Mabel was sure that she could hear the faint sound of humming. Not the humming of the sewing machine like the blue hedgehog was used to, but rather the humming voice of her own sister. It was big deal since Sable hadn't hummed in a long time. According to Labelle, the last time Sable had ever hummed was when their parents were alive.

The next day Roll didn't arrive at the opening of the store like last time. In fact, it was already late afternoon and the blonde girl hadn't shown up. At first this didn't seem to make much of a difference for the Able Sisters, but as the day dragged on, Mable noticed that Sable seemed to get more and more frustrated. She was also making more and more mistakes on her sewing and had fallen behind on her patterns. Sable was grumpy enough when she fell behind and the fact she was making so many mistakes was just making her more and more agitated. It was after she made the same mistake three times on a pattern, she couldn't stay silent.

"Oh come on!" she yelled, "why can't you figure out your mistakes you stupid...YEOW!" Sable had angrily shoved the pattern out of the way, but had forgotten that she sewing machine was still running and ended getting a herself pricked several times with the needle. While Sable was used to getting pricked by the sewing machine from time to time, this didn't mean that it hurt less. Especially since she pricked the same finger more than once when she shoved the fabric away. Mabel could tell Sable was hurting and wasted no time getting the medical kit. Labelle rushed into the clothing section after she heard the scream.

"What happened?" she asked worried.

"Sable got her finger run over with the sewing needle," said Mabel as she applied the cleaning solution on the spots where she had been pricked. Labelle could tell her older sister was not only embarrassed but also fighting tears.

"Sable, what happened?" she asked sternly, "You're way too good of a seamstress to make that kind of a mistake."

"Cause I'm stupid..."

"Shut up!" said Mable sternly with a glare, "None of that Sable! Now what's bugging you? Talk to us...please!" Sable just sighed as she looked at the calendar.

"Well, it is Tuesday," said Sable feebly. Labelle rolled her eyes.

"Are you seriously going to tell me that you believe that old wives tale Mom used to tell us?" said Labelle.

"What old wives tale?" Roll asked from behind as she walked into the shop wearing her daisy tee again with her denim skirt and her star clip in her ponytail. Mabel jumped to her feet in surprise.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed, "I am so sorry. Welcome Roll. Glad you came to see us today!"

"Same here Mabel," said Roll, "but what's wrong with Sable? She looks upset and what this about an old wives tale? If I can ask about it..." Roll wasn't sure if that was any of her business why Mabel and Labelle were with Sable or the old wives tale. It probably wasn't but her curiosity got the best of her.

"Oh...umm...it's nothing," said Sable and then noticed that her injured finger was in Roll's view and tried to hide it. Roll had already seen it and walked up to her. Roll gently examined the finger and Sable just groaned. She didnt know what embarrassed her more. Roll seeing her finger or the fact she was the center of attention right now. It was most likely the latter but Sable would never admit it.

"Sable what happened to your finger?" she asked gently. Sable just looked away. She just wanted to get back to work but then noticed that her pattern was still on the floor and behind Roll.

"I...I pricked myself on the sewing needle," said Sable quietly, "It's been a long day and I was having trouble working on one of my stitches." Roll hummed as she let go of Sable's finger.

"Mabel, do you have..."

"Got it right here!" said Mabel as she presented to the blonde girl with their own makeshift first aid kit. Roll then opened up the first aid kit and began to work on cleaning the wound. While Mabel had already cleaned it, she let Roll do it again, especially since Roll was cleaning much more thoroughly than she had. Sable just looked at her surprised as Roll knew exactly what cleaning solutions to use and how she was gently applying the solution. While the wound stung, it wasn't as bad as it usually was. Labelle was rather impressed.

"You seem to know your first aid there Roll," said Labelle.

"Thanks," said Roll as she continued to work, "I had always wanted to become a nurse and stuff. So I look some extra credit classes in medical studies as well as CPR." Labelle was rather stunned.

"Roll how old are you again?" the reddish brown hedgehog asked.

"Eleven," Roll answered simply.

"and yet you've taken medical classes and CPR?" Mabel commented.

"I'm advanced," said Roll. Labelle and Mabel just made O with their faces as Roll continued to search about the first aid kit.

"That's strange," said Roll, "I see tape to keep the bandages together, but no bandages..."

"Wait...really?" said Mabel as she examined the kit herself and then faceplamed herself, "I thought I had got some more when we were running low! I know I ordered some from Timmy and Tommy not to long ago."

"Guess the delivery is late," said Sable, "Timmy and Tommy did say that their delivery was still in development." Mabel groaned.

"Great, so we're out of bandages," said Labelle, "Now what are we..." She stopped talking as Roll suddenly tore a piece of her daisy tee and then wrapped the strip of cloth around Sable's now cleaned and treated finger. then added the sticker tape to hold the bandage in place.

"You just ruined a perfectly good tee," said Labelle, "fairly new by the looks of it." Roll snorted.

"Well do you expect me to just leave Sable's finger uncovered and at risk of sickness or further injury!" Roll snapped angrily, "Sable is my friend and she's hurt! We can't wait until Timmy and Tommy send those bandages. Sable needs this wound taken care of right now and if I have to rip my new shirt to save her than that is nobody's business but MINE!" Labelle was a little taken aback by Roll's harsh tone. It didn't take long for Roll to realize she had snapped at Labelle and then looked at her with the saddest eyes she could make.

"I'm so...so sorry," said Roll ashamed and in a soft tone, "I just don't want to see Sable's injury get worse. I didn't mean to yell at you. That was way out of line and downright disrespectful too. Please forgive my actions." Labelle noticed how shy Roll got and how sorry she looked. Labelle said nothing. Mabel noticed the tension between the two and Roll was trying not to start crying.

"Umm...about that old wives tale, Sable," said Mabel, wanting to ease the awkwardness between Roll and Labelle.

"Oh yes," said Sable as she adjusted her new "bandage", "Mom always said that if a seamstress was going to make a mistake it would be on a Tuesday. She always said that as some sort of ancient wisdom. I never really used to take it too seriously, but it seems that when I do tend to make most of my mistakes when working on these patterns, it's on a Tuesday."

"I see," said Roll, trying to recompose yourself, "so are you okay then?" Sable nodded.

"I'm fine now...thanks to you," said Sable with a soft smile, "Please feel free to look around."

"Okay...I'll be...huh?" Roll knew that the Able Sister's shop was made of primarily a wooden floor and she suddenly felt something soft and cloth-like on the bottom of her left foot. Roll looked down and noticed that she had stepped on a pattern. She lifted her foot and picked it up.

"Why was this fabric on the floor?" she asked curiously, "We're you considering it as a new carpet?" Sable blushed a little, feeling embarrassed about telling her what had really happened.

"It's just part of that Tuesday tale Mom told me," said Sable, "I...didn't like the way the stitch looked and had discarded it." Roll just looked at the fabric with a puzzled look. The fabric was for a gingham shirt or tee, except it was lemon or yellow colored.

"It...looks just fine to me," she replied, "You could still use it. Why waste such nice material?" Sable gave her a blank look that Roll thought was a glare.

"Well you need to be an experienced seamstress to see the mistakes on it dear," said Sable as she snatched the fabric away from Roll and tossed it into a basket that was apparently made for discarding unwanted clothing materials. While Sable had tried to be pleasant, Roll could hear the annoyance in Sable's voice.

"Oh sorry," said Roll, "Didn't mean to offend you."

"It's okay," said Labelle, "Sable tends to be a bit of perfectionist. She tends to be harder on herself because she wants to make her clothes the best she can make them. I'm that way too with my accessories. It's cause we want to give our customers the best that we've got to offer. We take great pride in what we do. If we were to start selling items that we didn't care about, then what would that say about our business and our fashion? Great fashions come from those who believe in their work and pour their heart into it. Anyway, now that Sable is okay, I'll head back to my end of the shop. Feel free to stop by and see what's I've got for sale." Roll just looked at her worried. Labelle chuckled awkwardly.

"I forgive you okay," said Labelle, "so no tears now. I want you smiling when you come over to my side of the shop. Got it?" Roll nodded as Labelle made her way back to her accessories end. Roll then noticed that Sable had gotten back to work. things might have been settled with Labelle, but Roll still felt like Sable was upset with her.

"Guess I do have no right to say what's good fashion," said Roll to herself, "after all, just look at my idea of fashion. I think being barefoot everywhere is cool. I'm such a freak..."

"No you're not Roll," said Mabel, "Tell us: why are you barefoot?" Roll sighed before she figured out a simple answer.

"It's just who I am," said Roll calmly, "I don't like to wear shoes. I'm comfortable like this." Mabel smiled as did Sable since Roll lifted her foot and gave her toes a little wiggling, making both sisters giggle to each other.

"Then go for it," said Sable, "plus we try to make our clothes so you can mix and match items however you like them. So you can find the outfit that best suits you!"

"I see," said Roll, "So being fashionable is knowing that I like to be barefoot and I should try to find styles that will complement that?"

"Exactly," said Sable, "and you shouldn't sell yourself short Roll. You certainly have a good fashion sense. Just look at your own outfit."

"Oh it's nothing special..." said Roll shyly, "I mean the way I paired the clothes. The clothes are special cause you made them of course but...uhh...heh...oy ye..." Roll wanted to disappear and Sable chuckled at her insecurity.

"It is special," said Sable, "you picked a tee that complements the skirt and a nice hairpin to boot. The star hairpin goes well with your +hair."

"Really?" said Roll, "I thought it might have blended too much with my hair since I'm a blonde..."

"It's doesn't," said Sable, "You are a very pretty young lady." Roll giggled bashfully and began to play with the bottom of her tee and was reminded that it was now torn. Sable couldn't keep her eyes off the spot where the cloth had been torn from Roll's tee.

"Mabel, hand me that peach colored cloth please," said Sable, "I gotta make Roll a replacement shirt." Roll blinked a bit before shaking her head.

"Sable it's okay," said Roll, "it's not the big a deal. I don't care if I'm wearing a damaged shirt!"

"Roll, a proper mayor shouldn't be walking around in torn shirt like that," said Sable as a matter of fact.

"But I'm still modest and I had to tear it, you needed a bandage!" Roll protested.

"Maybe so," said Sable, "but I insist that I make you a new tee and I will not take no for an answer understand." Roll wanted to protest more but the just conceded with a content nod.

"You seem to be going to alot of trouble over me," said Roll, "I don't mean to bother you with this...I don't care that am wearing a torn shirt. I'm just happy I have clothes to wear." Sable felt like she was going cry. The blonde girl's humble nature was showing full bloom and while she knew low self-confidence had something to do with it, it still touched her heart to see someone so timid about being helped.

"It's the least I can do for a friend Roll," said Sable, "I already feel bad enough as it is that I'm always too busy to offer you a cup of tea or something."

"Now hold on a minute sis," said Mabel, "Didn't you forget that we have Label back with us now? And that the three of us were going to work hard to make the Labelle brand a household name?"

"Why the Labelle brand?" Roll asked, "I thought this place was the Able Sisters."

"You see," said Mabel, "Labelle got to work with Gracie, who is the number one fashion designer in the world. She is known for the high quality fashion and merchandise."

"The prices alone emphasize that," said Sable under breath bitterly.

"I heard that!" Labelle shouted and Sable just rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, sis," said Mabel, "stop worrying about the things we don't have. We've never been the type of people who care about making lots of money. We work hard to ensure that we give our customers the best we can offer. We're happy cause we've got each other." Sable just looked at her and smiled.

"You're right Mabel," said Sable, "Now if you'll excuse me Roll, I gotta finish your replacement tee and then get right back to work."

"Okay," said Roll, "Thanks again for the tee. How much will that..."

"On the house dear," said Sable.

"Oh no...I have to pay at least..."

"No," said Sable firmly, "You helped me and now I'll say thank you with this tee on the house. If you want to pay for something, see what else we got for sale and buy it. I'm sure there's something that catches your style..."

"Just...what exactly is my style?" Roll pondered.

"It's got to be...white and green gingham of course!" said Mabel confidently.

"Ugh, not everyone wants the Mabel special, no matter how much you try!" said Sable annoyed. Mabel snorted as Roll giggled to herself and then noticed a clothing set worth her interest.

"Actually," said Roll, "I kind of would like a green gingham patterned outfit..." Mabel stuck her tongue out a Sable while heading over to display where Roll was looking at a mint gingham tee with a matching skirt. Roll purchased both items before heading to the accessories to see what Labelle had for sale. By the time she had finished, Sable had already finished Roll's new daisy tee.

"Here you are," said Sable, "good as new!" Roll just looked at the new tee before giving Sable a hug, which surprised the brown hedgehog.

"Thanks Sable," said Roll, "Umm..."

"You can leave the torn tee here," said Sable, "I can salvage it for extra materials for other designs." Roll smiled as she walked into the changing room and put on the brand new tee and then gently folded and placed the damaged one next to Sable's desk.

"See you later," said Roll, "and thank you again!" Roll then skipped happily out of the shop. Mabel just watched her leave as Sable got back to work. Yet she noticed something different about her sister now. She seemed more upbeat and was even whistling a small tune as she worked.

"You seem to be in a better mood," said Mabel, "I guess Roll's visit really lifted your spirits didn't it? You've been whistling after her visits lately." Sable said nothing and continued to work on her designs like usual and this time no mistakes were being made. Mabel just smiled.

"You thought Roll wasn't going to come in today huh?" Mabel said with a smirk, "That's why you were so gloomy. You really have taken a liking to the girl haven't you?" Sable continued to work without another word. Mabel just chuckled to herself as another customer made their way into the shop and she went to offer them her services. Sable had began to ponder herself is what Mabel had said was true. Was her day really ruined if Roll hadn't shown up? Why did she care so much? She waited until the customer had left before speaking up to Mabel.

"You're right."

"Huh?" said Mabel since she had been having a train of thought about some other displays, "What about Sable?"

"You're right," said Sable, "It saddens me that such a young girl could feel that way about themselves. She must have had a rough past to think so little about herself. She should be proud of how smart she is...but she's not. Why else would she move here? If where she came from made her feel so worthless, I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted an escape!"

"Would you have taken an escape from what makes you feel so low...if you had been offered one?" Mabel asked her curiously. Sable surprised the young hedgehog by shaking her head.

"I couldn't," said Sable, "You needed me. I could just turn my back on you just because I felt so worthless." Mabel just looked at her sadly.

"Am I..."

"Bite your tongue!" Sable retorted, "If anything, you brought me happiness. You gave me the love and friendship that I needed to keep moving forward. I know it seems otherwise, but I do appreciate having you as my sister Mabel. So thank you." Mabel smiled and hugged her from the side happily.

"Getting back on track now," said Sable, "I want to help Roll with her insecurities and be her friend. She reminds me of myself when I was her age. I never used to really think I deserved nice things either. I still think I don't."

"Is that why you've used the same machine for years and the same pair of red scissors," Mabel asked, "and you never bother to replace them?" Sable snorted.

"This machine belonged to mother and I am going to keep it running even if I have to run it into a heap of rubber bands and paper clips," said Sable, "and as for the scissors, I have my reasons for keeping them so get off my case!" Mabel just shook her head at her defensive nature.

"You still love him don't you?" she teased. Sable glared.

"Just shut up and get to work," said Sable annoyed and began to tune her out, but Mabel wasn't through with her yet.

"Fine," said Mabel, "but you can't hide the truth. We all know how you feel about Tom Nook." Mabel had just turned around when a small object clocked Mabel in the back of the head.

"OW!" Mabel exclaimed as she heard the object clang into the floor. She looked for the object and saw that it was a metal thimble. Sable smirked.

"Now we're even," she replied. Mabel was about to throw it back and decided against it.

"Oh whatever," said Mabel and set the thimble on the table where the register was and went back to work, but she giggled as she did so. She always knew Sable had a soft spot for the tanooki. She couldn't understand why, but she hoped one day Sable would tell her the truth. She was just happy Sable was at least talking to her.

The next day brought in a massive rainstorm that brought very heavy rainful. It seemed as if the heavens had filled up a massive watering can and had decided to pour it down in their small town nonstop. With the heavy rain came a severe lack of customers. They had only one customer brave the rain and they didn't but anything, which was a big disappointment. Since Sable and Labelle were in charge of crafting the clothes and accessories respectively, they found the quiet time to do some extra work in keeping inventory up. Mabel, however, was feeling very bored. She had already set up the displays, cleaned them, and even did some sweeping, dusting, and polishing so the shop was spotless...until that one customer dragged muddy footprints all over the floor, but for Mabel that was a blessing since it gave her something to do...but not for long. It was just past noon and the blue hedgehog was just sitting on the counter swinging her feet as thunder continued to clash outside against the curtained windows.

"I'm so bored!" said Mabel in exasperation as she sat on the register table. Sable just continued to work and Mabel just looked at her, feeling like Sable hadn't been listening. Sable was, but made no effort to retort her little sister's complaining.

"Do you think Roll will visit today?" Sable asked.

"Doubt it," said Mabel, "It's pouring out there! It's no wonder business is so slow today."

"Yeah...that's true," said Sable, failing miserably to hide her disappointment, "Well guess it was foolish of me to hope..."

"No its not," said Mabel, "Margie says that Roll is very loyal to her friends. I bet she'll come. Margie did say Roll was a good swimmer. Just hang in there. We've still got an entire half day to get through before we close." Sable hummed and continued on her work. Mabel had hopped her swimming comment would have gotta a small giggle from her sister but was disappointed when it didn't.

"For now I need to find something else to do," said Mabel, "Guess I can see if Labelle needs any help. I learned a long time ago to never help you with sewing." It wasn't that Mabel was a bad seamstress, far from it. She was a very good one at that, but the problem was that Sable liked to do things her way. Mabel could well remember the heated argument that they got into because they could not agree on how to do the patterns. It almost resulted in the old sewing machine being damaged beyond repair. Fortunately Sable was able to mend it, but she didn't spare Mabel any mercy. Sable was usually a very mellow tempered individual and it was hard to make her lose her temper. Yet if one messed with "her" sewing machine, Sable wasn't afraid to unleash her fury. Sable noticed Mabel shutter at the memory.

"I said I was sorry," Sable replied, especially since it was a long time ago.

"I know," said Mabel, "I know that sewing machine means alot to you Sable, but I still worry if you'll be okay when it does finally break down for good." Sable hated to think about that. The machine had been good to them all these years, but it was very old. That day might come sooner rather than later and it was a concern she hated to think about.

"I'll survive," said Sable bravely, "Why not try working on your own custom designs? You can at least make the patterns."

"It would be more fun if we had a second sewing machine," said Mabel, "then I could work on making designs my way, but nooooooooooooo...we still can't afford one she says! Even when the financial numbers say that probably could..."

"Mabel we been through this before, we haven't..." KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK! Mabel and Sable just looked at each other and then Mabel remembered something.

"Oops, I forgot to unlock the door after lunch!" said Mabel, "I hope they are willing to wait while I find the key." Labelle, who had come over to see who was knocking and just smirked as Mabel looked for the store key to unlock the door.

"Too slow, too slow," she taunted, "here all night! Tomorrow too!"

"Oh shut it you!" said Mabel annoyed as she unlocked the door. To her surprise, there was Roll. Wearing the mint gingham tee and shirt with a matching umbrella she had purchased earlier, her beret with hair blonde hair in pigtails, and her orange sandals since that was the only pair of shoes she had to wear since she had thrown away her only pair of pumps.

"Hi!" said Mabel, "Come in. Come in! Please come out of the rain!" Roll nodded as she made her way inside and shook the excess rain off her umbrella before making her way inside. Sable was rather surprised to see her.

"Roll, I'm surprised to see you here today!" she exclaimed, "and in sandals too." Roll just giggled shyly as she shook the excess water off her sandals.

"Well...you couldn't expect me to come barefoot in this kind of weather," she answered, "I mean, my feet aren't cold with the rain when I walking outside and these are the only shoes I have."

"You only have one pair of shoes?" said Sable surprised.

"Yeah," Roll nodded, "I used to have these brown pumps, but they were really old and uncomfortable and I used to wear socks with them. I sold them to Reese since I couldn't stand wearing them anymore." Mabel giggled.

"So you do have some fashion tastes huh," she replied.

"More like bad memories," said Roll and then bit her lip. Sable looked at her sympathetically.

"Bad memories," said Sable curiously.

"I...I don't want to talk about it okay," said Roll, "Like I said. I hated shoes and I hated wearing those old pumps. I like my sandals. They keep my feet dry and they can still breathe in them when its rainy like this. My feet and legs don't get cold very easily...not at all actually..." Sable wanted to press her for answers but just let her be.

"Alright then," said Sable, "please feel free to browse around. Sorry if I don't chat too much with you today. But with the profit margin as low as it is and little customer turnout today, I have keep working harder just to make ends meet!"

"Now hold on just a second there sis!" said Mabel, "Who is the one who says that we should make our clothe affordable to the customers? "Make it fast and on the cheap!" Who says those EXACT words like they are going out of style, hmm?" Sable felt embarrassed at being called out by her own sister, especially in front of Roll.

"B-b-b-but Mabel," said Sable, "Don't you want us to make the clothes to be set with prices that customers are fine with and that everyone can afford?" Mabel felt her patience slip since Sable effectively turned her own words against her to make it seem like she was the one with the problem. Mabel wasn't going to fall into the trap, but she couldn't resist releasing a little agitation.

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGH!" Mabel snapped, "The customers are fine with it Sable! But not you, you're not a machine!" Mable then took a long deep breath before she continued. "Look let's just forget about it. I always liked the worker bee mentality of yours...Sable?" Sable had already tuned her out and was back to work when she heard her name.

"Oh what was that Mabel, I was busy?" she asked innocently. Mabel just giggled to herself.

"I didn't say a word sis," said Mabel, "Anyway, are you looking for anything in particular Roll?" Roll just looked at her blankly since she had gotten lost in thought from the conversation between the two sisters before she shook her head to recollect her thoughts.

"Well...anything cute would be nice," said Roll and then noticed a particular orange and yellow long sleeved dress.

"That's the citrus gingham dress," said Mabel, "it's 640 bells."

"It's really cute, and there's no harm in stocking up dresses for the cooler weather," said Roll, "I'll take it and...oooh...this is really pretty!" Roll then noticed a dress that had a short sleeved green and white dress.

"That's the lime dress," said Mabel, "It's 640 bells as well."

"Sold," said Roll, "I can't wait to wear them...especially the lime dress. Though...it is a bit on the semi-formal side. Too bad I don't have good occasion to wear it."

"Well there's Shamrock Day, which is on the 17th of this month," said Mabel, "and then there's always..."

"How about an invite to our house for dinner?" Sable said out of the blue. Mabel's jaw literally hit the floor. Roll was also left completely stunned.

"You...want to invite me over to your house?" said Roll, "Where exactly do you guys live anyway? I've never seen your houses in town!"

"We live in a disclosed location," said Sable, "but I would be more than happy to give you the address. Here." Sable reached for a sheet of paper and quickly wrote down a special code. Once she finished, she handed Roll the sheet of paper.

"Give this to Porter," said Sable, "He'll summon the train to take you to the town where we live." Roll nodded as she carefully tucked it into her pocket.

"Thank you Sable," said Roll with a gentle smile, "So...when is this dinner?" Sable smiled, happy that the blonde girl had accepted.

"Tomorrow night, we'll be closing up early around 8pm," said Sable, "and after dinner, we can get to know each other better."

"But...I...I don't understand," said Roll, "I don't think even Margie has ever been to your house! What makes me so special?" Sable chuckled to herself.

"Let's just say that you and I have alot more in common than you think," said Sable.

"We do?" Roll asked rather defensively, "and what would that be?" Sable looked at her with a serious look on her face.

"Reject" she said quietly. Roll felt her eyes water and lips quiver and quickly recomposed herself with a long deep breath.

"Please don't say that word to me," said Roll quietly, feeling embarrassed that she nearly cried. Sable hummed with a calm smile.

"You're not the only one who feels unnerved being told that," said Sable, "and if we're going to be friends, we should learn to be honest with each other correct?"

"Y-y-yeah," said Roll, seeing why Sable had invited her. It was to get to know her on a personal level. Sable could tell she looked nervous.

"I can't force you to come," said Sable, "but I promise that if you do, you won't be sorry." Roll just sighed. She did want to go and she had kind of already accepted, but she was still afraid of bringing up her own past.

"I'll have to tell you about myself and that includes things I'm not 100% comfortable talking about," said Sable, "But we need to be able to confide in each other if we want to be the good friends don't we?" Roll just looked at her surprised at how Sable seemed to have read her mind and nodded timidly.

"So we'll see you tomorrow night?" she asked hopefully. Roll rubbed her feet together and nodded.

"Do I need to..."

"Wear the lime green dress for me please," said Sable, "Labelle has accessories that you can use to go with it today so please check her wares before you leave."

"Okay," said Roll, "See you tomorrow then..." Sable nodded and Roll walked away towards the accessories area where she found a light green ribbon to match her dress and then headed home. Mabel just walked up to her sister, still in disbelief.

"Sable, since when do we ever invite house guests to our home?" she demanded, "I mean...I don't mind. I've always wanted to invite a mayor or even a villager to our house, but...this is just not like you Sable to offer like that...what is going..."

"Mabel!" Sable snapped sternly and Mabel closed her mouth to look at her.

"The more I look into Roll's eyes, the more I see someone who clearly needs someone who understands her," said Sable, "In order for her to open up, she needs to know that she can trust me and that I am someone who can open up and not be afraid to do so. I think if she see's someone who is willing to open up about her own problems...maybe she can do the same. She needs a mentor...and I'm the best person for that...at least...I hope so...I think I would be...I care about her you know..." Mabel just blinked. She was clearly feeling skeptical about Sable's plan.

"Are...are you sure your ready to tell her about us?" said Mabel, "You know our past is...well...dramatic." Sable took a long deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah," said Sable, "I'm ready. Will you help me? Can you help me be...a mother to her?" Mabel just looked at her before a soft smile appeared on her face.

"Of course I will," said Mabel, "I've always got your back! Labelle does too! We'll do this together! Like a family should! No more of this solo junk for this family. We'll help Roll together. It might help if she knew she could confide in not just you, but all three of us you know. The more love and support she has, the better." Sable smiled as she got up from her sewing machine and gave her a hug.

Meanwhile Roll had gone straight over to Margie's house and lightly rapped on the door. Margie quickly opened the door.

"Oh hello Roll," said Margie, "what you are doing in this rain, tootie?" Roll looked at her anxiously.

"Margie...do you have a book on manners?" she asked timidly.

"Book on manners?" Margie asked puzzled. Roll felt very insecure as she rubbed her left arm.

"I...I got invited to the Able Sisters for dinner tomorrow," said Roll, "and I just...I want to be..." Margie giggled as she pulled her into the house.

"Then let's get to work," said Margie, "but you need to understand the first rule about going to any dinner."

"What's that?" Roll asked worried.

"Just relax," said Margie. Roll just smiled, but she groaned deep inside.

If only it was that easy...

 **FYI: I know Able Sisters don't have a light green ribbon, but I know for a fact that many girls would wish there was one in green as well as purple, pink, even black. This fanfic will feature clothing items that might not be found in game, but nothing excessive. This is a family rated story.**

 **Stay tuned! The big Able's back story is coming up!**


	10. Befriending Sable Part 3

Befriending Sable part 3

The next day came much sooner that Roll had wanted it and she was very nervous as she showed Porter the address Sable had given her. He quickly summoned a special train car to take Roll to a very special and also secret location where the Able Sisters as well as most of the non-villagers animals lived, including Isabelle and Digby. Margie and Roll had spent the rest of the day yesterday evening working on making sure that Roll had at least the general rules regarding manners and being polite set into her brain. Living in a trash can when you were little and being by yourself fighting for your next meal certainly didn't promote ways on how to be polite when eating and proper dinner etiquette. Yet Roll was no savage or slob at the dining table, maybe a tad messy, but she always cleaned herself up afterward. Margie found that Roll was way better at manners and etiquette than she gave herself credit for. In fact, Margie didn't really spent much time teaching Roll manners but rather on helping the blonde girl calm down so she could just relax and enjoy the night with them. Roll had even spent the night because she was too nervous to sleep alone that night.

"But what if they start asking me touchy questions Margie?" Roll had asked her worried, "I'm not ready to talk about my past." Margie gave her a smile.

"Roll, you can't keep everything bottled up inside, tootie," said Margie, "If you can't talk to us about it, maybe you'll find comfort in someone who seems to have doubts about herself just like you do." Roll had wanted to protest that, but she knew that she was right.

"I...I hope you don't feel angry that I am going to her first rather than you or Bunnie or Rosie," said Roll quietly. Margie's response had been a very warm and tight hug.

"I'm not, tootie," said Margie, "but do hope that someday you'll feel comfortable to tell me what you've been through." Roll smiled.

"Okay," said Roll, deep down she wasn't sure when she would, but she did feel more comfortable telling her then Bunnie and Rosie because Margie was more mature. Roll was growing to see the elephant like a big sister.

Back to the present, it was 7:45 as the train pulled into the station. Roll was wearing the lime dress Sable had requested with the light green ribbon with her hair in a her ponytail and she had kept her feet bare. She had originally considered her sandals, but they clashed. Labelle said she could spare Roll a pair of pumps, but Sable said that she wanted Roll to be as comfortable as possible and requested she come barefoot. Roll didn't get to see much of the surrounding scenery since the train ride was only about a few minutes. Roll shyly made her way off the train, through the station, and entered the town. The town felt much like her own, but the residential area expanded on both sides of the train tracks. She could see some houses out in the distance as she scoped the area.

"So this is where most of the special villagers live," said Roll to herself, "I wonder where the Able sister's live. I'm also curious as to where Isabelle and Digby's house might be..."

"They don't live too far away," said a voice. Roll jumped as she turned to where the voice came from and saw Mabel standing close by. Roll was rather surprised to see Mabel wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of ankle high jeans that were folded at the legs.

"Sorry," said Mabel with a giggle since she could see that Roll looked rather flustered, "I thought I'd escort you to casa de Able if you are ready." Roll just tried her best to steady her breath as she calmed herself down and then sighed to herself.

"Sorry," said Roll, ironing out her dress, "guess I'm a little nervous." Mabel just smiled as she took the blonde girl's hand in her own. She noticed that it was a bit sweaty, but Mabel didn't mind that a bit.

"You're going to have a good time," said Mabel, "and in case you're wondering. If we run late, we'll make sure you get home safe and sound okay. And if it gets REALLY late, we can set up a bed for you to stay overnight and then you can go home in the morning."

"O-okay," said Roll, hoping the former would be the case as she let Mabel lead her towards the house of the Able Sisters. Their house was a rather cute cottage surrounded by cherry trees and lots of black cosmos flowers. There was also a yellow bench too where up to two people could sit outside. Roll smiled as she saw their yard.

"It's so pretty out here," Roll replied as Mabel led her towards the door and knocked on it. While she had her house key on her, she wanted Roll to introduce herself. Labelle was the one who opened the door. She had on a sleeveless white blouse with her Gracie patterned scarf, black denim pants, and barefooted. Roll straightened up as Labelle opened the door.

"Good evening Labelle," said Roll and curtseyed as she held the ends of her skirt. Labelle just looked at her blankly.

"You're late," said Labelle bluntly. Labelle wasn't telling the truth, but her glare made Roll cower back in shame. Mabel even glared at her to back off but Roll had already gotten flustered again.

"I'm so sorry," said Roll sadly, "I made sure to leave the station early and...well...please forgive me for my mistake. I really tried to be on time. Honest!" Labelle just giggled to herself. Roll was willing to take responsibility even thought she had been lying. Mabel was rolling her eyes as Labelle's teasing.

"I was joking!" said Labelle as a matter of fact, "Ease off girl. You take things too literally!" Roll felt embarrassed and felt like she wanted to disappear.

"Will you stop Labelle," said Mabel, noticing how defeated Roll looked because of Labelle's cruel joke, "The poor thing is nervous and you're not helping!"

"Calm down baby sister," said Labelle, "I just wanted to lighten the mood. Come on Roll and make yourself at home, dear. Just make sure to wipe your feet before stepping inside."

"Yes maim," said Roll with timid nod and she rubbed her feet on the welcome mat before making her way inside. Mabel just rolled her eyes and just walked in without caring if her feet were clean or dirty. Roll just took a look around the house. The house itself felt like a typical country house and contained various pieces of ranch furniture with a kitchen located in the lower left hand corner. There was also a large table that had four chairs so they obviously always had room for an extra guest there in the upper left. Towards the eastern wall was a rather spacious living room with a flat screen television set that had two ranch sofas and a ranch armchair. Along the eastern wall was a door to another room, but Roll felt too shy to ask where the door lead to and just took a shy seat on the ranch arm chair. She lifted her leg to look at her toes for a moment and then whimpered nervously as she set it down.

"Labelle," said Roll timidly, "can...can I ask you a etiquette question?"

"Why sure," said Labelle, showing interest, "What's your question?"

"Does a proper lady cross her legs or does she tuck one leg behind the other?" Roll asked nervously a she just folded her hands in her lap and swung her legs subconsciously.

"That's a good question," said Labelle, "I once saw a movie where they say tucking the leg behind is more proper, but I've seen even Gracie cross hers when having even professional conversations and interviews with people. I guess whatever makes you feel more comfortable so please relax. You're not going to offend anyone here even if you sat Indian style okay." Roll just nodded, but Labelle could see she still looked tense.

"Roll, I do like you okay," said Labelle gently, "You don't need to impress me or try to earn my friendship. We already are friends. I'm just used to opening up more as people come by all the time and buy something. That's just who I am okay. It was nothing against you. I like you Roll. I wouldn't be teasing you if I didn't. Does that make you feel better?" Roll just looked at her quietly for a moment or two before a soft smile appeared on her face.

"Thank you Labelle," said Roll gently. Labelle smiled, seeing that her words helped the blonde girl relax a bit as Sable arrived wearing a white apron over a short sleeved two tone pink vertical striped dress that had a blue belt, buttons on the front, and a skirt that was just at her knees.

"Dinner will be ready shortly," said Sable and then noticed the blonde girl shyly sitting close by, "Oh hello Roll! It's so nice so see that you made it this evening!" Roll stood up and ironed out her dress.

"Well thank you for inviting me," said Roll, giving a light bow, "Do I look okay?" Sable just smiled.

"You look very pretty, Roll," said Sable, "Don't you think that you're pretty?" Roll just gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged her shoulders. Sable just looked at her sympathetically.

"I'll take that as a no," said Sable calmly and Roll just looked at her feet quietly. Sable just gave her a gentle smile.

"Just relax dear," said Sable, "dinner will be ready soon. I'm sure you'll must be hungry from the trip here." Roll then heard her stomach growl and blushed slightly as Mabel and Labelle giggled to each other.

"Umm...did you need help with dinner?" Roll asked, wanting to get out of being the center of attention.

"You are our guest," said Sable, "If I need help, that is what Labelle is for!"

"Who is for what now?" said Labelle and Sable gave her a death glare.

"Okay, fine," said Labelle as she lazily got up out of her side of the sofa she and Mabel had been sitting on and followed Sable into the kitchen area. Mabel scooted over so she was sitting where Labelle was so she could speak to Roll.

"Roll, why are you so nervous?" Mabel asked her curiously, "and why don't you think you're pretty?" Roll just looked at her sadly and she just felt like she wanted to cry. Roll took a while to recompose herself as Mabel looked at her sadly.

"Roll, please tell me," said Mabel, "I promise I won't laugh at you." Roll just looked at her and just said softly.

"I'm just not ready to talk about my past," said Roll quietly, "Just thinking about it is really...hard...its...just..." Roll tried her best, but her tears just wanted to fall and she couldn't stop them. She grunted as she roughly wiped them away.

"I hate feeling so weak!" she snapped as she continued to cry gently. Mabel just sat next to her and pulled her into a comforting hug. It wasn't long before Labelle and Sable heard Roll's sniffling and Labelle headed over to her to comfort her as well. Sable wasted no time rushing over to the blonde girl and hugged her as well. Labelle just stood nearby as Sable and Mabel comforted her. Roll didn't take long before she calmed down and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry," said Roll, "I'm just not ready..."

"It's okay," said Sable, "No one is going to force you to say anything, but we would like to share our family past you if that's okay." Roll just sniffled.

"But why tell me?" she asked curiously.

"Cause I understand how you feel," said Sable, "and my past will explain why. I care about you Roll and we are friends. I want to help you." Roll just looked at her sadly and just sniffled again as they pulled away.

"How's dinner?" she asked curiously. Labelle, who had decided to check on the food, had returned with a smile.

"Dinner is ready to be served," said Labelle, "So come on...you'll feel better after a nice hot meal. Sable is a really good cook isn't she Mabel?" Mabel beamed with a happy smile.

"I'm still alive," she exclaimed as Sable lightly pushed her. Roll just gave them a shy smile as she stood up. Sable held her hand.

"Come on," Sable said sweetly, "You can sit with me okay." Roll nodded as the brown hedgehog guided her towards the table. They took a seat and Labelle served Roll her share of the food first.

"Thank you," said Roll quietly and slowly began to eat. She seemed to just eat her meal quietly for about a minute or two. Sable though quickly of a good conversation topic so kill what had become a rather awkward silence.

"I often wonder how Tom is doing..." Sable said out of the blue, "Oh I mean Mr. Nook!" Sable chuckled bashfully at her "intentional" mistake. Roll looked at her with slight interest.

"Well I also know that he tends to keep to himself alot these days," Sable continued, "Plus he also has a great singing voice."

"How do you know that?" Roll asked. Sable smirked discreetly, seeing her little conversation starter had worked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" said Sable with a teasing tone, "That's my little secret." Mabel and Labelle giggled to each other, seeing Sable's little ploy.

"Oh...ok," said Roll and continued to eat. Sable groaned inwardly. She had hoped Roll would he curious enough to ask about it. That wasn't very easy for her to say aloud. Mabel and Labelle snickered to each other. Sable gave them both a glare, daring them to think of something themselves. Mabel then thought of something.

"Say did you know that my favorite food is pickles?" she commented. Sable gave her a "are you serious look" and Labelle just rolled her eyes.

"Really? You like pickles Mabel?" Roll asked. Mabel just smirked in triumph.

"Yeah," Mabel continued, "and the funny thing is that Sable hates pickles but loves cucumbers. Labelle here says she couldn't care less, but I know she likes both."

"Sez you," said Labelle as she continued to eat.

"Told ya!" said Mabel with a wink. Roll giggled as she continued to eat her food.

"So what's your favorite food Roll?" Mabel asked her. Roll just stared at her plate for a moment, unsure of what to answer. Mabel thought she hadn't heard her.

"Roll?"

"I heard you," said Roll calmly, "I'm just thinking...I mean...(sigh)...it's cinnamon rolls. Hence my name." Labelle and Mabel just looked at her stunned. Sable could see that Roll looked uncomfortable at their stares.

"Roll is a very cute name," said Sable, trying to east the awkwardness Mabel and Labelle were giving her. Then they burst into laughter. Roll felt like she was going to cry again when...

"This is the most adorable thing I've ever heard," said Mabel.

"I'll admit that I was rather surprised to hear your name," said Labelle, "but now that I see the connection, your name is actually really cute."

"Really?" Roll asked, feeling a little bashful.

"Totally," said Labelle and Mabel with warm smiles. Roll just looked them blankly and then smiled.

"Thank you," said Roll, finally feeling a since of pride of her own name, "So...is there anything else I should know about you guys?" The three sisters pondered for a moment.

"My spirit animal is a horse," said Labelle.

"Would that have to do with your time with Gracie?" Roll asked. Labelle smiled as she answered her question. After that, Roll felt more comfortable talking to the three sisters. Once dinner was over, the conversation moved to the living room area where she and Labelle continued their conversation as Mabel (it was her turn) helped Sable clean the dishes.

"It must have been so cool to travel to all those fashion shows with Gracie," said Roll, "I'm still surprised that you gave it up. Why give up doing something that you love?" Labelle just gave her a long sigh. She didn't want to reveal too much about the past...yet, but said simply.

"I was just ready for a break and change of pace with my life," said Labelle, "even a wild horse needs a place to settle down. I once dated this horse in high school, but he was less "wild" and more "dweeb"." Roll and Labelle laughed as Mabel and Sable arrive with some tea and a plate of powdered pastries.

"So tell me Roll," said Mabel as she grabbed a seat next to Labelle and stuff a pastry in her mouth, "Are you into boys yet?" Roll nodded.

"Yeah," said Roll shyly, "but not in anyone specific." She still didn't think that any boys would ever be interested in her, but rather than be refuted she kept that train of thought to herself.

"I'm sure you'll find someone here that sparks your interest," said Mabel with a giggle. Roll just rolled her eyes at her as Sable chuckled.

"Ease off Mabel," said Sable, "I should ask you the same question." Mabel nearly choked on her bit of pastry.

"Sable!" said Mabel, "It's kind of hard to look when I have to baby sit you all day!"

"Oh very funny," said Sable annoyed, "Anyways Roll, is there any questions in particular that you wanted to ask?" Roll then felt put on the spot. She had quite a few questions in mind but she wasn't sure what she wanted to ask first. Then she remembered the group of pictures she had seen back at their shop.

"Sable," said Roll, "Can I ask you a personal question?" Sable smiled as she took a sip of her tea and crossed her legs.

"Of course," said Sable, "what's on your mind?"

"Well," Roll began slowly and then looked at her shyly, "where's your husband?" Sable looked stunned and Labelle covered her mouth to avoid snickering while Mabel buried her face into the reddish-brown hedgehogs shoulder to avoid breaking out in hard laughter. Sable just glared annoyed at the two with blushes cheeks. Roll felt ashamed.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I didn't mean to upset or humiliate you..."

"No, no," said Sable, "Ignore those two! They are just being dorks."

"HEY!" Labelle and Mabel exclaimed.

"I guess I what I wanted to ask you," Sable continued, "is where you got the idea that I was married?"

"I saw a picture of you with this male hedgehog," said Roll. Sable looked puzzled and then laughed.

"I know what picture you're talking about," said Sable, "That picture isn't of me! That was my mother!" Roll blinked in surprise.

"Oh, wow," said Roll, "Sorry about that."

"No worries," said Sable, "I'm flattered that you thought I was my own mother."

"Well the hedgehog did look like you," said Roll, "and she looked very pretty too." Sable giggled.

"Thanks," said Sable, "But to clear the air, I'm not married dear."

"Not yet," Mabel added and Sable glared.

"What do you mean?" Roll asked. Sable sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"That's not important right now," said Sable, "You wanted to know who was in that picture and that picture of the male and female hedgehog is our parents. If you noticed the three young hedgehogs in another picture that was me, Labelle, and Mabel."

"In case you are wondering, Mabel was the one in the diapers," said Labelle, "Cause she was the baby of the family." Labelle cooed the last part, making Mabel feel embarrassed as her cheeks turned bright red. Roll giggled.

"I am guessing that you were a good...I guess 6 or 7 based on the picture," Roll asked and added, "Sorry if I'm off...I don't want to make you feel like an old lady. You don't look old too me."

"Though she acts like grumpy old lady on a regular basis," Mabel whispered to Labelle, who giggled until Sable glomped Labelle into a tight hug for sweet revenge.

"Awww gerrrroffff!" Labelle squirmed as Sable held her tightly. Mabel laughed as Labelle struggled and failed to break free of Sable's grasp but to no avail. Labelle wasn't much into hugging these days. She used to be and Sable and Mabel were dead set on getting her back into enjoying hugs. While Labelle wouldn't admit it, she was slowly getting comfortable about it, but she would never admit it. Once Sable let her go, the brown hedgehog sat back next to Roll.

"I love you Labelle," said Sable sweetly and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Labelle just rolled her eyes as she adjusted her scarf since it gotten wrinkled from their little hug battle.

"So to answer your question there Roll," said Sable, "the reason I looked so much older is because Mable and I were born a little more than ten years apart."

"Wow," said Roll, "and I'm guessing Labelle was born more closer to you?"

"Precisely," said Sable and smirked at her middle sister, "Labelle, like me, is an old maid."

"Oh hush," said Labelle annoyed.

"I don't just say this," said Roll, "cause I know people do but...well..."

"What is it?" Mabel asked curiously.

"I think you guys look rather young," said Roll, "and very beautiful." Mabel awed as Labelle and Sable smiled.

"I like her," said Labelle, making Sable giggle.

"So...where are your parents?" Roll asked next, which caused the laughter to end quickly. There was a brief silence as Sable took a slow breath.

"They...died..." said Sable and Roll gasped.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry," said Roll quietly, "that was definitely the wrong question to ask..."

"It's okay sweetie," said Sable, "It...was a long time ago..."

"Long time ago?" Roll asked curiously. Sable could feel her eyes water and Roll could see that this was a difficult subject for Sable.

"You don't have to tell me," said Roll, "especially if it still hurts." Sable just looked at her with a pair of tears in her eyes.

"Roll, let me ask you something," said Sable firmly, "Do you feel better not talking about what troubles you or do you feel better when you can talk about it?" Roll felt put on the spot as she played with the skirt of her dress nervously as she crossed her legs twice before grabbing her left foot and held it insecurely. She didn't want to answer and Sable could tell she was clamming up.

"Tell me the truth," she asked her. Roll looked at her quietly and nodded.

"Tell me, don't nod," she repeated in a motherly tone.

"Okay, I do feel better when I can talk to someone," Roll snapped, "but how can I be sure if people will even care to even listen to me! How can I...even know if they would care about how I would feel?" Roll panted heavily for a few moments before settling down and sighing in a depressed manner.

"It's hard to talk about the past," Roll continued sadly, "I still can't do it without feeling stupid about it." Sable nodded, seeing that she was finally getting somewhere with Roll about her situation.

"You're right," said Sable, "and it's not stupidity at all that makes you feel that way sweetie. It's the vulnerability. Being open often means lowering your defenses and telling people stuff that you don't really want to talk about. Plus we are all girls you know. What girl wants to feel weak? And then feel worse when you realize nobody cares? I feel that way all the time."

"How?" said Roll, "I know Labelle and Mabel tease you Sable, but do you really think they would not care about how you feel about things?" Sable just grew quiet for a moment and looked at Labelle and Mabel, who just gave her concerned looks. They wanted to know why she found it so difficult to confide in them about stuff.

"Guess I just don't feel like my feelings are important," said Sable, "or that I'm really that important...to anyone...to anything. I'm just a hedgehog that life just wanted to poke fun at."

"Why do you feel like that Sable?" said Roll, "Was it because your parents died?" Sable took a long deep breath.

"Let's just say it loud and clear," said Sable, "I don't believe in myself! I don't think I'm pretty or beautiful and I just feel like I could never have anything I wanted in life! I feel pathetic and worthless and sometimes I wonder if I was ever meant to even be happy!" Roll blinked at her statement since Sable kind of yelled that last part and even Labelle and Mabel just looked at her and then each other.

"Why?" she asked the brown hedgehog. Sable just looked at her sadly.

"I was never really very outgoing or open with people," said Sable, "I only had one friend in life growing up beside our mother: Tom Nook."

"So...those rumors were true," said Roll quietly.

"Depends on what the rumors about us were," said Sable.

"Some speculated a possible romance," said Roll, "but the most common thing I heard was that you and Tom were once very close."

"That part was true," Sable replied, "Tom and I were very close growing up. I kind of struggled to find my dreams while it seemed that Tom was always eager to become a businessman. He had the skill and the desire in his blood since the day he could count! He would always talk about how he would open up shop and become a huge success. Me, on the other hand, was never really sure what I wanted to do. I mean, our own business was actually started by our parents. Our father was the clerk and Mom was the seamstress. Labelle and Mabel had no problem socializing and mingling with people. I, on the other hand, would stay close to mom. She was the one who taught me how to sew and stitch cloth patterns."

"It's why she so good at it too," said Mabel quietly.

"Mom's job was still way better," said Sable, "I'll never be as good as her."

"Well, I've said this before Sable," said Labelle, "You need to stop trying to be like Mom and just try to be the best you can be. You can never be like Mom! You can only be who you want to be!" Sable just sighed.

"Maybe I just try to be like her cause I don't want to forget her," said Sable, "As I said before, she was my only friend other than Tom. I used to spend my time sitting next to her. She was my best friend and we were very close. I always felt so happy being with mother. Even when I felt like I was nothing, she always knew how to make me feel special. Don't get me wrong Labelle. We had memories together as a trio, but most of them were all when Mabel was still just toddler. I still remember one spring day when the flowers had just bloomed we went to go pick some together. I still remember how Labelle made Mabel a little flower necklace." Roll awed as Mabel cuddled up to Labelle. The middle sister didn't seem to be as flustered with Mabel being so close and Sable felt a bit jealous.

"I'm guessing that was before your mother died?" Roll asked, wanting to get Sable's attention off of Mabel and Labelle.

"Yeah...it was," said Sable quietly, "a time when life just seemed so simple, but that all changed when they died." Roll now wanted to know more and pressed her luck.

"How did your parent's die?" She asked.

"Mabel was just a little toddler, barely talking, when it happened," Sable began, "I was left in charge of looking out for Labelle and Mabel as our parents went out. It seemed like nothing out of the ordinary. Mom and Dad always went out from time to time for dates or errands and such. They loved spending time alone together. As the day dragged on, I noticed that they had been gone for a long time, much longer than normal. We really didn't have a way to contact them or find out where they were. Then late that night there was a knock on the door and an officer told us that our parents were dead."

"Oh wow," said Roll, "So you weren't that much older than me when you lost them."

"That is correct," said Sable quietly, "and at first I didn't want to believe them. I was numb for a long time. For days I would just sit by the sewing machine, hoping...just hoping that all of this was just a bad dream. I just wanted to wake up from it and realize that she was still there. That life hadn't taken my best friend away. I wouldn't talk or speak to anyone, even Labelle couldn't get me to leave or reply. Then one day, Mabel crawled up to me. It was then she said not just her first word, but her second as well.

"Mom-ma? Dad-da?"

"I just cuddled her into my arms and broke down," Sable croaked as tears left her eyes, "I just let myself go and wept loudly. Mabel, who I knew was a smart baby, soon figured out what had happened and started screaming with me. We both wept for the loss of our parents. I wept cause my best friend was gone..." Sable started to cry as Roll gave her a sympathetic look.

"And what about Labelle?" Roll asked.

"She kind of seemed cold and indifferent about it," Sable sniffled, "but it wasn't until a few days later that she broke down when we were alone and Mabel had been put down for a nap. When Labelle looked at me with tears she asked me the big question:

What now?

It was a good question to ask. I wasn't sure what we were going to do. We were all orphans now and we had alot to fear. We didn't know what would happen to us! I was only twelve! I knew how to cook and clean, but I had no clue how to run a business. Plus we were afraid that if we didn't figure something out, we would be forced to leave our home and worse, be put in an orphanage with the risk of being separated. We had lost too much already! The last thing we wanted to was for our family to be completely destroyed. Our family was broken Roll, I would do anything to try and mend it." Sable had to pause for a moment since she had started cry again as she was telling the story. Mabel was shedding a few tears herself. Labelle looked like she was keeping her composure, but Roll could see that even her eyes were rather glossy and a single tear had escaped her eye. Roll grabbed a napkin an handed it to her.

"Labelle, you've got a..."

"DON'T!" she snapped and then said quietly, "You'll smear my makeup. I'll get it." Roll had cowered back a bit but she relaxed once Labelle had taken the napkin and carefully removed the spare tear from her eyes. While Sable hadn't stopped crying completely, she felt composed enough to continue with the story.

"If you want to..."

"I'm okay," said Sable calmly with watery eyes, "You're really helping me right now."

"How so?" Roll asked puzzled.

"You're listening to me," said Sable, her voice cracking a bit, "You care about what I have to say." Roll gave her a soft smile and grabbed Sable's hand. Sable smiled as she held her hand back.

"So...how did you guys cope with the loss?" Roll asked.

"Tom Nook"

"Tom Nook?"

"Tom Nook," said Sable, "Remember, he was my best friend. When everything started to overwhelm me, I went to him and told him what had happened. Tom coaxed me into his arms. He was the same age as me, but at that moment, he seemed so much older. He stayed with me the entire time until I had managed to calm down. He suggested that I take over the family business. At first I thought he was crazy, but then he reminded me that I had to figure something out in order to keep the family together. So that was what I did, I tried my best to remember what my mom had taught me and the rest I kind of learned through trial, error, blood..."

"Blood?" Roll exclaimed uncomfortably.

"I've been getting pricked for years by the sewing needle, dear," said Sable, "but I was so determined to keep the family together that I had learned to tolerate it when it happened. I've gotten used to it after all these years."

"Are you sure about that?" said Roll, "You looked like you were in alot of pain when I came over that day and you had gotten pricked."

"That was because I got careless and got my entire finger pricked several times," said Sable, "A single prick doesn't hurt me too much, but multiple pricks on the same finger is very rare for me. I had never been pricked that badly before, even when I was training like I did back then. So...I guess I was embarrassed and it did hurt alot."

"Oh"

"So there I was," said Sable, "only twelve years old and trying to keep the family together by becoming a seamstress and taking over the family business. The Able name was going to continue if it was the last thing I do."

"But you didn't do it all alone you know," said Mabel, feeling a little miffed that she and Labelle were being left out.

"Don't get jealous," said Sable, "I know you guys helped too, but you gotta admit Mabel that until I made the initiative, you and Labelle were lost and confused."

"Well duh, I was no more than 2 years old when it happened," said Mabel, "but why didn't Labelle have any good ideas? She was a smart girl." Labelle suddenly felt uncomfortable, unsure of how to explain herself.

"I think she was too confused to think clearly," said Sable, "otherwise, I'm sure she would have come up with an idea. Right sis?" Labelle just looked at her sadly. She knew the truth and rather than let Sable cover for her she came clean.

"I cracked under the pressure," Labelle confessed, "I was too scared to think clearly and was too busy yelling as Sable to do something. Like she was the one who caused the mess and had to fix it."

"That was kind of harsh," said Roll.

"I agree," said Mabel with a glare.

"Ease off your guys," said Sable, "she was still young and still a child. She didn't know any better. That was why I made the choice to grow up and take responsibility for the family...so she didn't have to." Labelle just looked at her and then gave her a soft smile that was filled with gratitude. Sable smiled back.

"So how did you guys decide on who did what jobs?" Roll asked.

"Well back then when we first worked as a trio," said Sable, "Labelle was the one who did the selling and I was the one who made the made clothes."

"Did that include the accessories?" Roll asked curiously.

"At first it didn't," said Sable, "but Labelle clearly wanted to learn and she actually borrowed a sewing machine from one of our neighbors in order to learn how to make accessories."

"Why do you like making accessories?" said Roll.

"It's just something that I've always had an interest in," said Labelle.

"I'll say," said Mabel, "I used to hear stories from Sable how our mom used to dress Sable up in all these cute hats, hair ribbons, headbands...pretty much anything cute and stylish. Labelle always used to get really jealous with Sable because our mother always let Sable wear her accessories first and Labelle got second pick!"

"Oh Mabel! Shush up!" said Labelle annoyed and embarrassed, which was as clear as day by her pink cheeks.

"What?" said Mabel, "that was the reason you wanted to make accessories. You were jealous cause Sable always got them first and when you wanted to wear them, mom would always say no to you and that Sable gets to chose first. Now you're completely obsessed with them."

"I so am not!" said Labelle, "I just enjoy working with making accessories is all. It's what I like to do and it makes me happy."

"I like her accessories," said Roll quietly, "and the fact she loves them means everything I'm wearing was made with lots of love, even my ribbon. I especially love my beret. I got it as a gift, but I know it was made by you." Labelle smiled.

"Thank you," said Labelle, "it's nice to see that you enjoy my accessories."

"I really do," said Roll, "I just hope that I can represent your brand. I mean I am wearing your ribbon, but..." Labelle giggled to herself as Roll tried to adjust her ribbon a bit but Labelle stood up and made the adjustments herself and even retied it back into place.

"You look very pretty with my ribbon," said Labelle, "You are a very pretty girl." Roll smiled bashfully as Sable chuckled.

"Well getting back to the story," said Sable, "Labelle did learn to make accessories so we eventually had those for sale, but at first we only had just shirts and dresses for sale and there wasn't much difference between the two. Sales were really bad for the first few year. I thought we were gonna default on our debts and at times things seems pretty bleak."

"Then her almighty superhero Tommy Nookie flew in and res...mmmmmmmmm! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" Mabel was shut up as Labelle shoved a pillow over her face and leaned her body on it so Mabel couldn't shove it off.

"Hey, cute it out, I can't breathe!" Mabel complained, her voice muffled for a bit, before breaking free and pouting as she panted for air. Sable just rolled her eyes at the two of them before continuing.

"So since Mabel was just baby, Labelle was training, and business was really slow," said Sable, "Tom came and gave us some tips on business advice. I'll be honest, it was pretty hesitant to use any of his advise since he suggested alot of shrewd tactics, nothing dishonest mind you, but were just...well..."

"Upfront and social?" Roll suggested and Sable giggled.

"Exactly," said Sable, "and apparently it was his live demonstrations that Mabel learned how to be as bold and upfront as she is now. It was thanks to him that she learned the greeting that she says every time we've got customers." Sable looked annoyed at Mabel as the blue hedgehog pouted some more.

"But I like that greeting," said Roll, "it's so warm and peppy. I feel so welcome when I come into the store and it makes me smile." Mabel beamed with pride as Labelle and Sable rolled her eyes at her.

"Until she learned to greet and do customer service," Labelle muttered teasingly, "Her only real use for years was comic relief since she was barely coming out of potty training." Mabel blushed deep red and slapped the side of her stomach. She didn't feel Roll needed to know about _that._ Sable and Labelle, as well as Roll, giggled.

"Labelle, cut your poor sister some slack," said Sable, "it's not her fault she was just a toddler when everything happened. But you have to admit that Mabel did her absolute best to be useful, even if at first it seemed to cause more trouble when she tried."

"Yeah," said Mabel, "I hated feeling so useless. Tom actually helped me learn how to be a good sales girl so once I started talking I was able to take over when you disappeared on us..."

"Wait...Labelle disappeared?" Roll asked. There was a suddenly a long silence and Labelle looked really insecure. Sable just looked at her sister, asking her with her tired brown eyes if she should tell Roll about what happened. Labelle just sighed and gestured for Sable to go ahead since they were trying to open up for a reason in hopes of getting Roll to do the same. Roll just looked at the exchange nervously.

"Did I touch a bad subject?" she asked worried. Sable just looked at her and smiled.

"No dear," said Sable, "It's just another topic that's a bit touchy but Labelle is willing to share what happened with you with me, right sis?"

"Yeah," said Labelle, but her voice was a tad shaky.

"So...what happened?" Roll asked worried. Sable took a deep breath in through her nose and breathed out of her mouth.

"I few years after our parents death," Sable explained, "things were pretty tough. We were barely making ends meet and managing to keep ourselves feed and keeping warm in the winter. It was during these years that Labelle, like Tom, began to have her own dreams of heading into the city and becoming a big success. I still wonder if he influenced her into..."

"He didn't!" she snapped but then felt her guilt overcome her and she grew sad once more. Sable just looked at her and then nodded.

"Okay then," said Sable, "So Labelle's wanted to move into the big city and become a big time fashion designer like Gracie. I...I got really jealous cause for the longest time. Mostly because, as I said before, I never really felt like I could have my own dreams. Plus I really needed her here with us and not to take off for the city like Tom had done. He had taken off not too long ago to pursue his dream and I miss him very much."

"Why did you stop him?" Roll asked but then blinked and sighed, "Never mind, I answered my own question." Sable chuckled.

"I had to keep the family together," Sable pressed on, "And of course, I didn't come clean about it and suddenly the tension got to a point that one day Labelle and I exploded at each other. The argument was so intense that we were yelling and screaming at each other, causing Mabel to cry but neither of us cared to calm her down. The fight ended in us parting ways without speaking to each other for the rest of the day. The next morning, I went to Labelle's bed to apologize. I felt awful for all the horrible things I had said to her, but when I opened her blankets, I found that there was just a pillow inside. I looked into her drawer and it was completely empty. I rushed downstairs and towards the train station, hoping to try and stop her, but I was too late. Labelle had taken off and was gone. Not even a note where she was going either. I was furious. I screamed at the empty train tracks that she better leave and never come back before walking back home. Before I could even get back to our house/shop, I slumped to my knees and wept, feeling that maybe I was the one who drove her away...or wasn't worth staying for. I needed her...just like I needed Tom...just like I needed mother, but they left me just the same...I couldn't understand why...everything felt the need to desert me..." Sable had to take a deep breath to avoid crying, but then she noticed that someone was panting rather heavily. She turned to see that Roll looked enraged. The blonde girl stood up and marched up to Labelle. The reddish-brown hedgehog could see the anger in Roll's eyes and she felt very uncomfortable.

"How dare you..." Roll said hollowly, "How...DARE YOU!" Sable and Mabel both flinched at her tone. The shy and quiet Roll was now scolding Labelle.

"Just who do you think you are!" Roll continued angrily, "what possessed you to just abandon your own family, especially when they needed you the most!" Labelle couldn't speak but was fighting to not cry as Roll put her hands on her hips.

"To think I wanted to be a friend of someone so selfish!" said Roll as she pulled out her green ribbon and threw it at her, "I won't support anyone who would turn their back on their own family who loves and cares about them for a selfish dream!"

"Oh like you didn't turn your back on your own family to live here!" Labelle shot back and then clasped her mouth at her mistake as hot tears streamed from Roll's face. Roll looked at her, ready to explode.

"I didn't have that luxury cause I HAVE NO FAMILY! I CAME HERE WITH NOTHING!" Roll shrieked and then dashed out of the house and banged the door, sobbing heavily as she left. Sable was about to go after her when Labelle screamed and then broke down in heavy sobs. Now the once glamorous and composed hedgehog no longer cared about her dignity and just wept, letting the tears mix with her make-up, turning her tears black as they stained her cheeks, but she made no effort to wipe them and cried openly and shamelessly. Sable wasn't sure what to do at the moment. She knew Roll was taking off and yet her own sister was having a meltdown.

"Go to Roll, Sable," said Mabel as she rushed to her older sister's side, "I've got Labelle!"

"That's Label, Labelle is a disgrace!" the reddish hedgehog wailed and cried harder. Mabel gestured for Sable to go as she went to comfort Labelle as she continued to cry loudly. Sable just nodded before leaving the house to find Roll.

She knew things were gonna get dramatic, but she had hoped it wouldn't have been this bad.

 **Their alternate outfits are based on the outfits they come with on their amiibo cards. The only difference is that Sable's dress is actually ankle high in length instead of knee length.**

 **Kudos to all if you found the hidden** ** _Princess Diaries_** **reference in the story. Plus many of the facts used in the dinner conversation are from Happy Home Designer. If you want to visit the very house in the story, the code is 0790-5781-807.**

 **Roll just showed her first crack...just how much more will she reveal?**

 **Stay Tuned...**


	11. Befriending Sable Part 4

Befriending Sable part 4

Sable was worried as she made her way out of the house and quickly scanned their yard frantically for Roll.

"I hope she didn't run away," said Sable quietly to herself, "it's easy to get lost in this town cause it's much bigger then Animal Town. I do hope she's okay." Sable wanted to cry until she found a small blonde girl laying on the cobblestone pathway curled up into a ball, despite her dress,and was crying by herself. While she breathed a sigh of relief, caught the sound of a very quiet but sad whimpering. Sable gently walked over Roll and knelt beside her, resting a gentle hand on the blonde girl's side. It was then she noticed that Roll's left knee was bleeding.

"Roll, what happened to your knee?" she asked. She could tell what probably happened but, as mentioned earlier that evening, she wanted to get Roll to speak up for herself. Roll just sniffled.

"I wanted to just get away, but I tripped over my big feet and skinned my knee," Roll croaked, "Then I remembered I have no place to go and I can't remember where the train station was...so...I chose to waste away here." Sable looked at the blonde girl and snorted as she looked at her feet. Roll's bare feet were not big at all. In fact, her feet were very petite for her age. Probably no bigger than a size four. Sable rushed inside to grab the first aid kit so she could clean Roll's scratched knee. She immediately set the kit on the nearby bench.

"Roll, come on," Sable said in a motherly tone, "Get up and come here so I can clean your knee." Roll sniffled.

"Just leave it be," said Roll, "I deserve to suffer." Sable blinked in surprise at her answer.

"Are you referring to what happened with Labelle?" Sable asked, "or is there something else that's troubling you?" Roll sat up. her tear stained cheeks shining in the moonlight as she quietly thought of what to say.

"I was out of line," said Roll simply "and for my punishment I get a permanent scab on it."

"But doesn't your knee hurt," Sable asked.

"Of course it does," Roll whimpered, "but I deserve to hurt. I just said it was my punishment for what I did to Labelle!"

"No you don't," said Sable, "You obviously have a reason for being angry. I hope you'll tell me the truth." Roll sniffled. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell her. No that wasn't true. She knew why she exploded but she wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Sable. Sable could see her hesitancy.

"Roll, you need to understand something," said Sable as she walked over to her, "It took alot for me to tell you my past, especially the pain and insecurities I deal with on a regular basis. I did that out of faith that you cared about what I had to say."

"I do care," said Roll, "I do care about you Sable!"

"Then why can't I care about you?" Sable demanded about you. Roll just blinked at her.

"You...want to care about me?" Roll exclaimed stunned. Sable looked dumbfound and then snorted.

"Why else do you think I brought you here?" said Sable sternly, "You can't hide it Roll. The harder you try, the more pathetic it looks!"

"What are you talking about?" Roll demanded as she got to her feet and winced as she put weight on her left knee. Sable held her by the arm to keep her standing.

"I'm talking about the fact that something is clearly troubling you," said Sable more calmly, "I can see it written all over your face and in the way you think of yourself. You said you're afraid of feeling stupid talking about the past. Well how do you think I felt?"

"Then why did you do it?" Roll asked.

"Cause you said you cared and I didn't have a reason to feel stupid," Sable answered, "Roll, being open means not caring what others think of you and just being honest with them as well as yourself. I know there a connection to what is bothering you why you exploded at Labelle. I want you to tell me. Please." Roll just looked at her, clearly afraid to speak up.

"Okay," said Roll shakily, "Just...can I collect my thoughts...this is awkward for me..."

"What is dear?' said Sable.

"Opening up to people," said Roll, "and being confronted about it. I'm...not good with confrontations." Sable made an O with her mouth, now seeing that Mabel was right about that part of Roll's personality as well.

"So that explains a few things about you," said Sable.

"What things?" Roll asked.

"That you have issues with confrontations," said Sable, "you let others shut you down." Roll just lowered her head in shame.

"Has anyone ever bullied you...or abused you?" Sable pressed on.

"No," said Roll firmly, "I was never abused...I was too boring to be teased or bullied."

"I see," said Sable, glad that she was slowly getting information about her, "Come on, sit with me on the bench so I can tend to that wound." Roll didn't really have much choice as Sable guided her to the bench. Roll sat on the right while Sable sat on the left.

"Can you lift your leg up please?" Sable asked gently. Roll nodded as she bravely did so and quickly rested her leg on the side of the bench, trying to keep is straight. She used her right hand to keep her dress down while the other leg dangled along the edge of the seat. Sable then went to work tending to her knee. Despite all the crying Roll had done, she was very quiet as Sable cleaned the scab with the solution. Then picked out a pink piece of cloth and used it to make a bandage that would stay in place and not restrict her ability to move her knee. Sable was rather impressed.

"Well you're certainly a brave girl," said Sable, "So I guess you were crying more from getting angry than the injured knee then huh?" Roll just nodded. Her knee was actually feeling much better now that it had been patched up.

"Thank you Sable," said Roll, "it was nice of you to patch me up." Sable then gave her a curious look.

"Are you saying no one ever patched up your scraped knees and wounds back home?" Sable asked. Roll just sighed sadly and lowered her head.

"Roll..."

"I came from an orphanage okay!" she exploded, "I was the girl who got lost in the crowd. The one people would ignore what she had to say unless she was in trouble! Only then would they acknowledge you and scold you! Nobody wanted to be around me! I was alone! I was unnoticed. Nobody cared! They never did and they never will! I could run away or drop dead and they would have never noticed! I'm...nothing...special...and I never will be..." Roll then lost her composure and cried once more. Sable just looked at her with a stern expression and full eye contact. Hoping she would continue.

"They didn't care," Roll sobbed, "they never cared if I was hurt, sick, or wounded. They never asked me how I was feeling or what I thought about things. Even parents who were adopting never looked my way...I wasn't good enough for them. I wasn't pretty enough. I wasn't smart enough..."

"Did you struggle in school?" she asked first, hoping to ask if she was still getting an education next.

"Don't you remember Sable...I already have my high school diploma," Roll croaked, "I was advanced...but it still wasn't good enough..."

"Not good enough for what?" Sable asked the sobbing blonde girl.

"Not good enough to be accepted," Roll continued in sobs, "not good enough for friends! Not good enough for a family! Not good enough...for anything...no one wanted the nerd...I'm still just a...dumb blonde..." Now everything started to make sense. According to Sable's understanding of what Roll told her, she grew up in an orphanage where she clearly ignored, neglected, and shut down. It explained alot about her low self-esteem and why she seemed to fearful about being told off. Sable scooted over and pulled Roll into her arms and held her tightly for dear life. Roll welcomed the gesture and just let herself cry. Just bringing up her past was difficult for her, but seeing that Sable cared about what she had to say helped her feel less ridiculous. It was another five minutes before Roll pulled away with her blue eyes bloodshot red and cheeks tear stained. Roll feebly tried to wiped her face with her hands as she sat on the bench with her legs now loosely crossed so she could face the brown hedgehog. Sable offered her a white cloth so she could use it to clean her face. Roll smiled as she accepted the cloth and cleaned her cheeks and dried her tears. She then fixed her ponytail since a few hairs had come out of place when Sable walked behind her.

"May I?" she asked. Roll paused for a moment or two before letting go of her hair long blonde locks and let Sable fix her ponytail for her.

"Be gentle okay," said Roll quietly as she felt Sable take hold of her hair, "my hair is really sensitive." Sable smiled.

"Of course," said Sable, "My hair is really sensitive too. My mom used to do my hair when I was little. She used to help me brush it all the time. She always had such gentle touch. I always knew my hair was safe in her hands." Roll just sighed. It made her wish she had similar memories with her own mother, but she wasn't ready to talk about that just yet. She would admit to herself though that she had no problem having Sable fix her hair, which was a big deal since she was very touchy about it and would never let anyone fix her hair other than herself. Even when the orphanage agents found her and her hair was very oily and dirty. She insisted on doing her hair herself.

"All done," said Sable and Roll gasped in surprise. Sable easily tied the blonde girl's hair back into her ponytail within seconds. Roll noticed that Sable had done the job so swiftly that she didn't even know Sable had even let go!

"Wow," said Roll, "it felt like your hands weren't even there. Thank you." Sable smiled.

"You're welcome," said Sable, "and thank you for opening up for me. It wasn't so bad telling me what was on your mind was it?" Roll just looked at her and gave her a gentle smile.

"No...just emotional," said Roll, "but I guess it's because the past hurts. I've had a rough past Sable. I'm not ready to explain all the details, but...it's just really hard to believe in myself. I've spent most of my life accepting the fact that I will never be special. I came here to escape and just live my life alone and...trying to find myself. Then I arrive and BOOM! I'm suddenly the mayor of this town, everyone here likes me...even Phyllis who acts the exact opposite most of the time, and everyone is counting on me!"

"It's quite a paradigm shift isn't it?" Sable replied as she retook a seat on the bench and sat Indian style herself.

"Paradigm shift?" she asked puzzled.

"You've gone through most of your life thinking that you'll never be anything significant or special," said Sable, "and then life suddenly dumps you into a situation where all of a sudden your life choices and decisions could influence your own future as well as the lives of others. You come to realize that doubt is a luxury that you can't afford to have anymore because others are depending on you."

"So you do understand me," said Roll, "I guess you sometimes wonder how you are supposed to accomplish great tasks when you can hardly believe in yourself." Sable nodded in agreement.

"I know it's hard," said Sable, "but I guess it can be difficult when you feel like you are all alone in situations. Yet the truth was that you actually have more moral support than you give yourself credit for."

"So do you," said Roll, "You had your sisters, well Mabel for sure...I didn't mean that...I...I take it back...umm...sorry..." Sable just chuckled as Roll looked ashamed.

"Labelle always supported me," said Sable, "I just wasn't very sympathetic to her dreams. If anything I was the one who drove her away."

"And what happened with Tom Nook?" Roll asked. Sable just took a deep breath.

"Let's head inside and I'll fill you in on what happened to Labelle," said Sable, "there's a connection between the two. Plus I think you'll agree that you owe Labelle an apology." Roll whimpered and then nodded in agreement.

"Come on," said Sable, "Just be honest with Labelle and everything will be okay."

"But what if Labelle hates me now?" Roll asked worried.

"She doesn't," said Sable, "I don't want to make you feel worse sweetheart, but Labelle broke down after you scolded her. I have never seen Labelle break down like that since our parents died." Roll felt worse and looked at her sadly.

"I'm so sorry," said Roll, "I didn't mean to hurt her like I did."

"I know you are," said Sable, "but you need to tell her exactly what you told me." Roll gave her a nervous look but Sable gave her a smile to assure her that everything was going to be okay.

"You know Sable," said Roll quietly, "For someone who seems to unsure of herself, you seem to be pretty good at getting others to have a little faith in themselves. I find it so easy to trust you. I really do believe that everything is going to be okay. Like a mother...tells her child...its going to be okay..." Sable smiled as she got up from the bench.

"Well Labelle and Mabel do say I can be a bit motherly," said Sable, thought there was a hint of both spite and annoyance about it.

"Why would that be a bad thing?" Roll asked, "like you told me, someone had to keep the family together. Mabel was just a baby and Labelle was lost and confused. I'm sure they both appreciate you very much."

"I know Mabel does," said Sable, "I guess I still am not sure about Labelle. After all, she found a dream and went after it. Mabel is really talented too and I think maybe someday she'll take off too to find her own dreams. I couldn't blame her though. As much as I hate to admit it, she is an adult. She really doesn't need me anymore. Truth is, I need her more." Sable and Roll hadn't realized that Mabel had come outside to look for them was now listening to the conversation quietly. Mabel's eyes watered when she heard Sable say that.

"Guess you're afraid of being alone too?" Roll asked quietly as she stood up and ironed out the wrinkles in her dress. Despite laying on the cobblestone, her lime dress wasn't soiled or dirty.

"Yeah," said Sable quietly.

"Sable, did you...umm...you know...with Tom?" Roll asked in stuttered, not sure how to phrase the question. Sable took a long breath and looked at her. Seeing it was just curiosity, she decided to answer.

"I honestly don't know for sure," said Sable, "but he did...no, he does have a special place in my heart."

"What happened?" Roll asked. Sable looked up to the sky for a moment before answering.

"Well after Tom left for the city and Labelle had run off," Sable began, "That was when I started becoming more reserved. Since Mabel was still just a child, I just would keep my feelings to myself. I had no one to really go to. That first winter, I received a letter from him. At first, I was too surprised to open it and just went about my business. Then just before I went to bed I took the letter and opened it."

"What did he say?" Roll asked with a hint of eagerness.

"I can't remember exactly," said Sable, but then giggled, "It was adorable. Sure, the handwriting was a little sloppy, but you could hear his determination as I read. Reminded me of our times together. I can still remember his motto during his youth. "Dreams before Money!" He was so pure and passionate about it, even Mom and Dad wondered if he was crazy or would become a success. I thought so too, but it was inspiring...because...it would give me hope. Hope that maybe...life had something for me too. I would often wish to the stars: Please keep his spirit alive. Keep it safe from the apathy and cruelty that the big city keeps hiding in its dark and lonely alley."

"I've been in those dark and lonely alleys," Roll muttered, "more than you would even know..."

"Huh?"

"N-n-nothing," Roll giggled sheepishly, "Please continue Sable. Tell me more!" Sable just looked at her curiously and then conceded with a smile.

"Ok, if you insist!" Sable replied, "That wasn't the only letter Tom Nook sent me. He sent me alot of letters while he was in the city actually. One day, instead of a letter. He gave me a wooden box! When I opened it, I was quite surprised!"

"Was it a music box?" Roll asked, showing her romantic interest, "A necklace...or...or...(gasp) a ring?" Sable blushed and laughed.

"Oh Roll, of course not!" Sable retorted, her cheeks still bright pink, "Are you kidding me?! I think you've been watching too many chick flicks on TV!"

"Sable," said Roll as a matter of fact, "I don't even have a TV in my house. Back in the orphanage it was mostly kids shows. Some of the others would try to watch soap operas, but no chick flicks. Tom obviously liked you to some degree! I mean he sent you letters and now a mysterious gift!" Sable chuckled.

"If you say so," said Sable, not wanting to believe it, "Anyways, inside the box was a fancy pair of burnt orange scissors, very strong and very sharp pair too. The finest scissors I had ever laid my eyes on. Enclosed in the letter is said: Happy Birthday, Sable! It was so sweet of him to remember it. I had been so busy that I had forgotten my own birthday."

"You never celebrated it after your parents died?" Roll asked.

"Until Labelle left and Mabel was old enough to remember it, no," said Sable, "but back to Tom Nook. I was deeply touched. I'm sure life for him was hard in the city in those days and I knew his current job didn't pay too well. For him to spend his hard earned bells on me...it just made me so happy that I wanted to cry."

"So you do...or did...love him," Roll concluded.

"I guess I do...or...might have," said Sable. She wasn't afraid to admit the truth, but the truth was...she wasn't sure how she felt about him. Thought at the time, she could remember wanting to open that door, "I mean we did share alot of fun memories and good times together. There used to be an observatory in Animal Town back in the day. We used to climb up to the roof when we wanted to look at the stars. We even used to create constellations together. I remember this one we made together called the star shirt and Tom Nook's looked like one of those old time markets. He called it: the Farmer's Market Bargain Bin Constellation. I'll show them to you someday."

"Awesome," said Roll, "when do they appear in the sky?"

"It's usually in January," said Sable, "I'll make sure to invite you here cause there are still plenty of places to stargaze and we will be able to keep warm too."

"Sounds good," said Roll, "But what about you and Tom? Romantic or not, you two did sound like you were as close to two friends could be." Sable sighed to herself.

"Well in the end, I was only kidding myself," said Sable, "Shortly after that, Tom Nook moved to the big city to chase his dreams. While he's never told me fully what happened, I do know that he struggled to manage and his first business there failed. When he finally returned to Animal Town, he was a completely different soul. The boy I called my best friend...was gone. He was much more quiet and reserved. He started Nook's Cranny and become more focused on money and such. We slowly grew apart over the years. We don't really talk much now these days."

"So...he never broke your heart," said Roll, "Just let what happened...kill his spirit and he drew away from you."

"Exactly," said Sable, "I still believe that...if he had just clung to those sweet memories like I do...he would have shaken off the heartsickness of those city years. Memories can be sad, but they can also save you..."

"How?" Roll asked, "How can the past save you?" This question was more for her sake than Tom's. Sable walked up to her and rested both her hands on her shoulders.

"If there is one thing we need to learn about the past," said Sable, "it is that you can't change what has happened. Most of us take one of three different paths. We either run from it like Labelle did. We can learn from it...which is what I would like to admit I did, but could use improvement...alot of improvement." She and Roll chuckled before Sable turned serious.

"And then there are those like Tom," said Sable, "who let the bad memories destroy them from the inside out." Roll just looked at her sadly.

"I think I'm the third option," said Roll quietly. Sable looked at her sympathetically.

"Only if you give up," said Sable, "don't let what happened in the past destroy your spirit sweetheart. You're not alone anymore and you're not at the orphanage. You are now a resident at Animal Town and our mayor. The villagers all believe in you and so do I." Roll smiled sheepishly before embracing her. Sable wasted no time hugging her back. They held each other for a few minutes before pulling away and that was when Mabel decided to reveal herself.

"Hey," she said softly. The two just looked at her with smiles.

"I knew you were there," said Sable. Mabel just blushed a bit and chuckled sheepishly to herself.

"Well, does that answer your question about Tom?" Sable asked her, "Can you back off with the teasing?" Mabel just gave her a loud sigh to herself.

"Roll, Labelle is waiting to talk to you," the blue hedgehog answered, "Can I talk to Sable alone please?" Roll wanted to say no, but Sable squeezed her hand to assure her she would be okay. Roll sighed before slowly making her way back inside the house. She couldn't help but look back and Sable gestured for her to go on as Roll then entered the house. Once the door was shut, Mabel turned towards her older sister.

"Sit please," Mabel said gently. Sable wanted to protest but then conceded as she took a seat across from her.

"What's this about?" Sable asked.

"I want you to understand something," said Mabel, "I was never trying to tease you. At least...not make you feel bad or embarrassed. I just took notice that you seemed happier when you talk about him...and whenever he and Lyle make occasional visits to the shop and the house. He's doesn't seem to be as cold and reserved when he's with us. He's much more upbeat, especially around you. He's...happier...whether you chose to see that or not."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean that we like each other," said Sable, "At least not in that manner."

"Sable, just tell me," said Mabel, "Does it have to be romantic to love someone?" Sable just looked down at her dress and fingered the material before shaking her head.

"No..."

"Would you say you still love him in that sense?"

"..."

"Sable?"

"Fine! I do!" Sable snapped, "but what good does it really do for me? Nothing is going to change!" There was a brief silence before Mabel gave her a serious look.

"I remember once reading a book," said Mabel, "yes, it was a children's book but it had a good lesson to it. The key word of it was...unless."

"Unless?" Sable asked.

"Unless," Mabel repeated, "Unless someone like you...who cares a whole lot...nothing is ever going to change." Sable gave her a puzzled look.

"Care to elaborate Dr. Mabel?" Sable asked sarcastically. Mabel giggled at her new name.

"It means that unless you care a whole lot about Tom Nook," said Mabel, "You can't expect him to ever change."

"Well what can I do?" said Sable, "He pushed me away! He let the past turn him into a cold and greedy tanooki who cares about nothing but money!"

"Well did you ever try to reach out to him?" Mabel asked her firmly. Sable then bit her lip, unsure of what to say.

"I...I guess..."

"Did _you_ ever try to reach out to him?" Mabel asked more sternly. Sable just looked away and started at her own feet for a bit before looking at her sadly.

"Are you saying it's my fault he's like this?" Sable asked with a slightly defensive tone. Mabel just closed her eyes and shook her head.

"What I'm saying is," Mabel explained, "why should Tom open up if he feels like nobody is there to listen? It's no different than the situation with Roll. She won't open up _unless_ she feels like someone cares alot about what she has to say and what she feels. If you never bothered to open your door to Tom Nook, why should he bother to talk about his inner pains and heartaches? Since he had no one else to turn to, he's gonna try and hide that pain with something else. He obviously had something to prove, otherwise why else would his Nook's cranny eventually upgrade to Nook N Go, then Nookway, and who can forget the grand Nookington's?"

"I see your point," said Sable, "He obvious wanted happiness and money was all he could turn to."

"And the thing is..." said Mabel, "is that he eventually learned that money can't buy happiness. It was why he abandoned Nookington's a few years ago and went into real estate."

"Really?" said Sable surprised.

"Uh-huh," said Mabel, "I mean sure, building houses and giving people those house loans certainly makes him way more money than Nookington's ever would, but Tom feels like he's doing something more constructive now. He's helping people create their dream homes."

"For a price," said Sable bitterly.

"Well it is a business," said Mabel firmly, "but he is not looking to make money as much as he used to be Sable. He's actually trying to make people happy and you know he is not as cold as he used to be, especially since finding Timmy and Tommy."

"Are you sure about that Mabel," said Sable, "I always felt like they were more his associates, lackeys, slaves..."

"Well that's kind of judgmental," said Mabel as a matter of fact. Sable looked her with much guilt.

"Sorry," said Sable.

"They were never his lackeys," said Mabel, "Tom took them in cause they had nowhere else to go. He raised them and trained them in business. I've even asked them if they ever felt like they were forced into it and they both said no. They said they asked him to intern them. It was their persistence that they got their first job at Nookington's. Then when Tom retired the shop, they went into business alone, wanting to follow in his footsteps. Tom may seem distant, but even Lyle says that he watches them from afar. If they ever needed his help, he would not hesitate to step in and help them in anyway possible."

"How do you know all of this?" Sable asked inquisitively. Mabel giggled.

"I've asked Lyle when they visit about these things," said Mabel, "Tom almost seems embarrassed about showing his soft side regarding Timmy and Tommy. Probably because he doesn't think he has anyone to confide in about it. Can you really say that you are so insecure with yourself that you would not try to help him?"

"But he won't come to me about his problems and he knew I was always there for him!" Sable snapped, "but he never came!"

"Then why didn't you try!" Mabel asked her firmly.

"How could I try? I..."

"Stop using me for an excuse Sable!" Mabel retorted angrily, "You know as well as I do that if you had to walk away for a few hours that I would be alive and well!"

"You couldn't sew very well..."

"Fine! But I did get better and you know I am just as good as you now!" Mabel finished, "What's the big problem?" Sable finally broke.

"I don't wanna be rejected okay!" Sable yelled, "Life rejected me by taking away mom and dad and making me grow up when was 12! Labelle rejected me by running away. Tom rejected me already by coming home and pushing me away. Why bother? Why risk being rejected again!" Sable just panted heavily to herself as hot tears streamed from her eyes. Mabel just looked at her with a serious glare.

"Then why do you bother now," said Mabel, "why bother with the rest of us, even Roll?" Sable's head shot up stunned at she looked at Mabel, who was still looking at her sternly. It nerved her greatly to see Mabel give her that look. It was out of her character. Mabel was the optimistic, cheerful person and not a serious dead tone person.

"Because..." said Sable, "I love you guys...I couldn't just do nothing...I guess...I felt less of a risk..." Mabel just looked at her for a moment longer before humming in understanding.

"Sable," said Mabel, "Could it be that maybe, just maybe, there were feelings there and you were afraid to pursue them or get heartbroken?" Sable just stayed quiet and then began to cry.

"My heart was already broken," Sable sobbed, "I couldn't take it breaking any more than it already...if it hadn't have worked out..." She couldn't speak, the combination of guilt and regret was overtaking her as her heart began to ache and Sable just cried openly.

"Well, it looks like you broke me!" she sobbed loudly, "Happy now?! Is this what you wanted to do to me?" Mabel just gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Yes," she answered, "admitting your scared is the first step to finally dealing what what has been hurting you the most. I'll here for you now and I'm not going anywhere. Please...just let it go. Let me be your strength for once...instead of a sewing machine." Sable gave in and just let herself weep. Mabel scooted over to hug her tightly as Sable cried herself out in her little sister's arms.

Meanwhile, Roll had finally made her way back inside of the house where she found Labelle still sniffling and crying quietly to herself. As Roll made her way to the middle Able sister, she noticed that Labelle's make up had been smudged and her cheeks were covered with black stains from where her mascara had literally melted all over her face. Roll felt awful inside as she saw how unraveled Labelle looked. Roll sat on the floor on her knees and just waited sadly for Labelle to settle before trying to apologize. At first Labelle didn't say anything for a while and Roll begin to feel like Labelle was angry with her. Labelle wasn't actually. She was hurt, but not angry with Roll.

"What do you want?" she asked at last with a broken voice and clearly feeling more embarrassed then defensive. Roll jumped when Labelle spoke to her and just looked back at her, her blue eyes showing her shame and guilt.

"Labelle..."

"Why are you on the floor?" she asked curiously before Roll could speak.

"I hurt you," said Roll quietly, "I don't deserve a seat on the sofa. And I even skinned my knee when I left the house to. I had even told Sable to let me bleed as punishment for hurting you, but she still cleaned and bandaged it." Labelle felt like she was gonna cry all over again as she noticed the bandage wrapped around Roll's left knee.

 _Either this girl is desperate or she really doesn't think much of herself,_ Labelle thought, _but I bet it's both._

"Well you're getting your dress dirty," said Labelle as a matter of fact, even though she knew the floor was clean. She had cleaned it herself, but Roll didn't know that

"It's a small price to pay after what I did to you," said Roll, "Labelle I'm so sorry for yelling at you like that. I didn't mean to be so defensive. I guess I just don't understand why you would abandon your family in their time of need, especially when Sable needed you the most." Labelle nodded as she sniffled and wiped her own eyes, no longer caring how her makeup looked. Thought most of it had been wiped off anyway from her tears.

"I am willing to tell you what happened," said Labelle, "but on two conditions."

"Anything!" said Roll desperately.

"One, I want you to sit on the sofa with me, you're a young lady, not a dog," said Labelle, "and two, I want you to tell me why you think so little of yourself." Roll just sighed, the first condition wasn't an issue for her, but the second was a little tough. Yet Sable told her that she could tell Labelle too.

"I grew up in an orphanage," said Roll, "I wasn't wanted or loved by anyone there. I was the shy girl who just pretended to disappear. Nobody wanted me for adoption either. That's how I've grown up for most of my life. Feeling like I wasn't special and that in the eyes of others I was nothing...and I don't feel beautiful either." Roll didn't want to lose it again and felt satisfied with her summary of what she had told Sable. Labelle gave her a soft smile to show that she had accepted her answer.

"Alright," said Labelle, "now sit up here please. I'm gonna treat you the way you should be treated and that is as a pretty, young lady." Roll giggled timidly and gave her a curtsey before taking a seat and set her hands comfortably in her lap. Labelle just stretched a bit to relax before turning to face her.

"Well Roll," said Labelle, "My dream wasn't just all about me, but there was also a part of me that felt like it would be best for the family too."

"How so?" Roll asked.

"Well, if I could get a job in the city and jumpstart my career," said Labelle, "I could get a job that would pay the bells that Sable and Mabel needed to keep the family business running. Times were very hard for us during those first few years after our parents died. We were really struggling to make ends meet and sometimes we barely had enough for food to survive. It was embarassing having to ask the neighbors for help in terms of money and food all the time. It was downright embarassing...I felt embarassed and ashamed."

"You became ashamed of your family's condition?" Roll replied gently. Labelle sadly nodded.

"Yeah I did," said Labelle sadly, "I hated feeling so helpless and pitied by others. I wanted to make something for myself and I wanted a better life. I eventually got to a point where I just wanted to take off for the city. Like I said, I tried to get Sable to see my point of view about how me moving to the city could help us. Either she didn't believe me, knew that I was ashamed and wanted to leave, or was jealous. She didn't support the idea and told me not to go. That was when we got into a really, really bad argument."

"How bad was it?" Roll asked.

"Pretty bad," said Labelle, "Harsh and cruel words were said by her as well as me. Words that obviously hurt Sable alot more than me and probably scarred her, but at the time I didn't care. While everyone was asleep, I packed up, found the best dress I had to wear, and left for the city without telling anyone."

"I see," said Roll, looking at her with interest and wanting to her more.

"So when I came to the city, I began to realize just how foolish I had been," said Labelle, "I only had my suitcase, no more money, and not even a plan of where I wanted to begin my career. I just wondered about aimlessly for several hours that day when I finally arrived at the fountain where I just plopped down in defeat on a nearby bench and began to cry. I felt so ashamed of just taking off that I didn't even think I would be welcomed home if I had tried to return. It was like I had heard Sable yell about leaving and never come back. All I knew was that I had no place to go."

"So what did you do?" Roll asked.

"At the time, I wasn't sure what to do," said Labelle, "I just felt lost. Then I heard someone fuming behind me. That was when I noticed someone coming out of a store. I gasped when I saw that it was Gracie herself. Apparently, she had just fired her recent assistant and was not happy about it. I was just watching her walk by, grumbling to herself, when she suddenly stopped her pacing and turned to face me. I was in deep shock and flinched when she glared at it me. Suddenly her face softened and she gave me a smile. She asked me who I was and I told her briefly who I was, which was Label at the time and that I had moved to city to find work as a fashion designer. Gracie seemed interested and, after a short interview, decided to hire me as her assistant."

"Was is hard working under her?" Roll asked.

"It was challenging," said Labelle, "but it was a challenge that really made me realize just how badly I wanted my dream. I worked hard to earn her respect and in time, we grew not just as boss and assistant, but as friends too. She was one who gave me my new name as Labelle. I had told her about my past and the fight. The name was supposed to help give me a new identity and a fresh start."

"So you were happy working with Gracie," said Roll.

"For many years I was," said Labelle, "While I regret the way I had to leave to pursue my career, I could never regret the memories. The places I got to see, the people I got to meet. Gracie was my family for a long time. Sadly though, I could never forget my old family, even if I tried. As the years went by, I found myself missing Sable and Mabel. Mabel probably the most cause she was too young when I left. I know I missed out in seeing her grow up into the beautiful young lady she is now. For years I even tried sending her letters and even gifts of money. I knew they probably needed it, but she always sent the money back. At first I thought it was Sable who made her do that until I realized that she had just been too humble to accept it. Either way, I was given the impression that Sable didn't want me to come home. Soon, I became more and more depressed, even Gracie was starting to take notice. I didn't want to tell her at first, but after a while my depression was starting to affect her own attitude and she was getting crabby as well. Finally she exploded at me and I broke down crying. I told her the truth. I later found out that she had gotten crabby because I waited so long to tell her the truth. I told that with her business in all I didn't want to bore her with what I called "pity problems". That was when she told me the very words that convinced me to come home and settle things."

"What did she say?" Labelle looked at Roll.

"I gave you this job to give you a fresh start," said Labelle, "but it was never meant to be a way for you to run away from your problems. You can't move forward unless you are willing to face your own past. You can move on from a past you keep avoiding. You have to face it!"

"I...see..." said Roll, feeling very uncomfortable.

"That was when I knew what I had to do," said Labelle, "I had to go back and apologize. Gracie gave me her full support and told me that no matter what happens we would always be friends. I guess she knew that my time as her assistant was over and it meant alot to me that she supported me decision to go back home."

"So...you did realize you needed your family and went home?" Roll concluded.

"Yeah...I did," said Labelle, "I was really nervous to come home. I hadn't seen them in years. This was barely just a little more than two years ago. By then, they had just relocated their shop to the flat they had now. Before then, we used to use our own house as both our living space and the shop. Apparently, they had done well enough to separate the shop from the living space. When I first arrived in the town, I had thought they had actually moved away or worse, they had lost everything. I searched the town for hours. By late evening, I felt like I had come back for nothing and that my family was gone. I felt depressed as I walked along the road and into main street. That was when I noticed the shop where they were now residing with the sign above the door. I just felt overwhelmed as I rushed over to storefront and my eyes began to water."

"We're you scared?" Roll asked her just as Sable and Mabel walked inside. Sable had finally calmed down from her little breakdown about Tom Nook, but her eyes were still red from crying as Labelle answered the blonde girl's question.

"I was terrified," said Labelle, "Think about it. I abandoned my family when they needed me the most and despite contacting Mabel, I never said who I was in the letters and I never once tried to reach out to Sable. And based on the fact they had a separate shop now showed that they were doing just fine. They didn't need me anymore."

"That's not true," said Sable. Roll and Labelle looked behind the sofa to see the eldest sister walk over to them and sat on the other side of the sofa.

"We always needed you," said Sable, "we wanted you home."

"Then why didn't you contact me?" Labelle asked Sable, "that's what I don't understand!" Sable just looked at her sadly.

"You were able to make your dream come true," said Sable, "You were Gracie's right hand girl. It would have been selfish to ask you to give that up for me! I could ask you to do that!"

"You could have still tried to make contact with me!" Labelle snapped, "I know I hurt you, but I thought...I thought...you really had...disowned me..." Labelle's voice broke and her eyes had found fresh tears as they streamed down her face. Roll covered her mouth in shock. Apparently, this was something that hadn't been settled between the two. She could feel the tension in the air.

"Labelle..." said Sable gently.

"Did you have any idea how terrified I was coming home?" Labelle sobbed loudly, "thinking that you hated me and that I would be thrown out and my apology not accepted? Because you never wanted to contact me and return any of the letters!"

"Well it's not like I had much more to offer to you than your old life!" Sable shot back upset, "I had nothing better to give you! You were the success! I was the struggling seamstress who would never have a future beyond the family business! I...I wasn't worth giving that up for!" Labelle slowly calmed down as Sable just looked at her sadly. Roll just listened with interest.

"But didn't you want to settle things?" said Labelle.

"Of course I did," said Sable, "I just...never felt like you would come home...not for me at least. Mabel, maybe but...not me. But when you stepped into our shop two years ago I was overjoyed. I was so happy to see that you were here. I thought it was just a visit until you said you had come home. It meant alot to me."

"But you did forgive me didn't you?" said Labelle.

"Of course I did," said Sable, "Did you...are...are you seriously...Labelle...?" Labelle sniffled a bit.

"Things still feel distant between us," said Labelle in a broken voice, "Despite the jealousy, we used to be close. I want that again. I feel like you still hate me!"

"I do want to be close to you Labelle and I don't hate you, I never did," said Sable, "like I said when you first came here, I do forgive you and...I guess I just struggle with believing in myself. That's why I'm so distant."

"Well if you trust in me and Mabel a little more sis," said Labelle, "I promise you, you won't be sorry." Sable smiled and gave her a nod as they shared a warm hug. This time Labelle had no problem with holding Sable for a long period of time.

"I knew you still like to hug," said Mabel.

"Just shut up and get in here!" said Labelle, annoyed but chuckled as Mabel joined the group hug. Roll just watched with a smile on her face before they broke away with puzzled looks on their faces. Roll looked at them curiously before Sable pulled her to her bare feet and then hugged her and then Mabel and Labelle followed so Roll was sandwiched between the three of them.

"Did you think we wouldn't include you?" Sable teased as the other sisters giggled. Roll just smiled and enjoyed the moment until they broke away.

"That's our way of making you apart of the family," said Mabel.

"Really," said Roll surprised and touched.

"Yep," said Labelle, "now I do believe you will want this back?" Labelle presented Roll with the green ribbon that she had discarded earlier.

"Of course," said Roll as she took the ribbon, "I really do like your accessories." The three sisters giggled until they heard the chime of the clock. They noticed that it was just about midnight.

"Wow...time flies you talk doesn't it," said Sable, feeling the fatigue catch up with her as she let out a big yawn.

"I better get back home," said Roll as she ironed out her dress, "thank you so much for welcoming me into your house." She made a polite bow before turning to leave when Sable stopped her.

"You're not leaving at this hour dear," said Sable, "I insist you spend the night." Roll looked at her stunned and shook her head.

"No...no...no! I...I couldn't possibly..."

"I insist," said Sable, "You can leave in the morning. I have a spare tee and bottoms that you can use for pajamas. You can change in the spare bathroom in the side room behind you."

"I'll get find the spare bed Sable," said Mabel.

"I think we've got a extra pillow and blanket upstairs," said Labelle. The two younger sisters rushed to grab their said items while Roll just conceded quietly and changed into a dark red and white gym tee and some matching girls' style red gym shorts. While Roll had left her hair up in her ponytail, she had removed the ribbon to keep it nice for tomorrow. She was rather surprised to see the makeshift bed in the living room all ready for her.

"You've...gone to alot of trouble for me today..." said Roll shyly.

"It's worth it for a friend of the family," said Labelle.

"Yes indeed," said Sable, "Now come test it out to see if it's comfortable for you." Roll giggled a little before climbing into the bed and snuggled into the spare blanket Mabel had given her and closed her eyes with a soft smile on her face.

"How is it?" Sable asked but then got no answer when she noticed that Roll had already fallen asleep. Labelle and Mabel giggled to each other.

"It had been a long night or all of us," said Mabel quietly.

"Yeah," said Labelle, "Roll really is a great addition to the family. She helped us open up, Sable. Get some feelings off our chests and such."

"That's true," said Sable, "our sisterly bond has gotten stronger and I learned some things about her too. Hopefully in time we can help her overcome her own past."

"But what about your past Sable?" Mabel asked, not referring to Labelle, but a certain tanooki. Sable just gave them both a smirk.

"Well, it's clear that I do need to learn to put more trust in my family and that I need to believe in myself more," said Sable, "but with you two here that should be a problem." Labelle and Mabel smiled.

"But what about Tom?" Labelle asked since Mabel had filled her in the earlier conversation.

"Well," Sable started and then smirked, "guess we'll just have to wait and see..." Labelle and Mabel groaned as Sable giggled to herself before giving Roll a soft kiss for the night and then the three sisters turned in for the night. Roll slept peacefully that night, grateful for not just Sable, but also Labelle and Mabel too. But Sable had a special place in her heart.

Roll had always wanted a mom...maybe there was hope for her after all...

 **And that concludes the third story arch.**

 **The Sable and Tom Nook part is taken directly from Wild World and the Labelle situation based loosely from City Folk. And if one thinks about it. City Folk came out in 2008 and New leaf in 2012-13 so about two years since the time Labelle came home sounds pretty canon.**

 **Did you catch the Dr. Seuss reference too? Congrats if you did!**

 **FYI: the girl version of any of the AC shorts look the same as the shorts in ACNL and ACHHD but have around 6" to 7" inseams instead of coming just at the knees. She's only eleven. No need to go shorter than that!**

 **Here's the preview for the next story arch!**

 **Public Works Project: Roll now has her permit so it's time to develop the town! Yet the villagers are confident that their own requests will be chosen as the first project. Can Roll find the perfect project that will make everyone happy or will her choice fuel the growing friction that is developing between the villagers and her friends?**

 **Stay tuned!**


	12. Public Works Projects Part 1

Public Works Project part 1

It was another beautiful day in Animal Town when Roll made her way up to Main Street in order to see what the shops had to offer for sale today. She had chosen to wear her new overalls dress with her beret that day, putting her hair in some downward pigtails. Since it was a sunny day, that also meant she could enjoy being barefoot as usual. Since that day she went over to the Able Sisters' house, which had been only three days ago, Roll really looked forward to seeing the Able sisters.

Since telling Sable about some her issues, (but not her main issue), Roll felt more open with discussing her own likes and interests with not just the brown hedgehog, but her other friends as well. Plus her personality was starting to show as well, but she was still quite apologetic when feeling she might have offended or hurt someone. While the issues centering around her mother still plagued her, she was still waiting for the right time to speak about it. Yet...she still hoped that the subject would never come up in casual conversation. Roll had only taken a few steps into the plaza when she stopped in her tracks at what she was seeing before her.

"Whoa!" said Roll in surprise, "I knew Timmy and Tommy were going to upgrade but I never knew that there was gonna be a whole main street renovation because of it!" Near the location was a massive blue tarp area surrounding the place where Nookling Junction once was, next to it was another smaller tarp area where another building was being erected. Even the second floor where the Able Sisters were was covered in a large tarp as well but she saw the doors to the shop were still there and uncovered. Finally, there was fourth tarp right next to the Able Sisters where another building was being erected as well. Roll just looked about before heading inside of the Able Sisters.

"Why hello there Roll," said Mabel.

"Hi Mabel," said Roll cheerfully, "There seems to be a lot of construction going on around here today. it's like everyone and their pets are setting up shops around here."

"Well it is all thanks to you actually," said Sable.

"Me?" Roll asked surprised.

"You're constant patronage to the shop as well as Nookling Junction has encouraged more than just the Nookling twins' expansion you know," Sable explained, "other shop keepers want to move into the town as well too!"

"Any idea who these shop keepers are?" Roll asked curiously.

"Well for starters one them is an old friend of mine," said Labelle since she had heard the talking. Since opening up with Roll, Labelle was much more open with her, especially while on the job, "her name is Harriet. She is a well established hairstylist and she also gives her customers makeup and color contacts as well!"

"Oh that's cool," said Roll, "I've been wondering if I should have my hair changed, but I'm not sure."

"But you're hair is so pretty as it is," said Sable, "I wouldn't change it." Roll just shrugged her shoulders.

"It's just a thought," said Roll casually, "I like it long anyway, Sable. I was just considering maybe curls or a different hair color."

"Oh" said Sable simply as she continued her work. Roll had gotten used to the fact that even when Sable wasn't looking at her, it didn't mean she wasn't listening.

"The next is a newbie," said Mabel, "but I bumped into him the other day as Tom's workers were busy on his new shop. His name is Lief. He's a brown sloth and is very experienced when it comes to gardening and keeping the towns a clean and fun place to live."

"Ah, a garden shop would be a big help for the town," said Roll, "I've been wanting to make some more fruit orchards, but I would like to replace any non-fruit trees I might need to chop down."

"Ah, so you're not trying to kill trees, but relocate them," said Mabel.

"Exactly," said Roll, "So I know whose moving in upstairs and next door, but there another shop east of here."

"That...shop...probably won't fit your forte," said Mabel sheepishly.

"Why? Who is it?" Roll asked curiously. The three sisters shared glances at each other.

"His names is Kicks," said Mabel simply, "he sells shoes and socks."

"Oh...I see," said Roll as she looked down at her bare feet and wiggled her toes. The other sisters noticed her feet staring and giggled quietly to each other.

"Well...as much as I like being barefoot," said Roll to herself, "I still wouldn't mind a few pairs of shoes, especially for the winter or for spring or autumn rainy days. I do only have one pair of sandals on me right now and they are on the casual side. I need something for more formal occasions." The three sisters smiled.

"Well good to see that he'll get your business as well," said Mabel with a chuckle, "Now back to business...we've got a special surprise for you!" Roll gasped excitedly.

"A surprise?" said Roll curiously, "W-what is it?" Mabel guided her over to Sable's desk. It was there Roll gasped in surprise. There right next to Sable was a brand new sewing machine, a digital sewing machine to be exact.

"Well as you can see dear," said Sable, "Apparently, Mabel and Labelle have been saving their own share of bells. So as a surprise, they went out and ordered me a brand new sewing machine. The only problem is that it's so large and high tech that I'm actually very afraid to use it."

"That's true," said Mabel, "Now we're not sure if we got Sable a new machine or just a giant paperweight!"

"Oh Mabel!" said Sable annoyed, "I am just afraid to ruin it because I didn't know how to use it probably. I may be able to use a computer, but I am still an amateur when it comes to social media and all this advanced technology."

"Now you know why Sable doesn't even have a cell phone," said Mabel and giggled to herself. Sable glared before rolling her eyes at the younger sibling before turning towards Roll.

"Getting back on track here _Mabel!_ " said Sable, "This machine can do more than just make clothes and patterns. In fact I want you to have this!" Sable then handed Roll a special book that had eight pages of what had 15 empty squares on it.

"This book is for you to make your own patterns and designs," Mable explained, "You can use it to put your own personal touch on the town or to even make your own patterns and designs."

"You mean I can create my designs?" said Roll surprised.

"That is right," said Sable, "Just make sure none of your designs that you chose to share with others are offensive because the higher ups might remove or terminate the designs!"

"What higher...oh right... _those_ higher ups," said Roll, nodding in understanding.

"Also when you come here," said Mabel, "I can help you make pro designs, which means you can turn your designs into QR patterns for others to use around the world and make your own clothes."

"My own clothes?!" Roll gasped as her voice squeaked with excitement.

"Uh huh," said Mabel, "We can help you make you a hat, a dress or top with any kind of sleeves you want, even sleeveless, and skirts, shorts, and pants too!"

"That is so cool," said Roll.

"I really hope you'll give these features a try and put that book to good use," said Sable, "Maybe if you use it while I'm here. I can figure out how to use it myself." Roll smiled.

"Sure thing," said Roll, "I'll think of a few ideas first and when I am ready, I'll come and try making a dress or two. So thank you for the book and the opportunity."

"You're welcome," said Mabel and Sable together. Roll began to browse the shop for a bit, finding another dress and skirt she liked before heading over to Labelle.

"Wait!" said Mabel and Sable. Roll stopped herself and walked back over to the two hedgehogs.

"What's up?" she asked. Mabel and Sable both handed her a mannequin.

"We figured with all the clothes you've been collecting that you probably need something to hang them on when choosing your outfits for the day," Mabel explained, "Each of these mannequins can wear a single headgear, accessory, a dress or top and bottoms, socks, and shoes. Use can use these to help you pair up items and then change into the right away! It will make getting dressed for the day much easier." Roll smiled as she put both mannequins into her pockets.

"Thank you so much you guys!" Roll replied, excited to set them up in her house, as she headed towards Labelle. She eagerly grabbed another ribbon as well as a straw boater hat and even two pairs of sunglasses before leaving the shop. Roll wasted no time heading back to her house, which was now starting to look more like a multi-room house. While Roll insisted that she didn't need such a huge house, she was constantly encouraged by her friends as well as Tom Nook to keep expanding. Plus the extra space allowed her to think of separating her living quarters into different rooms. For the moment, she only had three rooms. The main room (living room), her second floor (her bedroom and had just been expanded to 6 by 6) and a 4 by 4 back room, which she planned to use as a kitchen since she had found some cook books and wanted to learn to make yummy meals and treats for her friends. She had already read enough recipes that she could recite them from memory and was hoping that her memory would make any multitasking cooking required would be much easier. But that was for a future date. For now, Roll immediately headed upstairs and set up the mannequins. She tried at first to decide what outfits she might consider wearing in the coming days but ended up feeling stressed out and indecisive before putting her clothes away in her green dresser. With all the clothes she had been collecting, she had already filled up the top section and was now filling up the second section with clothes and other items, but mostly clothes. However, she did take note that she had been just stuffing her clothing items wherever she could fit them. This was driving her crazy for two reasons. First, she liked having things organized and, second, it took her too long to try and find certain clothing items every morning.

"I gotta organize this thing someday," she said to herself when she heard someone knocking on the door below her.

"Who is it?" Roll asked as she put her beret back on her head and dashed downstairs to see who it was. The door opened and there were both Rosie and Bunnie outside her door with warm smiles on there faces.

"Hey there silly!" said Rosie cheerfully, "We've been looking for you!"

"Yeah, tee he," said Bunnie, "We've been waiting for you to come and play with us!" Roll chuckled.

"Well I'm not doing anything at the moment," Roll replied, "I just finished setting up my new mannequins..." Bunnie and Rosie gasped excitedly.

"You got mannequins?!" they exclaimed.

"Oh do you need help picking outfits for them, tee hee?" Bunnie asked eagerly.

"Actually..." said Roll slowly as she began to warm up to the idea, "I do! I could use your help organizing my clothes drawer. It's a mess."

"You came to the right two people, silly," said Rosie as she and Bunnie made proud poses, "You are looking at the village's two fashion experts! We know everything about what's in and what's not!"

"Plus we learn to sort out clothes first, walk second, tee hee," Bunnie added smugly.

"I always thought that Margie, Purrl, or Whitney were the fashion experts, and organizers," said Roll and Bunnie and Rosie mock gasped while clutching their hearts.

"Oh Roll!" said Rosie melodramatically.

"You wound us!" said Bunnie in the same tone. Unlike in the past, when Roll would get anxious and apologize multiple times. Roll just smirked and rolled her eyes at them.

"Oh stop you two," said Roll teasingly, "I was kidding." Rosie and Bunnie continued to pout, waiting to see how Roll would react. Roll began to feel a little insecure.

"Sorry," she said rather casually, "didn't mean to offend you." Bunnie and Rosie exchanged a single eye glance and then giggled.

"Getting better, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Better at what?" Roll asked, slightly annoyed that they were teasing her.

"Not getting all wishy-washy when people get annoyed or mad at you, silly," said Rosie, "You're learning not to let people make you feel bad...at least not instantly." Roll just sighed.

"Well...oh never mind," Roll almost wanted to tell them about her fears of feeling lonely but decided against it. She was only comfortable telling Sable about that, "Let's head upstairs where I have my new mannequins set up and you can help me chose some cute outfits to put on them."

"Okay!" they said excitedly together as they rushed upstairs, nearly knocking her over. Roll became worried.

"Hey! Hold up you guys!" said Roll, "my storage is already a mess! Please don't make it worse with your shuffling!" In the end...they pretty much took her storage apart. On the bright note, they did keep the word and helped her re-organize her clothes to make finding different articles of clothing much easier for Roll to find. While Roll disapproved of their methods, they did do her a big favor. It was close the end of the afternoon when they finished helping her pick out a few outfits and cleaned up the mess they had made in the bedroom. Roll was exhausted as she lay on her green bed and let her beret tumble off her head.

"I really enjoy having Bunnie and Rosie as my friends," said Roll, "But those two can be a handful sometimes. Sometimes, I feel like I'm the adult in the group." She let out a loud huff and just relaxed on her bed for another half an hour or so before deciding to head outside for some fresh air. She also needed to get started collecting the funds to pay off the next house loan, which was 348,000 bells. It was actually much less than her second floor expansion, which had totaled 498,000 bells, but she wanted to take care of the house debt sooner rather than later. Since Kapp'n's arrival, Roll and her friends had taken several trips to the island once they had discovered all the valuable bugs and fish that could be caught and sold for far a load of bells. This had made acquiring the funds for her debts much easier. Especially since she learned the most valuable creatures came out at night. His wife Leilani had even helped Roll re-arrange the trees and shrubs to maximize the change of finding the rarest and most valuable bugs as she spent her time scavenging in the evening hours. Roll was always looking forward to catching lots of rare fish and bugs, even if the latter creeped her out a bit, particularly the cockroaches that scurried by every so often on the beach. While she refused to admit she had a bit of a bug-phobia, specifically with cockroaches, her friends had probably figured that out. The biggest clue was when she shrieked after one cockroach scurried over her left foot. Plus she was never picked up the bugs she caught in her net with her hands but just tossed them into her pockets (which caged them if you didn't know) and kept going.

Since it was just past 5:30 that day, Roll knew she had some time to kill and figured some more fishing in the river would be a good way to relax until it was after 6pm. She hopped out of bed, put her beret back on and ironed out her overall dress before heading downstairs and went to leave her house when she was surprised by a strange creature outside her door. The creature had a goofy looking face with a bucktooth and its face was surrounded by what looked like red petals. He was also nicely dressed on a white formal shirt with a black vest.

"Good evening there!" he said cheerfully, "are you by any chance the mayor of this here town?" Roll seemed hesitant to answer but nodded slowly.

"Yes...I am," Roll answered slowly, "Who are you?"

"Allow me to introduce myself," said the creature, "my name is Shrunk. Dr. Shrunk is what they addressed me as back in the day."

"Back in the day?" Roll asked curiously.

"Oh yes indeed," he answered, "That was my stage name back in the day when I worked in the city, but I am also certified in my studies so you could say it's a formal title as well." He chuckled at what had actually been a little joke, but Roll didn't understand and just titled her head to the side a little.

"Stage name? City? Formal title?" Roll asked at once in confusion.

"I used to be a well known Comedian in the big city not too long ago," he explained, "Used to perform on stage in front of thousands of people (well maybe not that many) and I got my degree in telling jokes and such."

"Oh"

"Yes indeed," said Dr. Shrunk, "Anyway, I am here because I wanted to be a request to you personally."

"Would it be for a comedy show or something?" Roll asked, a little skeptical about the idea. Dr. Shrunk shook his head.

"Actually, I wanted to see if it was possible that I could set up shop here on your main street," Dr. Shrunk replied, "I would like to set up a nightclub here in your town!" Roll than gasped in surprise.

"Oh another new building in main street," said Roll, feeling more enthusiastic now, "That would make the fourth of my math is right. Anyway, a night club would certainly be a great addition here! Just...umm...if you haven't noticed..."

"If you're worried about smoking and alcoholic beverages, no worries, no worries," said Dr. Shrunk, "that's not what my club is for. (I wasn't even considering a bar area for refreshments). It's primarily for the use of showcasing music and raw talent. Have you perchance heard of KK Slider?"

"Oh yeah I have!" said Roll. While she didn't have any music herself, she had heard plenty of tunes from her other friends that were written and performed by the said dog. She had grown to love the tunes of Bubblegum KK and KK Bossa. Those were two favorites she could name on the spot.

"Well weeknights will showcase some of his greatest and newest hits via dancing and a DJ booth," said Dr. Shrunk, "and I just negotiated a contract in which KK himself will give a live performance on the weekends. Wouldn't that be exciting!"

"Oh it most definitely would be!" said Roll.

"I've already discussed the more complex details with Isabelle," said Dr. Shrunk, "and I was just discussing the idea with the main street villagers. Nightclubs can tend to be a bit on the noisy side so it is crucial that I get their approval about building one on main street if you get my meaning."

"Of course," said Roll in agreement.

"So I've got their permission," Dr. Shrunk continued, "but in order to proceed any further. I ultimately need your approval for the project? So what do you say, will you approve of me of setting up Club LOL in your town's main street?"

"Why yes!" said Roll, "I want to have a night club here!"

"Excellent!" Dr Shrunk applauded and smiled cheerfully, "I just knew you were the right person to ask about this! Gracias Amiga! I shall get started right away...but I do need one more thing from you first..." Roll excitement quickly died down and she looked worried.

"Is it the funds?" Roll asked with much dread. Dr. Shrunk laughed.

"Funds would be nice, just kidding!" Shrunk remarked with a laugh, "Actually I still need the approval of the town, at least just a majority to be more precise."

"Oh...okay, that's no problem," said Roll with much relief. Dr. Shrunk then pulled out a clipboard with a sheet of paper.

"I just need you to have eight of your villagers sign this petition," said Dr. Shrunk, "Once I submit this form to Isabelle, I can get the approval I need to start the construction for the club. I would go for the signatures myself, but...heh...I think it would be more meaningful if you requested the signatures." Dr. Shrunk felt a little sheepish requesting her help, but Roll just smiled.

"From what you've told me sir," said Roll.

"Ahem, "sir" is my father," said Dr. Shrunk, "You can just call me Shrunk!"

"Oh okay, sorry," Roll apologized, "From what you told me, Shrunk, you've done most of the work already. I would be more than willing to help you out." Roll gave him a polite curtsy to emphasize her sincerity. Shrunk chuckled to himself.

"Well aren't you a polite and helpful young lady," he remarked impressively, "then I know this petition is in good hands." He then handed Roll the clipboard and was about to take off when Roll stopped him.

"Excuse me for asking Shrunk," said Roll, "but what kind of animal are you? I've seen a lot of animals, (via the internet), but I don't recognize what you are?"

"Axolotl."

"Axolotl?"

"Axolotl," said Shrunk, "and don't wear it out! I'll be near the location of the planned club location on main street once you've got the signatures." He then waved goodbye and went on his way. Roll just seemed a bit baffled until she snapped back to her thoughts and decided to go villager searching for the eight signatures she needed for the club. For some reason she decided to go to Fang first. This was probably since he seemed to be the least interested in having extra noise around the town. He tended to like peace and quiet because he was usually out late at night. She well remembered one time Benjamin and Alfonso were having a nightly jam session. They we're not too bad either, but they had done so too close to Fang's house. He scolded them angrily for making so much noise and his yelling could be heard all over town. Roll found him right away, fishing near the river. She waited until he was between casting his line before speaking up.

"Hi Fang," said Roll slowly.

"Oh hey there, Roll," said Fang, "Still chugging along I see, cha-chomp."

"Yeah, keeping busy," said Roll shyly, "Umm...Fang, I've got a petition for the construction of a brand new night club on main street. I know you like your peace and quiet and..."

"A nightclub you say?" Fang interrupted in surprise, "Well it's about time this town got more lively. I like peace and quiet as much as the next, but this place could use some more excitement, cha-chomp." Roll smiled as she handed him the clipboard and he signed the petition. She was rather impressed at how neat his writing was too.

"There you are," said Fang, "Good luck getting the rest of the signatures, cha-chomp!" Roll nodded as she excitedly headed towards Purrl's house, but she wasn't home. She then tried Whitney's house and she was just walking about close by.

"Hi Whitney," said Roll gently, "I have a petition here for a nightclub, would you be interested in signing it?" Whitney turned to her with a warm smile.

"Oh someone wants to build a nightclub you say, snappy?" said Whitney, "Well just show me where to sign dear." Roll then handed the clipboard to her and she gently signed her name in a rather fancy cursive style.

"Maybe we can see a show together, snappy," said Whitney, "I used to be quite the flamingo dancer back in the day."

"Really?" said Roll impressed, "Can you show me a few moves?"

"Oh good heavens no, snappy," said Whitney, "That was a long time ago and I haven't danced in years, but maybe...they say you never forget. So...we'll see..." Roll giggled as she gave Whitney a curtsy before leaving. She always felt the need to be more formal with the snooty villagers. While Whitney and Purrl didn't mind her being so formal, they were waiting for the right time to tell Roll that she didn't need to curtsy every time she dismissed herself from them.

But not yet...they still found her extra-polite nature very cute and adorable.

As for the rest of the signatures, everyone was excited and on board with the idea of there being a nightclub in Animal Town. Roll was rather surprised at how supportive they were about the project. Well not that surprised since she knew they all liked her. However, she wanted to be fair and made the effort to ask one of each villager type to sign the petition in order to ensure equal representation. Since she got Fang (cranky), and Whitney (snooty), she only needed the other villager types. Lolly (normal), Benjamin (lazy), Marshal (smug), and Katt (uchi) made no hesitation to sign the petition. The only difficult signature to get was Rudy's (jock) and that was only cause Roll had to jog next to him to get his signature because he refused to stop moving, even to sign the petition. His writing was probably the sloppiest of the collection but still readable...or at least she thought so. She only needed one more and was just standing nearby the train station to catch her breath as Bunnie and Rosie eagerly rushed up to her. She was grateful for their timing since she still needed one more signature and from either one of the two peppy villagers. Plus keeping up with Rudy was exhausting and she was fighting the urge to not sit on the cobblestones.

"Hey there, silly!" said Rosie excitedly.

"We have been looking everywhere for you, tee hee," Bunnie asked.

"What's...what's...up?" Roll asked in exhaustion and still trying to catch her breath. Bunnie and Rosie looked like to time bombs just ready to explode as they lightly bit their lips to avoid squealing with excitement.

"We hear you are collecting petitions for a nightclub, silly!" said Rosie quickly.

"We so want a nightclub here, tee hee!" Bunnie added, "can you imagine how much fun it would be to have one here!"

"All the dancing!"

"KK Slider!"

"All that music!"

"All the gossip!"

"And ALL THE BOYS! EEEEEEEE!" Rosie and Bunnie squealed with glee and they hopped up and down with glee. By now Roll had caught her breath and was just smiling at the two while they had their little moment of joy.

"Well I only need one more signature," said Roll and got the clipboard snatched from the her. Bunnie and Rosie soon began playing tug of war with it.

"Give it to me Rosie!" said Bunnie as she held one end, "I got it first!"

"No you didn't," said Rosie retorted, "I did Bunnie! Now let go!"

"No you let go!"

"I wanna be the last one to sign, silly!"

"Well I want to as well, tee hee!"

"No, now let go!"

"No you let go!"

"You!"

"You!"

"YOU!"

"Stop it you guys!" Roll snapped, "I have an extra pen. You can both sign! I doubt Shrunk won't mind if I give him an extra signature." Bunnie and Rosie just looked at the two pens and then looked at each other before blushing pink.

"Heh." was all they could say to Roll with sheepish chuckles. Roll just shook her head at the two before giving them back the clipboard. This time they held the board together and signed at the same time. Then handed Roll back the clipboard in the same fashion.

"Sorry," they said at once. Roll just looked over the signatures before giving them both a smile and then a warm hug. Bunnie and Rosie returned her embrace before deciding to follow her into main street just as the clock chimed 7pm at night. They found Dr. Shrunk waiting for them near the west side of Nook's Homes where there was a chained up area leading towards a underground stair case and a boarded up door.

"Hello Shrunk," said Roll.

"Oh hello there," he replied cheerfully, "How goes the signature collecting?"

"All done," said Roll, "In fact, I actually got you nine signatures since two were literally fighting to sign for signature number eight." Bunnie and Rosie blushed and tried to look innocent, but Dr. Shrunk didn't notice as he was too excited to hear that all the signatures had been collected.

"That is just fine," said Dr. Shrunk, "I am so happy that the village improves of the project to thank you very much Mayor Roll. With this form, I can get started on construction right away. As you can see, this chained staircase leads to the floor space I need for the club. It will probably take about a week or so for construction to finish, but I'll be sure to notify you and Isabelle on the day of the grand opening."

"That will be just fine," said Roll, "and welcome to Animal Town. I hope you enjoy your stay and find much success here." Roll felt a bit embarrassed saying that. Sure she wanted to sound welcoming and professional but what she just said felt a little over the top. Yet Dr. Shrunk just smiled to himself.

"Well thank you for welcoming me into your town," said Dr Shrunk, "and I'm sure KK will be pleased to be back here as well."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Bunnie and Rosie shrieked loudly. "KK Slider! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK" So loudly that Roll covered her ears as did Dr. Shrunk.

"K.K. SLIDER!" they both gushed and sighed like two lovesick fan girls. Roll just rolled their eyes at them while Shrunk laughed.

"Well at least I know I'll have two regulars to the club," said Dr. Shrunk, "and I hope you'll become one as well."

"Oh for sure," said Roll, "just remind me not to stand too close to either of them...for my ears sake!"

"HEY!" Rosie and Bunnie remarked and then pouted. Roll laughed.

"I'm just teasing you guys," said Roll, "Come on. We've got a trip to the Island cause if you guys want me to have that kitchen. I need to get that back room expanded sooner rather than later!"

"Oh for sure, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"We'll go tell Kapp'n to get the boat ready, silly," said Rosie, "Come on!" Bunnie nodded as the two girls eagerly headed off back into town. Roll just slowly headed back the stairs leading to town and just looked about with a warm smile on her face.

"I've been mayor for nearly a couple of weeks now," said Roll, "And thanks to my support and the friendships I have made, main street is starting to develop and I made another new friend. Tomorrow, I'll get to make three more! Wow...I know the villagers and shop owners like me, but...I never thought people would actually want to set up shop here because of it. Maybe it's just the location and not really me that brought them here I guess...well...I don't know. Either way, Animal Town is expanding and I'm happy that it is." Roll nodded to herself with her hands firmly on her hips and then turned around and went to catch up with her friends. Before heading to the Island, she quickly sold some odds and ends at retail and then checked her mailbox. She found a single letter inside and decided she could check it out once they got to the Island. Roll then made her way towards the pier, where she found Rosie and Bunnie up in front and to her surprise Margie was in the back.

"Hope you don't mind we invited Margie, tee hee," said Bunnie, "she is part of the group after all."

"Not one bit!" Roll giggled, "I'm glad she could join us. I'm excited to see if she finds inspiration for one of her designs while we collect our bugs and fish!" Margie smiled.

"That's why I was glad I was invited, tootie," Margie answered, "Now come on and we can get going! I gotta be in bed before midnight you know!"

"She's not a night girl like us, silly," said Rosie and then whispered loudly to Bunnie, "thought she does read late into the night."

"I heard that!" Margie retorted as the two peppy villagers giggled to each other. Roll couldn't resist a chuckle since Margie was a bit of a bookworm in her own right.

"Alright, alright, enough of yer jabbing there, lasses," said Kapp'n, "Ye be ready to head out to the open sea there Roll?" Roll smiled as he gently took her hand and helped into her seat.

"Hope you got yer sea legs cause we be shoving off!" said Kapp'n as he revved the boat engine a few times and the boat slowly but surely began to set sail to the Island. The Island wasn't only home to Tortimer but also to the Kapp'n family, which consisted of his wife Leilani, their daughter Leila, and his wife's mother. They just called her Grandma or Grams as he called her. Roll had been very shy when meeting them for the first time, but she soon warmed up to them rather quickly. She was especially fond of little Leila, who had taken a liking to Roll and considered her like a big sister. Roll just enjoyed the fresh sea air as Kapp'n sang one of his silly shanties. When...

 _Pfffffffffffffffffffffft..._

"Gar! That wasn't me Roll," said Kapp'n, clearly embarrassed, "I swears! Must be a school o' tooting fish passin' underneath me boat!" Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie burst out laughing as Roll had a disgusted look on her face. She was the one sitting right behind Kapp'n when he tooted.

"EEWWWW!" she squealed disgusted and annoyed, but it only made her friends laugh harder to the point of tears. Roll was most embarrassed as her cheeks turned bright red, even though she knew they were laughing at Kapp'n and not her. Once the laughter calmed down, he sang another short shanty as they pulled into the pier of the Island home of the Kappa family. The main pier lead into the lobby area where the family had their business operations, which involved hosting boats for island tours and trips to and from the island as well as shop which had a small selection of items on sale that changed daily. As soon as Kapp'n said it was safe to leave the boat, Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie quickly dashed inside to the lobby. Roll took her time getting off the boat and nearly lost her balance when Kapp'n grabbed her hand.

"Easy there lass!" said Kapp'n, "Gotta keep yer balance steady when exiting me boat!" Roll just sighed to herself.

"Thank you," said Roll quietly.

"You not be sore over the tooting of the boat are ye lass?" Kapp'n asked worried. Roll just sighed and shook her head.

"Surprised, but not sore," said Roll, "I'm okay, just have alot on my mind." Roll didn't want to say that being center of her friend's laughter bothered her and to her luck, Kapp'n accepted her answer.

"Well then, head into me abode and get to relaxin' then, yar," said Kapp'n as he grabbed a brown bag and headed inside with Roll behind him. Bunnie and Rosie were just checking out the items on sale and Margie was talking to Leilani. Roll had barely stepped into the lobby when she was quickly embraced tightly at her left side.

"Roll's here!" a squeaky voice that was still learning how to talk shouted. Roll's giggled as she carefully picked up the small kappa toddler into her arms.

"Hey there, Leila," said Roll, "How are you today?"

"Fwine," said Leila, "Hwappy you're hwere today. Oh and gwuess what? Gwuess what?"

"What?" Roll asked as she set the kappa down.

"You swaid you were wooking for a hat go with your dwess," said Leila excitedly, "see? see?" Leila pointed towards the nearly stand that features a sailor's hat, a tropical tee in red, and a hand woven sunhat." Leila excitedly pointed at the last item and Roll gasped excitedly.

"Oh wow, that hat would be perfect for me!" said Roll, "I mean I love my beret, but this hat would go much better with my overall dress. How much?"

"Yar, yer be wantin' e straw hat, eh?" said Grams, "The price is 15 medals. Gar, if you recall, bells are no good here, we only except the medals matey!" Roll then checked her pockets. Since first coming to the island her purse was given an upgrade to store not just bells, but also an additional pocket for island medals. These could only be earned by playing in the island tours. Roll had successfully acquired about 100 medals so far and had yet to spend them on anything just yet.

"It's a deal!" said Roll and handed grams the medals.

"Yar, ye make a good choice ye do!" Grams replied, "I've already put your hat into your souvenir basket. Ye be rememberin' if ye switch hats to put yer old one in the basket or it be gone like the wind once you leave here! Yar!" Roll nodded. While she wanted to figure out how Grams got her hat into the basket without leaving her chair, she just shook the idea off and switched her hat. Once her beret was safely inside the basket, she adjusted her new straw hat on her head before making her way outside where Rosie and Bunnie were busy swimming. Margie was sitting against one of the two lemon trees, busily working on another design. Roll decided to take a seat next to Margie while grabbing the envelope in her dress pocket so she could read it since Margie had a book light on her sketch. Margie looked over to see the blonde girl just reading her letter quietly before a wide smile appeared on Roll's face as she reread the letter a second time.

"You look brimming with news, tootie," said Margie, "what's up?"

"BUNNIE! ROSIE!" Roll called out excitedly, "Come here quick!" Bunnie and Rosie were frozen in their tracks and were quickly stunned by jellyfish. Roll covered her mouth as they both twitched awkwardly for a few moments before making their way to the shore. They were still walking a bit wobbly as they made their way towards her.

"I'm so sorry," said Roll sadly.

"It's okay, tee hee," said Bunnie as she stretched a bit to shake off the last of the numbness in her muscles, "What's up?"

"You looked brimming with news, silly," said Rosie, "sounds worth getting stung by a jellyfish."

"Well, I just got a letter from Isabelle," said Roll, "and my town development permit form just got approved! That means I'll be able to do more as Mayor starting tomorrow!" Bunnie and Rosie jumped up and down excitedly while sharing a group hug with her.

It was definitely worth getting stung by a jellyfish.

 **I don't think too many people like the fact that while you can save up to 40 plus designs with the Able sisters, you can only carry a max of 10 in your pocket. Plus I think having a QR capacity of 120 (ACHHD max) would have been much better than just the petty 10 max you can carry. Same goes for the fact that Roll had been shopping constantly AND talking to Sable for more than 10 days and spent the required bells long before this chapter to get the other shops built as well as her manniquins. Some of us probably hoped for a design capacity upgrade with the Welcome Amiibo update but it was sadly not included.  
**

 **We all know who the** ** _higher ups_** **are in ACNL regarding pattern distribution right?**

 **Plus many probably wish they could make custom patterned bottoms too and not just tops and dresses.**

 **Also Shrunk did require 6 signatures for the club and 6 out of ten is a "majority". Since 12 live here in town, 8 would make a majority. (Could have just done seven, but if you read carefully you learned why it was eight!).**

 **FYI: Kapp'n mother-in-law is called Grams on her amiibo card.**

 **Till next time...stay tuned!**


	13. Public Works Projects Part 2

The first Public Works Project part 2

"I can't believe my permit is finally been processed and I can start building the town!" said Roll as the group arrived back at the shoreline late that night and had said good night to Kapp'n. Once they had settled down from the news, they worked together to fill each of their baskets with as many valuable bugs, fish, and sea life as they could carry before making their way up the ramp back into Animal Town.

"Well for starters," said Margie, "We better get to Re-Tail before they close. It's already 10:36 pm."

"Oh yeah!" said Roll and quickly rushed to gather as many items as she could into her pockets. She was also smart enough to leave her tools back in her house so she could have some extra space, "I hope we can sell off everything in time!"

"We can do it, silly!" said Rosie, "I'll go sell my things as well. If we take turns, we should be able to empty out our baskets before Reese and Cyrus close up!"

"Just make sure not to sell your beret, tee hee," Bunnie warned as she started filling up her own pockets.

"Yeah, Roll," said Margie as she gathered a few items from the basket as well. While she had mostly sketched she had collected some extra bananas and coconuts for Roll so she could plant some along the beach, "I gave you that beret, tootie."

"I know," said Roll as she filled up her pockets, "It's because you gave it to me why I wear it so much! It's become my favorite accessory." Margie chuckled to herself as Roll quickly dashed away towards Retail to sell off a full pocket worth of items. When she came back, Margie, who had finished collecting her baskets of fruit, noticed that Roll looked a little stressed as she dumped about two bags worth 99,000 bells each.

"I can watch out for your extra bags of money, tootie," she said kindly. Roll gave her a brief hug and left two full large bags of bells as well before filling up her pockets once more. Margie made sure to let Bunnie and Rosie that she was going to watch over the extra bells as they came by to fill up their pockets a second time. It took three trips before their baskets were emptied and there were six bags of bells containing 99K each on the beach. Roll went to spit some money for her three friends to keep but they lifted their hands to refuse.

"You three did so much to help me make alot of bells tonight," Roll protested, "A good share of this money should go to you guys. I only need 298K and there's almost 700K here! You guys can split the other 402K!" Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie just smiled and gently shook their heads.

"We made this money so we could help you, tee hee," said Bunnie, "You've got a house that needs expanding."

"I was only going to expand the back room," said Roll.

"Why stop there, silly?" said Rosie, "You've got an entire house that you can expand even further! You should take the time to do so!"

"Yeah," said Bunnie, "You have the opportunity to build yourself up a rather nice mansion here, tee hee. You should try to make your house as big as possible!" Roll just looked at them stunned but just sighed as she looked at her bare feet and shifted them against the grains of the sand.

"I don't really need such a big house," said Roll, "I mean I would have been happy with just that single room. Well...I probably would have made it bigger, but...one room would have been enough for me." Bunnie and Rosie just looked at her with concern.

"Roll, why do you think you deserve so little, silly?" Rosie asked.

"You deserve to have nice things, tee hee," said Bunnie, "There's nothing wrong with wanting a nice big house for yourself! You might be paying for these expansions but no one is going to judge you if you have a nice big mansion. Haven't you ever wanted a nice spacious home where all your friends can play with you, host parties, and just live comfortably? Don't you want a nice home that you can look at and be proud of? After all, you can practically set the place up anyway you want!" Roll just rubbed her bare feet together and pondered a bit before nodded in agreement.

"Yeah...I do," said Roll slowly, "I guess...I'm still just getting used to all the blessings. Remember you guys, I came from an orphanage! I'm not used to having many blessings like a big house and lots of clothes to wear! Look at everything I've gained just by moving here! It's overwhelming!"

"What do you mean, tootie?" Margie asked.

"Having clothes, having necessities, having money to buy the things I need as well as things that I want," Roll explained, "and also having so many friends. I'm very grateful, but I never expected to ever get a blessing at big as this." Bunnie and Rosie smiled as they approached her and gave her a warm hug. Margie then did the same and lifted her straw hat to lightly peck the top of her head.

"You'll adjust in time," said Margie, "and we don't mind helping you get your home expanded fully so don't be afraid to ask for our help. I had fun at the island."

"Me too," added Rosie.

"Same here," said Bunnie, "especially when Kapp'n tooted."

"Oh you had to bring that up!" said Roll annoyed and the three girls laughed. Roll just glared before giggling to herself. Today had been a long day, but tomorrow would probably feel even longer.

While Roll went to bed late, she still woke up bright and early. Once she had got into her overalls dress, pigtails, and her new sunhat, she headed straight to the town hall to see Isabelle about her permit. She was excited to see what the permit would allow her do for the town. Isabelle was just busy working at her desk as Roll allowed herself in.

"Good morning Isabelle!" said Roll cheerfully.

"Oh good morning mayor," said Isabelle than started giggling.

"What up?" said Roll asked.

"I knew you love to garden Roll," said Isabelle, "but now you really do look the part. You look like you were born to be a country girl." Roll blinked a bit and then smiled.

"What can I say?" said Roll as she did a slow twirl before the shi-tzu, "the country look works for me. I kind of hated the city life anyway." Isabelle hummed, feeling there was more to that statement but just decided to ignore it.

"Well is our country girl ready to get to work this morning?" said Isabelle, assuming that Roll had received her letter. Roll nodded as Isabelle opened the hatch and allowed Roll to make her way towards her desk. She couldn't resist spinning in her chair at least once before crossing her ankles underneath ir and resting her hands in her lap as Isabelle stood to the side near the blonde girl's work desk.

"Good day Mayor," said Isabelle, following protocol, "I guess you are here because you received my letter correct?"

"Yes I did," said Roll, "It seems like everything is happening at once."

"What do you mean?" Isabelle asked.

"I went to Main Street yesterday," Roll explained, "and not only are Timmy and Tommy expanding, but three new shops are also being constructed there as well! Harriet's Hair Salon, Leif's Garden Shop, and Kicks'...(sigh)...Shoe Store." Roll's enthusiasm practically dropped to nothing when she mentioned Kicks' shop. Isabelle laughed.

"You really are a shoe hater aren't you?" Isabelle teased. Roll glared.

"Well where are your shoes?" Roll asked annoyed. Isabelle just looked at her own bare feet and roll her eyes.

"Touche," said Isabelle, "Anyway, anything I need to know before we begin?"

"Well," Roll pondered, "This guy named Shrunk is going to also be building a nightclub in town as well and I got him signatures to get started on construction. And...is being a barefoot girl gonna make Kicks leave or not like me?" Isabelle just smiled and shook her head.

"Of course not," said Isabelle, "I mean...you do need shoes for cold rainy days and for the winter correct?"

"Yeah"

"And you said you've only got those orange sandals right?"

"Yeah"

"So you've got a reason to buy from him, yes?"

"True," said Roll, "I mean...if they are as comfortable as my sandals then I'll probably shop there for sure."

"Good," said Isabelle, "Now let's get down to the business that you came in here for. You're town development permit."

"Yes please," said Roll.

"Well for starters the town development permit allows you to do one of the two major tasks you can perform as mayor," Isabelle explained, "The first thing you can do is ordinances, but you can't just enact any ordinance here though. You're not a dictator after all."

"So...I can't propose a "national hug day" or a "secretary appreciation day"?" Roll asked as Isabelle gave her a skeptical smile.

"Are you trying to butter me up with that last one?" Isabelle asked her suspiciously. Roll just gave her a blank look.

"I was being serious," said Roll, "don't you deserve to be appreciated? You do a lot for me you know. What about a "hug the secretary day"? I think that could work..." Isabelle giggled, seeing she was just being sweet.

"I appreciate the offer but afraid not," said Isabelle, "But I do have a list of four different town ordinances that you can choose from."

"Okay, let's hear them," said Roll.

"The first is the early bird town ordinance," said Isabelle, "Just imagine it Mayor. A town where everyone gets up earlier and goes to bed earlier as well. Even the shops open up sooner in the day as well."

"Just how much sooner?" Roll asked.

"About two to three hours, depending on the shop," said Isabelle.

"It would be nice to be able to see Sable sooner rather than later," said Roll, "but I don't know if everyone would enjoy being early birds thought. I don't think I would like to wake up at sunrise, even if it was for a 50% off Nookling sale." Isabelle laughed.

"Very well then," said Isabelle, "the next ordinance is the Night Owl Ordinance."

"Let me guess," said Roll, "everyone stays up late, sleeps in later, and shops stay open later I suppose."

"That is correct," said Isabelle, "Plus most shops only stay open about 1 to 3 hours depending on the shop. I know Retail stays open 2 hours later while certain shops may only stay open for another hour or so."

"Doesn't seem as effective," said Roll, "and while I enjoy the night time with my bugs and fish ventures at the Island, I wouldn't want to have night life fun at the expense of everyone acting like zombies from being so drowsy the next morning." Isabelle laughed once more and Roll took offense.

"What? That's true isn't it?" said Roll, "Plus I hear more crimes and mischief happen late at night. I want this town to be a safe and fun place to live. I'm not interested in the villagers having mischief nights. I don't like being pranked, thank you!" Isabelle calmed herself down and nodded.

"True," said Isabelle, "but this ordinance doesn't mean that things would become more criminally inclined around here. Anyway, let me show you the others then. The third ordinance is called the Bell Boom ordinance."

"Oh what does that do?" Roll asked.

"Just imagine it mayor," said Isabelle, "A town where the economy is really strong and making money becomes even easier!"

"What are the effects of this ordinance?" Roll asked curiously. She was strongly considering enacting this ordinance.

"Well, Reese offers twice as many items for specials each day," Isabelle explained, "Items that are sold are worth 20% more...and items for sale increase 20% in price."

"I...see..." said Roll, hearing that last part made her seem a little hesitant about enacting it after all.

"Finally, the last ordinance," Isabelle continued, "is the Beautiful Town Ordinance."

"A beautiful town ordinance," said Roll impressed, "What does that do?"

"It's one of my favorites and also the most popular ordinance among mayors," Isabelle explained, "Just imagine this mayor! A town where flowers never die, weeds hardly ever grow, and there is no garbage in the rivers and lakes!"

"You mean having a Beautiful town can do all of that," said Roll in amazement and then smiled excitedly, "that is the coolest ordinance ever! And it would really be a big help for me in keeping this town clean and tidy too!"

"Don't you want to hear about the other ordinances?" Isabelle asked.

"What other ordinances?" Roll asked.

"There aren't any others. I just wanted you to settle down," Isabelle replied with a chuckle. Roll just looked at her blankly before crossing her arms and began to pout. Isabelle giggled at the face Roll made as she looked away, deeply annoyed and also a little embarrassed.

"Now, now no need to give me that look," said Isabelle gently, "I was only teasing you." Roll just glanced at her before letting out a hard breath and conceded quietly as she relaxed her arms and crossed her legs, letting her left leg bounce a bit.

"Well, I would like to do the beautiful town ordinance," said Roll, "while I did consider the Bell Boom ordinance, I feel like that benefits me more than everyone else. I mean sure, 20% extra for selling is nice, but having to pay 20% more for stuff doesn't seem like a fair trade-off. I care more about happiness and nature than money. And it gets tedious watering all the flowers that have been growing in town. I can't even focus on figuring out how to make hybrids because I spend too much time making sure my flowers don't die. Hybrid flowers would really make the town very pretty from that respect. So..."

"So...you wish to enact the Beautiful town Ordinance Mayor Roll?" Isabelle asked her. Roll smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Isabelle," said Roll.

"Great," said Isabelle, "Now in order for me to enact the ordinance. It will require a payment of 10,000 bells from you." Roll's eyes widened before she blinked a few times and then just huffed.

"Nothing is ever free is it?" Roll remarked and Isabelle shook her head.

"All mayors learn at a young age that the best town's cost a lot of money," said Isabelle, "The ordinances are actually the cheapest thing you can do. The next thing you can do can get VERY expensive."

"(sigh)...and Bunnie and Rosie said I should prioritize on making myself a nice mansion," said Roll, "not anymore. I've got to use my bells on other things now."

"Well if it helps Mayor Roll," said Isabelle, "You won't be all alone in raising the funds for the second new responsibility, which are Public Works Projects."

"Public Works Projects?" Roll asked curiously.

"Those are what you can do to help develop the town even further," said Isabelle, "I have a small selection of projects that you can choose from on my form here as well as price tag and visual of what the project looks like. Villagers can also submit you project requests as well and if you fulfill certain conditions, even non-villagers might even propose a project or two for you!"

"Very cool," said Roll, "I'm not sure if I'll start building a public works project at the moment, but can I at least take a look at what's is available for now?"

"Sure," said Isabelle as she gave Roll a digital touch pad, "Like I said, there's not too many projects at the start, but as you stay longer in Animal Town, you'll get more project requests and more ways you can develop your town. By the way, you can only build up to 30 public works projects _in the town_. I say in the town because some public works projects are focused on main street as well but you'll have to figure out how to unlock those on your own. Regardless, the main street public works projects don't count toward the thirty."

"Good to know," said Roll, but that was the least of her worries since she was still wondering what project to do for the time being. As she scrolled through the touch pad menu, she took notice of the design of the project as well as the cost. Apparently, there were roughly 11 projects available and they were very basic in design. Most of them didn't appear to be too expensive, at least based on her current house payments. Roll seemed a bit baffled at all choices and Isabelle noticed that the blonde girl seemed rather stressed as she kept looking over all the projects again and again.

"You don't have to begin working on a public works project right now Mayor," said Isabelle as she took back the touch pad, "Anyway, you're new ordinance will go into effect tomorrow morning! Plus it might take a day or so before the effects really kick in so don't neglect your flower watering just yet okay?"

"Okay," said Roll.

"Now how about you carry on with your daily business and I'll get back to work," said Isabelle.

"Sure," said Roll as she climbed out of her chair, "don't work too hard Isabelle okay."

"Are you always going to say that?" Isabelle asked annoyed. Roll got straight into her face.

"I need you!" Roll snapped, "and if you go down! I won't stand a chance. being mayor by myself! I still have alot to learn and I want to do things the right way." Isabelle leaned away from Roll since she had gotten very close to her face when she snapped at her. Roll just looked at her intensely before her eyes began to water. She slowly pulled away.

"You're my friend Isabelle," said Roll, "and I see how hard you work to make my job easier. If you go down, I don't know how I'll pick up the slack. I don't think I can handle the town and the paperwork! So please...try not to work too hard okay." Isabelle just looked at her gently, seeing that Roll really did need and rely on her. She may have gotten used to doing a daily routines in many of her responsibilities, but she was still a young girl trying to do a job meant for an adult. Isabelle could tell that her new responsibilities were overwhelming the blonde girl as well as the fact she was just a caring person who needed her friends.

"I won't," said Isabelle, "and I'm sorry for upsetting you. I know you say that cause you care. You won't lose me. I promise." Roll just sighed as she wiped her eyes and nodded as she made her way out of the town hall. Isabelle just sighed to herself.

"You should have known better not to tease her about that," she scolded herself, "She's a young girl looking for friends and even a family. What's so wrong with her looking out for you?" Isabelle just sighed to herself, wondering the answer to this question for a few moments before getting back to work. Meanwhile, Roll had barely left the town hall when she found Bunnie and Rosie waiting for her outside.

"Good morning Roll!" they said together.

"How are you doing this morning, silly?" Rosie asked her cheerfully.

"Kind of nervous to be honest," said Roll quietly.

"Why is that, tee hee?" Bunnie asked curiously.

"I just enacted my first town ordinance," said Roll.

"Oh which one, silly?" Rosie asked with eagerness.

"I was kind of hoping for a nightlife ordinance," said Bunnie and Roll groaned.

"I didn't pick that one," said Roll, "It might be good for you guys, but I didn't think that it would be as beneficial for the rest of the villagers. Nobody wants Fang even crankier than he already is you know." Bunnie and Rosie cringed to each other.

"Good point," said Rosie and Bunnie together.

"So what did you end up choosing?" Bunnie asked this time.

"The beautiful town ordinance," said Roll. Bunnie and Rosie just started at her blankly. Roll tried to smile but she soon felt very insecure as they just continued to look at her blankly.

"I guess I didn't make the right..."

"WE LOVE THAT ORDINANCE!" they giggled together.

"A nice clean town would be perfect for this kind of place, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"I agree, silly," said Rosie, "plus we see how tired you get having to water all the flowers around here and even your own garden. I'm sure it would help if you didn't have to worry about watering them."

"Or dealing with picking up extra trash in the rivers and lakes," Bunnie added, "I was getting sick of fishing trash instead of actual...you know...fish!"

"Plus I wouldn't have to worry about weeds as much either," said Roll, "Then I can also focus more on the public works projects too."

"Oh, you can do those now?" said Rosie excitedly, "have you thought about what you might do first for a public works project?"

"Not exactly," said Roll, "There weren't too many projects to choose from at the moment."

"Well, we have a few ideas to propose for you, tee hee," said Bunnie, "how about a fairytale bridge?"

"Oh, that would be a good idea!" said Roll, "We definitely could use a second bridge around here!"

"Or how about a round streetlight, silly?" Rosie suggested, "It does get a little difficult to see at night and a light would also be a nice addition to the town. You could even put it somewhere in the orange orchard so people don't get lost."

"I've never gotten lost in the orange orchard," said Roll curiously. Rosie just said nothing as she glanced over to a certain burnt orange rabbit. Bunnie just looked away and her face turned a light shade of pink from embarrassment. Roll just giggled to herself.

"Well they are both good projects to consider," said Roll, "Now let me see what I need to do first for today..."

"Well we've already watered the flowers," said Rosie.

"And we've found you the money rock," Bunnie added, "My money luck was really good today cause I got you 32,000 bells instead of the usual 16,100!"

"Oh thank you Bunnie!" said Roll graciously, "so let's see how much belongs to..."

"Take it all!" Bunnie bellowed as she shoved the sack of money into her hands. Roll was sent back a step from the sudden gesture and just conceded by sticking the bags of bells into her pocket.

"Okay then," said Roll, "Then let me see. First I still need to pick the weeds, collect the sea shells on the beach and sell them..."

"Already done that," said Rosie, "Here's your cut, they were only worth 1500 in total. If you want me to keep a cut. I'll take the 500."

"Deal," said Roll as she took the bells, "Okay, still need to do the weeds, pay off my next loan and order next expansion, and then go check out what shops are now finished being constructed as I go shopping."

"Can we come with you, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"Yeah, we wanna hang out with our friend, silly," said Rosie, "we've been waiting all morning to see you!" Roll smiled and gave them a firm nod. They made their way about the town as Roll began to puck out the three weeds that were in town. She just pulled out the third weed when she noticed someone she didn't recognize walking nearby. He looked like a sea lion but was donning a park ranger's outfit. At least that was what she thought he was wearing.

"Who is he?" she asked curiously. Bunnie looked at the sea lion and then towards Rosie who just shrugged her shoulders. Neither of them seemed to know who he was.

"He does look familiar," said Rosie, "I feel like I've seen him before." Bunnie was in deep thought before her mind finally clicked.

"I think that's the same guy who used to give free balloons and trinkets in the city back in the day," said Bunnie, "I think his name was...Phineas!"

"Oh that's right!" said Rosie, "but I remember him wearing a different outfit, now he looks more like a boy scout leader."

"Well let's go find out!" said Roll as she slowly approached the sea lion. He seemed to be deep in thought before he turned to face her just as she came within chatting distance.

"Oh hello there young lady!" he replied cheerfully.

"H-h-hello," said Roll nervously, stunned that he had greeted her first, "Are...are you Phineas?"

"Do you have balloons and trinkets for us?" Bunnie asked and got a hard nudge by Rosie to shush.

"Since you know my name," said Phineas, seemingly ignoring Bunnie's question, "I would like to explain why I am here in your town today."

"Okay," said Roll.

"As you can see, I no longer give balloons and items in the city," he explained, "Now I travel from town to town giving badges to all the good little girls and boys who have taken to certain interests and goals within their own town."

"I see," said Roll.

"I can tell what they deserve just by looking at them," said Phineas, "and just by looking at you. You've earned yourself a few badges."

"I...I have?" said Roll surprised.

"Yes you have," said Phineas, "I can tell that you've are not only interested in fish, but are also making the effort to catch quite a few of them. For that I would like to give you this!" Phineas dipped into his pocket and pulled out two bronze badges: Fish Manic and Skilled Angler badges."

"Oh thank you," said Roll, "How where do I..."

"Just place them into your pockets and they will appear on the back of your TPC," said Phineas, "I am not done and I have a couple of other badges to give you."

"Oh sorry," said Roll.

"I can see that you love writing letters as well and that you are enjoying your life here," said Phineas, "so please take these badges as well." He then handed Roll her Village Representative and Letter Writer Badge. Roll smiled as she took the badges and put them into her pocket.

"Thank you Phineas," said Roll with a polite curtsy.

"You're very welcome," said Phineas, "If you keep being good, the badge man will give you more badges. Plus if you work hard you might even be able to upgrade your current badges as well. Until then, I'll be seeing you!" Phineas then went off on his way as Roll looked at how her new badges looked on her TPC card. Bunnie just watched him leave with a blank look on her face.

"So...no balloon?" she asked out of the blue.

"Good grief," said Rosie as she rolled her eyes as discreetly as she could. Roll hadn't been paying attention to Rosie's annoyance or Bunnie's clueless nature as she tucked her TPC back into her pockets.

"Ready to go shopping girls?" she asked. That got both girls to perk up instantly.

"Yes please!" they said together excitedly. Roll smiled as the trio headed back towards Main Street. Roll wasted no time paying off her next house loan and then contacted Tom Nook about her next expansion to make the back room bigger. Once she got the bill, she found that the cost and size of the room was exactly what she expected. A room that would be 6 by 6 in size that costs exactly the 498,000 bells. With the cost now ready for being paid, she and her friends made their way towards the new Nookling shop: T&T mart. Roll was rather impressed as the door just slid open and she and her friends made their way inside.

"Oh hello there," said Timmy, "Welcome to the grand opening of T&T mart. I hope our wider selection of our products will make shopping much more fun! yes it will!" Roll suddenly giggled as she looked at Timmy's attire. No longer was he wearing just a blue apron but now a horizontal striped shirt with a matching boat style hat.

"I like the new uniform," said Roll, "You look very handsome." Timmy blinked a bit and chuckled.

"Well thank you, very much indeed," said Timmy, "but its thanks to you we've got this fine establishment here in town. We hope you'll continue your patronage here so we might be able to expand even more! yes even more!"

"For sure," said Roll, "I've brought some friends who are here to..."

"Oh I so want one of these!"

"I've been looking everywhere for this!"

"How much Timmy?"

"Yeah what's the price for this?"

Roll hadn't even noticed that Bunnie and Rosie had taken off and were already browsing around the new shop for items. Timmy just laughed.

"Well you better look around before they take everything, yes please look," said Timmy. Roll just nodded as she started to browse around. In the end, she didn't buy any furniture, but she was excited to find some new wall paper and some carpet. Their next destination was the new shop between T&T Mart and the Able Sisters. Roll walked inside to find a rather small shop being run by a grey sloth wearing a yellow apron and a green cap on his head.

"Oh...umm...oh yes, hello there," he replied, "My name is...uhh...oh..Leif. Nice to meet you!"

"Leaf?" said Roll.

"No, no, Leif," he corrected, "L...uhh...E...I...F! That's it! L.E.I.F! That is how to spell my name!" Roll giggled to herself. While Lief acted like he was a bit slow witted, he was actually very smart. Roll could tell, even if it was just her gut saying so.

"I hear you are an expert on nature and the environment," said Roll.

"Oh yes I am," said Leif, "I studied for years all the finest details of keeping a clean and green environment. While learning about it is good and all, such knowledge is worthless if I can't get people to actually take the actions necessary to make their town as environmentally friendly as possible."

"Well I water flowers, pull weeds and clean out garbage in the rivers," said Roll.

"Ah-HA!" said Leif excitedly, "So you understand that a happy town is a green town. Well, if you're looking for ways to make your town even more environmentally friendly, you've come to right place! Here in Leif's gardening shop, we sell a collection of the finest flower seeds and tree saplings you can find! We also sell occasional gardening tools if you should need them." Roll noticed the axe and grinned.

"That axe would come in handy, I'm trying to relocate some trees in my town for a much prettier arrangement," said Roll.

"That's the happy axe," said Leif, "the price is...uhh...oh yes...500 bells. Would you be interested?"

"Yes please," said Roll as he handed her the axe and she tucked it carefully into her pockets.

"Oh word of warning," said Leif, "These axes don't last forever. They do wear out the more you use them and can break once they've completely worn out."

"Good to know," said Roll, "Now how about these flowers over here?" Leif showed Roll both the tree sapling as well as the two flower packs, which she purchased as well, clearing out the entire shop before she bid Leif goodbye. Their next visit was to Harriet. As they made their way towards the entrance. Roll noticed that her friends had grown rather quiet as they approached the entrance.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked. Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other quietly.

"Are...are you going to change your hair, silly?" Rosie asked curiously. Roll just removed her hat and ran her fingers through it for a moment despite keeping it tied in its pigtails.

"I'm not sure. Why?" Roll asked them. Bunnie just looked at her quietly.

"I really like your blonde hair, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I guess I just don't want you to change that part of you. You're hair is so pretty as it is, Roll, but it's up to you." Roll just smiled.

"I wasn't going to change my hair," said Roll, "I accept that I am just a dumb blonde and can live with that."

"But you're not..."

"Besides," said Roll, cutting off Rosie, "I wasn't thinking of changing my hair color, just the style of it. Well...look..." Roll undid her pigtails and showed them her hair as it looked fully down. Bunnie and Rosie awed as Roll's hair fell just more than halfway down her back. It was also very thick and a bit messy. Roll felt insecure as they looked at her for a moment and then they both smiled at her.

"It's looks just fine Roll," said Rosie, "You just need a good brushing and combing is all. Come on. I'm sure Harriet can help with that!" Roll just looked rather shy but smiled as they made their way inside. A pink poodle wearing a blue dress with a red and white apron was there waiting.

"Why hello there, welcome to the one and only Shampoodle!" said the pink poodle, "You must be the new mayor correct?"

"Yes I am," said Roll gently, "My name is Roll. And you're...miss..."

"Just call me Harriet sugah!" the poodle replied, "and I see you've got a bit of a hair situation on you!"

"I know it's hopeless," said Roll in defeat.

"Nonsense sugah!" said Harriet, "Here at Shampoodle, we help you wear your inner beauty on the outside! How about you take a seat in that chair over there and we can get started."

"Okay," said Roll as she handed Rosie her straw hat and then took a seat on the barber's chair.

"Now just so you know the full package, which includes a cut, color, styling, and shampoo is 3000 bells," said Harriet. Roll blinked a bit at the price but then looked at herself sadly.

"If you can make me look beautiful then I'll do it," said Roll. Harriet just looked at her gently.

"All I can do is fix your hair, sugah," said Harriet, "I can't make you feel beautiful. Only you can do that by believing in yourself more."

"I see..." said Roll quietly, "Well, can you at least keep the length and the hair color please. I'm a...blonde." She wanted to add "dumb" but didn't want to be criticized again so just left that part out.

"Of course sugah," said Harriet, "You do have a say in what I do for your hair. Just relax dear. Harriet will take good care of you." Roll gave her a shy smile as she let Harriet get to work. She was nervous because her hair was really sensitive, but she found it easy to trust the poodle for some reason. In about thirty minutes. she had given Roll's long hair a nice cleaning and touch up. Her hair was not only thinned out, but Harriet discovered that Roll's hair had a loose wave to it, so she washed it and dried it lightly to bring that natural wave out. She was also gentle with her hair to and Roll relaxed right away as Harriet did her work. She had also cut her bangs so they were more even and also visible since she noticed her hat. Roll looked at herself in the mirror once Harriet had finished.

"There you go sugah, good as new," said Harriet, "I can't wait to see you sport your new look!" She was under the assumption that Roll was going to leave it down, but even if she retied her hair into pigtails or a ponytail. Her work was still noticeable.

"Thank you Harriet," said Roll gently, "My hair does look really nice. I was gonna tie it, but I can leave it down for today."

"Here's your hat," said Bunnie. Roll place it on her head and then examined herself.

"I like it," said Roll, "This new hairstyle goes well with my hat."

"That is why I designed it this way," said Harriet, "just call it girl's intuition." Roll smiled as she and her friends made their way out of the shop. The Able Sisters had plenty to say themselves regarding her new hairstyle and Roll couldn't help but blush at all the complements. Since Kick's shoes store was still being constructed, she didn't need to worry about visiting there and she and her friends headed back into town. It was there that she ran into both Margie and Lolly, who were in a discussion with each other as she walked by.

"Hello there Roll," said Lolly, "oh I like what you did with your hair, bonbon!"

"Same here, tootie," said Margie, "I've never seen you with your hair down. It looks so pretty!"

"Thanks," said Roll, "now what's going on?"

"I hear you've got your permit for developing the town, bonbon," said Lolly, "I have an idea for a project!"

"Oh what is it?" said Roll.

"I want to suggest a fairy tale streetlamp!" said Lolly.

"Oh that would be so cool!" said Roll.

"Hey!" said Bunnie in protest, "I already had suggested the round street light!"

"Well I think the town would be prettier with my fairy tale light then your round light, bonbon!" said Lolly indignantly.

"I like cute things as much as the next, tee hee," Bunnie snorted, "but even a nice town needs some sort of pizzazz."

"Puh!" said Lolly, "You probably can't even spell that, bonbon!" Bunnie grunted angrily.

"Just because I _accidentally_ spelled your name with one L instead of two," said Bunnie through her teeth, "doesn't make me a bad speller, tee hee!" Soon Lolly and Bunnie were arguing over which street lamp Roll should build and who was the better speller. Rosie and Margie just rolled their eyes at the two as Roll looked uneasy at the two as they continued to argue with each other.

"Never mind them tootie," said Margie, "Rather than worry about a light, why not make a bench, the fairy tale bench would be a nice addition to the town."

"Well maybe..."

"Now hold on just a minute there, purrty!" said Katt as she approached the group, "I was going to propose a log bench in the town!"

"A fairy tale bench would be alot nicer than a log bench, tootie," said Margie indignantly.

"Sez you!" said Katt, "A log bench would give the town a more rustic feel since it's so nature oriented! Plus there is more space to sit on that bench too!"

"What's the supposed to mean?" Margie asked rather angrily.

"You're so big the bench would probably break the moment you sat on it!" said Katt. Margie grunted angrily and let out a loud toot of her trunk before they two were going at it. Roll just looked at both arguments in defeat, clearly unsure of what to do.

"Never mind, silly," said Rosie, glaring at both bickering pairs, "let's just go okay!" Roll just nodded before they made their way back towards the house. Rosie could tell that Roll still looked very glum as they arrived at her front door.

"Don't let them get to you, silly," said Rosie, "In the end, your first public works project choice is ultimately going to come down to you."

"I know," said Roll, "but I hate to see people argue over which project I should choose."

"Well there's an easy solution to that, silly!" said Rosie with a smile.

"What might that be?" Roll asked Rosie curiously.

"Just pick my project, the fairy tale bridge!" said Rosie with a smile.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Fang since he had been walking by and heard the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Rosie asked defensively.

"You wanna put that into this town, cha-chomp" said Fang, "if you're gonna add a bridge, you gotta make a wooden one! Now that would be a much better project choice!"

"What's wrong with my bridge?!" Rosie snapped like a child who didn't get their way.

"A fairy tale bridge is way too girly!" said Fang, "We need something more manly in town!"

"Well I don't want to be manly," Rosie pouted, "I'm a girl if you haven't noticed!"

"Kind of hard to tell, cha-chomp!" Fang retorted, "you act like a brat most of the time!"

"Well you act like an old timer, silly!" Rosie shot back.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?" Fang yelled angrily.

"You heard me, grandpa!" she yelled back and the they were soon fighting as well. Roll just looked at the two dumbfounded before she grunted and headed inside, slamming the door shut to block out the noise. Sadly, her door didn't block out anything and she rushed upstairs to try and block out the sound of the arguing. While being upstairs helped, it only helped a little since, in her opinion, their voices seemed to get louder she started to pant heavily before she dove into her bed and grabbed her pillow to cover her ears, knocking her sunhat to the floor. Roll felt so helpless at that moment and did the only thing she could think of.

She began to cry.

She buried her face into her mattress and just cried all by herself. By the time she had stopped the sun began to set, and her eyes were bloodshot. She slowly wiped her eyes before grabbing her hat and walking downstairs to head back outside. On the good note, the arguing had stopped and both Rosie and Fang had left, but the tension could still be felt in the air. She had been so excited to pick her own public works projects, but now she was seeing that her choice was going to have a bigger impact on the town than she had hoped. Yet it wasn't in a good way. The idea of having to disappoint other villagers made her feel awful inside. She had worked so hard to get everyone to like her. Now her choice could make some villagers dislike her.

Choosing a public works project had just gotten much more complicated.

 **Until I'm told otherwise, I don't think Isabelle wears shoes with her winter or spring secretary outfits.**

 **Yeah...everyone probably does the Beautiful Town Ordinance but that's the one that fits her personality. Also for the story's sake, Roll will be getting more than one project request a day.**

 **And how many girls fell that the female villagers should have longer hair styles available in the game? Not all girls like the shoulder length you know or they go pigtails or pony tail just to say their hair is longer in some respects.**

 **Plus conditions for getting the Village badges (the ones based on how many hours you play) are different in this story. Bronze is for more than 2 weeks, Silver is for 6 months, and Gold is for exactly one year, which is the ultimate goal for anyone who plays Animal Crossing.**

 **Plus you have to agree that main street development counts too in terms of public works projects.**

 **Stay Tuned!**


	14. Public Works Projects Part 3

The first Public Works Project part 3

Roll almost didn't want to even wake up that morning, she was feeling emotionally spent. She had a good reason to feel that way too.

Yesterday, after the triple argument that had occurred, her venture to try and relax by fishing ended up just landing her in the wrong place at the wrong time. While at the river, she ran into Benjamin and Alfonso, who each had their own idea for a public works project. Benjamin proposed a Tire Toy and Alfonso had suggested a Jungle Gym. Before Roll could even say thank you for their suggestions, the two boys began to argue over which idea was better. Roll tried to intervene this time, but was told by both to "bud out!". Roll just walked away and decided to head to the beach to see if she could get away from the fighting for a little while. But fate had other ideas for her. She found Purrl and Whitney taking a constitutional along the beach shore together when Roll had started fishing in the ocean. She had even tried standing along the edge of the surf to see if the shifting waters along her bare feet would help her relax. The minute the two snooty villagers saw her, they were quick to share of own public works projects ideas to her. Purrl had a Statue fountain and Whitney had a hot springs. Then of course the dispute began after Purrl accused Whitney of worrying too much about her complexion. Whitney asked why Purrl would want just a stupid statue that doesn't help anyone? Roll tried to add her two cents but was quickly shut down. in fact, when she tried to push the two apart, she got knocked into the surf. Now soaking wet, she gave up trying to do some fishing altogether and headed towards the orchard to gather some oranges for money when she bumped into Marshal. By now she had prepared to hear about another project request, which the squirrel offered a Wind Turbine. Roll liked the idea of having Eco-friendly electricity, but then Rudy popped out of nowhere and proposed the Instrument shelter, saying weather forecasts were more important. Everywhere Roll got proposals, she ran into two villagers arguing over which project was better. Of course, Roll could not get a word in edge wise no matter what she did and just walked away.

Then as if things didn't get worse, on her way home she found a that Margie, Katt, Rosie, and Bunnie were still arguing with each other, blocking her entrance to her own house. Except now the argument was four ways. At first only words were exchanged but then to her shock, Margie, of all people slapped Rosie across the face. Margie went into over apologetic mode and tried to say sorry until Bunnie slugged her, knocking Margie down. Katt then gave a feline shriek as she dive bombed on top of Margie and Rosie and Bunnie joined the foray as the four began to wrestle with each other, causing a cartoon-style cloud to surround them. Roll only need a second before she rushed over to the group.

"Stop! Stop! Stop it!" Roll shouted. Roll was then nailed in the face by someone's fist and sent to the ground. That got everyone to stop fighting as Roll slowly rose to her feet. Roll couldn't speak as she just held the area that had gotten struck, which was her eye. She broke down in tears and dashed back to her house and there she stayed for the rest of the day. While no one came after her, she was still shaken up about going back outside. She didn't want someone else to hit just because she was there.

She had no intentions of getting out of bed after what had happened. The only place she could find comfort was under her blankets of her bed. Then she was startled by a loud knock on the door. Roll hoped that they would only knock a few more times and then leave, but then was startled when they made their way into her house. Fearing that she was either being robbed or about to be tracked down or worse, she ducked underneath her bed and curled into a ball. Roll trembled as she could hear footsteps slowly make their way towards her bedroom. Roll nearly held her breath as she saw a pair of light brown feet make their way into the bedroom. Then they immediately made their way towards the bed. Roll had never felt this frightened in a long time when the figure showed their face and Roll screamed. Yet the scream was short lived.

Mostly because she saw that is was Sable, wearing a gingham apron but had added a sunhat just like Roll's to her head.

"Roll, what are you doing under there?" she asked gently. Roll just continued to hide against the back wall, afraid to move towards her.

"I...I thought...you...you were a robber...or...s-s-someone...w-w-w-ho..."

"Calm down," said Sable, seeing that Roll was clearly frightened, "I am not gonna hurt you. If you recall, you gave my family a spare house key." Roll just looked at her and then settled a bit, but still remained curled into her small ball.

"Oh...r-r-right," said Roll with a sheepish but also embarrassed chuckle.

"Come on out of there," said Sable. Roll didn't want to, but after noticing that Sable wasn't going to move, she obeyed. She slowly belly crawled out and Sable gasped when she saw her.

"Roll what happened to you?" Sable exclaimed with worry. Roll looked puzzled until she took a look at herself through her vanity. She noticed that her left eye was now a deep shade of black. Roll just looked at it with a blank expression on her face. Sable only needed to see the sadness on Roll's face started to grow and her body slouched forward to realize what Roll was doing.

"Stop!" said Sable firmly, knowing that Roll was degrading herself in the mirror. Roll just looked at her quietly. Sable pulled the young girl into her arms and just held her gently. Roll only needed about three seconds before she just broke down crying. Sable just held her gently, but had guided her to the bed so they were sitting on the edge until Roll had cried herself out. Sable then ducked into her pockets where she kept a tiny first aid kit. She opened it and grabbed some medicine and began to tend to Roll's eye.

"Does it really matter?" Roll whimpered.

"Yes it does," said Sable, "A girl like you is far too pretty to be walking around with a black eye. Now why don't you tell me how you got this while I tend to it?" Roll really didn't want to but she felt the urge to. She needed to talk to someone about this and if there was anyone she could confide in right now, it was Sable.

"Well, I got my town development permit yesterday," Roll quietly, "and I was really excited about building my very first public works project."

"I see," said Sable as she applied the medicine to her eye. While Roll flinched at the contact of the cloth with the solution, she knew it stung because the medicine was doing its work. It wasn't much longer before her eye was completely healed.

"So, you got your permit for making public works projects," said Sable, "Now how does that tie in with you getting a black eye?" Roll sniffled.

"Everyone in the town began suggesting public works projects," said Roll, "but then they were fighting over which project was better. Then a fist fight broke out and when I tried to break it up (sniff). I got nailed in the face!"

"They hit you?!" Sable exclaimed in shock.

"I don't know who hit me," Roll sobbed, "and they kept fighting and wouldn't stop! I didn't know what else to do...so...so like a coward I ran here and I've been here since last evening!" Roll began to cry again, but this time loudly. Sable just embraced her gently until she had calmed down again, in which she gently wiped her tears away once she had cried herself out.

"I didn't think developing a town would be such a mess," said Roll, "and I still have to chose a project to build."

"No you don't," said Sable, "No one can force you to make a public works project dear. Developing the town is purely optional Roll. You are not obligated to develop the town and no one can force you in choosing a project either."

"Maybe, but building and developing the town is my responsibility," Roll quietly, "but after what I saw happened after just taking suggestions, I am really nervous to pick a project right now."

"Why Roll?" Sable asked her curiously.

"I don't want the villagers to hate me," said Roll quietly, "I don't want to get hit again!"

"Roll, from what you told me, you got beaned in the eye because you accidentally got caught in the crossfire," said Sable, "Nobody would dare slug you just because you didn't pick their project."

"Are you sure?" Roll asked fearfully.

"Of course I'm sure," said Sable, "Now come on. I'm sure you've got some dailies that you need to get done today!"

"You're...you're coming with me?" Roll asked. Sable nodded.

"Of course," said Sable, "You need a friend right now. Plus I'm not going to let anyone hurt my friend because of _their_ problems!" Roll was dumbfounded and just shook her head.

"But all that work in your shop," she croaked, "you hate falling behind Sable! Why put yourself behind for me?" Sable just gave her a warm smile.

"You come first," she said simply and Roll covered her face and began to cry once more. Now Sable was even more concerned about Roll than ever.

"Roll is there something that I need to..."

"No one has ever said that to me!" she sobbed in a broken tone as he tears continued to stream down her face. Sable just looked at her as her heart filled with compassion and sympathy towards the girl.

 _Forget my own past,_ she thought to herself, _this poor girl had been downright neglected! No wonder she thinks so little of herself! No one...no one has ever cared enough to help her before. That is so sad..._

"That orphanage really neglected you didn't they?" said Sable concerned. Roll tried to calm herself down and just nodded. Sable waited, hoping Roll would say more to open up to her.

"Like I said," said Roll quietly, "I was invisible, doomed to live in my own dusty, dirty corner of the building. They didn't care how I was doing. They didn't care how I felt or what I thought. I had no friends, no support. They only cared that we stayed out of trouble and went to bed on time. I bet if I was dead, they never would have noticed!"

"Don't say that," said Sable, "and why didn't people pay attention to you? Why would parents have felt the compassion to even go over to you and try to speak with you?" Roll just looked at her sadly and shrugged her shoulders.

"What do you think keeps me up at night?" Roll asked upset, "and tears away at my soul day after day? I. Just. Don't. Know." Now Sable was starting to get somewhere. Roll had just revealed another clue about herself. The fact that she was ignored and neglected in the orphanage. Any child would want to know why they were being shut out if they weren't doing anything to cause it. Plus being ignored could really damage a person in the long run. She would know.

"That kind of explains why you struggle to feel good about yourself sometimes, or feel beautiful," said Sable. Roll just sniffed to herself.

"Well?" said Roll.

"Well what dear?" Sable asked gently.

"Why did they do that to me?" Roll asked, "and how do I know the villagers won't do that to me when I make my choice?"

"They won't," said Sable, "and while I can't answer that question about why parents didn't want you. I can certainly tell you that they clearly were not worth your time Roll. There's nothing wrong with you and if they can't see that, then they were the most stupid people in the entire world." Roll just looked at her sadly before a small smile came from her face.

"Thanks Sable," said Roll, "I've...never had a friend who would do what you're doing for me before. Thank you." Sable smiled before she embraced her. Roll hugged her back as a soft smile appeared on her face.

"Aright, you get dressed so we can get going on your day," said Sable. Roll nodded as she changed into her overalls dress. She tried to ponytail her hair, but Sable stopped her and started to comb it herself.

"I usually keep in a ponytail or pigtails," said Roll.

"Roll, Harriet really did a wonderful job making your hair have a natural curl," said Sable, "It's so pretty down. You should leave it that way sometimes." roll just looked at herself quietly in the mirror.

"I don't know..." Roll said in hesitation.

"Please...for me?" Sable asked sweetly. Roll just sighed and let go of her hair so it flowed effortlessly down her back, showing that it's length was roughly halfway down her back. Sable smiled as she gave a gentle brush and put on Roll's sunhat. Then they made their way out of the house.

"So what do you do first?" Sable asked.

"Well I better water these flowers first," said Roll, pointing to the rather large collection of flowers nearby.

"Did you enact the beautiful town ordinance?" said Sable, "We got the message about it last night from Isabelle."

"Yeah, but Isabelle said it would take a day or two before the law would take effect in terms of not seeing dying flowers and such," Roll explained.

"Well, go on," said Sable, "I'll be right here when you finish with these." Roll nodded, with some reluctance to move and then got to work. Since the flowers were so scattered now, Roll alternated from her money rock and fossil searching with watering every now and then. And to prove her speculation about the beautiful town ordinance taking another day to go into effect, Roll did find her usual three weeds and even a few dying flowers, which Roll immediately watered. She had just hit her fifth rock and got nothing when she noticed Bunnie walking by. Despite the fist fight, she didn't appear to have any bruises, scrapes, or cuts on herself. Well...there was a small tear on the side of her green plaid tee.

"Hey Bunnie," she called out.

"Ugh," was her only reply.

"Are you okay?" Roll asked.

"No! I'm not, tee hee!" said Bunnie angrily, "That Rosie drives me crazy and Katt does to. I don't know why I put up with them. They're both just spoiled brats!"

"The way I heard it," said Sable, trying to sound impartial, "It sounded like you were both to blame."

"Puh!" Bunnie retorted indignantly, "You obviously heard wrong! Just leave me alone, tee hee!"

"Bunnie, wait!" Roll called out, but Bunnie had already walked away without another word. Roll just watched the brunt orange bunny walked away sadly as Sable put a hand on her shoulders.

"Don't worry about it Roll," said Sable, "let's just get to work." Roll nodded as she continued on her way. When she finally found her money rock, she noticed Margie exchanging some heated glances with Purrl and Alfonso before she accidentally collided with Lolly, who had been giving dirty looks to Fang and Benjamin.

"Watch where you're going stupid head!" Margie yelled.

"Why don't you, ya giant carcass!" Lolly shouted.

"Stop calling me fat!" Margie croaked.

"Stop calling me stupid!" Lolly croaked back before they both began to cry.

"You're awful! I hate you!" they both shouted in broken tone and then dashed away in tears. Sable just looked at the two in disapproval and Roll just finished storing her 16K into her pockets.

"Is this what I am going to have to put up with from now on?" said Roll sadly.

"Of course not," said Sable, "Everyone is just being ridiculous. Just keep doing your routine and try not to let it bother you so much okay."

"How do you know?" Roll asked worried, "You and Labelle didn't speak to each other for years before you made up!"

"That was a completely different situation," said Sable firmly, but gently, "Our fight was personal. Sure some harsh words were exchanged but it was just over something trivial. Think about it Roll. Everyone is mad at each other because they think their idea is better than the other. It's childish, but it is amazing that no matter how old you get. Fights can happen over the silliest of things."

"Well at least you didn't get the fist end of the fight," said Roll, rubbing her left eye despite that Sable had already healed it completely.

"Oh I have," said Sable, "in fact, Mabel once took a hit for me back when we were adjusting to having Labelle back home. It's been settled of course and Mabel forgave us both. My point is that sometimes getting caught in the crossfire happens, especially when you just want to keep peace. I can see your more of a peacekeeper than a fighter."

"True," said Roll, "but it's doesn't help that I stink at it."

"You just need to learn to defend yourself," said Sable, "And I know am the last person to say that to you, but still...it is the truth."

"You might struggle with that Sable," said Roll, "but any advice from you is worth alot more to me than you think. And you're right. I need to learn to defend myself more, but I hate seeing everyone so mad at each other now."

"Like I said," said Sable, "Just give it time and things will cool down. And don't let them determine what public works project you choose. In the end it's your decision what the first project will be and I'm sure you'll find just the right one to make everyone happy."

"I hope so," said Roll doubtfully.

"I know so," said Sable, "Now come on! Kick's shop just opened and I know you could use some more shoes. Even if you hate wearing them."

"Yeah," said Roll with a hallow chuckle, "I probably do. (sigh) Sable am I..."

"No, you're not," said Sable, "It's who you are." Roll smiled, as she looked at her feet and wiggled her toes, making Sable chuckle and they walked hand in hand to main street. While Sable let Roll have her time at T&T mart and Leif's...she immediately led her afterwards straight towards Kicks store. Roll just took a deep breath and walked inside. It was there she noticed a large white and black tail was raised in front of her.

"EEK!" Roll shrieked and tried to break for the door, but Sable stopped her just as the skunk turned around, revealing his cream overalls and white shirt along with a matching paperboys cap on his head.

"What's all the commotion about?" he asked curiously in a Australian accent.

"Oh sorry, Kicks," said Sable as she settled Roll down, "You're tail was raised and my friend here thought...you know..." Kicks stared for a moment and then laughed heartily, which only made Roll blush and feel embarrassed again.

"Easy there, mate," said Kicks, "I won't stench ya! I'm just a young shopkeeper ready to sell my wares. You must be the new mayor am I right?"

"Yes, sir," said Roll, "Or would you I call you...?"

"The name is Kicks," said the young skunk, "I've crafted some of the finest shoes, socks, and stockings that money can buy. I do hope you find something to your liking!"

"Oh...s-s-sure," said Roll nervously as she made her way over the area where he had some choice stockings on display, but when she looked at them again, she noticed that they were actually leggings. Both were cropped length (one inch past the knees) and in grey and black that had lacing on the leg bottoms.

"Oh I'll take both of these," said Roll, "how much for the leggings?"

"Those are 240 bells each," said Kicks, "there a good alternative to those who like extra breathing in cooler weather." Roll then blushed bright red.

"So...you know about my...fetish-ness?" she asked shyly. Kicks smiled.

"Indeed I do," said Kicks, "It does my heart good that you are willing to check out my shop."

"Y-y-yeah," said Roll, "I kind of do need some shoes for rain or snow and such. I figured I could come in with an open mind."

"No need to limit yourself to just those occasions mate," said Kicks, "I offer various types of shoes as well, boots, tennis shoes, buckle style, pumps, slip-ons, and even sandals."

"Oh, some sandals would be nice," said Roll, "I like the...hey those are the ones I got as a welcome gift!" Roll walked over to the pair of orange sandals on display for 420 bells.

"How did they fell on your feet?" Kicks asked.

"Like a dream," said Roll, "I had no idea they were from your collection Kicks. If your other shoes are that comfortable, I'll definitely be buying a few pairs from here!"

"Well feel free to take a look around mate," said Kicks, "I usually offer two types of socks and four types of shoes daily so be sure to check in every day."

"I will for sure," said Roll, "now what else do you have." The next pair up was a pair of yellow rain boots. Roll just looked at her feet and then moved on. She really wanted to try and find something else. Then she came across a pair of pink flip-flop style sandals.

"Oh these are pretty," said Roll.

"Those are the pink kimono sandals. Care to try them on?" Kicks asked. Roll nodded as she put them on her feet. Not only were they her size but the small banding that was between her big toe and index toe didn't feel awkward for her since it was the first time she had worn a sandal of that type.

"How do they feel now that you've got them on your feet?" Kicks asked, "the price is 480 bells."

"They feel so light," said Roll, "I feel like they aren't even there! And the bottom is so soft!"

"Meaning..." Sable asked with a smirk.

"I'm buying them!" she exclaimed as she slipped them off and gave Kicks the money. Then she went to the fourth pair and froze. Her smile quickly replaced with a sad frown.

"What's wrong Roll?" Sable asked. Roll pointed to the fourth pair of shoes, which were a pair of brown pumps.

"I had a pair just like those," said Roll, "I had to wear them day in and day out back...back you know where." Sable just gave her a sympathetic look and hugged her.

"What is going on?" he asked, puzzled about the issue with the brown pumps.

"Roll wore a pair of those growing up during her previous home," said Sable, "they bring bad memories." Kicks made an O with his mouth and nodded.

"Well I can assure you that those pumps and these pumps are not from the same family," said Kicks, "see for yourself." Kicks handed her the shoes and Roll just quietly began to examine them. She did see his point. Her brown pumps were scratched up, faded, rough to touch as well as wear, especially without socks. These brown pumps were very soft and Roll fingered the material around the shoe, seeing that it was a tad fuzzy against her finger. She decided to try them on. She noticed the difference right away. These ones felt like she was walking on clouds. She never once felt like the shoe was bothering or irritating her feet. As said before, unlike her old pumps, these ones could be worn comfortably without a sock. Overall, compared to her old pair, these were pure luxury for her. Then she heard something nagging the back of her mind.

 _You're not good enough for those shoes! They're brand new!_

 _You don't deserve nice things!_

 _You don't deserve them!_

 _You're not good enough!_

"YES I AM!" Roll bellowed making both Sable and Kicks jump in surprise. Roll only needed a second before she realized her outburst.

"Sorry," said Roll quietly, "Anyways, you're right. These brown pumps are nothing like my old ones. There so much better. How much?" Kick just started a bit before giving her smile.

"They will be 460 bells," said Kicks, "and are you going to wear them out?" Roll hummed in a puzzled manner until she looked at her feet and chuckled.

"Wow, you're shoes are so comfy I forgot I was wearing them," said Roll, "I mean. I love being barefooted. It's who I am, but really do love the shoes you sell here. I'll definitely be back and next time it rains. I'll be wearing these pumps for sure."

"That's all a guy like me can ask for," said Kicks, "and thank for you the support."

"Can we be friends?" she asked.

"We already are," said Kicks, "and FYI, just showing up today earned it. Not buying my wares, mate." Roll smiled and bid him thanks and good bye as she and Sable left the shop. They were about to head inside to the Able Sisters when Sable stopped her.

"Roll, wait a minute," she said firmly and held her hands.

"What's wrong?" Roll asked curiously. Sable gave her a concerned look.

"What happened in there?" Sable asked, "That outburst?" Roll said nothing and just looked away.

"Roll, please tell me," said Sable, "what happened?" Roll just looked at her sadly.

"I'm good enough," Roll replied meekly, "I deserve nice things...right?" Sable just gave her a serious look and then it melted into a smile.

"Of course you do," said Sable, "And I see I am not the only one who gets that nagging little voice in the back of their head."

"Little voice?" Roll asked.

"That tiny little voice that tries to tear you down," said Sable. Roll then gave her a very sad look.

"Oh," was all Roll could say. Sable just smiled.

"It will go away in time," she answered, "just gotta believe in yourself a little more. I know that's what I need to do."

"Well thank you for believing in me," said Roll, "Shall we head inside?" Sable nodded as she let the blonde girl enter first and she went inside right after. When she walked into she found Labelle standing where Mabel would be and Mabel was hard at work at the digital sewing machine. She turned around when she heard the door.

"Oh hey there sis," said Mabel, "I took the liberty of doing some of your work since you were busy with Roll. I hope it helped." Sable walked over to examine the work Mabel had done. She was shocked! Not only did Mabel do the patterns perfectly, but she had done more of them in half a day than the elder hedgehog could ever do.

"Mabel, you've not only done a great job, but you've put me ahead of schedule!" said Sable, "I guess I should have asked you for your help alot sooner huh?"

"Well, you live and learn sis," said Mabel, "I'll admit I was a little nervous about doing both, but thanks to Labelle, I've managed just fine."

"That's true," said Labelle, "I've still kept my quota despite the extra selling space."

"Though she did break a heel from all the walking back and forth," Mabel remarked.

"MABEL!" she snapped. Roll and Sable laughed.

"You're lucky you've got such a wonderful family," said Roll, "They were able to fill in for you so you didn't fall behind helping me. I wish I had that same support right now with all the grumbling around town."

"What is up with all of that anyway?" Mabel asked curiously, "Purrl and Whitney came in here literally shunning each other and then they ripped one of the tees we had for sale in half fighting over who was gonna buy it."

"Did you collect compensation?" Sable asked. Under the circumstances, why shouldn't they imply the old rule: you break it, you buy it.

"I did...but they were still fighting and wouldn't stop," said Mabel, "I had to ask them to leave...and they were still going at it with each other!"

"Oh boy," said Roll with a loud groan, "this is all my fault!"

"How?" Mabel and Labelle asked her at once.

"I got my town development permit yesterday," Roll explained, "and when I was getting public works projects requests, the villagers started fighting with each other over which project was better. At first the fights were just between two villagers, but then the fights began to intertwine. There was even a fist fight between a group of four. I tried to stop it but I...I got beaned in the left eye."

"Ouch!" said Mabel and Labelle together.

"And she still had the black eye when I got there this morning," said Sable, "for a girl who was never bullied, she was pretty terrified because of it. She was hiding under her bed when I found her."

"That had nothing to do with it," Roll retorted, though she was partially lying, "I thought someone had broken into my house and I got scared! I had forgotten I gave you guys a spare key!" Sable knew she was lying but Mabel and Labelle believed her.

"Well I'm sure things will settle in time," said Labelle, "fights like these never truly tear villagers apart, they only make those bonds stronger."

"Are you sure?" said Roll.

"Positive," said Labelle, "Look at me and Sable, we're practically BFFs! The complete meal!"

"What about me?" Mabel complained.

"Eh...you're the squeaky play toy that comes with the meal," said Sable and the two elder sisters both laughed. Mabel just pouted as Roll snickered and then laughed. Now she was feeling a little bit better about things in town.

But it didn't last for long.

As the day continued on, Roll was given either a cold shoulder or the villagers would grumble and snarl at each other whenever they were in eye range. Roll felt completely helpless but tried her best to continue her work as she continued to do her work and earn the bells she needed for the next expansion, which was going to be maxing out the second floor. At first Roll didn't mind the peace and quiet, but by the end of the day she had to admit that she felt lonely. Since everyone was so mad at each other, they weren't paying any attention to her. Even Bunnie and Rosie were tuning her out. A few days of the same cold shoulder began to take effect on Roll as she grew more and more depressed.

After five days had passed, even Isabelle was starting to get frustrated and irritated. Even she was noticing that Roll was becoming more and more glum. At first she thought it was due to the pressure of having to choose a public works project, but soon she got word about what had happened in regards to the public works recommendations and the fact that Roll got hurt trying to break up a fight. She had given the same advice to Roll as Sable: Just to stick with your routine and things would blow over. Unfortunately time didn't seem to be healing any wounds and even Isabelle could feel the tension whenever she walked out of her office to get some fresh air. Every time Isabelle looking around the town, she could still see villagers grumbling and scoffing at each other. Some of them even giving the shi-tzu attitude and cold shoulder. Isabelle had had enough.

"All this grumbling is causing a bad atmosphere in the town," said Isabelle annoyed, "This used to be such a happy place and now is just a battle keg just ready to blow!" It was at the time Roll came walking by, her hair now back into her pigtails but the wave in it was still visible and her overalls dress and hat. She had heard Isabelle and looked at her devastated before she slumped to her knees.

"I told you I couldn't be a mayor!" Roll shouted, "I wish I had never gotten a development permit! I ruined everything just trying to build one stupid project!" Roll began to sob as she lowered her head and sat on her knees in defeat. Isabelle just watched her for a moment before walking over to her and getting her to her feet, causing the blonde's girl's crying to stop.

"Come on," said Isabelle.

"Where...where are we..."

"We're gonna nip this in the bud right now!" said Isabelle with determination.

"How?" said Roll, "No one will listen to me! I've been shut down!" Isabelle froze, made a one eighty, and looked at her sternly, making Roll flinch.

"No mayor I trained is going to let a town do that to her!" said Isabelle angrily, "I won't let them keep doing this to you. You need to learn to stick up for yourself and I know a way to get everyone to listen!"

"But I'm not good with speeches!" Roll protested.

"You'll be okay," said Isabelle, "I just want you to trust me."

"But..."

"Trust me, Roll," said Isabelle, "Trust me! Please...trust me. When have I ever steered you wrong?"

"I..."

"That pitfall incident doesn't count!"

"I wasn't going to bring that up!" Roll snapped but then shyly added, "but...no you've never steered me wrong. But I think you overestimate me."

"No...I believe in you," said Isabelle, "Now come on. I'm not gonna let you be shut down anymore. You need to speak your mind and I know how, but you need to trust me. Can you do that for me?" Roll was very hesitant but then conceded with a timid nod. Isabelle then smiled before she took Roll's hand and then pulled out a mega phone.

"ATTENTION ALL VILLAGERS!" said Isabelle, "I NEED EVERYONE TO REPORT TO THE EVENT PLAZA FOR AN IMPORTANT MEETING! AND EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN THIS TOWN NEEDS TO BE THERE. ONLY REESE AND CYRUS ARE EXEMPT!" Isabelle then put the megaphone away and then pulled Roll over the event plaza. When they got there the rest of the villagers arrived one by one. They were looking really glum, irritated by default, and they were glaring at one another as they arrived at the plaza.

"What is this all about, snappy?" said Whitney annoyed, "I have no interest in being here with these...umm...villagers here!"

"Yeah, we've got better things to do than to be surround by the likes of them, cha-chomp!" Fang added.

"The feeling is mutual old man!" Rosie and Bunnie shouted together.

"Hey that's my line!" they shouted back at each other.

"Why you-"

Everyone began to argue with each other once again. That was the last straw for Roll.

"Would everyone just...SHUT UP!" Roll snapped angrily and loudly, That got everyone to stop yelling and look at her.

"Now listen up everyone. I've had it up to here with all this attitude and negativity in my town and this is going to stop right now!"

"You can't tell me what to do, kitten," Purrl protested, "You may be the mayor, but I'm older than you for crying out loud!"

"Then why aren't you in the museum?" Margie snapped.

"Yeah with the ancient relics?" Lolly added.

"Quit stealing my moment!" Margie yelled.

"Quit stealing mine!" Lolly shot back.

"ENOUGH!" Roll screamed in a high shriek and they all stopped talking. Roll panted heavily as she tried to not only calm herself down, but also prevent herself from crying. She didn't want to cry. She was tired of crying. She was tired of being shunted. She was tired of all the grumbling.

She had enough.

"That's...enough..." Roll repeated but this time with anger and frustration in her tone, "This grumbling is getting beyond ridiculous! I am sick and tired of walking out of my house and feeling like this town is gonna explode into a turf war, which would destroy everything that I've done to get this town ready for development. In fact, that is ultimately what this whole grumbling is about! It's all about town development!" It didn't take long before the glares soften and guilt soon replaced the bitterness that had developed in each of the twelve villager's hearts.

"I was so excited to get my town development permit!" said Roll, "I was so excited to finally make this town into something more than just nature friendly, but a town that we all could be proud of. I wanted my first project to be something very special and I was more than happy to take all your suggestions into consideration. Yet I didn't expect you guys to fight over which project I could chose. You should have seen the way you guys were fighting each other. You were all behaving like children who were pouting cause they couldn't have things their way! You realize how pathetic that sounds? I can tell by your faces that the fact that I'm the one having to scold you about this is really making a dent in your dignities right now and it should! You guys are supposed to be practically adults in most respects. I'm eleven years old and yet I'm the mature one right now!" If the villagers didn't feel bad enough about the situation, what Roll had to say made them feel worse. Lolly and Margie, as said before, were the most apologetic and were already crying as she continued to speak.

"This is more than just a town," said Roll, her eyes tears and voice cracking, "we are a family. I don't want this public works project tearing that family apart and making you guys hate each other. Unless you can seriously tell me that you enjoy scoffing and hating those who you called your best friends, brothers/sisters, even family." The villagers just looked at each other sadly. This time no more glares were exchanged, but rather sad looks. Roll noticed Rosie and Bunnie in particular were already crying as they just stood a few feet from each other.

"I'm speaking to you because I am tired of seeing the people that I care being so cold and rude to one another," said Roll, now crying, "because I have grown to care about all of you and I really want to be a part of that."

"You are a part of that, kitten!" said Purrl in shock and sadness.

"If we gave you the impression that we didn't care that we are very sorry, cha-chomp!" Fang added, "I guess...you are right. We did get a little silly about our project ideas and we got jealous that other villager's project suggestions would be picked over ours."

"Yeah, that is true, silly," Rosie croaked, "I did think because I'm...I mean we...Bunnie and I...were your best friends that our ideas would have a priority."

"That wasn't right, tee hee," Bunnie sobbed, "and...well...I'M SO SORRY FOR THE OTHER DAY!" Bunnie slumped to her knees. While some of the villagers looked at her puzzled, Margie and Katt just lowered their heads in shame. Margie was already crying and even Katt felt her eyes water. She tried to scoff to herself and remove them, but the guilt in her heart stopped her and all she could do was look away.

"What...happened, alrighty?" said Benjamin asked curiously.

"Four of us got into a fist fight and...well...Roll tried to break us up," Rosie explained shakily, "She got punched...in the left eye."

"We did even care to stop fighting after she got hit!" Margie sobbed.

"AND I WAS THE ONE TO SLUG HER AND ITS BEEN KILLING ME EVER SINCE!" Bunnie wailed loudly. Roll couldn't take seeing Bunnie so unraveled and approached her gently. She then knelt beside her and hugged her.

"Bunnie its okay," said Roll, trying to calm her down, but the rabbit roughly pulled away.

"How can you even say that, tee hee," she croaked, "I could see the emptiness in your eyes. You still don't think you're special or that you're important!"

"But that has nothing to do with you, Bunnie," said Roll, "It's just something that I need to work on. My point is that I don't want my first public works project to ruin this family or my friendship with all of you. If choosing a project is going to cause some of you to dislike me, than I chose not to build one at all!"

"But we were hoping that you would develop the town, it'sa me!" Alfonso retorted.

"I know we've been a little selfish lately, alrighty," Benjamin added, "but we would never hate you for not picking our projects!"

"Maybe a little disappointed, purity," Katt put in, finally feeling like she wasn't going to crumble or cry, "but I wouldn't go so far as to say that we would hate you! We could never hate you!"

"We never meant to put so much pressure on you about all of this, snappy," said Whitney quietly.

"We never wanted you to feel obligated to have to chose our projects," said Fang, "Even if you never pick a project we suggest to build, we wouldn't hate you for it. And we would still be glad you were willing to listen to our suggestions, cha-chomp!"

"We've all acted inappropriately over the last few days and it's clearly upset you, sulky," said Marshal.

"We are all very sorry," said Rudy, "I guess we did get caught up in the moment, mush. I'll admit. I do sometimes get a bit over competitive."

"But that doesn't excuse our behavior towards you or each other, kitten," said Purrl, "I know better and yet even someone my age is still prone to getting jealous. I'm in disgrace."

"Not really Purrl," said Margie, "We've all made our mistakes, but I'm not beneath saying that I was wrong and that I am very sorry to everyone!"

"Same here!"

"Me too"

"Me three!"

"Me four!"

"Me five!"

"Yeah, I don't want to fight anymore! I want to be friends again!" The next few minutes involved a few more tears as apologies and hugs were exchanged between the twelve villagers. Soon everyone was smiling and chatting with each other again as they had done before. Roll smiled as she wiped her eyes of her own tears and Isabelle gave her a gentle hand squeeze.

"See Roll?" said Isabelle, "it pays to speak up about your problems." Roll nodded in agreement. She did feel good about speaking up for herself and by doing so, she was able to get rid of the tension that had plagued the town a few days ago. Roll was when surprised when both Rosie and Bunnie hugged her tightly together.

"We're sorry," they said sweetly. Roll smiled and hugged them back. Soon the other villagers gave her each an apology as well.

"Well I'm glad all that is settled," said Roll once the hugging and apologies had finished.

"You're still going to build a public works project right, mush?" Rudy asked. Roll just sighed loudly.

"I don't know..."

"Roll, just pick whatever comes from the heart, bonbon," said Lolly, "We will support your choice and help you fund it as well."

"They can do that?" Roll asked, looking at Isabelle.

"Of course they can," said Isabelle, "You won't have to raise the funds for public works projects all by yourself Roll. The funds used for paying off the costs for project are all done by donations. I'll show you how that happens once we get an actual project set up."

"Alright," said Roll, "Since everything is taken care of here. Do you mind if I take another look at the project listed? Maybe I can find something now that I don't have to worry about being hated for my choice."

"Roll, no one is gonna hate you," said Isabelle, "I have complete faith that the first project here will be the best thing that this town needs. So just relax and you can take a look at the list again once we get back to Town Hall, okay?" Roll smiled as she bid the rest of the village goodbye and they all waved until Roll was out of sight.

Roll spent the rest of the day looking at the list of projects which now had twice as many projects on the list due to the villager's requests. She still felt a bit overwhelmed, but rather than it being due to fear, it was mostly due to the fact that she felt there were alot of projects that she felt would make a good first public works project. By the time it was just past midnight, Isabelle had finished with her own work. She had been well aware that Roll had never left her desk.

"Well it's time for me to get some sleep," said Isabelle, "I better make sure Roll gets home safely since it's so late." Isabelle headed towards the mayor's desk and saw that Roll's sunhat was hanging over her face. Isabelle looked concerned until she lifted the hat and saw that Roll had fallen asleep at her desk and the touch pad had pretty much shut down due to its battery life being drained. Isabelle chuckled to herself as she gently rubbed Roll's back to wake her up.

"Roll? Roll..." she said gently. The girl shifted slowly as she lifted her head with sleepy eyes.

"Time to head home," she said gently.

"No...project...gotta...make a...a...choice," said Roll sleepy and then her head leaned forward as she began to fall back asleep. Isabelle just chuckled and sighed to herself as she gently lifted Roll to feet so they could leave. Then Isabelle remembered she had forgotten her purse and had Roll take a seat on the reception seats just near the door. Within the thirty seconds it took Isabelle to grab her green purse and put it around her shoulders, she found that Roll had laid down on the two seats and had fallen asleep again. Isabelle just smirked as she tried to wake her up again.

"Roll, Roll," said Isabelle, but her efforts were no good. Roll was fast asleep and wasn't not going to budge. Isabelle just sighed in defeat, but she also had a soft smile on her face.

"Well, I kind of wanted to keep working anyway," said Isabelle. The shi-tzu had made a promise to Roll that she wouldn't work too late at night and that she would get plenty of rest and sleep. Unfortunately, Isabelle was only going home two or three times a week and was actually working late into the night and just sleeping in her secretary chair. Tonight would have been one of the nights she would have gone home, but it looks like that wouldn't be the case.

"At least I've got a cover up story if she asks why I'm still here," said Isabelle, "Hopefully once she's up, I can still make a fast trip home for a shower and a change of clothes." The shi-tzu then put her purse down, grabbed a spare blanket to cover the girl, and then continue her work. However, seeing Roll made her feel guilty so she put her work away and just reclined in her chair and went to sleep.

It was past seven in the morning when Isabelle finally stirred from her secretary chair. She woke with a start once she saw the clock and fell out of her chair. She then noticed that the spot Roll had fallen sleep at was empty.

"I'm back here," said a rather annoyed voice. Isabelle got back on her feet and noticed that Roll was looking at the touch pad once more. Isabelle just stayed put before making her ways toward the young mayor. Roll greet her with a glare.

"I heard you last night," she remarked, clearly upset. Isabelle just sighed to herself.

"Sorry," said Isabelle, "I...well..."

"If you promise to take your time showering, getting dressed, eating and all that," said Roll, "I'll let you back in at noon. That should give you plenty of time to clean up, rest, and think about not lying to me anymore." Isabelle just looked at her sadly.

"I'm really sorry," said Isabelle, "I'll go change into a clean uniform and rest at home till then. My only defense is that I wanted to make your job easier." Roll nodded.

"I just don't want you to burn yourself out," said Roll quietly, "Now please take the morning off and then when you come back. I should have a decision made on a project." Isabelle smiled and gave her a nod before making her leave. The extra rest did Isabelle some good and she even took a nap after her shower to relax. She arrived right at noon where Roll was waiting outside the town hall for her.

"You could have come late," said Roll, now smiling.

"Hey, I was worried about you," said Isabelle in her defense, "did you finally come up with a project?" Roll nodded.

"I really feel in my heart that this particular project will be a great benefit to the town," said Roll. She quietly whispered the project to Isabelle, who smiled excitedly once she heard what her decision was.

"That would be a perfect first public works project!" said Isabelle, "Come on. Show me where you would like to build it!" Roll nodded as she took Isabelle by the hand to lead her to the location. Since Roll had to stand at exactly the right spot to set up the construction posts. It took a few tries before Roll got the project set up at just the right location she wanted. Once the area was fenced in, Roll noticed a strange looking totem pole like thing was placed in front of the fenced area.

"This little guy is named Lloid," Isabelle explained, "He will be the one who will handle collecting all the donations for the project. It shouldn't take too long to fund the project since this one only costs 59,800 bells."

"True," said Roll, "but I could just pay this off by myself you know."

"Don't," said Isabelle, "Give it day and see who helps to contribute to the project and then if there's still bells left, then you can pay the difference. Trust me, this village won't let you have to take care of the funding by yourself."

"Even if I wanted to?" Roll asked.

"Roll, just wait," said Isabelle gently but firmly. Roll just conceded and then went to do her dailies. Isabelle just watched her disappear before heading back to work. Since the tension was gone, Roll had no problem finding her friends and spending the day with them once her dailies were finished so that helped pass the time and soon the day was over. But before going to bed, Roll decided to go check on the public works sight.

"Good evening, Lloid," said Roll.

"Good evening Mayor Roll," said the gyroid, "if you are here to contribute for the public works project. I'm pleased to tell you that the funds for the project have been paid in full." Roll went agape at the news.

"Really?" said Roll, "the project is fully funded?"

"Indeed," said Lloid, "Construction will be done in the morning!" Roll just smiled excitedly and cheered for joy. Not only was her project funded, but it would be finished by tomorrow. Her very first public works project was now complete.

The campsite

The next morning, Roll stood with Isabelle and the rest of the entire village as the shi-tzu cleared her throat.

"Welcome everyone to the dedication ceremony for the town's very first public works project," said Isabelle, "I'm Isabelle and I'll be your host." Everyone cheered.

"Thank you, you're too kind," said Isabelle with a blush, "and now we will have a very short speech from our own mayor!" Roll just smiled shyly.

"We did it everyone!" she shouted happily. The crowd cheerful happily for her and gave her a rousing applause. Isabelle waited for the cheers to settle before continuing.

"You have a way with words," said Isabelle with a giggle, "Now it's time for everyone to pull out that item I passed out earlier!" Everyone, including Roll, pulled out a party popper.

"Now to complete the ceremony and to say thank you to everyone who made this possible," said Isabelle, "READY. SET. POP!" Roll launched her popper first and then the rest followed before the blonde girl was showered with both confetti and applause. Roll was very pleased.

Her first public works project was a huge success.

 **FYI: The four girl fight only involved arm wrestling and fist punches. Nothing further than that. This is a family fanfiction.**

 **Roll's sleeveless nightgown is similar to the nurses outfit but with no sleeves. Plus the leggings in game appear to be about shin length, instead of knee or cropped.**

 **Don't we all wish villagers would contribute that much to project costs?**

 **Now that's four story arcs complete. Here's a preview of the next one:**

 **Mr. Grump: Everyone often questions why Marshal always has such a grumpy face. Yet no one has had the courage to ask him. Is he naturally grumpy all the time or could there be more to his face than people think?  
**

 **Find out...next time!**


	15. Mr Grump Part 1

Mr. Grump part 1

Six weeks

That was how long it had been since Roll first stepped into Animal Town and had became the new mayor.

For the six weeks she had been living here in Animal Town, Roll had learned to enjoy her new life as mayor and she found that being in charge of town development was alot more fun that she had originally thought. She no longer felt like being mayor was so stressful anymore. It was thanks to Isabelle and the rest the village that she was able to come up with a routine that allowed her to do what needed to be done to keep the town clean and everyone happy. She was also given full freedom in terms of what projects would be built around the town. Once the campsite was placed, Roll added Katt's log bench near the edge of the river where the planned cherry orchard was located and now slowly growing. She later added Margie's fairy tale bench near the edge of the pond near Retail. She had also added a lighthouse near the southwestern end of town to help Kapp'n find his way here during rainy days.

Main street also gotten some further upgrades when T&T Mart upgraded once again and was now Super T&T, which had even more items for sale on a daily basis. But the biggest upgrade was the completion of Club LOL. Rosie and Bunnie couldn't wait to take Roll down there for the opening night so they could dance the night away. Roll felt very shy at first when she was pushed into getting on the dance floor. Once she got comfortable, she had a great time and even DJ K.K. gave her a shout-out. That kind of embarrassed Roll, but the fact everyone was cheering for her made her feel rather special and the attention made her feel happy rather than insecure. Yet going to the club wasn't all fun in games. After hearing that Dr. Shrunk wanted some company, she started bringing him snacks and hanging out with him a few minutes each day. In exchange, he gave her a book in which would she could record all of the jokes he had to offer. Roll was excited at first, but after watching a few of them, she found that she was having to force laugh a little since most of his jokes were lackluster. The only thing making the visits worth it was the fact he was always so happy to see her. She just couldn't break the Axolotl's heart.

Thanks to Leif's shop, she had also gotten to work organizing the trees around town as well. The pine trees were slowly growing nice and strong. And once Roll figured out how valuable perfect fruits were, she began to make a nicely sized orchard to the left of the train station and the now orange and cherry orchard. It could be said that Margie was a little jumpy seeing her cherry tree being chopped down, but once she saw now there were replaced with six trees in their own cluster, she felt much better about the relocation. In fact, Rudy found Roll some pears and Alfonso had given her some peaches for planting. Now the once all orange, or milkan, orchard now was filled with luscious fruits of various types and Purrl didn't mind sacrificing a few orange trees if it meant having other fruits in town. While Roll considered some of the island fruits, the only ones she decided to have grow were two lemon trees and two mango trees that were placed next to the town hall. A few other non fruit trees were slowly being planted near money rocks for shade from the now warming weather. Plus Roll kept a tab on how many trees she planted since Isabelle said most towns shouldn't have no more than 200 trees. Yet the majority of the trees were located on the north side of town where only Purrl and Margie had their houses, but they welcomed the extra trees heartily.

Ever since that whole fight over the public works projects, things in town had been running much smoother. In fact, her friendships with everyone in town were continuing to grow. She had a fun time with both Bunny Day (despite almost crying after being scolded for seeing Zipper's zipper) and during the April Fool's Day event. Roll impressed everyone with how well she had been paying attention to the finer details about what made them special, such as how many siblings they had, their life catchphrases, and even their dreams and special hobbies. Roll even had to purchase a glass cabinet just to have a place to display all twelve pictures of her friends in her bedroom.

As the old saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. Because today was definitely a rainy April day in Animal Town. Roll had picked out for herself a gelato tee and dry denim skirt to wear for the day with a straw boater hat to keep her hair dry with her hair tied into a pair of pigtails. Just like she had promised Kicks, even though she had already done so a few times already, she picked her new brown pumps to keep her feet dry. Roll was rather surprised at how comfortable she was wearing a closed toe shoe, but still would prefer to be barefoot when she was at home or visiting a friend's house for a while. If she didn't have to worry about her feet getting wet, she never hesitated to take them off. Yet her friends were used to it, especially Rosie and Bunnie, who she could now officially say were her two best friends. Margie was too, but she didn't hang out with the elephant as often with her as the two peppy villagers, but that didn't mean that Roll didn't consider Margie any less of a friend.

As Roll entered town hall, she found that Isabelle was fast sleep at her desk. Roll growled to herself as she stomped up to the shi-tzu and then gave the front of her desk a loud bang with her fist. Isabelle woke with a start and tumbled right out of her chair. Isabelle shrieked as she landed on her back with hard thud. Roll also took notice that Isabelle had a pancake pasted to the front of her face. A frozen pancake to be exact.

"I'm pancake! I mean...I'm...awake!" Isabelle exclaimed as she removed the stick pancake from her face and went to sit on her chair. Then she saw a certain pig-tailed blonde glaring at her.

"Oh I am so sorry!" said Isabelle, "It's not what is looks like!" Roll just glared and then Isabelle was caught off by the sound of a loud "tap-tap-tap" on the floor.

"Do you have shoes on?" Isabelle asked. Roll just crossed her arms as her and took a step back to show off her pumps.

"It's raining...hard," said Roll bluntly, "Now please tell me why you are so tired today?" Her last words were a bit bitter but Isabelle realized why Roll was so angry.

"I left by midnight to go rest," said Isabelle, "just like a promised!"

"Then...were you just taking a little break then?" Roll asked her, this time much more gently since she could tell Isabelle wasn't lying.

"More like I got a little side-tracked," said Isabelle honestly, "Someone new visited today and had a project request for main street."

"Really?" said Roll, "Who was it and what is the project?"

"It's for a place called the Dream Suite," said Isabelle, "It's really cool. Other towns have one."

"Isabelle, just cause everyone else has one doesn't make it cool," said Roll as a matter of fact.

"Just...just hear me out," said Isabelle excitedly.

"Okay, okay, go ahead," said Roll with chuckle, "I'm listening."

"The Dream Suite is a special place where you can visit other towns via the dream world," said Isabelle.

"The dream world?" said Roll puzzled.

"That is where all our dreams are stored," said Isabelle, "the good and the bad."

"Oh," said Roll, feeling that having a place to visit dreams wouldn't be such a good idea.

"The Dream Suite in particular stores dreams of people's towns," said Isabelle, "and the everyone else can visit them. You can even add a dream version of Animal Town to the dream database so other people that have dream suites can visit here...in their dreams of course."

"Oh okay," said Roll, "that might sound like a good idea! Isabelle let's..."

"Hold it!" said Isabelle, "if you wanna do what I think you wanna do! You gotta sit in your mayor's chair. You know the rules."

"Yes mom!" said Roll annoyed as she made her way into her chair and Isabelle approached her.

"Good morning Mayor," said Isabelle, "What would you like to do today?"

"Give you a spanking," said Roll with an innocent smile.

"Ha ha," Isabelle remarked, rolling her eyes.

"I'm here to set up for donation collection and construction for the Dream Suite project," said Roll.

"Very well," said Isabelle, "The total cost of the project will be 234,000 bells and I'll set up Lloid inside the train stations for donations."

"Why there and not in Main street?" Roll asked.

"No place to legally set up a donation gyroid there," said Isabelle.

"Bureaucracy," Roll muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"Tell me about it," said Isabelle, "Anyway, anything else you would like to do?"

"That's about it," said Roll, "I'm gonna get to work on my dailies. Remember not to work too hard okay." She gave the shi-tzu a quick hug and then smiled as she made her way out of town hall. She wasn't too worried about raising the funds for the project since the villagers all pulled their weight when it came to covering the costs. Yet she was prepared to chip in herself since this was the most expensive project to date. Roll wasted no time looking for her money rock so she could put up her red umbrella to keep dry from the rain since it was coming down rather heavily now. She could even hear a few clashes of thunder in the distance. The clashes made her flinch from time to time, but she knew she still had a job to do as she carried on about her business. She had just found her money rock when she noticed at the corner of her eyes that someone was watching her. She looked up once she depleted the rock of its bells and noticed that it was a familiar white squirrel. It seems like he was trying to hide from her since the shrubs she had planted behind her house and his short height made hiding for him quite easy.

"Marshal?" she asked curiously. The white squirrel said nothing and just walked away as if he appeared to be just sulking. Roll just watched him leave quietly before getting back to work. But she couldn't keep the squirrel off her mind. Marshal had been around since she had first moved into Animal Town, yet she felt like she knew him the least. She talked to him on a regular basis and he always seemed cheery whenever she spoke to him, but she couldn't help but feel like he was more closed off to not just her but the rest of the other villagers as well. She was actually surprised to see that Marshal was the most secluded of the villagers rather than Fang, whom she thought would have been the most difficult to befriend. Fang proved her wrong though and the two were very close. While Fang didn't want it getting around town, she knew the wolf really was a big softie. She always giggled to herself whenever she remembered telling Fang that she liked having a wolf to protect her. He had blushed at the remark since Roll, in his opinion, sounded a bit flirty when she said that. She knew she wasn't, but the look on his face just made her laugh. She was giggling at the very moment when...

"Oh no, not again!" said Roll as the ground began to rumble underneath her. Apparently, she had forgotten to look before she walked to avoid the pitfall and was about to tumble in, but Roll decided to jerk herself to the side to the momentum would cause her to tumble away from the exposing pit. Her trick worked, but not to so well...she chose the wrong side to break her momentum and crashed into Katt's now large red pansy garden, crushing several flowers from the tumble. Roll panted for a bit before she sat up since the rain was dripping into her face.

"Phew that was close!" said Roll and was about to get to her feet when...

"HEY YOU!"

"EEK!" Roll jumped and saw a rather fierce looking mole before her.

"HEY'YA PUNK WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!" he bellowed, waving his axe at her frantically. Roll just looked at him frightened. Then he stopped and looked at her puzzled.

"Wait a second!" said the mole, "I don't seem to recall seeing you here before. You've got a name kid?" Roll just looked at him fearfully.

"I'm...I'm Roll," she answered slowly and timidly, "the...m-m-m-mayor."

"Ah Roll the mayor is it?" said the mole, "Since you're the mayor, there's no issue here right?" He laughed and Roll slowly calmed a bit.

Big mistake

"No you're GONNA SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND LISTEN THAT'S WHAT!" he shouted and waved his axe once more at her. Roll screamed in fright and began to cry softly as she trembled fearfully. The mole calmed down right away once he saw her crying.

"Hey, hey, take it easy! I'm not gonna hurt you," said the mole, "You see a person's reaction determines a person's character. Since you happen to be new around here, at least for me, allow me to introduce myself. I am the person who works to maintain that truth and justice always prevail here in Animal Town...well at least I used to..."

"Use to?" Roll asked once she calmed down and wiped her eyes, "what do you mean?"

"I mean once the old mayor retired the budget was redone and I AM NOW OUT OF A JOB!" the mole, belting out the last part in rage and making Roll cower back fearfully until he settled down, "nevertheless, the name is Resetti, Mr. Resetti to you. Pleased to meet ya kid!"

"L-l-l-likewise," said Roll shakily, "so...what brought you here?"

"I can sense trouble from a mile away kid," said Resetti, "I took a chance of popping out in hopes of meeting the new mayor and whatever trouble they get themselves into, like this here garden that you just wrecked." Roll looked puzzled and aside from the fact that her skirt and under bottoms weren't wet from sitting in the wet ground, she noticed a collection of crushed red pansies surrounding her where she had fallen.

"Oh no!" Roll groaned as she surveyed the mess, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to."

"I can see that," said Resetti, "I saw that hole nearby close up. Obviously you didn't do this on purpose...so there's no need for a lecture then. But of all the gardens you had to wreck, it just had to be Katt's huh? I feel for you, kid. I really do. Since you're the mayor, I'll be sure to leave word to Isabelle about restoring the reset surveillance center. Maybe you'll give this ol' mole a job with a paycheck again. Until that happens...NOW SCRAM!" With that Resetti dived back underground, closing the hole as he burrowed and leaving Roll alone with the damaged flower patch. Roll just looked at the mess and sighed to herself.

"And the day started so well too," she said to herself before taking a long breath, "well...I better go find Katt and tell her what happened." Roll stood still for a moment before she nervously went on her way. She kept an eye out for the brown furred cat as she collected her daily four fossils. When she didn't have any luck finding Katt, she decided to head straight for the museum. She was unaware that a certain white squirrel had seen the whole incident and had quietly disappeared to do his own thing...before deciding to follower her from a distance.

When Roll arrived at the museum, she noticed that the usually sleeping Blathers wasn't snoozing standing up like he usually was. Instead he appeared to be in deep thought as she made her way inside. While the museum's collection of bugs, fish, and even artwork had certainly increased. She had also taken the time to expand the museum so it now had a second floor, which was used as a gift shop and personal displays. Since Roll didn't really have much to display at the moment, she decided to just pass on a display room. She hadn't seen anything yet that sparked her interest in the gift shop, but she hoped today would be different. That priority was in the back of her head as she walked up to Blathers, who still hadn't acknowledged her arrival just yet.

"Excuse me," said Roll. Blathers then snapped out of his thoughts and noticed her.

"Oh, well hello there," he replied in his cheery manner, "Pardon my distraction for a minute there. I was in deep thought about a certain problem of mind and didn't notice you were there." Roll just smiled.

"Oh that's okay Blathers," said Roll, "is...there anything I can do to help?" Blathers looked at her for a second before he smiled.

"Oh why yes you can, my dear," said Blathers, "Since you are the mayor of Animal Town, what better person to discuss my little dilemma with! You see a long time ago I used to have a friend who worked with me here and after the terrible accident he moved away to set up shop elsewhere."

"How sad," said Roll.

"Indeed it was," said Blathers, "but despite his best efforts, he has not been very successful in setting up his shop elsewhere and is hoping to return to Animal Town."

"Who is the friend?" Roll asked curiously.

"His name is Brewster, a real genius of the coffee world," said Blathers, "he used to have his coffee shop here in the museum until the recent renovations. As you've probably guessed Roll, despite the additional floor, we no longer have the floor space to accompany him. I was hoping if you would be interested in setting up a building for the Roost to set up shop somewhere in town."

"Oh, our very own coffee shop!" said Roll excitedly, "that would be a great idea. I'll be sure to set it up as soon as the dream suite project is complete." In her own personal opinion, she would rather do a coffee shop public works project than the reset surveillance center anyway, but she didn't want to bring up her confrontation with Mr. Resetti to Blathers. Fortunately Blathers didn't seem to notice her distress as he took the four fossils and assess them.

"Well, well, all these fossils are absolutely exquisite," said Blathers happily, "In fact, we already have these on display." Roll blinked in surprise. This was the first time she had heard Blathers say that.

"Oh really?" she replied.

"If I had the funds I would purchase them myself," said Blathers, "Well I'll just give these back to you then!" Blathers handed Roll the fossils but she raised her hands in the air.

"If you really want them I don't mind giving them to you," Roll proposed.

"Oh nonsense," said Blathers, "That would be an insult to their value. Please use them for your own decor or sell them to someone who will pay them their rightful value or put them to proper use." Roll wanted to protest further but then conceded with a shy nod as she took the fossils back and then proceeded upstairs, her pumps clicking as she climbed the stairs to the second floor, where she found a certain owl sibling fast asleep at her post.

"Um...Celeste?" she asked gently. Celeste woke with a start.

"Oh please pardon me, I was just resting my eyes," said Celeste, "oh hello there Roll! Nice of you to stop by again!"

"Well you said that sometimes you get silver tools," said Roll, "Plus since we're friends, I figured you would like a visit." The red owl smiled.

"Well I do appreciate that," said Celeste, "And take a look over there. I think you'll like what you'll see." Roll looked over a display in front of Celeste and excitedly saw that she not only had a silver shovel but also a silver fishing rod.

"So what do the silver tools do?" Roll asked curiously.

"The fishing rod attracts fish to the bobber more easily and the silver shovel has a chance of you finding ores instead of bells when you hit the money rock," Celeste explained, "they are each 500 bells." Roll pondered and then smiled.

"I'll take them," she answered and paid for the bells before heading downstairs. She was only a few steps away when she miss stepped, causing her right foot to slide forward.

"Ahh!" Roll yelped as she embraced for a painful tumble down the stairs when she noticed that she was hanging in the air and hadn't hit the stairs below. She turned and noticed that Marshal was behind her, holding her hand and slowly brought her back to her feet to regain her balance. Roll hadn't even seen the white squirrel followed her upstairs and wondered where he had come from. Either way, he had saved her from a nasty fall.

"Thank you," said Roll shyly. Marshal just gave her a nod and went on his way upstairs. Roll just watched him as she turned to leave but she miss stepped again from being so distracted and ended up tumbling downstairs anyway. While Roll wasn't hurt, she just lay on her stomach in annoyance as she drummed her fingers on the museum floor. Now she had two puzzles to figure out. How to tell Katt about the damage to her garden and why Marshal seemed to be following her around for some reason. She figured since she had a problem that she had one person she could talk about the situations.

And that was Sable.

"Are you alright, sulky?" said a voice from the stairs and Roll jumped in surprise as she quickly got to back to her feet.

"Yeah, yeah, I was just...just clumsy that's all," said Roll with a giggle, but her pink cheeks showed that she was embarrassed. Marshal just looked at her with his trademark frown. He was worried but Roll couldn't see that.

"I...better get going..." said Roll as she turned to leave and took a few steps forward.

"With one shoe?" he asked her curiously. Roll stopped in her tracks and then looked down at her feet. She found that she was only wearing her left pump. Her right foot was bare and her toes wiggled on impulse as she looked at it. Her cheeks were now deep red and she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but she needed her other shoe since it was still raining hard outside.

"Ahem," said a voice. Roll knew it was Marshal standing right behind her and her cheeks hadn't settled just yet.

"I have your shoe, sulky," he continued, "Want me to put it on?" Roll just looked a bit surprised and just turned around, unsure of what to do. She still didn't turn around.

"If you don't want me to, sulky," Marshal replied after hearing just silence and feeling very awkward and embarrassed himself, "I'll just leave the shoe here. I'll see you later then...I guess." Marshal set the shoe down next to her right foot and then walked away into one of the exhibits without another word. It was after she couldn't hear his footsteps that she decided to fully turn her head and saw that he was gone. Then noticed her other shoe just sitting quietly next to her right foot and sighed.

"Why...didn't I just let him put it on?" said Roll puzzled and just sighed once more as she slipped her foot back into her shoe and left the museum. She really needed to see Sable right now.

A few minutes later, Roll entered the Able Sisters shop after doing a quick browse of Kicks, where she had found a cute pair of tropical sandals and bought them. She quickly browsed Labelle's items before heading into the main clothing store area.

"Why hello Roll," said Mabel, "nice of you to stop by and cute shoes too."

"Thanks," said Roll, "umm...is Sable super busy?"

"Sable is always busy dear," said Mabel as a matter of fact, "but her ears are open if you want to talk to her. Nice talking with you!" Roll stared before Mabel's sarcasm clicked into her head.

"Oh sorry Mabel," said Roll, "I guess you can listen to if you want. You care about me too...right?" Mabel blinked and then laughed.

"Of course I do!" said Mabel, "Pull yourself up on the desk over there, take off them shoes, and spill!" Roll just nodded as she removed her pumps and then pulled herself up onto the desk where the cash register was just dangled her feet in the air before lifting her left foot and just wiggled her toes.

"You really are fetish aren't you?" Mabel asked and Roll blushed shyly as she lowered her leg and then decided to cross her ankles.

"Yeah," said Roll, "I told you guys I was a freak."

"Stop it, young lady," said Sable as she continued to sew, "It's just who you are. And I am willing to bet the reason you do that was because you had nothing else to do in your old home correct?"

"Yeah," said Roll quietly, "other than reading of course. And I often had to do it in secret...cause I was teased about it, but not for long cause I was considered so boring. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about right now. I've got some more important problems right now.

"I'm listening," said Mabel as Roll took a deep breath.

"Well..." Roll stuttered nervously, "...you see earlier this morning I got a bit distracted and...

"GRRR!" said a fierce voice as they stomped into the shop. It was Katt and she was furious. Roll flinched as she pulled her knees into her chest on the desk, careful to keep them tucked tightly for modestly due to her short skirt.

"Whoa, what's with you Katt, you looked steamed," said Mabel calmly. Katt's looked at her angrily.

"Someone trashed my red pansy garden and whoever did is gonna pay, they are gonna pay, purrty!" she said menacingly. Roll looked really anxious and was even trembling a little. It didn't take Sable long to figure out that was what Roll had come to discuss with her.

"Roll," said Sable as the blonde girl looked at her with fears radiating from her eyes. Sable just gave her a calm smile and a nod, assuring Roll that she knew what she had to do. Roll took a deep breath before sliding off the table, adjusting her skirt a bit and then made her way towards the fuming brown cat.

"Umm...Katt," Roll said slowly as the said Katt glared at her.

"I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone right now, purrty," she said sternly, "I want to find the person who wrecked my garden! And they will pay! Mark my words, they will pay!" Katt shook her fist to emphasize her point. Roll looked frightened and the rest just came out.

"I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I'm the one who wrecked your garden!" she burst out at once and a few tears began to fall from her eye. Katt's leaned away in shock.

"What the...you?" said Katt stunned, "You wrecked my garden!" Roll's eyes continued to tear but she was able to keep her composure.

"I was just looking for fossils and such and I overlooked a particular dig spot," Roll explained quietly as Katt crossed her arms, "When the ground began to cave in, I jerked my body to the side to avoid falling in and it wasn't until I got up that I saw that I had tumbled into your garden. Please believe me that it was an accident! I'll find you some new red pansies okay! I promise! I'll fix the damage..." Roll voice cracked a bit but she really didn't want to start crying in front of Katt, who was just listening to her and then just glared at her with her arms crossed. Roll quickly wiped her tears and stayed put.

"Well?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"Well what?" Katt asked bluntly. Roll just looked directly into her eyes.

"I'm waiting," said Roll bravely, "Aren't I supposed to pay as you said?" Katt then blinked and uncrossed her arms and put them on her hips.

"Are you really going to just stand there and let me beat you up?" said Katt. Roll continued to look at her bravely with bloodshot eyes and nodded. Katt softened after that and just huffed to herself.

"You're braver that I thought, purrty," said Katt, "Not too many people will stand up to me when I'm angry. And I know you're not the type of person to get careless or wreck my garden on purpose right?"

"Of course not," said Roll, "I like planting and growing flowers, not killing them!"

"Exactly," said Katt, "my point is that you were brave enough to confront me and tell me the truth instead of hiding from me like most cowards do. I'm proud of you, purity. You're learning to stand up for yourself." Roll sniffled as she gave her a brave smile.

"Thanks Katt," said Roll, "Like I said, I'll replace to damaged ones as soon as I can."

"I know you will, purrty," said Katt, "I'll see you later then." Katt gave her a smile to assure her that everything was cool between them as she headed into the accessories section to speak to Labelle.

"See Roll?" said Sable, "You did the right thing and now everything is well between the two of you."

"Yeah," said Roll, "I'm glad Katt was willing to listen but that was still really scary though. I don't let the idea of getting slugged but I was...well..."

"Roll, standing up for yourself is one thing," said Sable, "but you shouldn't have to go so far as to let people take hits at you."

"Even if it helps get the anger out of their system?" Roll asked, "that's why I gave her the free shot you know!"

"Trust me," said Mabel, "it doesn't. I did that a couple of times myself. While you are the bigger person letting them strike you, it also makes them look and feel worse and sometimes can lead to several days of depression." There was an uneasiness between the two sisters since Sable knew what she was talking about and quickly tried to cleanse the air.

"Roll, what else was bothering you today?" Sable asked. Roll just sighed.

"Well...what do you guys know about Marshal?" Roll asked them curiously. Mabel and Sable just looked at each other stunned.

"Marshal?" Sable answered, "why would you want to know about Marshal?" Roll walked up to her before she answered.

"I keep noticing that he seems to be watching me for some reason," said Roll, "and lately he's been kind of popping up out of the blue when I do certain tasks and responsibilities."

"Is he stalking you?" Mabel asked concerned.

"Not really," said Roll, "I mean...ever since I meet him, he just seems really quiet and reserved. It's like he wants to say something to me but he ends up just walking away. He always has that frown on his face all the time."

"Do you think he doesn't like you?" Sable asked her.

"I don't know," said Roll, "I mean he's never had a problem doing stuff for me. For example, just three days ago I remember seeing one of the pieces of green furniture on sale and I didn't have enough bells in my pocket. The next morning I get a letter in the mail with the very piece of furniture from him. Yesterday, I was trying to shoot down a balloon present and kept missing. Eventually I gave up and walked away in frustration and then I heard a pop and there next to me was the very present. Just as I looked up, I noticed him walking away with a slingshot in hand. That same day I tried to catch some bees chasing after me and missed. I knew the minute I lifted my net I was done for. Then I heard someone else catch the bee and then gave it to me before leaving without another word. Today I nearly fell down the stairs and he grabbed me to keep me from falling and possible hurting myself. Sadly I was so deep in thought and worried that I feel down anyway."

"Oh my are you okay?" Sable asked worried.

"I'm fine just my dignity was bruised," said Roll, "so he apparently heard me tumble down the stairs and I felt really embarrassed so I faced away from him. Then to make it worse, I found out that one of my pumps had fallen off and I had tried to walk away from him with only one shoe on." Sable and Mabel burst into loud laughter. Roll smiled but she was feeling embarrassed all over again and just played with one of her pigtails insecurely. It didn't take long before Sable noticed that Roll was looking a bit upset at their laughter.

"Sorry, Roll," said Sable calmly, "Please continue."

"Oh...okay," said Roll, glad their laughter had stopped, "So when I found out that I was only wearing one shoe. I felt really stupid and kept my back against him since my cheeks were on fire. Plus I didn't want to start crying with him looking at me. So he had picked up my other shoe and he asked if he could put my shoe back on."

"Oooo," Mabel cooed and got a hard shove from Sable. Roll just rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't sure what to say," said Roll, "I've never heard a guy ever ask me that before. I've never had a guy pay that much attention to me. It's so weird." Sable and Mabel chuckled at each other.

"Roll, you said you're getting into boys right?" Mabel asked her.

"Yeah...I just haven't met any boys that get me...intrigued I suppose," said Roll, feeling uncomfortable at the question.

"So you've had the birds and bees talk correct?" Sable added.

"Yeah...I did," said Roll with shutter, "That was probably the _only_ thing they were willing to give me before I left the orphanage that was considered "valuable"."

"Well, from what you've told me and my sister," said Mabel, "It seems like Marshal might have a bit of a crush on you." The blue in Roll's eyes shrunk as her eyes themselves widened and then she laughed.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Roll laughed, "Marshal have a crush on me? There's just no way!"

"Why?" said Sable. Roll just calmed down.

"Look at me," said Roll, "I'm just a dumb blonde..."

"Roll..."

"Okay, sorry," Roll continued hastily. Sable made it a habit to not let Roll degrade herself and Bunnie and Rosie did the same to her to, often at the blonde's expense, "I'm just blonde fetish girl. I don't really have much going for me."

"Uhh, hello miss _mayor_?" said Mabel.

"I mean physically!" said Roll, "Look at me! I don't even have a figure and despite all the exercise and dieting. I'm still rather...pudgy."

"That's not true Roll," said Sable, "True beauty doesn't come from having a perfect body or being skinny. It comes from who you are, which is a sweet and lovable person who cares about her friends and family."

"And you are just plain cute," added Mabel and both sisters giggled to each other.

"Thanks," Roll replied, but clearly not convinced, "Either way, what should I do?"

"Well, how's your friendship with Marshal?" Sable asked.

"Honestly, I feel like it's the weakest with him," said Roll, "I'm even wondering if he's just crying for attention."

"Or he wants you to notice him," said Mabel with a teasing smile.

"Oh stop Mabel," said Sable, "Roll, the only way you're going to get any answers from him is if you ask him yourself."

"But it seems like he doesn't want to talk," said Roll, "every time he looks at me, he's got this thick frown on his face."

"Don't let his face intimidate you," said Sable, "even if he looks a bit on the grumpy side, it doesn't mean that he isn't unapproachable."

"True," said Roll, "I mean Fang looked rather grumpy and he's...well let's just say I got to know him and he'd rather I not go spreading that around." Sable and Mabel just nodded in understanding.

"We understand," said Sable, "Feel better now?"

"Yeah," said Roll, "You know...talking to you really lifts a huge weight off my shoulders and my head doesn't feel overloaded with thoughts anymore. I'm still concerned about this whole Marshal matter, but...I do feel better knowing what I can do about it. Thanks you guys."

"You're welcome," said Mabel, "Please take one of the dresses on display if you like...on the house." Roll just chuckled and shook her head.

"You don't have to," said Roll, "I've got bells in my purse today."

"I didn't," said Mabel, "Marshal knew you might want a dress today and said he's cover the tab...with 20% extra tip."

"Since when you do get tips," Sable asked skeptically.

"Since I know you hate to do preorders," said Mabel, "the point is that Marshal wants to buy whatever dress you want and once you pick it. I'll send him the bill for the costs, including that extra 20%."

"Or you'll charge him the correct price without the tip," said Sable sternly in her motherly tone, "Like you're supposed to!" Mabel grunted bitterly since she was looking forward to some extra bells for herself. Roll just looked at the two dresses for sale and noticed a pink dress with lots of hearts all over it."

"I guess I'll take this one," said Roll as she picked it off the stand.

"Oh the lovely dress, good choice," said Mabel, "you'll be super cute wearing that on your first date!"

"I'm not dating Marshal," said Roll firmly, "I just think this dress is really cute and I want it. So how much?"

"It's 720 bells," said Mable, "but like I said, Marshal wants to pay for it so just go ahead and take it." Roll didn't want to, but then just conceded since it would probably be rude not to accept, as Sable put it, another blessing. Once Roll had put her shoes back on, she made her way back to the town, she was greeted by a cheery Katt.

"Hey there, purrty," she replied, "Still braving the rain huh? Nice dude!"

"Thanks Katt," said Roll, "Is something up?"

"I just wanted to say that if standing up to me wasn't impressive enough," said Katt, "it's how quickly you keep your promises, purrty!"

"The one about replacing the red pansies?" Roll asked, feeling a bit confused about Katt's happiness about it.

"Yeah," said Katt, "Marshal came by with the red pansies all ready for planting and now my garden looks even more beautiful! He even planted them to."

"Marshal sent you the red pansies?" said Roll stunned.

"Yeah, purrty," said Katt, "he said you asked him to deliver the pansies. I don't how you got him to take care if that for you, but way to take charge of the men! Now that's how a real woman delegates her work! I'll see you later, dude!" Katt then walked away, whistling happily. Roll just blinked and then remembered what Mabel had.

 _Maybe it's because he likes you._

"Someone...likes me?" said Roll. She just couldn't get her mind wrapped around the idea of someone "Liking" her.

Later that evening, Margie had invited her to her house for dinner along with Rosie and Bunnie. Since it was still pouring outside, Roll had left her pumps near the door so she could be barefoot as she helped Margie prepare their meal. Rosie and Bunnie were just busy exchanging giggles and gossip with each other. Once dinner was ready to eat and they were all seated at the table. Roll decided to bring up her situation.

"Hey you guys," said Roll, "What can you guys tell me about Marshal?" Bunnie nearly choked on her food and Rosie dropped her fork when they heard the question. Margie, on the other hand, stayed calm.

"You mean Mr. Grump, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Mr. Grump?" Roll asked.

"Yeah, he's always walking around with that frown face of his, silly," said Rosie and made a mock imitation of his face, "I'm happy...see I'm smiling, sulky." Bunnie laughed.

"Stop it you guys," said Margie in a motherly tone, "It's not funny to tease Marshal like that."

"Well, it's not our fault he's so grumpy all the time, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Yeah, he always looks so menacing with that frown face if his, silly," said Rosie, "it's unnerving when he looks at you with that face too."

"That doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve to have friends either, tootie," said Margie, "he is a part of this town, part of the family after all."

"That's true," said Bunnie, "it's not like he doesn't try to be friendly, tee hee."

"Unfortunately," said Rosie, "he seems to have an issue similar to Roll's, silly."

"What's that?" Roll asked.

"You have trouble opening up to people, tootie," said Margie as a matter of fact. Roll snorted.

"I'm getting better," said Roll, "excuse me for feeling shy all the time. I bet Marshal has his reasons to feel shy too!"

"Whoa, did you just defend Mr. Grump?" said Rosie surprised.

"Stop calling him that," said Margie sternly, "anyway, what's with the questions regarding Marshal anyway?" Roll then began to explain what had been going on when she was alone. She mentioned how he had been secretly doing little favors for her and how he helped her restore Katt's damaged garden and brought her a dress today. Bunnie and Rosie listened with wide smiles on their faces and then finally burst out giggling.

"Somebody likes you, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"It's the only explanation, silly," said Rosie, "why else would he keep going out of his way for you?"

"You should have let him put the shoe on your foot," said Bunnie, "it would have been just like Cinderella. Roll, the girl who thought she was not worth anything important (huge lie) was suddenly whisked away by a handsome prince to live happy ever after!" Bunnie and Rosie giggled to each other and Roll just snorted.

"Guys, I still don't know what to think about him liking me to be honest," said Roll, "I'm still learning to believe in myself and I'm only eleven you know."

"Have you..."

"I've had the talk and I am into boys," said Roll quickly, "I'm just not sure if I'm into...I mean...I'm not sure if I'm really ready for a boyfriend okay! How can I even think about romantic love when I'm still trying...well...(sigh)..." Roll didn't really know what to say and was struggling to find the right words. Margie could tell and gently pulled her into a warm and loving hug from the side to calm her down.

"It's okay tootie," said Margie, "Nobody is going to rush you to find love or a boyfriend. You're still young and like you said, you're still trying to find yourself a bit more." Roll hummed in agreement.

"She's right, tee hee," said Bunnie, "we're sorry if we sounded a bit pushy."

"We are both boy crazy and such, silly," said Rosie, "but we also believe in ourselves. I know that I am beautiful and that I am cute. So does Bunnie."

"Right," Bunnie nodded in agreement, through there was a hint of doubt in her tone but Roll chose not to call the rabbit on it, "You should believe in your own beauty and cuteness, tee hee. You should be happy that there's a boy here in town that is taking notice of that." Roll blushed a bit.

"Am I really that pretty?" she asked shyly, "that cute?" Bunnie and Rosie just looked at her with concern.

"The fact you don't think so really worries us, silly," said Rosie with a soft but serious tone to her voice.

"Yeah, it's so sad that you don't, tee hee," said Bunnie. Roll just sighed to herself as she munched on her own share of the food.

"I've been through alot okay," said Roll quietly. Bunnie and Rosie nodded.

"But you promise to tell us about it when you're ready right, silly?" Rosie asked her.

"You promise, tee hee?" Bunnie added, wanting an answer. Roll could see the worry and concern on their faces. She could tell they hated being left in dark about her issues. They cared about her and wanted to help. Roll gently released a slow breath and nodded.

"I promise," said Roll. Bunnie and Rosie smiled as they continued their meal in peace. Once they had finished, Margie said she would clean the dishes alone, despite Roll's offer to help. Bunnie and Rosie gave her a hug as they moved towards Margie spare sofa so they could continue the conversation.

"About Marshal, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I think the best thing you can do is confront him."

"Wouldn't that scare him off?" Roll asked worried.

"Not necessarily, silly," said Rosie, "you don't have to demand answers from him regarding all of those favors he has been doing for you. Just say that you've noticed that his efforts to be nice to you and that you wanna hang out sometime."

"That's a good idea," said Roll, liking Rosie's idea a lot, "I would like to get to know him better and let him know that I wanna just be friends for now."

"Well that's not gonna stop him from liking you, silly," said Rosie, "But it will help him know where you stand."

"Yeah, he's not disrespectful," said Bunnie, "that's all I really know about him myself."

"What do you mean?" Roll asked. Bunnie decided to come clean about her own secret.

"Marshal and I came from the same town, tee hee," said Bunnie, "the mayor just disappeared for well over a year and we both decided to move on. I was rather surprised that he came with me, but he said that he didn't feel alone. I was never close to him then either, but I could tell that he had alot on his mind. Just like you. And I think you can help him. Just like Sable is helping you open up." Roll just listened attentively and then nodded meekly in agreement. While she was surprised that Bunnie had known him beforehand, the fact she was distant from him didn't help her situation. Guess she was just gonna have to learn more about this "Mr. Grump" herself.

 **That 200 maximum is one of the conditions for having a perfect town in new leaf, which says that you should grow between 110-200 trees total. Only in City Folk and the GameCube versions does it follow the acre system.**

 **I'm sure everyone else finds it annoying that you can only put up to 2 pictures on any 2 by 1 table and such as well. That's why I let Roll fit all of them without it being cluttered.**

 **Considering this story is "supposed" to be realistic. The idea of there being a "reset" doesn't exist. So Resetti plays a role similar to** ** _Dobutsu no Mori_** **, but that doesn't mean that Booker and Cooper won't have a role when Roll builds the police station. They are planned for future arcs to appear.**

 **Also when doing furniture tasks and fish/bugs are involved villagers can give them to you, but it's very rare.**

 **So...stay tuned.**


	16. Mr Grump Part 2

Mr. Grump part 2

The next day the rain had stopped falling outside and the fresh smell of the freshly cleansed earth was hanging in the air. Roll decided to wear the same attire (now cleaned) but left her pumps at home to enjoy the feeling of the freshly moistened earth between her toes. She couldn't resisting curling her toes along the moist dirt, letting some loose soil embed itself between them before getting to work her dailies. She was also on high alert as she busy searching for fossils and her money rock, waiting for a particular white squirrel to show up and try to offer her something. Roll was soon derailed of her thoughts when she heard the constant beeping of her mailbox saying she had mail. She opened it to find a letter from Marshal himself.

"Well let's see if this give me any hints about my little problem," Roll muttered to herself as she opened the letter and read the note.

 _Dear Roll_

 _You must have noticed for a while that I've been doing little favors for you over the past couple of weeks. Well...I have a good reason for my recent behavior. Ever since that whole public works project fiasco, I feel like we might have some things in common. I've been trying to say this in person, but sadly...I just keep losing my nerve and end up staring at you like a dork. So that is why I'm finally going to say it here._

 _I feel like I don't know you too well and that are friendship is rather distant. I happen to like you...but in the sense that I wanna be a better friend. I know you're young and trying to find yourself. Been there, done that. What I am trying to say is..._

 _Would you be interest in hanging out sometime? My door is always open to you._

 _From a shy Marshal._

"Well that DID kind of answers my question," said Roll to Bunnie and Rosie after she had reread the letter a second time to them, "at least that takes the concern I had about it being a crush or there being romance in his intentions."

"True, tee hee," said Bunnie, "it sounds like he does just want to be a closer and better friend to you."

"Still don't get why though," said Roll as she put the letter away.

"Don't be dense, silly," said Rosie, "You're very popular around here! Everyone wants to be your friend after all. Is it wrong that Marshal just wants his fair share of your time? He's obviously interested in getting to know you better and is that what you wanted? To get to know him better?" Roll just looked at Rosie and the nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah...that's true," said Roll "guess I'm just not used to being the center of attention."

"We know, we know," said Bunnie and Rosie together.

"Well, it's true you know!" Roll retorted indignantly, "I've never had a boy fawn over me like this. It's...weird." Bunnie and Rosie giggled to each other.

"You'll guess used to it," said Bunnie, "I like getting boys to notice me."

"Especially the cuties, silly," said Rosie and Bunnie cooed in agreement. Roll just gave them funny looks but still smiled nevertheless. She could only hope she wouldn't be this boy crazy as she got older.

Later that morning, Roll was just browsing around Super T&T when she noticed the very white squirrel she had been looking for.

"Oh Marshal!" Roll called out. The white squirrel stopped in his tracks and turned to face Roll as the girl approached him.

"Hi...Marshal," said Roll, feeling very shy all of a sudden, "how...how are you doing today?" Roll couldn't help but rub her toes together nervously as Marshal just looked at her with his trademark frown.

"Doing just fine, sulky," said Marshal, "Was...everything okay with Katt?" Roll was taken off guard by the question but then remembered yesterday's situation and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah," said Roll quickly, "Katt was pleased that her garden was repaired so quickly. Thank you for helping me out. Is there anything I can do..."

"Don't worry about it, sulky," said Marshal, showing some warmth in his tone, "Glad to be of service." Roll just smiled. Finding his modestly rather sweet.

"Actually there is something...something I want to do...I mean...well...," said Roll, stumbling a bit since she was struggling to find her words a bit.

"What do you mean?" Marshal asked.

"Marshal, I got your letter this morning," said Roll, "And I am well aware that you've seem to be interested in me."

"Well...yeah...I...uhh...do..." Marshal stuttered, feeling a bit put on the spot, "I...wanted to...get to know you better...if you want to,,,we could hang out together at my place." Roll smiled as she cupped her hands in front of her.

"What time?" she asked and Marshal's eyes shrunk.

"Come again?" he asked, unsure that he heard her correctly.

"What time do you wanna meet Marshal?" said Roll, "or...is today a bad day..."

"No, no-no-no, sulky," said Marshal with a sheepish chuckle, "Tonight would be just fine. Say...7:30pm at my place?" Roll just smiled.

"That will be just fine," said Roll. She had never been to his house before and was looking forward to it. Marshal gave her a smile.

"It's a date," said Marshal and Roll blinked in surprise.

"But I thought..."

"It's a "date" cause its one on one, boy and girl," said Marshal, "It's not romantic, but others who find out where hanging out are going to call our meeting a date so...why not just roll with it? heh...sorry about using your name as a pun. I didn't mean that." Marshal chuckled sheepishly and Roll just giggled.

"It's okay," said Roll, "I have no problem with "rolling" with it. I'll see you for our date...handsome." Roll gave him a wink and Marshal smiled.

"You bet, beautiful," Marshal flirted back with a wink of his own and then went back to browsing the store. Roll made her way out. Once she was outside the shop did she smack her hand across her face.

"I can't believe I just did that!" said Roll, "ugh...that was so awkward! Flirting is so overrated." She huffed to herself before realizing what Marshal had said.

"People are gonna talk about us?" said Roll to herself. She quickly dashed into the Able Sisters.

"Sable I need to talk now!" said Roll in a panic and she burst through the door. Sable lifted her head with concern.

"What's up?" she asked calmly.

"Marshal asked me to hang out with him at his house tonight at 7:30pm," said Roll, "he said that when the others find out they will probably be talking about it as if we're going on a date. He said that it would be easier to just...roll with it, but now I don't know what exactly he meant by that!"

"I think he means that you shouldn't let what others say determine what this is," said Sable, "Unless he implied it really was a date."

"No, he made it clear that it was just two friends spending time together and getting to know each other," said Roll, "but then we did try to "flirt with each other" just to be funny. But afterward I felt really...awkward." Sable laughed.

"Well dear, you're only eleven," said Sable, "it's quite normal if flirting would feel awkward. I mean...what did you say?"

"Just that I would see him later, called him handsome and winked," said Roll, "it feels so wrong now that I did it." Sable chuckled again as Roll just groaned to herself.

"Well then don't do it again," said Sable, "but don't worry too much about it anymore. Just relax and try to keep busy and then tonight will come faster than you think."

"Okay," said Roll and then blinked, "hold on! I don't even know what to wear! And...should I wear shoes to this or not?"

"Roll, Marshal said it was just two friends hanging out," said Sable, "I'm sure Marshal just wants you to wear whatever you want. Plus being barefoot is who you are. You might as well just stay that way."

"True," said Roll, "Maybe I should ask him...just...just to be sure..."

"Roll, just wear whatever you feel from your heart," said Sable, "Remember, it's just a hangout. It's no different than your hangouts with the other villagers."

"It is for me Sable," said Roll, "He said he likes me. Well...he said as a friend and not romantically, but in my mind the point is that he just said that. He. Likes. Me." Sable just smiled as she stopped her work and hugged Roll gently.

"You're just psyching yourself out dear," said Sable, "and you really need to stop degrading yourself. I like you...what's the big deal about that?"

"I guess its cause he's a boy," said Roll.

"Ah, I see, not used to being liked by a boy huh?" said Sable. Roll shook her head.

"It will be okay," said Sable, "Just relax and enjoy yourself. Plus don't feel like you have to spill your guts out with him either. Just open up slowly like you did with me and you'll be just fine." Roll smiled.

"Thanks Sable," said Roll, "You're always there when I need someone to talk to." Sable smiled as the two exchanged another quick hug and then Roll headed out and went straight home to figure out what to wear. It didn't take her too long before she remembered the dress that Marshal had bought for her. She was definitely going to wear that dress with her hangout with Marshal and she had the perfect accessory to boot.

Just like Sable said, when she kept busy, time would pass very quickly and soon enough it was 7:30pm and it was time for Roll to make her way towards Marshal's house. She had changed into her lovely dress and then put her blonde locks into a pony tail with a heart hairpin and left her feet bare despite considering a pair of pink pumps but then remembered that it was supposed to be casual and this was, in her opinion, a casual dress. Marshal's house was located directly north of Katt's house, which was actually just northwest of her own house. (Right behind it to be exact). So Roll didn't have a long walk to take to get to his house. She still felt a little nervous but just reminded herself that this wasn't a "date", but just two friends hanging out with each other. She knew better than to let rumors and other things like gossip make her feel insecure about this. Other than being a grumpy face squirrel, nothing was ever negatively said about the squirrel other than the fact he was very reserved and secluded.

It was around 7:25 when she arrived at his house and lightly knocked on the door twice before the said squirrel opened his door, wearing a yellow horizontal stripped shirt just like the one Roll had with a beret of his own.

"Hey there, sulky," said Marshal, "You're early, but that's okay. No harm in starting the fun a little early!" He gave her a little wink and Roll laughed.

"Well I guess I was just too excited to wait another five minutes," said Roll, "I hope you don't mind that I changed into a dress for the occasion. It's a casual dress after all since we're just hanging out and all and...well...I didn't think I needed shoes so I left them off and...heh...yeah..." Roll just wanted to jump into the bottom of the river and stay there but Marshal just smiled at her rambling.

"I like the dress, it's really pretty on you, sulky," said Marshal, "and...can I just be completely honest with you about something?"

"Umm...sure, of course," said Roll, "what's up?"

"Feet as beautiful as yours shouldn't be covered up," said Marshal with a light blush to his already pink cheeks. Roll's checks also turned bright pink at his complement as she rubbed her feet together.

"Thank you," said Roll shyly. Marshal quickly did his best to regain his composure.

"You're welcome, sulky," he answered calmly, but was still feeling a bit shaky, "Now why don't you come on in? I'm almost ready with our special cafe dinner."

"Cafe dinner?" Roll asked surprised and puzzled.

"I'll explain everything to you in good time, sulky," said Marshal excitedly, "Now please come on, my lady." Marshal made a gentleman's bow and Roll giggled at his chivalry.

"Why thank you kind sir," said Roll, giving a light curtsy before entering inside his house. She was rather impressed at the inside. Fancy wallpaper and even the flooring was a high end style carpet in colors of gold and black. The sofas were velvet red with gold colored pillows on them. The surrounding table was a fine shade of velvet black with gold trimming on their designs with napkins all set up for a dinner for two, even a nice yellow rose to decorate the table. She then gasped at what she saw near the back wall.

"Is that a...bar?" said Roll, feeling a little uneasy about Marshal being a drinker.

"It's a cappuccino bar," said Marshal, "it's where I make all my special coffee drinks and such."

"Oh, you're that kind of barista," said Roll, feeling relieved he was a coffee one and not an alcoholic one, "I didn't know that!"

"Alot of people don't, sulky," said Marshal, "it's one of my hidden talents. That's gotta make you feel special."

"What do you mean?" said Roll.

"I'm gonna show off my barista skills for tonight's dinner," said Marshal, "Just for you!"

"But..why me?" Roll asked. Marshal looked a bit dumbfounded at her question.

"Why you?" said Marshal, "Cause...you're my friend...you actually wanna hang out with me...get to know me better and such...and not just write me off as "Mr. Grump"!"

"Oh, I...I never called you that," said Roll in her defense, "I heard the name, but I just...well..."

"Just what, sulky?" he asked curiously. Roll just looked at him timidly.

"I wanted to know why you like me," said Roll softly, "what do you see in me that make me worth your time?" Marshal stared for a bit and then his expression softened.

"Let's just say that I see alot more of your awesomeness than you do at the moment," said Marshal, "you're also very pretty...and very, very cute." Roll giggled as her checks turned pink.

"Thank you Marshal," said Roll shyly, "Anyway, is there anything I can to help with..."

"You just go take a seat, get comfortable and just look cute," said Marshal with a smirk, "I'll be ready in a few minutes with dinner." Roll just giggled as she obeyed and took a seat on the sofa. She couldn't resist tucking her legs in on the sofa as she watched Marshal work at his little barista station getting their dinner ready. She then noticed that the table near the sofa was not just set up with napkins, silverware, condiments, and even some tall glasses that Marshal was about to fill.

"Got a favorite soda pop, sulky?" he asked her as he took the glasses to fill them. Roll giggled.

"Do you have...strawberry?" she asked.

"Sure do," said Marshal as he took the glass and filled with ice, and freshly made strawberry soda pop and handed it to her with a complementary straw. Roll took a sip and hummed contently. Marshal also noticed that her toes were impulsively wiggling between sips.

"Must be good with all that toe wiggling," Marshal remarked. Roll then snapped into her thoughts and realized her toes were wiggling about. She blushed deep red and tried to hide her bare feet inside her dress as he walked away, but he was aware of her trying to hide her feet.

"Roll, being barefoot is who you are isn't it?" Marshal asked.

"Yeah," said Roll as she let go of the skirt of her dress, "it...is..."

"Then if my sodas make your toes wiggle, then that means you enjoyed it right, sulky?" Marshal pressed on.

"Yeah, it's really good," said Roll, slowly seeing where he was going with this and started to relax, "and I see what you're saying. If wiggling my toes makes me happy, then who cares what others think about it?"

"Exactly, sulky," said Marshal, "Anyways, dinner is ready so I'm gonna bring our plates to the table okay?" Roll nodded as Marshal brought them each a special meatball marinara sub-sandwich on toasted French bread and what appeared to be some homemade BBQ potato chips. Roll's lips watered as she saw the sandwiches.

"Those sandwiches look so good," said Roll as Marshal handed her both the plate and a additional large napkin so she didn't get anything on her dress. Marshal then took a seat next to her and took a huge bite out of his own sandwich and they began to eat quietly. Marshal began to watch Roll quietly eat her food, getting a small bit of sauce into her nose as she took another huge bite. Marshal chuckled as he continued to eat.

"What?" she asked. She heard him chuckle and wanted to know what was so funny.

"You...got a little sauce on the nose," said Marshal. Roll felt her nose and found the sauce against her nose and then blushed in embarrassment as she went to set her plate down but then Marshal raised his own napkin. Roll could see that he wanted to offer to wipe it himself. This time Roll just gave him a smile and let him do so as he gently wiped her nose clean. Roll giggled as he pulled the napkin away.

"Thanks..." said Roll, "and I also wanted to apologize for acting so awkward the other day...with my shoe." Marshal was in the middle of a bite when he swallowed a bit slowly.

"Yeah...sorry about making you feel awkward about that sulky," said Marshal, "I was only trying to help you. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable about it or anything."

"I did feel...a little awkward," said Roll, "but it was...well...(sigh)...I guess I just not used to...I'm not used to being treated so nicely." Marshal just listened attentive as he popped a few potato chips into his mouth and then hummed as he munched on them.

"Tell me something, sulky," said Marshal, "We're you treated poorly back home?" Roll knew that questions of her past were gonna come up in conversation. She still was rather nervous opening up, but she figured if she was honest and simple with her answers, maybe she wouldn't put herself into being asked a bunch of questions.

"No...just...just neglected I guess," said Roll as she continued to eat.

"Neglected sulky?" said Marshal stunned.

"Yeah...I was the invisible girl," said Roll, "No one paid attention to me, no one cared about what I had to say, and no one cared. Not even parents wanted to adopt me..."

"Adopt?" said Marshal. Roll then grunted inwardly, realizing she had said too much.

"I was from an orphanage okay," said Roll, "I was the one girl nobody wanted. Big whoop. Whatever!" The truth was that Roll was lying about that second part and Marshal could tell as he took a long drink of his own soda.

"Can I ask you a question then Roll?" said Marshal with a direct tone in his voice.

"Umm...yeah..." said Roll uneasily.

"Do you think you're beautiful?" Marshal asked firmly, "Do you know that you're special? And please tell me the complete truth." Roll just started at him, feeling really uncomfortable but knew that he really wanted to know and for her to tell him the truth. Roll wished she could just get up and leave, but she couldn't get her legs to move. Yet that was also because she had crossed her legs together when she tucked them into the sofa. If she got up, there was high chance she would probably get her legs tangled and fall on her face. She knew she had no choice but to answer. She just looked at him with sad eyes.

"No" she answered in a soft and quiet tone and took another large bit of her sandwich to keep herself from saying anything more. It didn't take long before Marshal looked away and then slammed his plate and glass hard onto the table. The loud sound they made startled Roll.

"Marshal?" she asked him gently. Marshal just panted up and down rather heavily. Roll became worried. '

"Marshal?" she asked again, "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"Yes there is and no, i'm not okay," said Marshal under his breath, "I'm furious!" He rose to his feet and Roll flinched as he glared at her fiercely.

"I have never felt this angry before in a long time, sulky!" Marshal ranted, "I could strangle somebody right now!" Roll cowered back fearfully. Marshal looked at her agape.

"What makes you think I would strangle you?" Marshal asked, deeply hurt. Roll noticed that he looked like he was about to cry when she relaxed herself a bit.

"I...I guess I just felt like...that's...that's..."

"That's all that you're good for," Marshal finished for her as he slowly calmed down. Roll just nodded and went to finish her sandwich quietly. Marshal did the same and finished before her. After that, he just watched her eat and said nothing. Despite the nerves, Roll was hungry and had cleaned her plate. She had barely gone to put her plate down when Marshal took it and went to wash the dishes. Roll just continued to slowly drink her soda when she heard the sound of sniffling near his barista station. Roll walked over to the sink where he was washing and found that he was crying.

"Marshal?" said Roll, "What's wrong?" Marshal sniffled as he looked at her with tear stained cheeks.

"It's just so sad," said Marshal quietly.

"What is?" Roll asked curiously.

"That a girl as beautiful and special as you doesn't believe in herself," said Marshal, "that people treated you like that." Roll just sighed as she walked over to him to help with the dishes.

"I got it, sulky," said Marshal, "You're my special guest."

"I still want to help," Roll protested.

"But a princess shouldn't have to do these things," said Marshal, "that's why I am here." Roll just giggled.

"I'm not a princess Marshal," said Roll, "and I like to help my friends. So give me some of those dirty dishes and pots so I can help you finish with the washing."

"But..."

"The sooner we clean up, the sooner we can enjoy ourselves," said Roll firmly but gently, "now let me help you." Marshal then sighed and scooted over as they took turns washing and drying the dishes.

"You know, sulky," said Marshal, "While you've obviously never been pampered before, I hope you know its because I want to be a good friend."

"I know Marshal," said Roll, "but what I want is a friend, not a servant."

"Can I help it that I like doing favors for you, sulky?" said Marshal.

"I've been wanting to ask you Marshal," said Roll as she dried off her hands with a spare clock, "why have you been doing all these favors for me lately? Was it because you wanted to hang out with me?" Marshal just took a slow deep breath.

"Well I do like you," said Marshal, "but that doesn't mean I'm hoping you'll be my girlfriend. That's not how I see you at all. Sorry if you thought that was the case. You're cute, but you're too young for me." Roll nodded but his answer still left her a bit puzzled. If he didn't like her romantically, then why was he doing it? She needed to know the truth.

"Then...why are you going out of your way to help me?" said Roll, "aside from showing how good a friend you can be?" Marshal just looked at his feet for a moment, trying to find the right words.

"Based on what you told me," said Marshal, "I guess...I guess I just knew that you needed it."

"Needed it?" said Roll.

"Needed...needed someone to look out for you," said Marshal, "I mean I am pretty aware of how tight you and Sable are and she's obviously got your back. And that's great, sulky. But...well...I guess what I am trying to say is...let me ask you this so I can explain this right...are you into boys?"

"Yeah," said Roll simply, "but...that doesn't mean that I am ready for a boyfriend..."

"What about a brother?" he asked and Roll just froze.

"A...brother?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, sulky," said Marshal, "A brother who looks out and takes care of you. Someone who might understand your situation and can be there for you. I mean...how do you feel knowing that there a boy in this village whose looking out for you and thinks you're awesome?" Roll smiled and chuckled to herself.

"It's actually kind of...foreign to me," said Roll, "but that's cause I've never had a boy...ever take interest in me...friendship-wise or romantically."

"Did you really think that I had a crush on you?" said Marshal, "Cause trust me. There's alot about you that could persuade me to want to ask you out, but I know that's not what you want right now. And as I said before, you're a little too young for that...thought that doesn't change the fact you're already very beautiful." Roll blushed.

"Please enlighten me," she asked gently as she looked away to hide her blush, "I just don't see how...a boy would be interested in me. And not just my looks." Marshal just gave her a smile.

"How about I get dessert ready and once we are comfortable again, I'll be more than happy to answer that question for you based on what I've observed about you," Marshal suggested. Roll just smiled.

"Okay," said Roll, "what's for dessert anyway?" Marshal chuckled.

"Well, sulky," said Marshal, "here the first of my many secrets I'm going to unveil to you: I am a certified coffee barista."

"That's really cool," said Roll, clearly impressed, "But...I've never had or drank coffee before in my life."

"Oh that's no biggie here, sulky," said Marshal, "I use a special brand of beans that are especially made here in the Animal part of the world. These beans have so little caffeine in them that you won't have to worry about getting super hyper and super crash. The beans still have a little kick to them to perk you up, but...the drinks I have in mind are supposed to be comforting and relaxing, not make you over hyper."

"You're not gonna spike my coffee are you," Roll asked and Marshal just looked away, clearly offended.

"I'm sorry Marshal," said Roll, "I didn't mean that. I trust you. I'll just go take a seat back at the sofa and let you get to work okay." Roll then headed exactly where she had said she was gonna go. Marshal wasn't even sure he wanted to make them anymore until he saw Roll take a seat and wave at him cutely with her legs crossed. Marshal then smiled, seeing she wasn't going to leave and got to work when he got an idea.

"Hey Roll," said Marshal, "There are some seat pillows located in that cabinet over there if you want to sit on the floor by the table."

"That would be a good idea," said Roll, "I'll go get them. Do you need any help with the drinks?"

"I've got everything covered here, beautiful," said Marshal, "You just get those pillows." Roll snorted at him calling her beautiful and glared.

"Sorry, but it is true you know," said Marshal, "I can get a bit flirty when I have a close friend of the opposite gender. I just wanted to make you feel good. That's all." Roll softened and just nodded and understanding. It was still awkward, but she could tell he was just trying to make her smile and she was enjoying their little hangout session. She quickly grabbed two blue pillows and set them next to each other in front of the coffee table. She spent a good two minutes trying to decide how to sit on the pillow (on her knees or legs tucked in). She ended up going with on her knees and adjusted her dress as Marshal brought a couple of plates containing some sweet mini pastries and two sterling silver mug style coffee cups with matching saucers. Roll just watched with a smile as Marshal made her a handmade latte and shaped the steamed milk on top into a heart design.

"Thanks Marshal," said Roll as she took a light sip of her coffee drink. Within seconds as the warm liquid entered her throat, it soon began to soothe and relax every muscle in her body. Roll just hummed contently as she enjoyed the flavor. Her latte had a strong vanilla flavor but the taste of the coffee beans was still there, but the flavor was not as strong as she had thought. Marshal watched Roll as she enjoyed her cup and smiled.

"How is it, sulky?" he asked as he sipped his own cup. Roll just sighed contently as she turned to face him with a warm smile.

"It's really good," said Roll, "I never thought coffee could taste this delicious. This is really amazing, Marshal. You did a great job."

"Well don't forget the pastries either, sulky," said Marshal, "I made them myself earlier today and I warmed them a bit so they are extra crumbly." The pastries he was referring to were some special scones that had either cherry bits, blueberries, cinnamon bits, or chocolate chips in them. Roll was eager to taste one. She took a chocolate chip one first and hummed happily as she munched on her treat.

"This is so yummy," said Roll, "I can't believe that you went into all this trouble just for me." Marshal chuckled as he munched his own scone, which was blueberry.

"Well I wanted to make sure you had a nice dinner and enjoyed yourself," said Marshal, "I'm glad you like my cooking and my desserts."

"Let's not forget your coffee," said Roll as she finished her own cup, "this is amazing! I never would have guessed that you were such a coffee expert."

"I'm well trained, sulky," said Marshal, "but I wouldn't call myself an expert. There are others who's coffee is better than me."

"You say I'm beautiful even thought I don't necessarily think so," said Roll.

"That's different," said Marshal, "You don't need to work on being beautiful, you already are. Being a good barista takes years of training and experimentation with coffee beans and flavors. I will admit that I graduated within three years so that is impressive if I can brag about that." Roll hummed as she cleaned her fingers and then adjusted herself a bit so she was facing him.

"Now will you tell me Marshal?" said Roll, "About...what you see in me that makes me beautiful?" Marshal finished up his own coffee drink before clearing his throat. He then held her hand before facing her directly.

"You appear to be a girl who is very kind, sweet, and compassionate," said Marshal, "you put others' needs ahead of your own. You're humble, gentle, and always willing to help a friend. Plus you are a hard worker."

"Thank you," said Roll, "what about my...physical appearance?" Roll couldn't help but blush asking that question but she was young so it was normal for someone her age to feel awkward asking that. Yet she wanted to ask because she wanted to show that she was mature to talk about it with a boy despite being so young. Marshal just smiled.

"Well...if I can list a few things," said Marshal, "great hair and hair color, pretty deep blue eyes with complementary eyelashes, cute cheeks, cute nose, nice strong arms, nice legs, and really cute feet." Roll gave a squeaky giggle. All those complements made her blush but also made her feel rather warm and fuzzy inside. Roll just said nothing and looked away slightly to hide her flushed cheeks, but it was rather pointless since Marshal could see how flustered she looked.

"Did I go too far?" Marshal asked concerned, "I was only being honest...I didn't think I said anything inappropriate..."

"You...you didn't Marshal," said Roll, "I've just...have never been complemented like that before. You might not know too much about me, but you obviously see the best in me."

"I figured you could use a friend like that," said Marshal, "that's why I thought I would offer. I was the middle child so being a good brother to both older and younger siblings was something I got really good at."

"Then how come you're so...secluded?" said Roll. Marshal just took a long deep sigh, trying to find the right words to say.

"You don't have to tell me," said Roll gently, "I'm still a little uncomfortable talking too much about my own past. You can tell me another time." Marshal didn't want to delay telling her, but her kind words persuaded him to just wait til next time to delve into that issue.

"Very well then," said Marshal, "Would you be up for a board game before the night is over?"

"Sure," said Roll, "It's fun playing board games when you don't have to play by yourself all the time."

"That's true, sulky," Marshal replied, "but playing by yourself does help you practice for when you do play with friends. Do you have a favorite in particular?"

"Monopoly," said Roll. Marshal smirked.

"That's my favorite too," said Marshal, "and I'm really good player thanks to all that practice." Roll smirked back.

"We will see," Roll replied, accepting his challenge. Even with playing with just the standard rules, their game lasted well over 4 hours and things were rather close for a long time until Marshal got a stroke of bad luck and landed in chance. The card sent him directly to one's of Roll's properties, which had a nicely structured hotel on it. That was the turning point in the game as Marshal was never able to fully recover and within a dozen turns later, he landed on the same space once more and was done. Roll had a great time and even surprised herself. She never really pegged herself as someone who would get very competitive, but with Marshal, she just felt comfortable just being herself and letting that side of her blossomed. By the time the game was over, it was already close to midnight as Roll let out a large yawn. Marshal just chuckled as he started to clean up the mess that had been made from the board game.

"It's been a fun day hasn't it?" he said to her. Roll yawned again and nodded.

"It was alot of fun," said Roll sleepily, "I had a great time with you Marshal. Thanks for inviting me into your house."

"Thanks for letting me show you a good time, beautiful," said Marshal, "How about I clean up here and then I can walk you back to your house?" Roll yawned again. She wanted to protest but since the walk to her house was so short, but she decided to just let him be a gentlemen to her and take her home.

"Okay..." she said softly as she slowly got up to sit on the sofa. Marshal worked as quickly as he could to clean the mess and put the game board away. He also cleared the table of both now cold but empty coffee cups and the plate that had only two leftover scones. Once he was finished, he went to help Roll to her feet but then noticed that she had fallen sleep.

"Roll? Roll...time to go," he said gently as he lightly shook her. Roll lifted her head slowly, clearly half asleep.

"Huh...oh...uh...yeah..." said Roll as she tried to sit up. Marshal had headed towards the door and opened it as a gentlemen would so Roll could exit first, but then he noticed that she hadn't followed him towards the door. Instead, he found that Roll had fallen asleep sitting up with her head leaning forward. Marshal just looked at her sympathetically.

"There's no way she can get home like this," said Marshal, "Plus I don't have her house key. (sigh) Since my bedroom is upstairs...she should be okay staying here for the night. But to keep things from getting suspicious..." Marshal reached for his smart phone and quietly dialed the number to Town Hall. To his luck, someone answered.

"Hello?" Isabelle answered.

"Hey Isabelle," said Marshal quietly, "I'm just calling to let you know that Roll is spending the night on my sofa tonight. We were hanging out and she pretty much fell asleep when I was gonna walk her home. I just thought I would let you know so there's no...concerns about where she is and why she's here." Isabelle just giggled and smiled.

"Don't worry," said Isabelle, "When Roll conks out, she sleeps like a rock so I understand the situation completely. I also know you wouldn't hurt Roll." Marshal sighed, glad the shi-tzu understood his situation.

"Okay, thank you Isabelle, good night," said Marshal before he grabbed a spare quilt. He gently tilted her so she quietly laid down into one of the gold colored pillows and laid the quilt over Roll as she continued to snooze. She looked so peaceful sleeping that it made him smile.

"Sleep well, Roll," said Marshal and then to be extra sweet, he lightly kissed her forehead before heading upstairs to sleep.

It was around six on the morning when Roll began to stir and she slowly sat up from the sofa and smacked her lips a bit. Then she gasped in fright when she didn't recognize her surroundings and tried to get up when she got a bit tangled from the quilt. As she struggled to break free, her knee bumped the edge of the coffee table.

"Ow!" she muttered but the impact made her do a one eighty as she tried frantically to regain her balance since the quickness of the turn was making her fall backwards until she smacked the nearby bookshelf. Her eyes then adjusted to slight darkness that surrounded the room since the sun was barely rising into the sky. She then realized where she was and slowly slid down the bookcase so she was now sitting on the floor. Then she noticed the now sloppy quilt near the sofa. It didn't take her too long to figure out what had happened.

"Guess I must have fallen asleep," said Roll as she sat quietly on the floor, "well I've probably intruded enough and should go before he wakes up." Roll slowly tried to get to her feet, using the bookcase for support. But her holding it made the bookcase wobble a bit since it was old and one of the books near the top shelf slid out and fell.

"Ouch!" she whispered as the book conked her on the top of the head, but the book somehow opened as she noticed the page that was revealed. Inside was a wilted yellow rose with a small childish drawing that had a squirrel that looked like Marshal and a brown haired girl standing next to him. Surrounding the picture were the words:

 _Charlotte X Marshal forever._

"Charlotte?" said Roll. Roll then sat on the sofa and used what little light was coming out from the nearby window to see what else was in the book. What Roll found were several journal entries, the first entry that caught her eye was one that was dated a few years ago.

 _5/15/08_

 _Today was big day here at Castle._

"Castle must have been his old town," said Roll to herself.

 _We got a new villager in town today and she wasn't an animal like the rest of us! She was human! Her name was Charlotte and she was about as beautiful as the eye could see. I can't wait to get to know her. She is going to do great things for the town I can feel it!_

Roll then turned to page to find the next entry, it seemed that most of the entries were rather short.

 _5/16/08_

 _Today I got to meet Charlotte and boy! She is just a beautiful in person as she is from afar. The fact she came to meet me first really made me feel special. I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship!_

Roll continued to skim entries. Reading all about how much fun Marshal had with Charlotte and all the fun things that they did together. She was also shocked when she read one particular entry in which Bunnie was also a part of the group as well. Apparently Marshal, Bunnie and Charlotte had become quite a trio. They were literally best friends and we're always hanging out together and they did everything together. Charlotte even helped with the beautifying the entire town as well, getting it a perfect town status. It was even Charlotte that had convinced Marshal to pursue his barista training. She wondered why Bunnie never told her about that...but then remembered that she hadn't shared alot about her own past. Then she found another entry that caught her interest.

 _8/3/10_

 _Charlottes Birthday is coming up soon and I just thought about the best birthday present that I could think of giving her. I can't wait to tell her I could burst! This is so exciting after knowing each other for over two years...I am finally going to tell Charlotte how much she means to me. I'm finally going to tell her just how much her friendship means to me. I've finally found the courage to tell Charlotte that I love her._

Roll was rather stunned at the entry and found the one of her birthday.

 _8/5/10_

 _Today was Charlotte's birthday and everyone was having a good time. Everyone except for Bunnie. I looked everywhere but I couldn't find her anywhere. No matter. Today is the day I tell Charlotte just how much she means to me. Friends can love each other you know and Charlotte never had a problem telling that to me and Bunnie how much we meant to her. Plus she helped me get my certification as a coffee barista! I owe her so much for believing in me and making me feel so happy. There she is! All dressed in the GracieGrace blue party dress Bunnie and I got her together last Christmas. Here I go! I walked up to her and I said exactly what I had to say._

 _"Charlotte, you are the greatest friend that I could ever have and I love you with all my heart!"_

 _She looked at me and then started to cry and walked away. I was left standing there like a fool...heartbroken...wondering what went wrong._

Roll wanted answers as well and continued reading.

 _8/11/10_

 _Charlotte hasn't spoken to me for days since the birthday party and even Bunnie hasn't seen much of her. In fact, Bunnie hasn't even been as peppy as she usually is. I tried to ask her what was wrong but she told me Charlotte would know before slamming the door to my face. I decided that it was time to confront Charlotte and find out what was going on. I reached her house and knocked on the door repeatedly but there was no answer. I searched the entire village but there was no sight of her. I was worried, wondering where she could be._

Roll felt her eyes water as she continued reading and found that several of the entries were pretty much the same thing but then Marshal added something to one entry that made her heart break.

 _8/29/10_

 _I continued my search, visiting her house time and time again. Banging on the door and shouting for Charlotte to open up. I was getting desperate, wondering what had happened to her. That was when I was pried off the door by Bunnie, who was glaring at me angrily. I asked her where was Charlotte? Tears streaming down my face. She looked at me angrily, with tears pricking her own eyes before yelling at me that Charlotte had left and was never coming back! Bunnie took off and I was left in deep shock. No...no there was just no way Charlotte would just leave us behind like this. Why didn't she tell us that she was leaving? Everyone gave heads up about whether they were considering moving or not! (Mostly). It just couldn't be...then I realized..._

 _It...was...true..._

 _Her house is completely empty and Tom Nook arrived as he and the construction crew quickly downgraded the house back into a single story house with just its default red roof and left. I slumped to my knees as the truth hit me hard in the stomach._

 _My best friend...the girl who said she loved me, cared about me, had taken off and never said goodbye..._

 _I screamed in anguish and wept before the door...realizing that the person that I had fallen in love with was gone forever._

Roll was crying as she kept reading...seeing that many of the journal entries were not as common and just how saying how heartbroken he was until she reached the entries near the end.

 _9/11/11_

 _Over a year has passed since Charlotte disappeared. No one ever heard from her. Bunnie has seemed to have moved on, but not me. I still wonder what could have happened to her and why did she leave. I keep to myself these days. Bunnie used to come talk to me but after a few months of seeing me depressed she stopped coming. I guess she stopped caring about me too. These days I'm just called "Mr. Grump" by all the villagers since all I do is frown as I walk about the village. In fact, I think the frown has now permanently stuck to my face so now I can't remove it casually anymore even if I wanted to. Doesn't matter too much anymore. I hate my life and I hate being here anymore. The town used to be so beautiful but now its fallen into disrepair. The villagers have lost incentive to remove the weeds and there are so many dying flowers that there aren't even any healthy ones anymore. Even I stopped caring for Castle too since everywhere I go I see reminders and memories of Charlotte. Cleaning is supposed to clear the mind, but for me...walking around the town just makes my heart ache as all those painful memories flood my head that I feel like my head wants to explode. I'm so sick of crying. When I do...it's always alone..._

Roll continued to cry as she turned the page.

 _10/5/11_

 _I found out today that Bunnie had decided to leave. I don't blame her. I'm sure this place reminds her of Charlotte too and I don't want to be here either. Castle was becoming a ghost town and several other villagers had left as well. I decided to visit her, asking why she wanted to leave. She didn't seem to want to explain and I just stared at her with my now "grumpy frown" as the others called it. For some reason, I asked if I could go with her. She didn't say no, but she didn't seem to care either. I think she stopped caring about me...just like Charlotte did. I don't why I wanted to stick with her. I think it was because I wasn't a cruel squirrel. Or maybe those feelings from the past are coming...on never mind. I pretty much blew it so why bother thinking that of all things! Never-the-less, just because she had chosen to turn her back on me doesn't mean I was gonna turn my back on her. She was all I had left...left of a friendship that was pretty much gone with the wind..._

Roll found the last entry on the book. She was unaware that Marshal had come downstairs and found Roll reading his journal.

 _10/8/11_

 _Bunnie and I have now settled into our new town. This Animal Town seems rather comfortable for the most part. It's heavily underdeveloped but at least its clean. Sadly, it seems that my friendship with Bunnie just isn't there anymore. She even moved on the other side of town just to get away from me. I tried to be open with the other villagers here but no one seems to be interested in being friends with the likes of me. Guess nobody likes a grumpy squirrel. Talk about having all your dreams destroyed...  
_

 _I thought people cared...I thought I was special...guess that wasn't true._

 _Now I'm all alone...hoping to leave the past behind. Hoping to just disappear. I'm pretty sure no one would care if I did. The only problem was...I have nowhere to go..._

Roll was then startled when someone snatched the book away from her. She turned and saw Marshal standing nearby, glaring at her. He clearly looked upset.

"Where...where...did you...get this?" he asked and then noticed her stained cheeks. He looked at the book and then at her.

"You know...don't you?" he asked her slowly. Roll burst into tears and then did the only thing she could think of.

She ran.

"Roll, wait! WAIT!" Marshal called out, but it was no good. Roll had taken off. She headed straight out of the door, running as fast as her legs could take her, climbing over her fence, hip hopping frantically to avoid destroying her flowers and quickly slammed the door and locked it. She leaned against the door, panting heavily before she slid down it and wept.

Ironically, her tears weren't mainly because she had read something personal about him without asking. She did feel guilty, but her pain wasn't from guilt.

It was because he had faced a similar situation that she had.

She too had wanted to be loved and was rejected. She needed a friend when it happened and nobody was there. Nobody cared. They all left her to live her life alone. Marshal had been through the same pain. Correction, he still was in pain, but most importantly.

He understood her.

 **The pink pumps look just like the purple ones. I'm sure alot of girls wish they had made pumps in pink.**

 **Katt's and Marshal's house locations are based on house locations I had in my own game. The town layout is also similar to my own game as well. Also the furniture inside Marshal's house is based on his likes in ACHHD. Including the pillows that let you sit on the floor.**

 **I like Monopoly. Thus so does Roll. Plus I bake and I've actually made cinnamon and chocolate chip scones. They are a big hit at family parties.**

 **And why wouldn't the villagers not have a smartphones? They have to answer that amiibo phone in ACHHD somehow don't they?**

 **What's going to happen now that Roll knows about Marshal's past?**

 **See you next time!**


	17. Mr Grump Part 3

Mr. Grump part 3

Roll continued to cry heavily as she sat before her front door. Despite her dress, she didn't mind pulling her knees to her chest and burying her face in them as her tears splashed into them. Her crying continued until she heard a loud knocking on her door. Actually, it sounded more like someone was pounding on her door according to her ears. Roll was rather startled by the banging. If it was who she thought. she was under the impression he was trying to knock the door down.

"Roll! Roll! Please open up! Please!" said Marshal. He clearly wasn't trying to hide the fact that he sounded rather desperate. Roll didn't want to open the door and just stayed where she was on the floor. Then she remembered what she had read about Marshal and how he had spent almost two months banging on Charlotte's door, wanting to know what he did wrong but was never given an answer. Roll then heard sniffling behind the door and quickly rose to her feet and opened it. There before her was Marshal, tears streaming down his face as he sat on his knees looking up at her and hadn't made any effort to stop crying. Roll could see the fear in his eyes and she figured it was because of how familiar the situation was from his past.

"Marshal..." said Roll slowly as she looked at him.

"I...I can explain..." he croaked as he cried in front of him. Roll looked at him stunned. By the tone of his voice, he sounded like he had wronged her and not the other way around! She was the one who read his diary with his permission and he was apologizing in tears to her? Her heart was breaking seeing him like this. She couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"Marshal stop," said Roll gently, "You don't have to explain anything!"

"Yes I do," he sobbed.

"No you don't!" Roll snapped, "I was the one who read _your_ journal without your permission and learned about _your_ past. A past that _you_ were not ready to talk to me about! If there's anyone who should be sorry it's me! I let my curiosity get the better of me and I learned things about you that were none of my business! I violated your trust, Marshal. I hurt you and I am really sorry." Roll was shedding a few tears as Marshal wiped his eyes and stood up.

"Roll," he said with a serious tone. Roll looked at him with bloodshot eyes, still worried about what he would say to her.

"I'm not mad at you," said Marshal, "I never was. I thought I had lost that journal years ago. That was something that I had wanted to share with you last night, but like a coward I coped out. Let's face it Roll...I'm just a coward when it comes to my feelings and pursuing what I want these days, sulky. Guess I just wonder if I'm worth your time...or just worthwhile friend for that matter." Roll's heart reached out to him. It also broke...cause what he said was so close to home for her.

"Marshal," she croaked, trying not to lose her composure, "Do you have any idea how much I understand that right now?" Marshal wiped his eyes and nodded.

"I figured you would, sulky," said Marshal, "that's why I wanted to be your friend. I had hoped...maybe we could help each other. Now you know about my past...I had hoped..." Marshal soon lost the words he wanted to say and felt very insecure. Roll gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Come on in," said Roll gently, "No need to tell me something personal just standing outside my door. Let's get more comfortable okay." Marshal just looked stunned but then nodded as he made his way slowly inside and entered her house. Despite the fung shui arrangement, he found her house rather cozy as he took a seat on one of two ranch sofas. Roll quietly went into the kitchen to prepare some tea and set it on the ranch low table before taking a seat, tucking her dress into her lap a bit so she could sit Indian style next to him.

"You can begin whenever you're ready," said Roll, her tone was a bit shaky because she still felt bad that she wasn't ready to talk about hers. Yet she knew that she owed it to Marshal to say something. Marshal took a few shaky breaths before he begin to speak.

"Charlotte was my first true friend that I felt really strong feelings for," said Marshal, "I had never felt so happy and special when I was with her. Every since the day we meet, it always felt like we were meant to be friends. We cared for each other, looked out for one another and supported each others' dreams."

"That included Bunnie correct?" Roll asked.

"Of course it did," said Marshal, "We were a trio. Even thought I was the only boy in the group, I never felt outnumbered or shut out. We were as close as three best friends could be. I was their man...err...squirrel. I felt loved and I felt special. So when I finally wanted to tell her how special she was...and she just...walked away and disappeared. I was heartbroken. I still go over that day again and again in my head. What did I do wrong? What did I say wrong? Did I come on too strong? Did she misunderstand? I've never gotten any answers!"

"What about Bunnie?"

"I think she knew why Charlotte left but she never bothered to tell me," said Marshal, "Only when I was spending weeks banging on her door and asking her to open up did she tell me that Charlotte moved away. The way she yelled at me about it made me feel like..."

"It was your fault she left..." said Roll. Marshal nodded with his eyes closed.

"I often wonder if it was true," said Marshal, "I don't blame Bunnie one bit for pushing me away, sulky. After all, if I destroyed our trio with my stupid feelings than why should she wanna be my friend? I don't think she ever forgave me either. We've been distant ever since...and she never talks to me anymore." Roll hummed, now seeing why they were so distant from each other, but she couldn't help but feel like something was off about all of this. Something didn't sound right considering Bunnie was her friend and despite the whole public works mishap, she never once tried to push her away. Maybe a little, but she ended up breaking down and asking for forgiveness. She knew that this issue was something she needed to address later that day when the burnt rabbit was awake.

"I don't believe that was the case," said Roll, "I mean...you don't think...Bunnie might do that to me?"

"Oh no, no, no, Bunnie would never abandon you," said Marshal, "I mean...as long as you don't push her away...I know that is what I did so...it would make sense that the friendship would come apart..."

"No it doesn't," said Roll, "What kind of friend just gives up on a person? That's what I don't understand. You need someone Marshal and Bunnie abandoned you. If she gonna do that to me..."

"She won't," said Marshal, "and please don't tell her that I told you!"

"But..."

"Please!" Marshal asked, almost begged as he looked into her blue eyes with a pleading look on his face. Roll didn't want to, but even she did the same thing when Bunnie and Rosie pressed her too much about opening up so she decided to concede for his sake.

"Fine," said Roll, "but I would like to mend that broken friendship between you and Bunnie if you'll let me." Marshal just looked at her quietly.

"If you think I'm worth the trouble," said Marshal sadly, "I certainly don't think I'm worth Bunnie's time." Roll felt her lower lip quiver but took a slow deep breath the calm herself down.

"Marshal," Roll said quietly, "I don't feel like I'm good enough for Bunnie either, but I still became her friend despite all that."

"Well I must not have been good enough!" Marshal snapped, "Why else would Charlotte take off and not tell me? Why else would Bunnie push me away? I'll tell you why! Cause I wasn't good enough!"

"You are good enough!" said Roll angrily.

"So are you!" said Marshal, "yet you don't even think you're pretty!"

"I have my reasons!" said Roll.

"Well you know mine, sulky!" Marshal retorted, "If you had to deal with the same situation, you tell me if you would have bothered keeping friendships with people who probably didn't think you were worth their time!" Roll couldn't hold her composure any longer and just began to cry openly. Marshal just stared for a moment but then softened instantly.

"You...have?" he asked her softly. Roll just continued to cry and whimpered as she nodded. Marshal just turned to face her and gently held both her hands.

"There's something you need to know," said Roll, "Something that I haven't told anybody yet since I got here..."

"Don't!" said Marshal, "If you can relate, then that's good enough for me. You don't have to..."

"You just shared your past with me!" Roll retorted in a cracked tone, "It's only fair that I share mine with you! I have to tell you...I need to tell you..." There was a combination of both fear and desperation in Roll's tone. Marshal was seeing more of the former. That was why he had told Roll that she didn't have to do it. He hated seeing her cry and to see her this hurt made his heart ache. He wished he could take all the pain away and suffer it instead of her. Just the thought made him want to cry.

"Please..." said Roll, "I need to tell someone!"

"Then why me, sulky?" said Marshal, "Why not Rosie or Bunnie or Margie...or even Sable...who is like a mother to you?" Roll tried to regain her composure as she looked into his black eyes.

"You'll understand me," she answered in a broken tone. Marshal just sighed to himself.

"Okay, sulky," said Marshal, "whenever you are ready." Roll sniffled a bit and tried to collect her thoughts.

"Ever since I was a baby," Roll began, her voice shaking, "I was told that I would never amount to anything. My mom hated me. She never wanted children and because I was born she despised me. I grew up feeling rejected and unwanted by her. She even said I was an accident, a mistake, and that I was nothing to her. Then when I was three, I think, she had enough of me and threw me into a trash can!"

"WHAT?!" Marshal explained.

"Keep it down! Do you want the others to hear?!" Roll snapped, raising her tone accidentally.

"Sorry...but that is just downright awful, sulky," said Marshal, "what happened?"

"A neighbor saw me getting thrown into the trash," said Roll, "I was taken away a few days later and my mom was arrested."

"I see," said Marshal, "but you said you were neglected, wouldn't those who rescued you have been sympathetic to your cause?"

"No," Roll sobbed, "once I was in the hands of those in charge, they pretty much abandoned me like the rest. I felt too worthless to try and socialize and make friends. I just stayed in my own little corner and nobody bothered with me...mostly. I wasn't good enough for anyone, not even parents who wanted to adopt children. Guess my mom was right after all. I was worthless. I am trash..." Roll couldn't keep to herself any longer and let out a wail and just cried heavily, letting the tears splash against her knees. She continued to cry openly and loudly too. Marshal wasted no time crawling over to her and offer her a hug, but she surprised the squirrel by pulled him into her lap so that he was cuddled inside of her arms and her head was resting on top of his. Since Marshal was a small villager, he looked like a stuff animal being comforted in the arms of their owner. Marshal flinched a little at the teardrops falling into his white hairs but he didn't care. He was crying too, crying that a mother could be so cruel to her child, crying that Roll felt like this about herself. It really explained why she understood his situation and why she had such a low self-esteem. He wished more than anything he could say to her what he had said to Charlotte, but he knew saying it now wouldn't be right. He knew in his heart he loved her because he saw the best in her, not out of romance.

They stayed that way for about an hour. By then, both of them had run out of tears to shed. Roll didn't seem interested in letting go of Marshal anytime soon. Marshal didn't mind that all. If he couldn't say it, he was gonna show it by letting her cuddle him for as long as she liked. The cuddling was helping him too. For the first time in years, he felt like someone did care about him. At least he hoped that she did. He did open up and he had to admit he was a little frightened because he didn't know what this was going to do regarding their friendship. He needed assurance.

"Roll..." he began.

"I promise you Marshal," said Roll sadly, holding him, " I know what it's like to be abandoned and to be rejected. I will never do to you what Charlotte did. I promise you that I will always be here for you. I promise." Roll then kissed the back of his head and began to cry once more, but much more quietly. Marshal felt his eyes water once more and just closed them.

"Thank you," said Marshal, "I'll be the brother you've always wanted. I'm gonna make it my mission to help you see the best of yourself. You really are a beautiful young lady Roll and I want to help you believe on yourself, sulky." While Marshal couldn't see her face, Roll had a small smile on her face.

"Thank you," said Roll, "That means alot to me." Marshal sighed contently as she let Roll cuddle her a bit more and then they pulled away and Roll went to dry her eyes. By then their tea had become cold, so Roll went to heat it up, but Marshal beat her to it and handed her a spare cloth to dry her eyes while he reheated the tea. Roll just wiped her eyes and sniffled a bit more as she sat alone on the sofa with her legs extended since they had gotten sore from sitting Indian style for so long. Roll was feeling rather dissatisfied. She had finally told someone the root of her problems. Yet while she felt a little bit better, she didn't feel as better as she had hoped. She thought coming clean would have made a huge difference for her, but it didn't. She still felt as worthless as if she hadn't said nothing at all. Marshal arrived a few minutes later with the now re-warmed tea and noticed that Roll looked rather defeated.

"Everything is going to be okay, sulky," said Marshal, "At least now you're among friends and not all alone at the orphanage any more. You're not alone." Roll just looked at him and then smiled.

"Okay," said Roll quietly, not wanting to talk about her discontentment as Marshal handed her a cup of tea and she took it gently to drink. The tea did help settle her down as she and Marshal sat together quietly, just drinking their share of the tea quietly and not saying anything more. Once Roll finished her share, she set her cup and saucer on the tea table and just waited patiently for Marshal to finish his own cup.

"Marshal," said Roll, "Can I ask you to do something for me?"

"Anything, sulky," said Marshal eagerly, "You name it." Roll smiled.

"Can you please...keep what we discussed between us," said Roll, "At least regarding my past, it was really hard to tell you what I told you today...and I don't want to repeat it again to the others or be asked about it...not right away anyway."

"Alright, sulky," said Marshal, "but I hope you won't wait til too long to tell your other friends about this. I mean...I don't want to cause any tension or jealousy between your other friends."

"They are gonna be your friends too you know," said Roll. Marshal gasped in surprised and then just shook his head sadly.

"I don't know about that, sulky," said Marshal, "I don't think your friends would be very accepting of me." Roll just looked at him sadly.

"You don't need to tell them about your past," Roll replied, "just be friendly like you are with me. Trust me. I wasn't as comfortable being with Rosie and Bunnie right away. It's taken me probably this long to get comfortable having them around all the time and talking to them like I do. And that should make you feel very special."

"How so?" Marshal asked.

"I opened up to you within just a couple of days," said Roll, "it took longer for me to feel comfortable even striking a conversation with Rosie, Bunnie, and even Margie. I don't see why they would not let you be a part of the group...unless you're just concerned about Bunnie." Marshal just released a long deep breath as he looked at Roll. Roll then knew she couldn't wait any longer regarding this particular issue.

"If I get Bunnie here," said Roll, "I'm sure she'll come if I ask her and we can settle this. I really believe that Bunnie never meant to push you away and maybe...maybe we can find the truth out together. If you can settle things with her, would that help make thing easier when I have you part of the group?" Marshal just looked at her for a moment and then away. He had to admit. He did want answers and he wanted to know why Bunnie had chosen to distant herself from him. He wanted to know.

"Okay," said Marshal, "if you think you can get her to come and talk." Roll smiled as she stood up and ironed out her dress. She then noticed how wrinkled it was and remembered that she had slept in it.

"I think I'm gonna change my clothes before I go," said Roll.

"Shall I..."

"Just stay down here," said Roll, "and you'll be just fine. I trust you." Marshal smiled. Hearing Roll say those three words really made him feel warm inside. He was glad that Roll trusted him.

"Alright, sulky," said Marshal and just relaxed on the sofa. Roll smiled as she made her way upstairs to wash up and change her clothes. Marshal decided to take the dishes into the sink and even washed and dried them for Roll before taking a seat back on the sofa. He had just sat quietly for a few minutes when Roll came back down wearing a pink tee, her hair in a ponytail with the same heart hairpin, and to Marshal's surprise had on a pair of khaki pedal pushers that were cuffed at the knee.

"I didn't know Sable sold pedal pushers for girls," said Marshal.

"They are actually the boys explorer shorts but she adjusted them for me so they would be less baggy and adjusted the length so they are right at the end of my knees," said Roll, "Sable did the same with the other boy's shorts like the green plaid, jinbai, and royal pairs and even did a pair of dry denim and black denim pants so I have some denim pedal pushers too."

"Very impressive," said Marshal, "you look beautiful in them sulky." Roll giggled. While she blushed, she noticed that she didn't feel awkward about him saying that to her anymore. She figured it was because she understood why he said that: cause he cared about her, not cause he had a crush on her.

"Thank you," said Roll, "So wait here while I go find Bunnie okay, handsome?" Marshal smirked.

"I shall count the seconds, beautiful," said Marshal with a wink. Roll giggled before giving him a wink and then exited her house. She giggled again.

"That's didn't feel as awkward," said Roll, "Maybe because the teasing is just silly and not sensual." Roll shuttered when she said the last word.

"Ugh...I'll never get used to that last word," said Roll, "Glad this is just cause he likes me...for me." Roll then took a few deep breaths to clear her thoughts and went in pursuit for a particular orange bunny. She headed straight for Bunnie's house to avoid any distractions. Yet as luck would have it, Rosie cut her off about the halfway point.

"Hey there silly," said Rosie, "I just love that outfit! It's like totally cute! Just like me!"

"Thanks Rosie," said Roll, "Hey, have you seen Bunnie anywhere?" Rosie looked hurt.

"Can't I have you to myself for a few minutes?" she pouted. Roll just chuckled to herself.

"Okay, sorry," said Roll, "I just have Marshal waiting at home and..."

"MARSHAL!?" Rosie exclaimed and got Roll's open hand on her mouth.

"Shush up!" said Roll sternly, "I don't need the whole town hearing about this!" Rosie nodded as Roll removed her hand, but the blonde soon realized she may have done it too soon.

"So what happened last night? Was is romantic? Did he spend the night? Are you a couple?"

Definitely took her hand off Rosie's mouth too soon. Roll rolled her eyes at her.

"Our friendship isn't at all romantic Rosie," said Roll calmly, "We had a nice dinner and dessert, played a board game, and I ended up spending the night cause I fell asleep waiting for him to clean up the mess."

"You spent the night?" said Rosie surprised.

"I slept on the sofa and he took his own bed," said Roll.

"He should have let you use his bed, silly!"

"ROSIE!"

"I mean you take the bed and he take the sofa," said Rosie indignantly.

"Well if you haven't noticed Rosie, I'm a bit too fat for him to carry!" Roll retorted.

"Oh shut it, you're not fat, silly!" said Rosie annoyed, "Last time you used my bath scale you were two pounds _under_ your target weight range!" Roll just groaned and shook her head.

"We can discuss my weight later!" said Roll, getting impatient, "Marshal needs to speak to Bunnie right now and I need to find her. I'll see you later okay." Roll then dashed away, careful not to run over any flowers as she made her way towards Bunnie's house. Rosie just watched her dash away puzzled.

"Why would Marshal want-" Rosie then stiffened. As told before, Rosie and Bunnie told each other everything. That included the details involving Bunnie's past and the whole situation that Roll had learned from Marshal. Rosie didn't need long to think about it before she began to try and catch up to Roll.

"Roll, wait, wait!" said Rosie, "I think I know what you're talking about! I can help!" Roll skidded to a stop, causing her bare feet to leave skid marks and a little dust clouds on the now all dirt path leading towards the rabbits house.

"You...can?" said Roll. Rosie nodded.

"I don't know what Marshal told you," said Rosie, "but I know Bunnie's side of the story." Roll just looked at her and then put her hands on her hips.

"Rosie, I'm not gonna scold or say that Bunnie is in the wrong," said Roll, "and I don't want to choose sides about this. That's why I am looking for Bunnie. I want to hear what she had to say."

"I see," said Rosie, "but what did Marshal say about...about the situation regarding her."

"He blames himself for what happened," said Roll, "he feels like he must not have been good enough to be friends with her and that's why Bunnie...in his words...pushed him away."

"So...he feels like she abandoned her?" Rosie asked, wanting confirmation.

"Yeah," said Roll, "but he's also not mad with her. He think he didn't give her a reason to stick around...he doesn't think he was worth her time. Kind of why he never tried to find out why she distance herself from him." Rosie just looked saddened and then gave Roll a determined look on her face.

"Well come on," said Rosie, "I was just at her house! She should still be home!" Rosie then grabbed Roll's hand and pulled her towards Bunnie's house. Roll nearly tripped over herself as Rosie rushed her over to the rabbit's home and let Roll knock on the door. It didn't take long before the burnt orange rabbit opened the door.

"Hey there, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Oh Roll the pink tee is like totally you! And those bottoms are cute too!"

"Thanks Bunnie," said Roll quickly with a smile, "umm...are you busy?"

"Well I was doing some housecleaning," said Bunnie, "What's up, tee hee?"

"I need you to come with me to my house," said Roll, "and we need to go right now!"

"Is it an emergency, tee hee?" Bunnie asked confused but now feeling a tad worried. Rosie just looked at her with look that could speak a thousand words. Bunnie only needed three seconds before her eyes widened and then frowned in anger.

"What did he say about me!" she demanded angrily. Roll just looked at her sadly.

"That he misses you," said Roll quietly. Bunnie's defensive anger melted faster than an ice cream cone left in the hot sun for two minutes. It was replaced with anxiousness and Bunnie suddenly looked very insecure.

"I...I...I gotta go!" said Bunnie but Roll grabbed her arm, but Bunnie struggled against her.

"Let go of me!" said Bunnie, "I gotta finish cleaning!"

"Bunnie what are you afraid of?" Roll asked, clearly upset, "He never said anything negative about you! He only said one thing that I just don't understand."

"What's that?" said Bunnie as she stopped struggling and turned to face her.

"He wasn't good enough for you," said Roll. Bunnie just looked agape.

"I...I...never...I don't think he's not good enough for me!" said Bunnie, "he...was...my best friend..."

"Why _was_?" said Roll, "What did he do to make you break it? He thinks he wronged you and that you never forgave him. And I just can't believe that. The Bunnie I know doesn't hold grudges and when things get rough, she wouldn't just abandon someone."

"He said I abandoned him?" said Bunnie hurt and in a saddened tone.

"In a journal, but even he admitted that it was just hurt at the time," said Roll, "but he feels like he drove you away with his depression. That he wasn't worth being your friend," Bunnie could feel her eyes water and her heart ached as she slumped to her knees. Roll could tell that Bunnie was hiding something and that it was hurting her deeply.

"Bunnie, I just want to mend a broken friendship," said Roll, "I'm not mad at you. I just want you to tell me what happened. I want to make Marshal apart of the group, but I need to know you're okay with it and is there a reason I shouldn't..."

"Where is he?" she asked in desperation, trying not to cry.

"He's at my house," said Roll, "Now would you like to come with me so you can clear this misunderstanding?" Bunnie just looked at her nervously and was unsure of what to do as she sat on her knees in front of the door to her house. Roll just held her left hand gently and gave it a friendly squeeze as she squatted beside her.

"You'll be okay," said Roll gently, "Rosie and I are going to be there to support you."

"We are?" said Rosie and Roll glared at her sternly.

"Oh right, of course, we are," said Rosie, not wanting to be insensitive but was surprised she was gonna be included, "what are siblings for? Sorry, I didn't know if you wanted me there when you speak to Marshal." Bunnie just looked at her with worry and concern. Roll could tell she was afraid to speak to him.

"Come on, Bunnie," said Roll, "Don't you want to be friends with Marshal again?" Bunnie just looked at her and nodded. Roll stood up and dusted off her bottoms before pulling the rabbit to her feet. Roll gave her a warm smile before Bunnie giving her a hug. Bunnie welcomes the gesture and held Roll for a few seconds before pulling away. Then Roll took Bunnie by the hand and led the rabbit towards her house with Rosie quietly following close behind. It didn't take too long before they reached Roll's house and Marshal wasn't on the sofa.

"Marshal? Marshal!" Roll called out.

"I'm in the kitchen sulky!" said Marshal from the back room, which had become Roll's kitchen, "I thought I would make some of my special lattes and cookies to help us relax while we talk!" Roll chuckled and even Bunnie and Rosie giggled to themselves.

"Sounds like a good idea," said Roll, "Umm...Rosie is here too by the way. I think Bunnie told her about the situation." There was a brief silence.

"That...that will be okay," said Marshal as bravely as he could, "I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Alright," said Roll and turned to Rosie and Bunnie, "why don't you guys make yourself as home and I am gonna go see if Marshal doesn't need some extra help (and some words of encouragement)." That last part was under her breath as she headed towards the kitchen and Rosie guided Bunnie towards the sofa where Rosie and Bunnie sat side by side with Bunnie in the middle. Rosie could tell that Bunnie was trembling a little.

"It's gonna be okay," said Rosie gently, "you need to do this, sis. You need to face this issue, silly." Bunnie nodded as she just sat there.

"I know I need to do this," said Bunnie, "but it's not just for myself Rosie."

"Then who?" Rosie asked.

"I have to do this for Roll too," said Bunnie with a serious tone, "if we're ever gonna get her to tell us about her past, we need to show her that we are willing to face our own pasts too. Even when its hard...and painful...and we really just want to run from it, we learn...that you just gotta face it...because facing the past...is...the only way we're ever gonna move forward..." Bunnie's voice was shaky the entire time she spoke and a few tears had streamed down her face. Rosie smiled as she held her hand securely.

"I'm so proud of you sis," said Rosie, "and know that I'm here for you. No matter what happens." Bunnie gave her a timid smile as Roll and Marshal arrived with two trays. One had some basic butter cookies and the other tray had some cups with freshly made coffee lattes. Rosie noticed that Bunnie latte was a light tan in color while hers was more of a chestnut brown.

"Why is mine darker, silly?" she asked as Roll handed her the cup.

"And why is mine so light?" said Bunnie.

"You told me you liked your coffee with lots of milk, sulky," said Marshal to the puzzled rabbit, "and Roll said Rosie liked hers will just a little bit of milk, sulky."

"Oh...right," said Bunnie as she looked at the top of her cup. Marshal had made a design on her cup of pretty much the silhouette of her head. Marshal then took a seat next to her and took a long sip of his own cup. Bunnie went to take a sip of her own. To say the coffee was delightful was a gross understatement. Marshal's coffee was heavenly, just like it always was. She never realized how much she had missed his coffee drinks. While the coffee helped her settle a bit, she was still quite nervous. She turned to see that Marshal looked a little nervous himself.

"I'm...uhh...really glad that you're here, sulky," said Marshal gently. Bunnie just looked at him for a moment, but said nothing as she took another sip of her coffee. Marshal looked a bit hurt and looked away sadly. Roll took notice of the tension between the two and set her coffee cup down as she took a seat in her own ranch chair and crossed her legs comfortably.

"So...let me bring you up to speed with why we're all here," said Roll. Bunnie just whimpered a bit and Marshal gave her a glance.

"Let me bring you up to speed about the situation here," said Roll, "Based on what I learned, you and Bunnie were from Castle and were part of a best friend trio that included this human girl named Charlotte. You guys were best friends with her correct?"

"Yes we were," said Marshal and then turned to Bunnie, "right?" Bunnie bit her lips and then bravely nodded in agreement.

"Marshal told me that he wanted to give Charlotte a birthday gift in which he wanted to tell this Charlotte how much he loved and appreciated her," said Roll, "he even said that he looked for you and couldn't find you at her birthday party."

"That was because I wasn't invited," said Bunnie shakily.

"What?" said Marshal shocked, "why...why weren't you invited to her birthday party?" Bunnie took a long deep breath.

"The day before I went over to her house to ask her a few questions," said Bunnie sadly, "I wanted to host her birthday party cause I love to throw birthday parties."

"I remember," said Marshal, "I remember the ones you threw for my birthday, you always loved a good birthday party."

"True," said Bunnie with a sad chuckle, "so I went over to ask her the important questions. Like what color streamers, and decorations she wanted, what kind of balloons and the colors, the music player and such. She was really quiet for some reason and I asked her what was wrong. She looked at me straight in the eye. She told me that she had a realization in the past couple of days. She felt like her time in Castle was coming to an end. She said she wanted to leave and pursue her dreams. At first I was, okay...that was cool. I wished her the best and said that I would make sure that her birthday party was the best one she had before she left. Then she said that she didn't want a party. She told me...she said that..." Bunnie then began to cry before finding her words again.

"She said in order to move on, she had to get used to us not being in our lives," Bunnie sobbed, "she said that she is wouldn't be able to keep in touch with us after she left. She said that she appreciated everything Marshal and I had done for her, but she had to now on." Marshal gasped.

"No...it can't be...it can't be...she didn't..." Marshal replied in disbelief.

"I just said that she did!" Bunnie yelled, "She ended the friendship and had the nerve to say it right to my face!"

"Bunnie calm down!" Roll scolded, "I knew this is upsetting for you, but I won't let you take our your frustrations on Marshal! You hate it when I let others do that to me! I won't let you do that to him!" Bunnie just panted a bit before she sobbed a few times and lowered her head in shame.

"I'm sorry Marshal," Bunnie croaked.

"Don't be," said Marshal, "I know you're upset. So what happened after?"

"I was in disbelief," said Bunnie in a cracked tone, "I asked her why did she feel the need to do that. Just cause your leaving doesn't mean you have to end the friendship. She turned her back to me and acted as if I wasn't even there. She wasn't even the same girl we used to know. She had become cold and indifferent. She didn't care at all that I was heartbroken and only said to me: my decision is final."

"I can't believe it..." said Marshal, shaking his head.

"Believe it," said Bunnie, "She even told me that she had changed and that she realized that she couldn't live her life forever in Animal Town. She had a real life to live and being there was only holding her back. We...were holding her back. Then she asked me to leave. I started at her, my hurt turned into anger. I just panted as tears streamed down my face. I said to her...You're a liar, a phony...a fraud...THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE! HOW CAN YOU DO A THING LIKE THIS! MAKE US FEEL LIKE THE MOST VALUABLE FRIENDSHIPS YOU'VE EVER HAD AND THEN TOSS IT INTO THE GARBAGE LIKE SOME SORT OF VIDEO GAME CONSOLE THAT DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE! YOU'RE AN INHUMAN MONSTER...she cut me off, glared at me fiercely...she screamed at me to get out and then turned around and gave me the same cold shoulder she had been giving me that day. I just looked at her bitterly and I told her...don't ever come back and...and...I HATE YOU!" Bunnie's composure crumbled as she broke down and began to weep as she buried her face into his hands.

"Afterward, I didn't bother to show up for the party," said Bunnie once she had calmed down a bit, "I was too hurt and too angry."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Marshal asked her, "I spend that entire day practicing a speech to say that how much I loved her that day!"

"What did you say?" Bunnie asked him curiously, wanting to hear that part again.

"I told her that she was the greatest friend that I ever had and that I loved her," said Marshal, repeating the first part, "She looked at me, started to cry and then dashed away and left me there looking like a fool. To this day I feel like I was the one that made her finally decide to just take off and not come back. I figured you blamed me for what happened..."

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Bunnie wailed at the top of her lungs. Everything for Bunnie just came crashing down as Bunnie just screamed and wailed loudly. Marshal was taken aback by her sudden wailing as Rosie hugged her tightly and Roll got on her knees in front of her hugged her, both girls trying to calm her down.

"Bunnie please...don't cry," said Marshal, "I'm really sorry that I drove her away. Believe me that I've felt horrible about it since..."

"MARSHAL SHUT UP!" she screamed and stopped wailing as she looked at him, still sobbing a bit and hot tears streaming down her face. Roll, Rosie and Marshal all jumped back at Bunnie outburst.

"Didn't you listen to anything I was saying?" Bunnie croaked, "I was the one who drove her away. I was the who told her to get out and never come back! I was the one who never told you what she had said and left you to blame yourself for her abandoning us! I was never angry with you Marshal."

"But you yelled at me when I was looking for her," said Marshal, "You sounded so angry too, sulky!"

"I was never angry with you, tee hee," Bunnie explained, "I was angry at Charlotte and I was angry at myself. I felt like I was the reason she ended up leaving and for the way she just disappeared and didn't even say goodbye. I mean...she...she didn't even bother to tell you she was leaving...did she?" Marshal sadly shook his head.

"I never knew she wanted to leave or the fact she wanted to end the friendship," said Marshal sadly, "Her birthday was the last time I saw her. From what you told me, I was surprised she even had a birthday party, sulky."

"It was probably one of the villagers she wasn't as close to that must have hosted the party," said Bunnie, "and even they didn't know that she didn't want a party. She probably just showed up to be nice, even though she wasn't even a nice person anymore."

"I wonder if she even told them about leaving," Marshal thought.

"Does it even matter, tee hee!" Bunnie snapped, "At the end of the day, the friendship we shared with her was over! And she didn't want either of us! Apparently, we were just the latest fad and being friends with us and living in Castle, in her eyes, was out of date! She never really loved and cared about us! She didn't want our friendship to last!"

"Bunnie stop yelling at him!" said Roll sternly.

"It's alright, beautiful," said Marshal gently, "I know it's just the anger from what happened. It needs to come out, sulky. Just let her vent." Roll wanted to protest but knew that Marshal was right. Plus she could tell that Bunnie looked very upset and guilty as she sniffled a few times and just sat quietly. Marshal just looked back at Bunnie quietly for a moment. Rosie and Roll stayed quiet as well. The former just sitting beside her and the latter just on her knees on the floor in front of Bunnie. Both were unsure of what to do or what to say. Roll felt bad for scolding Bunnie.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you Bunnie," said Roll, "I just felt like you were taking out your anger on him." Bunnie gave her a smile and sniffle to assure her it was alright and the silence continued. However, Marshal just couldn't stay quiet for long.

"What about us?" he asked. Bunnie faced him with watery eyes and sticky cheeks.

"Huh?" said Bunnie puzzled.

"What about us?" said Marshal, "Just because Charlotte wants nothing to do with us doesn't mean we can't still be best friends. I still care about you Bunnie. I still love you. The question is...do you still care about me? And if not, what did I do to make you stop?" Bunnie began to cry again, though no tears left her eyes.

"I...well...I didn't mean...oh this is all my fault!" she sobbed, "I was blaming myself for what happened and I was only thinking of myself! I didn't mean to push you away Marshal! I just didn't know how to cope with the rejection and I...I...I didn't consider your feelings and I...I kept being reminded of her and the pain whenever I saw you."

"I see," said Marshal sadly.

"But that stopped...a long time ago," said Bunnie, "I only stayed away cause I felt...guilty."

"But you shouldn't feel guilty," Marshal protested.

"Yes I do!" said Bunnie, "I wrote you off! I didn't even consider your feelings. I was so focused on how I was feeling. I only thought of myself. That was why when you used to tell me how much you missed Charlotte, the pain hurt too much for me and I didn't know how to help you...that's why I distanced myself."

"But if you healed, why are you so distant now?" Marshal asked. Bunnie growled.

"Are you even listening to me?!" she yelled, "I wrote you off! I didn't consider your feelings about Charlotte abandoning us. You were hurting and I wasn't there for you and I regret it! Til today, I was just trying to forget about what I did and move on, but the guilt was too much. You think you're worthless...all because of me. I am the reason you're called Mr. Grump and why that frown became part of your face! I'm the reason you think no one loves and cares about you! You needed me and I let you down! Every time I was seeing you...I was reminded of damage that I know I'll never be able to repair. I can't take back what I did or the pain that it caused you! Why do you even want _me_ for a friend after _all that_?!" Bunnie was sobbing as she just poured her heart out to Marshal. Rosie and Roll were shedding tears of the own as Rosie rubbed Bunnie's back and Roll held both of the rabbit's hands.

"My motto in life is to always stay positive," Bunnie croaked, "but nobody's perfect. I tried to move forward and just keep thinking positively...that everything would be okay. But...you can't move forward if you keep avoiding the past. Because I did that, you got left behind...and that is so not fair to you at all. You did nothing wrong! I wronged you. I made you feel rejected and unwanted. I was the reason that this became a scar on your heart. I'm so sorry Marshal. I'm so, so, so sorry. I never came sooner cause I still believe the damage is beyond repair..." Bunnie couldn't speak any more and continued to cry despite no more tears could leave her bloodshot eyes. Marshal just looked at her quietly before gently grabbing her by the chin and slowly began to wipe away the tear stains on her cheeks. Bunnie just sniffled, unsure of what Marshal was doing until he gave her a soft smile.

"I was never angry with you Bunnie," said Marshal gently, "I guess I too have issues believing in myself similar to Roll. I mean sure...I was hurt you pulled away, but I figured that you just didn't know how to heal someone whose heart is broken."

"I don't," said Bunnie softly, "If you haven't noticed..."

"Bunnie, do you think I'm clueless?" He asked, clearly upset. Bunnie was taken aback by the question and then realized that she had already attacked him twice for not paying attention to her when he clearly was.

"No, sorry," said Bunnie, "I meant to say that...I haven't been able to heal my own heart. It's still scarred over what happened. I guess I had expected you to be there for me...but the truth was...you needed me more. I bet the door was always open yet I never took it huh?"

"Yes it was," said Marshal, "and it still is."

"Really?" said Bunnie surprised.

"I wasn't going to fully let you go Bunnie," said Marshal, "Otherwise I really would have nothing left...until I met Roll...I didn't think I would ever find a girl who liked "Mr. Grump"."

"Marshal, I want to be your friend," said Rosie, wanting to get into this conversation and to help as well, "I guess I did kind of take the rumors for truth about you and now I realize that I was so wrong about you. You're not that way at all. You just have a grumpy face...but in my opinion. It's a very cute face."

"I agree on that," said Roll. The two girls both giggled as Marshal blushed a bit and even Bunnie gave a slight chuckle.

"Yeah...so...I guess I just wanted to know if...if you wanted to be best friends again," said Marshal, "Cause if forgiveness is what you are looking for from me. I'm willing to give it to you. Plus I don't blame you one bit for what Charlotte did. She made her choice and she didn't need to shun us both when she left or take off like she did. She made her own decisions and it obviously hurt the both of us. I'm just tired of our friendship being broken. I want my best friend back."

"Me too," said Bunnie, "I want my Marshmallow squirrel back, tee hee."

"Marshmallow squirrel?" Rosie and Roll cooed at each other and giggled. Marshal rolled his eyes but then chuckled.

"I haven't heard you call me that in years, sulky," said Marshal, "But I guess what I want to know is...will we be okay." Bunnie smiled.

"Yes...we will, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Charlotte may have broken our friendship, but we can't let her destroy it. We still have each other. Thank you for waiting for me and I'm sorry I made you wait at all...when you had nothing to be sorry for. Like I said, I was never angry with you."

"I understand and I forgive you, sulky," said Marshal. They smiled before they shared a hug with one another. Rosie and Roll smiled, hugging each other at such a sweet moment.

"I love you Bunnie," said Marshal. Rosie and Roll kept holding each other and exchanged glances, wondering what Bunnie was gonna say.

"I love you too, Marshal," Bunnie replied and kissed his cheek. Rosie and Roll looked speechless.

"It's like brother and sister you guys," they said together, rather quickly to be precise. Knowing that Rosie and Roll were thinking.

"Newsflash tee hee," said Bunnie, "A sister can kiss a brother. It was a quick one on the cheek. Besides, I missed him."

"Same here," said Marshal, "Here." He pecked her back. "Just returning to gesture." Bunnie giggled and soon Rosie and Roll laughed as well, taking their words for it. Even if they were both convinced there just might be more than just friendship between the two but didn't say nothing.

"So...guess that means Marshal is part of the group now?" Roll asked.

"Roll," said Bunnie, "we're not just a "group". We never have been just a group. We're family."

"That's how it was between Bunnie, Charlotte, and I," said Marshal, "I mean...I would like to be..."

"You are now," said Bunnie firmly, "so never doubt that ever again." Marshal smiled as they exchanged another hug. Rosie and Roll smiled.

"So tell me, silly," said Rosie, "why is Marshal called the marshmallow squirrel?" Marshal blushed as Bunnie giggled to herself as did Roll as she took a seat next to Marshal Indian style behind him.

"He's just plushy and cuddly like a marshmallow," said Bunnie, "He gives the best hugs and..." She turned to face him with a smile. "...he was always a good comforter to both me and Charlotte."

"He was a good comforter to me too," said Roll as she hugged him from behind.

"Really?" said Bunnie, "why was that? Did something happen last night?" Roll suddenly felt very nervous and just looked at the white squirrel who just looked up at her since Roll was resting her chin on his head.

"I found out about Charlotte by accident," said Roll, "and he was willing to tell me about her...so..." Bunnie and Rosie exchanged looks with each other, but they each had a smile on them.

"You confided in him," said Bunnie, "about your past." Roll looked at her sadly and nodded.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize," said Bunnie, "I mean...you'll tell us the truth in good time right."

"Of course," said Roll, "I promised you. And I always keep my promises."

"I know you will, tee hee," said Bunnie, "But I hope what happened today did show you something." Roll gave her a puzzled look.

"What's that?" Roll asked as she held Marshal from behind.

"Facing the past is never easy and it can be very scary sometimes, silly," Rosie explained, "but if you willing to face it and open up, no matter how painful it can be, you're never alone. You have us...and that includes Marshal, who love and care about you, Roll. We're all here for you." Roll smiled and gave them both a nod, but deep down she didn't want to talk about her past again anytime soon. It was hard enough for her to tell Marshal. She didn't want to bring it up again. At least not after what Bunnie had to deal with. For the moment, they just were enjoying the cookies Marshal had made. Rosie couldn't stop humming as she munched on her cookie.

"You know these butter cookies taste very familiar," said Rosie.

"That's because they are Marshal's own special recipe," said Bunnie, "he taught it to me. Obviously, they are better when he makes them."

"Yours are good too, sulky," said Marshal, "I'm sure you've gotten better at baking,"

"That's true," said Bunnie and they both chuckled.

"Guess Whitney was right," said Rosie.

"Right about what Rosie?" said Roll as she wiped her mouth off cookie crumbs.

"No matter how long two best friends are separated, silly," said Rosie, "when they are reunited. It will just like it was yesterday. Just looked at them Roll. It's like the whole situation never happened." Marshal and Bunnie just exchanged smiles at each other. Roll was pleased that everything turned out alright.

"Well, I'm glad I was able to help you guys restore your friendship," said Roll, "I better get to work. It's already past 10!"

"We can help sulky," said Marshal. Roll smiled.

"Well come on then!" said Roll as she ironed out her bottoms and shirt as the group made their way out of her house. Roll just sighed as she looked inside of her house and smiled.

Today had been a emotional day, but she had been able to help mend a broken friendship. Yet she was still worried as she closed the door to her house and locked it.

She knew she couldn't keep the truth about her mother from Rosie and Bunnie much longer. It was gonna come out sooner or later. She knew she had no reason to be afraid to tell them, but the problem was...it was part of her past she just didn't want to deal with. And she wasn't sure when or if she ever would be.

 **If you've seen the villagers in New Leaf and Happy Home Designer, you know that the squirrel villagers are just bigger than half the size of the human villager.**

 **And as mentioned before, I bet alot of boys and girls wish they could make pro designs of pants, shorts (of a modest length), and for the girls pedal pushers/capris. I don't know why ACNL or ACHHD never considered pedal pushers/capris as a bottom choice. Girls wear them everywhere these days.**

 **I want to give a special thanks to** ** _Tara the Runaway_** **and her own fanfiction "Running away". Her story is what inspired me to come up with the Mr. Grump Story arc.**

 **Here's a preview for the next Story Arc.**

 **Mother's Day Blues: The arrival of mother's day really brings back bad memories about the past for Roll and now she finally at her breaking point? Can she confront her past and come clean with the rest of her friends, even the village about it?**

 **MAJOR TEARJERKER ARC coming soon! Better get the tissues ready.**

 **See you next time!**


	18. Mother's Day Blues Part 1

Mother's Day blues part 1

The first week of May had arrived and Roll's friendship bonds were continuing to grow as she was slowly learning to be more confident in herself. Now having lived over two months in Animal Town, Roll was finally feeling like the place was her home and even her house finally had all six rooms built in, though a few still needed to be expanded for space. Roll wasn't too worried at getting her rooms bigger these days. She always made plenty of money at the island and kept her visits to just a few times a week cause she wanted to have as much time as possible to be with her friends, especially Marshal, whom had definitely earned a special place in the blonde girl's heart. While Bunnie and Rosie teased she really enjoyed her "dates" with Marshal, Roll and Marshal knew they only saw each other like siblings and nothing else. Besides, Roll said it made her day for him called her "Beautiful" as a nickname. In return she called him Marshmallow, which annoyed him a first but he had gotten used to it over time. Plus Roll often teased Bunnie back because for some odd reason she and Marshal liked to call to call her "cutie" and the rabbit always blushed when he called her that. Bunnie backed off with the teasing after that.

Plus plenty of other facilities had also been added to the town. The Dream Suite was constructed just two days after the whole confrontation between Bunnie and Marshal. Roll was a little nervous about trying it out but with some encouragement from her friends, she did gave it a try. It also helped that the hostess of the suite, Luna, was very kind to Roll, which helped her to relax as she entered the dream world. Roll even surprised her friends by visiting Castle, the very town Bunnie and Marshal had come from...or at least tried until Luna said that the town had been deleted from the database. Roll tried another town at random. This time arriving in a town by the name of Tokyo, which was still currently undergoing much development. She even meet the mayor of the town, but what stunned her the most was that the girl knew her name, even telling her that they were destined to be friends and that they would meet each other soon in the real world. When she told Luna what had happened, the anteater was rather stunned, saying that such a happening was not possible. She said that there could be a greater purpose behind why Roll had such a dream. Even today, Roll still wonders when or if she would meet that mysterious girl.

Roll finally got the request for a proper police station. While she felt conflicted about which officer to choose as police chief, she was the first mayor to ever hire co-police chiefs in her town. She just didn't want to choose one over the other. While she felt Booker was rather sweet, she liked that Copper was ready for anything. In addition, she also established the Roost coffee shop, which was located near the southeastern end of town. Or to be more specific, it was located directly south from the location of her house. Roll made an effort to visit the Roost every day since his coffees really were a great way for her to relieve her stress after a hard day's work of developing the town and raising the funds to complete the costs. (She still had help from the villagers, but she wanted to clip in as well in spite of Isabelle telling her to be patient.) Within a week, she had befriended Brewster. Not only was she enjoying all different types of coffee drink combinations, which varied based on coffee beans, and amount of milk and sugar, but she earn herself to=go cups as well as part-time work opportunities with him. Roll also established a favorite coffee with him, which was his house blend with regular milk and two sugars. Otherwise known as his famous pigeon blend.

Today at the Able Sisters, Sable was hard at work at their brand's summer fashions, getting them ready to sell so people could start wearing them next month when Summer officially began. She was busy and keeping to herself as usual, when Rosie and Bunnie walked into the shop with huge smiles on their faces and whispered for Mabel to hold the door open. Sable looked at the two girls with interest.

"What's going on here?" Sable asked them curiously. Bunnie and Rosie just exchanged smirks with each other before they began to countdown and to Sable's shock, they began to sing.

"Fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight," Bunnie and Rosie sang together and ironically on pitch as they made dynamic poses, "never running from the real fight! She's the one and only Sailor Roll! She will never turn her back on a friend, she is always there to defend, she's the one in whom we depend! She's the one and only Sailor Roll! The one and only Sailor Roooollllll!" Roll came into eye view, wearing the sailor tee and sailor knee high skirt, making her look like she was wearing a traditional Japanese fuku. She kept her hair in pigtails while adding a crescent moon clip on the side of her head. She gave Sable a showmanship pose as she walked into the shop. Sable and Mabel cheered and clapped for her.

"That's was pretty cool entrance," said Mabel, "and Sable always said my manga comic book reading was just silly." Sable just rolled her eyes. Even she knew who Roll was trying to dress up as.

"Whatever," she muttered, "but anyway, you look very cute Sailor Roll. So what brings you here today?"

"What else, silly," said Rosie.

"Sable's kawaii summer fashions!" Roll, Bunnie, and Rosie gushed at once. Sable just smiled as the girl began to browse what she had for sale. While Bunnie and Rosie didn't really buy anything, Roll found two sleeveless dresses that she wanted and purchased them before heading into the accessories department where the three did their skit again for Labelle who applauded them for both the free performance as well as the fact that she liked Roll's outfit. Sable just listened attentively and then went back to work. But Sable didn't work for long before she got an idea.

"Mabel, has Roll taken advantage of the QR machine yet?" Sable asked.

"Not yet," said Mabel, "but she has used it for those alterations on those boy's shorts. Interestingly, why don't we sell pedal pushers? If you use the bottom designs we have now they shouldn't be that hard to make! We use similar patterns for dresses and tops after all." Sable had stopped listening after she had gotten her answer and pondered on some red material she had close by.

"Did you tune me out again, sis?" Mabel asked annoyed.

"Yeah, but for a good reason," said Sable, "I need you head into the inventory and gather me some items right now." Sable handed her a sheet of paper with some materials on it. Mabel looked at the list and then at her sister.

"What for?" wondered Mabel. Sable just gave her a smile.

"Just trust me," said Sable. Mabel hated not getting a direct answer but she knew if she did what Sable asked her, she would get some answers in good time. Plus it wasn't too often Sable did independent projects. Those were usually her department since she liked handling customized clothes and such. The fact Sable had an excited look on her face made Mabel more than willing to help her sister out.

Back to Roll and he friends, Roll had purchased a blue plaid fedora from Labelle while the two sisters were chatting with each other. For some reason those kind of hats really spoke to her and she liked how it looked on her when she tried it on. Once they had finished their shopping at Kicks, where Roll had purchased a pair of yellow buckle shoes, they headed over to Margie's house for lunch. Since Marshal was busy, it was just the girls for today. Once lunch was finished, they simply began to converse with one another. The current conversation had to do with the idea of Sable and Tom Nook being a couple. Roll felt a little awkward discussing this without Sable around.

"I don't think we should be talking about this," said Roll uneasily.

"We're not bashing anyone, tee hee," said Bunnie, "We just wonder why neither of them have made any effort to reconcile with each other."

"Yeah, silly," Rosie added, "After all, what good does keeping apart really do? You remember what happened when Bunnie and Marshal nearly let their friendship fall apart. Marshal got depressed and my poor sister had a meltdown."

"Don't remind me, Rosie," said Bunnie, "I still feel guilty about it."

"But Charlotte made her choice..." Roll began.

"I meant not going to Marshal for help or at least vent, tee hee," Bunnie interrupted, "I held it all inside and I ended up exploding. Take my advice, Roll. Don't try to hold onto the past and keep what bothers you inside for long periods of time. It only poisons you and no matter how hard you try to stuff it down, its gonna come up...whether you want it or not."

"BURP!" Margie bellowed out of the blue, making the others look at her. Margie chuckled sheepishly with a slight blush on her face.

"Heh...sorry, tootie," said Margie bashfully, "It's like Bunnie said...it's gotta come out." The three other girls just chuckled to each other.

"I get it," said Roll, "I'm just waiting for the right time okay. I mean, even Marshal only got a summary of information you know. It's helps that I have such great best friends who care about me." Bunnie and Rosie nodded in understanding. There was a moment of silence before another topic came into Rosie's head.

"Say, do you guys know that Mother's Day is coming up in a few days?" Rosie asked excitedly. Margie and Bunnie smiled excitedly while Roll's smile slowly began to flip over.

"I've been working on a special design, tootie," said Margie, "Now that they have that digital sewing machine, Mabel said I can turn my design into an actual outfit for my mom. I really hope she likes the new dress that I designed for her."

"Is it the one with all those cute kitty faces silly?" Rosie asked. That was one of her favorite Margie designs.

"That's the one, tootie," said Margie, "My mom loves kitties."

"I hope that includes me, silly," said Rosie shyly.

"Of course Rosie," said Margie, "She asks about you all the time!"

"What about me?" said Bunnie, feeling left out. After all, there were rabbit/bunny lovers out there right?

"Of course she asks about you too Bunnie," said Margie, "She's really proud of you for coming clean with Marshal about your problems."

"So is my own Mom," said Bunnie, "but I just wish she would stop asking me just one stupid question all the time."

"What's that?" Roll asked with a slightly dreary tone, but it was apparently overlooked by her three best friends.

"When will we get married?!" said Bunnie, "I mean, sure, I wouldn't mind getting married, having a family and such, but...I just don't see Marshal that way." Margie and Rosie looked at her skeptically.

"But you say I love you to Marshal and he does love you back, tootie," said Margie.

"Plus you said he's your Marshmallow squirrel," said Rosie.

"I only meant that he's like my brother and he's great at giving me hugs that help me feel better," said Bunnie annoyed, "I don't see him like that." Neither girl believed her, but rather than start a fight, Rosie redirected the conversation.

"Does he know that?" Rosie asked.

"Yeah...I got in face about it too," said Bunnie, "He didn't seem too bothered about my response."

"So...you wouldn't mind if...I asked him out then, silly?" Rosie asked casually, rubbing a finger on the table. Bunnie's eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

"What? You?!" said Bunnie stunned, "Why do you want to ask him out?"

"I like him and I think he's cute," said Rosie calmly, "I wanna go out with him and see if we would work out." Bunnie just glared at her.

"I see..." she said with much annoyance and irritation in her voice.

"Ha! See! It bugs you that I said that and I was just bluffing, silly," said Rosie, "You got jealous that someone wanted to date _your_ Marshmallow squirrel."

"Yeah right, tee hee," said Bunnie, rolling her eyes at the blue cat and muttered, "I knew you were bluffing."

"I can tell you're lying," said Margie with a teasing tone and wanting to get into the fun.

"I wasn't lying!" Bunnie protested, "and I'm not jealous!"

"Yes you are!" said Rosie.

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Will you two put a lid on it!" Roll snapped, feeling bothered enough by the mother day conversation and their little debate wasn't helping her mood, "I already had to see one stupid argument nearly tear you guys apart! I don't need you guys competing with each other over Marshal! Just leave him alone. He needs best friends who love and care about him, not tearing each other apart for his heart!" Roll had raised her voice a bit but then just huffed as she tried to calm down. Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other with concern before turning to face her.

"Lighten up, we were just kidding," said Rosie.

"Yeah, no need to get your pigtails up in a bunch," Bunnie added. Roll just glared before sighing to herself in defeat.

"Sorry you guys," said Roll, "I guess I just don't want you guys to fight and tear your friendship apart. I hate getting stuck in the middle. I don't think he wants to be caught in the middle either." Bunnie and Rosie just smiled at her before walking over and giving her a warm hug.

"It's okay, silly," said Rosie, "we were just teasing. We do that alot sometimes cause we consider each other like sisters. So...don't need to worry okay."

"Everything is cool between us, Roll," said Bunnie, "so just relax." Roll just smiled and nodded. The truth was that Roll knew that they were both teasing but the mention of mother's day is actually had what had gotten on her nerves. She didn't want to be reminded of the fact that she didn't have a mother. Well, she did but...well she really didn't want to deal with it.

"Anyway, back to the subject at hand, tootie," said Margie and Roll inwardly groaned, "what about your mom?" Roll wasn't sure about how to answer, especially since she didn't want to answer the question at all.

"I'm actually gonna meet my Mom that day with my siblings, tee hee," said Bunnie instead of Roll, "We're gonna go to the city and do some high end shopping. There's this new Megamall that opened up near my old home and we've been wanting to go check it out."

"Well my mom and I are gonna meet up with my siblings for a day at this really cool local spa," said Rosie, "My siblings and I have been saving for this spa day for months now and thanks to Roll's trips to the Island I have spending cash for the cost and all those special treatment packages. I'm so looking forward to one serious pampering with my mom."

"Oh that is so cool," said Bunnie, "is it that new zen spa located just west of the England town?"

"Yeah," said Rosie, "You have to register almost three months in advance to get in."

"That's awesome," said Margie, "Well my mom and I..." Roll could feel her heart slowly starting to break as they continued to share mother's day plans with one another. All her friends were so excited about seeing their moms and she had no good memories to share or any plans. She was really feeling like she was getting shut out with this conversation.

"So...does that mean everyone is going to be busy next Sunday?" Roll asked quietly.

"Pretty much," said Margie, "Don't you have some plans with your own mother?" Roll just sat quietly for a moment, crossing her ankles several times and not answering.

"Roll, don't you have any plans with you mother?" Margie asked again. Roll just looked up and then eyeballed the clock.

"Oh look it's getting late and I got things to do," said Roll, "I'll see you guys later."

"Roll is there something you wanna share with us, silly?" Rosie asked firmly.

"Yeah, would you mother have anything to with what you told Marshal, tee hee?" Bunnie asked. Roll began to shake a bit. Bunnie could tell that she might have hit a nerve as Roll was looking more and more insecure.

"Roll, why can't you just tell us, silly?" said Rosie.

"You promised to tell us the truth about your past..." Bunnie explained.

"WELL MAYBE I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!" Roll screamed at the top of her lungs and left quickly by slamming the door shut. Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie were left stunned for a moment and just felt hurt as they looked at each other with worry and concern.

Outside, Roll just kept walking forward angrily before she came up to the river where the zen bench was located. She just took a seat on the bench and just stared into river as a few fish swam by. Yet unlike other fish shadows, something of interest caught her eye. She noticed a tiny crucian carp swimming by itself, looking a bit lost and confused. Then a large crucian carp swam up to the smaller one. The little fish eagerly swam towards the larger one, cuddling close by the larger one as they swam by together. Roll just narrowed her eyes as she watched the two fish disappear.

"Aren't you lucky," she muttered as she looked away and crossed her ankles when she heard a someone walking up to her.

"Go away," she said grumpily.

"No," said the voice.

"We're not letting you run away from this anymore," said another voice. Roll grunted as she turned to see Bunnie and Rosie looking at her with stern looks on their faces. Roll just sighed.

"You made us a promise!" Bunnie began.

"Well I don't want to talk about it!" Roll yelled, "So leave me alone!"

"Roll, the more you get defensive, the more you're giving away exactly what it is about your past that troubles you, silly," said Rosie, "You were in orphanage after all. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that mother's day wouldn't be a holiday you're excited about."

"It must be hard to not have a mom to share memories with," said Bunnie, "but there's no reason for you to get so defensive about..."

"I'm angry cause I do have a mom!" Roll snapped and then sucked her lips into her mouth and then looked away, pulled her knees into her chest as she turned away. Bunnie and Rosie's eyes both had widened in shock at hearing Roll say that and just looked at each other before speaking to her again.

"Roll...you...you said you were from an orphanage, tee hee," said Bunnie, feeling puzzled.

"You wouldn't...lie to us about..."

"I didn't," said Roll firmly, "I came from an orphanage. That was where I came from before I moved here."

"Then how do you know you have a mom?" said Rosie and then gasped and covered her mouth. Bunnie looked at her and within seconds she gasped as well and they both exchanged sad looks with each other.

"She gave you up didn't she?" said Bunnie, "and you were old enough to remember it?" Roll said nothing as she felt her eyes water and closed them tightly to avoid crying. Rosie and Bunnie walked over to her.

"Roll, you can tell us," said Rosie gently, "It doesn't change anything."

"You're still our best friend, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"And we love you, silly," Rosie added. Roll just sniffled as she could feel her eyes still wanting to release a flow of tears, but she still held them back. She just looked at them sadly...she didn't want to talk, but she felt like she had too.

"Okay...okay...okay...okay...okay.,." she repeated as her body trembled a little. She was hitting her breaking point. She didn't want to hide the truth from them any longer. Her heart as well as her conscious wouldn't let her anymore. Bunnie and Rosie became worried as Roll clutched the sides of her head and they could see her entire body was trembling.

"Roll?"

"OKAY I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING! ALRIGHT! I'LL TALK!" Roll shouted as hot tears streamed down her face, "I'll talk...I'll talk...I'll talk..." Roll's voice broke as she softly began to cry as she slumped to her knees in front of the zen bench. Bunnie and Rosie just knelt beside her as Roll continued to cry.

"Come on, silly," said Rosie gently, "There's no need for you to tell us out here. Let's get back to Margie's house and you can tell us there okay. Margie needs to know the truth too and she can help you. We all can help you." Roll just looked at the blue cat with teary eyes and sniffled before she rose to her feet and allowed Bunnie and Rosie to guide her back to the house. Margie was just clearing the table from lunch when she saw the three girls walking in and Roll was still crying.

"I'm sorry Margie," said Roll sadly, "I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, tootie," said Margie gently, "I had a feeling this conversation would have troubled you since you don't have a mom."

"I actually do have a mom," said Roll. Margie looked puzzled and then it clicked at what Roll was implying.

"Oh Roll," said Margie.

"I can't keep this from you guys anymore," Roll whimpered, "it's hurts too much and it hurts even more knowing that I'm snapping at you guys when all you've given me is your support."

"Don't forget love, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Yes indeed Roll," said Margie, "We love you." Roll sobbed a little as Margie guided her towards her sofa, where they all managed to sit together with Margie on Roll's left and Bunnie on her right with Rosie sitting next to Bunnie. Roll just continued to cry quietly, unsure of what to say.

"So...from what you've told us, tee hee," said Bunnie gently and wanting to help Roll open up, "You came from an orphanage and I am assuming that your mother gave you up for some reason." Roll sniffled quietly and then surprised them by shaking her head.

"What?" said Rosie shocked.

"Then how did you get there?" Bunnie asked. Roll shook a little as her tears continued to stream down her face.

"Please tell us, tootie," said Margie gently. Roll took a few deep breaths.

"When...when I was born," said Roll shakily and in a cracking tone, "My mom...didn't want to be a mother." The three girls gasped.

"You mean..."

"She didn't want me," Roll continued sadly, "I was barely fed. I was barely taken care of. I don't even think my mom even bothered to change my clothes sometimes, let alone my diaper. I think my only clothes were nothing but a baggy tee for years that I just grew into. It was probably never washed either unless it smelled too much, but even then I had to learn how to put it on myself cause she would take it off and toss it back to me. Since I was a baby, I never wore shoes at all. In fact, that's kind of why I like being barefoot all the time cause that was what I was used to. My first and only pair of shoes were from the orphanage and I hated them. My hair was never cut and it grew to not only be super thick but super long, probably down to past my rear if I can remember correctly. Plus I can't be too sure. But I do know that I was probably the first girl who was forced to be potty trained before she was even a year old cause my mom would yelled at me if my diaper smelled."

"So she neglected you," said Margie sadly. Roll continued to cry and sniffed.

"It was worse," said Roll, "She yelled at me...constantly. She always told me...I was an accident. A mistake. She didn't want me. She never wanted me. She hated me. She said that I ruined her life. And before you ask about my father. He bailed on her when she became pregnant with me and she made it her mission to blame me for that too. And I found out about it by listening to the conversations cause when company came over, she forced me to stay inside of what was my bedroom, but it was probably just a small closet. I can still remember the times she threatened me that if I made a sound or if I was discovered. She always threatened me what if I spoke up that I was gonna pay dearly for it."

"That's horrible, silly," said Bunnie.

"That was my life for three years," said Roll, "being told I was a huge burden to her. Never being told that I was loved. Never getting new clothes. Just being told to keep quiet and never to speak. I remember when my first word was "mom". She shoved her face in mine and said "SHUT UP! Don't you call me that!"

"Did she ever hit you?" Rosie asked.

"No, just roughly tugged to places and shoved into closets," Roll croaked, "Then one day...when I was three years old...I finally wanted to know why she hated me. I asked her what could I do to earn her love? She gave me this really...vicious look on her face. She grabbed me by the shirt, lifting me to the air. She said "You wanna make me happy. You can go where I should have put you years ago! IN THE GARBAGE!" Roll broke down after saying that an covered her face as she began to weep. Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie gathered closer to her and held her close for a few minutes as Roll continued to cry.

"So she took me by the top of my shirt, carried me by what felt like was by my throat," Roll sobbed, "and she threw me into a trash can and slammed the door. Her last words to me were: You are trash and that's all you'll ever be! Now get out of sight and never come back!" Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie gasped and looked at her sadly.

"That is so sad..." said Rosie.

"So how did you get to the orphanage?" Bunnie asked her as she held one of Roll's hands despite tears constantly splashing on her own hand.

"I'm getting to that," said Roll, "but I did live in that alley for two days before anything happened. It was also that second night sleeping near the trash can with just a newspaper for blanket that I woke up and found what felt like hundreds of coach roaches were crawling all over my body." Roll shuttered at the memory.

"Now that must have been traumatic," said Margie.

"I have a phobia with bugs now because of that," Roll continued, "You have no idea how scary it is gathering those stupid beetles at night just to pay off my house debts."

"It does explain why you freaked out whenever a wharf roach crawls nearby," said Bunnie, "and why you shrieked when that one crawled over your foot that one time." Roll sniffled and nodded in agreement.

"So how did the orphanage find you, silly?" Rosie asked.

"Well...I was still so young," said Roll, "but basically one of the neighbors saw me getting tossed into the trash can and had seen me scavenging the trash for food. I'm guess they somehow contacted the police cause after that someone dressed on a police uniform found me trying to eat scraps from the trash can."

"Ewww!" Rosie and Bunnie groaned with disgusted faces.

"Hey, when you're hungry and haven't eaten a solid meal, if you could even call what my mom fed me actual food," said Roll, "You'd eat whatever you could get your hands on! Despite my eating...the officer tried to talk kindly to me, but I was afraid...mostly cause I didn't know if he was gonna yell or hurt me like my mom did. Soon I heard screaming near the front of the house and I began to cry and shake. It took ten minutes and coaxing from a second officer before I finally was able to go to one of them and they gently carried me into a patrol car. It was at the city police station they got me cleaned up and contacted the orphanage. Once there, I was given my uniform, my first pair of socks and shoes (yuck)." The three girls giggled to each other and even Roll gave them a small smile.

"In fact," Roll continued, "It was that police station that I was handed me my very first cinnamon roll. They asked me what my name was...they were shocked to hear when I answered their question. It was mostly because all I could say for my name were the words my Mom used to called and sadly some of them are not words I ever want to say again..." The three just looked agape.

"Wait a minute," said Margie, "You mean to tell me that your mother neglected you to the point that she didn't even give you a name?" Roll shook her head as she sniffled again.

"The cleanest name I can give was: you," said Roll, "or girl. The rest I know now was: coarse language." Margie, Bunnie, and Rosie just looked at each other sadly.

"So...how did you get your name?" Margie asked again.

"I said I was given my first cinnamon roll," said Roll, "being hungry and used to scavenging for food, which even that my mom found was a burden to her, they figured that I really loved cinnamon rolls. I said the word "Roll" for the first time and they just stuck with it. Couldn't think of anything better I guess. In the end, that's what became my name once I actually got my birth certificate, which they found had no name for me on it."

"How could the hospital not even make sure that your birth certificate wasn't even complete?" said Bunnie, "I've heard of crooked hospitals but that is just...wrong."

"Turns out that my mother didn't even give birth to me in a hospital," said Roll, "She probably figured if she didn't register me that she wouldn't have to be legally and financially liable for me. Great idea Mom! That's why you're sitting in sitting in a jail cell with a 40 year prison sentence."

"How did you learn about that? Or about how you were born and such?" Margie asked, "You said the orphanage didn't care about what you had to say. I wouldn't think they would give you that information even if you asked."

"They didn't, but we still had an old television set," said Roll, "and the trial regarding my mother's arrest was on the news. The other kids never knew that the woman on that trial was my mom and the people in charge probably knew but they never bothered to comfort me or care. Nobody ever cared what I had been through or how I felt knowing my own mother was going to jail. Part of me felt like she deserved it, but another part of me...feels like what she used to say about me was probably true..."

"No!" said Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie replied in sadness and anguish.

"What she said about you isn't true," said Bunnie in tears.

"She's a big liar," said Rosie, now crying herself.

"We know that you are a very special and beautiful young lady," said Margie.

"Then why do I still feel so worthless," said Roll, "I felt so helpless when she used to say those awful things to me. They still torment me...constantly. I can't get those words she used to say to me out of my head sometimes! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!" Roll leaned forward and buried her face into her hands and began to cry tearlessly. Her three friends just hugged her close, whispering sweet nothings to her until she was able to calm down and they pulled away.

"I'm sorry," said Roll quietly as she saw the watery eyes of all her friends.

"For what, tootie?" said Margie puzzled. Roll's eyes squeezed out another pair of tears.

"To have to learn...that your best friend...is a reject," said Roll sadly.

"You are not a reject," said Bunnie.

"You are a very special young lady and we are so blessed to have you in our lives," said Rosie.

"You're mother may have rejected you, tootie," said Margie, "but we don't."

"I...I didn't think you would want to be friends with someone like me once you learned to truth," said Roll.

"Are you kidding?" said Bunnie, "All your story did was make us mad, tee hee."

"You're mad at me?" said Roll, feeling devastated.

"No, silly!" said Rosie, "we're mad at your mother!"

"We don't understand why someone would give birth to someone and not even want the child," said Bunnie, "I mean...I hear child abandonment is sadly becoming common in this day and age, but I never thought I would see the day I would meet a child who had to go through that. My heart reaches out to you." Roll just looked at her sadly and sniffled as she tucked her legs into her chest so she could hold her feet.

"What hurts the most about all of this," said Roll sadly, "is that I just don't understand why? I don't know what I did wrong to make her hate me so much. Why couldn't she love me or accept me? Why wasn't I good enough? I don't get it you guys! If I'm so amazing and beautiful and special then why didn't she want me? I'm her daughter, her baby for crying out loud! Something must be wrong with me!"

"There's nothing wrong with you, silly!" said Rosie firmly.

"Then why did that person who rescue me just dump me into an orphanage instead of taking me in?" Roll snapped in a broken tone, "Why didn't the orphanage care to help me rather than just dumping me into a corner and never talk to me again? Why didn't the children want to play with me or find me worth being their friend? I never pushed anyone away...I think...but I had trouble talking to people. Even the parents who came for adoption never once gave me any interest! People just ignored me, didn't care, and left me to rot! And I DON'T KNOW WHY!" Roll continued to sob tearlessly. Rosie and Bunnie each took a side of her and just held her for dear life. They could now see why Roll was so shy and reserved and why she didn't feel good enough for all the blessings she had in Animal Town. She was a victim. She was wounded and heartbroken. She may have been right in saying she was never abused, but she was badly neglected and it has left some damage to her.

"I WANT MY MOMMMY AND SHE HATES ME!" Roll wailed and cried harder, her eyes now producing hard tears. Bunnie and Rosie just hugged her tighter, saying sweet nothings into her ear to calm her down. Margie, already sobbing herself, joined the group hug and kissed her forehead. It was ten minutes later before Roll had settled down and they broke away. They noticed that Roll looked rather defeated.

"Roll..."

"I feel so weak, pathetic, and worthless right now," said Roll quietly.

"You're just feeling vulnerable because you finally opened up," said Margie, "You'll get better in time."

"Well I thought I would feel better if I came clean with you guys," said Roll, "but I don't feel any better. I still feel as worthless as ever."

"Why?" said Bunnie gently.

"I don't know why people find me so easy to reject," said Roll, "and why my own mother hated me so much! Why? Why?" Roll groaned as she buried her face into her knees, but she didn't cry. Yet that was mostly cause she had run out of tears to shed. Margie just looked at her sadly until she got an idea, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

"Roll, do you know where your mother is spending her prison sentence?" she asked. Roll lifted her head.

"No, I...I mean...I never...really tried to find out," said Roll, "Why?" Margie just looked at her with a concerned look. Bunnie and Rosie gave her a curious look, wondering what Margie was thinking.

"I guess...I was gonna say if we can locate her, tootie," said Margie, "maybe you could..." Roll's eyes bulged and she became very angry.

"Are you crazy?!" she bellowed, "what makes you think I wanna ever see her again?! She didn't want me Margie. Why waste my time with her! She hates me!"

"You said you have questions that you want answered," said Margie, "Maybe confronting her could help answer your questions."

"What makes you think she would even talk?" Roll retorted, "The last time I tried I was tossed into a trash can!"

"Well if she under security there's no way she can physically hurt you, silly," said Rosie, "but she will be put into a position where she will have to listen to you."

"And what am I supposed to do if I realize, and I already do," said Roll, feeling irritated, "that I'll be talking to a brick wall?"

"Then that's when you let her go," said Bunnie.

"Let her go?" said Roll, "But she's my mother!"

"But it's not doing you any good to hold on to her, tee hee," said Bunnie, "It's making you feel down on yourself and you're been depressed for years. What she used to say to you wounded you deeply and you're just letting her words tear you apart. If you ever want to have peace of mind about this Roll and just move on, you need to confront her. Tell her how much she's hurt you and then let her go."

"So I'm supposed to reject her?" Roll asked upset.

"That's not what we meant by letting her go," said Margie, "We're not telling you reject her, but to tell her that you are not gonna let her ruin your life anymore by what she used to say to you. Look at what you are become and all the blessings you've earned. You already proved her wrong. You are successful and you are loved." Roll just sighed to herself and fingered one her ankles in deep thought. She understood what Margie was saying now, but that didn't mean she wanted to confront her mother.

"Roll, what have you got to lose by confronting her?" said Rosie, "If she doesn't want anything to do with you after you speak with her, then who needs her! You've got plenty of people here who love and accept you. There's no point in trying to keep someone like that in your life." Roll sighed.

"Point made," she answered quietly and fingered her toes. Bunnie and Rosie smiled.

"We agree with Margie, tee hee," said Bunnie, "we think this will help you move on and finally heal from all of this."

"But its ultimately your decision," said Rosie, "We'll support you no matter what." Roll just looked up at them and gave them a small smile before she made the effort to finally clean her face, which had become sticky from all the shed tears. Margie guided her towards the nearby kitchen sink so she could splash some water into her face. Once Roll did so, she retook a seat on the sofa. While she felt better, she still felt a bit distressed, but that was mostly cause of Margie's idea. Her head was starting to think she might need to confront her mother while the fear was giving her seconds thoughts.

"You know," said Rosie, sensing Roll's conflict, "You should just ask Isabelle about at least locating your mother first. I mean...if she can't be found...then you're just worrying yourself over nothing. Might as well find out about that first before you consider anything else. No need to get all worked up about nothing, silly." Roll just looked at her and then let out a long sigh.

"Will you guys come with me to Town Hall then?" said Roll, "I guess I can at least find out if the door is even open for a confrontation." The three girls smiled and they quickly made their way towards Town Hall. When they got there, they were surprised to see Sable chatting with Isabelle.

"Whoa, Sable is not behind her sewing machine, silly?!" said Rosie in surprise. Bunnie made a gesture and sound from her lips to imitate the sound of her mind exploding. Margie giggled at the two while Sable rolled her eyes.

"Isabelle isn't the only one who keeps getting asked "are you taking your breaks and getting plenty of rest" from a certain blonde over her," said Sable. She was only teasing but Roll looked offended.

"Well if you don't care, then don't!" she remarked. Sable just looked at her sympathetically.

"Hey, I was just joking young lady," said Sable, "now what's got you in such a bad mood." Roll just looked at her sadly.

"Since you're here," said Roll, "I should tell you too." Sable now looked concerned.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" she asked gently. Roll told Sable about her mother, while she wasn't as detailed as she had been with her friends. She had said enough to get her message across regarding her situation as well as Margie's idea. Sable cried as she learned the truth about Roll and held her close as the blonde girl had found a fresh supply of tears and they were both hugging and shedding tears once she had finished.

"So...what's your opinion about my situation?" she asked once they had both stopped crying, hoping she would refute Margie's advice.

"I think you should do it," said Sable and Roll groaned.

"I just knew you were going to say that," said Roll and sighed to herself.

"It's gonna give you some peace of mind about all of this," said Sable, "you don't want to live the rest of your life with unanswered questions or with what she used to tell you nagging your thoughts forever."

"Listen to her," said Bunnie, referring about her situation with Tom Nook, only to get a light slap to the back of the head by Margie. Sable and Roll both glared, knowing that Sable's situation was different from hers.

"So...you want me to see about finding if we can locate where your mother is being held?" Isabelle asked. Roll just gave her a timid look that slowly turned into determination.

"Yes...Isabelle," she said with a shakey voice. Isabelle nodded.

"Okay," said Isabelle, "Before you moved here, I had to obtain a phone number of the orphanage as well as the agency that had you submitted there. Hopefully I can get a response from them. I'll come find you if I get any information about it okay."

"Okay..." said Roll nervously. Sable took her hand.

"Come on," said Sable, "you want me to relax so let's head to the beach. I haven't been fishing in years." Roll just smiled.

"I would like that," said Roll since she still had house debt to pay, even if it was just for widening one of her house rooms now. Ocean fishing in the late afternoon was usually more profitable so off they went together. While Rosie and Bunnie wanted to go with her, Margie suggested that they let Sable spend time with Roll alone, which they conceded to with a great deal of reluctance. Sable just smiled since she understood what Margie was trying to do and off they went. Once they reached the beach, they both decided to stand near the edge of the beach where the waves constantly crashed against their feet. Roll found herself feeling much better as the waves slowly washed against her own bare feet and the two just did their fishing in silence for a little while.

"Sable?" said Roll softly.

"Yeah?" she asked as she put her catch into her pockets.

"I...I guess I...I really hope...that things will be better now that I've...come clean with you about this," said Roll, "I'm still afraid of facing my mother. Her words to me were so painful and hurtful..." Sable gave her a hug from the side.

"Don't you worry about that sweetie," said Sable, "but I can assure that what your mother used to say about you is definitely not true. You are very special to everyone here. We are all glad that you are in our lives." Roll smiled and hugged her back. Just then Isabelle came dashing by.

"Mayor Roll! Mayor Roll!" said Isabelle excitedly, "I have good news!"

"What is that Isabelle?" she asked as she and Sable pulled away.

"I found it," said Isabelle, "I found the location to where your mother is serving her prison sentence! You'll be able to see her and finally put this issue to rest!" Roll felt her heart drop to her stomach.

"You...you found her location?" said Roll, now shaking. Isabelle nodded excitedly.

"She's here at this address and it's not even that far away from here either," said Isabelle, "probably 30 minutes by both trains."

"Both trains?" said Roll confused.

"Remember when you first came here, you had to switch trains?" said Isabelle and Roll nodded, "well you'll have to do that, but I can get you a bi-train ticket for you right now if you wish. Then you can get it over with!" Roll just said nothing...took a step back and then dashed away. Sable just watched her dash off and Isabelle just looked at her puzzled.

"I thought...that's what she wanted me to do," said Isabelle, feeling bad for upsetting Roll.

"You did nothing wrong Isabelle," said Sable, "give me the address and I'll have Roll call you okay." Isabelle nodded before Sable gave chase. Apparently, Roll had taken the long way to get back to her house and somehow missed Isabelle as she dashed into her house and slammed the door. Roll panted heavily for a few minutes before she slumped into her ranch chair and just sighed in defeat.

"There's no way I can do this," she groaned. It was a few minutes later she heard someone knocking on the door. Roll knew who it was and slowly walked over to the door and found Sable standing before her.

"I'm sorry Sable, I freaked out!" said Roll in panic, "I just...I can't..."

"Calm down," said Sable gently and firmly, "No one is gonna force you to do this. But I will say this...I really think this is something you need to do in order to feel better about your past and with yourself. You don't want to keep living your life with her harsh words nagging you day in and day out. I promise you that if you do this, you will finally be able to move forward with your life and not let her drag you down anymore." Roll just listened to her sadly and just sighed as she looked her feet and rubbed them together. Sable handed her the slip of paper, which Roll took and just stared at as Sable turned to leave. Roll then just narrowed her brow as she looked at the address for a couple of moments.

"Sable, wait!" she called out. The brown hedgehog stopped and slowly turned around.

"Do...do I have to do this...alone?" Roll asked Sable nervously. Sable smiled as she headed back towards the blonde girl.

"Would you like me to go with you?" Sable asked. Roll smiled before she embraced her. She then headed towards her house phone and dialed the number to the town hall.

"Hello?" said Roll shakily as Sable stood close by, "Is there any chance I can get two tickets? I need a friend with me to support me? You can? Thank you Isabelle." Roll hung up and gave Sable a smile.

But she was dreadfully nervous inside.

 **That was for all you Sailor Moon diehards that read my stories. Your welcome. :)**

 **Also Kawaii is Japanese for cute.**

 **Things are gonna get tense from here on out so...**

 **See you next time!**


	19. Mother's Day Blues Part 2

Mother's Day Blues part 2

Two days. That was how long it took before Isabelle had collected the train tickets so that Roll, with Sable at her side, could travel to the prison where Roll's mother was serving her sentence. The time the prison was going to allow visitors was scheduled to open around 11am. Sable advised that they get there early in case there might be a long line of people. Roll almost questioned why there would be a large line of people wanting to visit people in prison, but then she remembered all those stories of people who were unjustly serving time in jail as well as families who were sympathetic to people who had to serving such sentences. Apparently being the mayor had some perks that even Roll was learning about when she found that Porter was able to summon a special train that would take them directly to the prison without the connecting train. Doing so also notified those at the prison of her status as mayor so she could bypass much of the security and questioning since, while she was a certified mayor, she was still only eleven years old. Roll immediately questioned why she still had to pay for a bi-train ticket price, which were more expensive. Porters response was typical. Special arrangements aren't cheap. While Roll had enough bells to pay for the cost, she still wondered if the extra cost for a personal train was even going to be worth the trip.

Roll had debated constantly on what to wear, even to the point that she was barely able to decide on her outfit just minutes before heading towards the train station. She had considered a dress for the longest time, but then Roll figured she should wear something more comfortable since she wasn't exactly a prissy girl. She loved a good casual dress, but then she found an outfit that was much more casual as well as dignified, meaning it represented who she was, which was a rustic style girl who had fine tastes in fashion. She chose to wear a dry denim jacket with a white tank underneath so she could wear the jacket unbuttoned and sleeves that were rolled up a bit with a pair of dry denim (custom made) pedal pushers that were cuffed right at the bottom of the knees, black pumps, and her blue plaid fedora with her hair in pigtails. Also, Whitney had surprised Roll weeks ago with her own small black handbag that came with accessories that were brand new to boot, including a mirror, lip balm, and even a large squeaky hammer for self defense. (Roll was baffled for hours on how such a large hammer could fit inside a small purse, but then just dismissed the thought. She already had one headache and she didn't need another at the moment). It was roughly a few minutes before 8am and most of the villagers minus a few were still fast asleep. However, Margie was awake at this time and was waiting gladly outside Roll's door so she could escort her to the train station. She gave her a hug goodbye while Rosie and Bunnie had done the same the night before since they were probably going to still be asleep when she left.

"Don't worry about a thing Roll," said Margie once they were outside the train station, "Everything will be okay."

"O-kay..." said Roll shakily, "I'll...I'll see you later Margie."

"Okay," said Margie with a positive smile as Roll smiled back and headed inside of the train station, adjusting the strap of her new purse so it was more comfortable. Sable was sitting on the nearby seats as Porter waited patiently with their special train, which was just waiting quietly for their departure. Roll was surprised to see that Sable had picked out a candy gingham tee with a dry denim knee high skirt and was wearing the straw hat that she had given the hedgehog not too long ago. Sable was also reading a magazine too and Roll slowly approached her.

"Hi Sable!" she called out softly. Sable looked up and chuckled when she saw Roll's attire.

"Well don't you look nice this morning," said Sable. Roll just smiled.

"Too casual you think?" Roll asked nervously, cupping her hands behind her back shyly. Sable just smiled and shook her head.

"It's perfect," said Sable, "I like the look, very chic and very down to earth. I mean look at me. I went casual too. It's who we are."

"Thanks," said Roll shyly as she looked down at her feet. That was when Sable noticed that Roll was wearing pumps.

"What's with the shoes?" Sable asked, "You're a barefoot type of girl. Even I'm not wearing a pair...and I usually do if I go outside of town."

"We're...going to a prison...and I wanted to look professional to some extent...plus there are going to be other humans there and...well...no need to stick out... or get stared at." Sable just hummed, seeing that Roll was still feeling rather intimidated and insecure being around humans again after two months of being just around talking animals that were probably, in Roll's view, more human than those who looked more like her in a general sense. Plus she had a hunch that Roll might be wearing them in hopes it would help her mother accept her as well as the some fear that if she didn't wear shoes people would judge her.

"Roll just cause you go barefoot doesn't mean anything bad about you," said Sable, "and if the others have problems about you being barefoot then who cares? Being barefoot is who you are! Now take those things off so we can get going. I left mine off just for you!" Roll just whimpered as she looked at her shoes.

"I...just wanna wear them okay," said Roll rather firmly, not wanting to debate the issue anymore. Sable just sighed and gave her a firm nod.

"Well it's your decision," said Sable, "and I like how they go with your outfit. Also Roll, you don't need to cover your feet up for your mother's sake. You did say she never even cared to put shoes on your feet anyway." Roll just nodded.

"O-okay," said Roll shakily, "well I'll just keep them on for now. I promised Kicks I'd wear them and there hasn't been any rain in weeks so..." Sable chuckled, seeing that Roll was determined to keep them on...for now.

"Alright, but if you change your mind, just tuck them into your pockets," said Sable, "You might feel more comfortable and relax a bit more too if your feet can breathe." Roll just nodded.

"I'll think about it," she answered quietly as Sable took Roll by the hand and guided her towards the train, figuring Roll would eventually take the shoes off in time. It wasn't much longer before Porter had to train ready to go and soon they were on their way. The first couple of minutes were rather quiet as Roll and Sable sat next to each other. Sable just tried to enjoy the view outside the window for a moment and then noticed that Roll looked really tense. She was just staring out into the distance with both her feet flat on the floor. Sable gently went to hold Roll's hand and found that her head was very sweaty. Sable was a little disgusted at first, but she could see that the poor girl was frightened about all of this and her distaste for the sweat melted instantly. She didn't care if her hands got sweat on them anymore.

"Why are you so scared Roll?" said Sable, "I can promise you that your mother is not going to hurt you. I'll see to it myself!" Roll just looked at her with a worried look on her face and pulled her knees into her chest to rest her head on her knees.

"Roll, talk to me sweetie," said Sable, "what's going on in your head? You can tell me. Tell me what's bothering you." Sable interlocked her fingers with the blond girls own. Roll just took a deep breath and turned to face her.

"Well, I'm really scared about doing this," said Roll meekly, "I'm not even sure why I agreed to go through with this at all anymore."

"Don't be scared," said Sable gently, "It will be okay."

"But I'm not even sure of what to say or how to begin the conversation," said Roll, "I'm barely learning how to defend myself Sable. If this woman still hates me as much as she does now, I'm gonna be shut down within seconds and then this trip will be for nothing. She'll just have a free shot to tear me apart from the inside out and literally destroy me!"

"No," said Sable, "this trip won't be just for nothing. And you won't be torn apart by her. That is why you're going to face her. You are doing this because you are tired."

"Tired?" said Roll confused. She didn't sleep well last night and she was tired, but she didn't think that was the tired Sable was talking about.

"Tired," Sable repeated, "Tired of her words tearing you apart. Tired of not feeling beautiful. Tired of not feeling like you're not good enough for all the blessing you've been given. You going to give her the ultimatum Roll. If she can't find it in your heart to love and accept you than you are going to let her go."

"But then I'll really have nothing," Roll protested.

"No you won't," said Sable, "If that is what you think is gonna happen, then you are sadly misguided sweetheart. I mean look at what this is doing to yourself Roll! You don't feel beautiful. You let people walk all over you and you don't stand up for yourself. You really believe you are an accident and a mistake. The biggest of these is that you're accepting this ridiculous notion that no one will ever love someone like you! These are all big lies Roll! They are so far from the truth that it breaks my heart that you are letting her tear you apart with all of this. Can you honestly say that you enjoy feeling this way? Do you want to keep living your life like this?" Roll's lips quivered as tears began to stream down her face and onto the cuffs of her pedal pushers. She looked at Sable with a face that was trying desperately not to lose her composure.

"No. I hate it so much Sable," she croaked sadly, "I hate feeling like this. I hate feeling so worthless."

"Well confronting your mother is the first step to healing sweetheart," said Sable, "No matter what happens Roll, whether she chooses to accept you or not. You will not be alone. You will have me and the rest of your family back in Animal Town. You need to take a stand and tell her that you've had enough of her trying to destroy you and the spirit that makes you who you are. You also need to be as honest with her as you possibly can. Don't hold anything back. Put your anger all out on the table. Don't let it fester inside of you so that it makes you angry and bitter. Let her know just how much she had hurt you over the years. Then just let it flow down the creek and never speak of it again."

"So...I need to tell her...that's enough," said Roll slowly, "that if she can't accept me than I don't need her. But...why do I feel like I do need her? Why do I feel like there's hope in something that there's no hope at all?" Sable chuckled.

"There's nothing wrong with having hope," said Sable gently, "I'm just telling you that you will benefit whether she chooses to accept in her life or if she chooses not to."

"How?" Roll asked.

"Think about it," said Sable, "if she chooses to accept you now, then great, but if she chooses not to, you're only losing one person in your life Roll. You have everyone back in Animal Town who believes in you. Just cause one person turns away, doesn't mean that the rest will follow. I can speak for myself, my sisters, Rosie, Bunnie, Margie, even Marshal and Isabelle when I say that we know your mother is completely wrong about you. Nothing she said about you is true."

"You have no idea what she used to call me," said Roll, "other than an accident and just trash."

"Well that in itself it a lie," said Sable, "My point is that, you've got nothing to lose."

"You're sure about that?"

"Of course I'm sure," said Sable as a matter of fact, "The fact that you believe her shows that you were clearly abused by her."

"But the only thing she ever did physically was toss me into a trash can," said Roll, "that was only a one-time thing."

"But you also said she used to be really rough with you when she wanted you in certain places," said Sable, "Plus she stuffed you in a closet a few times and than she said all these horrible things about you. That's abuse Roll. Primarily verbal abuse and child neglect to be more precise, which is a serious crime. Why else would she be in jail?" Roll just listened to her and looked at her sadly.

"I told you I was messed up," she groaned.

"Stop it!" Sable scolded, "The only thing that was messed up was the fact you had to be raised by someone like that and then just dumped into an orphanage where people didn't have the courtesy to even look out for you to see that you were okay or talk to you. That is what is messed up. No girl deserves to live that kind of life. But my point is that you don't live that life anymore. You are now making something for yourself and you are learning to believe in yourself and trust in your own talents and abilities. You're are becoming the beautiful young lady you were meant to be. The problem is that you are letting your mother hold you back and that needs to stop today. This confrontation is gonna settle this problem once and for all."

"I hope so," said Roll as she stretched her legs and set them back down into the train floor. Sable smiled and kissed the side of her head, making Roll chuckled a little as they watched the scenery run by. Roll then instinctively leaned her head into the side of Sable's shoulders, which the hedgehog welcomed warmly.

It wasn't too much longer before the train arrived at the special station. This particular station was actually the stop where a shuttle bus would take them up a rather steep mountain where the facility was located. In fact, the prison grounds were actually on a small plateau surrounded by high level security and every other protection mechanism that would probably make the prison almost impenetrable for escape. Almost impenetrable because eventually someone would figure out a loophole in the system and the system would need to be updated, but for now it was safe enough to keep prisoners contained and for visitors to come over every so often a day. Today was one of those days in which visitors were allowed. Sable and Roll quickly exited the train where the conductor checked their TPCs and purses for security before allowing them to make their way towards the bus stop location. It was only a minute later when a small shuttle bus arrived to drive them up to the area where the main offices and registration area was located. Since Roll had already scheduled an appointment thanks to Isabelle, she wouldn't have to stand in as long of a line as the others would have to. However, it turned that the line for people with appointments wasn't that much better. Just as Sable had figured, there was not only a long line of people waiting for registration but also nearly 99% of them were human people. Sable noticed that Roll kept looking at her sadly as they waited for their turn in line.

"I'm sorry for making you come with me," said Roll.

"What do you mean?" said Sable.

"I mean you're the only talking animal here right now!" said Roll, "I'd hate to see you get picked on...or called my pet or something demeaning along those lines..."

"I'll be just fine," said Sable, "nobody has bothered me or seems to care. Trust me Roll, my kind might be rare but they don't surprise people anymore. However in 2001 when people first realized that we did exist, oh boy did they make a fuss seeing us for the first time in places outside of our part of the world. But its been over a decade now and our kind travel to the human part of the world on a regular basis now. People have gotten used to seeing our kind walking, browsing, and shopping about by now." Roll just looked about and noticed that no one seemed to be staring at her or Sable and she just sighed to herself. While she was glad that people weren't staring at her and Sable, she still felt a little bothered by the fact that everyone else wasn't paying any attention to them.

"I hate this," said Roll, "when people aren't bothering me, I feel ignored and yet when people do give me their attention, I feel so reserved and insecure with myself. Seems like I can't win in either situation." Sable chuckled to herself.

"You're still learning to express yourself Roll," said Sable, "You'll learn how to express yourself and you'll learn you don't need to have everyone's attention on yourself to do it either or feel confident about yourself."

"You know Sable," said Roll, "for someone whose kind of reserved yourself, you seem to know a lot about learning how to express yourself. And you've given me a lot of good advice on learning how to be open and honest with yourself as well as with others." Sable just chuckled and blushed a little.

"I figured I sounded like a hypocrite when I talk about this stuff," said Sable, "I mean...even I feel just as insecure as you do about myself and doing things out of my comfort zone. I probably need to follow my own advice. I need to learn to believe in myself a lot more than you. I still haven't spoken to Tom Nook yet about our...past."

"Why not?" Roll asked, feeling grateful for a topic that didn't center around her mother and the upcoming confrontation. Sable just looked at her feet and rubbed them together.

"I just feel so shy when I'm around him," Sable answered, "I mean...you must understand...considering when you had that date with Marshal? All those unknowns buzzing in your head about if you like them or...other emotions." Roll giggled at her insecurity and nodded.

"I think so," said Roll, "I mean...yeah I was really nervous about our "date". I mean...I wasn't ready for a boyfriend. But he's really easy to like and talk to. He might have a "grumpy face", but he's actually very sweet. And he was very honest with me too and a good listener too. He just wanted to friend to like him, frown and all." Sable smiled.

"Sure you don't want to try dating him?" Sable teased. Roll snorted and then smirked.

"How about you and Tom Nook?" said Roll, "Mabel promised me that I get to be one of the maids in the wedding."

"Oh brother," Sable retorted, rolling her eyes and they both laughed as they soon noticed that they had approached the front of the desk.

"How may I help you today?" the male at the front of the desk asked kindly with a smile. That helped Roll feel a little less insecure.

"I am here to visit miss Jacqueline Koritsa," said Roll shyly. The man nodded as he asked for Roll and Sable to present their TPC for verification of identity and to confirm their appointment.

"Ah isn't that that last name Russian?" he asked curiously.

"Da, [yes]" said Roll casually.

"So you know how to speak Russian I see," he answered, clearly impressed.

"A little bit," said Roll, "but not that much."

"Ah...well let's see about that. Nu kak ty segodnya [well how are you doing?]?" he asked Roll.

"Khorosho, spasibo," Roll replied with a smile [fine, thank you]. The man smiled.

"Well you and Miss Sable's information checks out Mayor Roll. You can meet Miss Jacqueline in room 1985," he replied and then added in Russian, "khoroshego dnya! [have a nice day!]"

"Ty tozhe, proshchay! [you too, good bye!]" Roll replied before she left with Sable right behind her. They were just about to check the directory for the room location when Sable grabbed her arm.

"I didn't know you could speak Russian," said Sable in amazement. Roll giggled.

"I took a class in learning the Russian language in school," said Roll.

"Are you Russian?" she asked.

"From my mom's side," said Roll, "At least from my hair and eyes, but I'm mostly an Italian girl at heart. I must be since my father was a pure Italian, but it's just an educated guess since I never got to meet him or even know where he is for that matter."

"Can you speak Italian too?" Sable asked excitedly.

"Si, E'come una seconda lingua a me, [Yes. It's like a second language to me.]" Roll answered and Sable laughed and clapped.

"And you say you're not special," said Sable. Roll just sighed to herself but there was a smile on her face.

"Still growing," said Roll, "and hopefully talking to my mom will help me grow more because...I really have alot of trouble believing in myself." Sable nodded in agreement and then remembered something else.

"Roll?"

"Yeah"

"I never knew your last name was Koritsa," said Sable, "what does that mean anyway?" Roll just huffed to herself.

"Cinnamon," said Roll bluntly, "aside from it being from my mother's maiden name, you can guess why I don't use it." Sable stared and then laughed, fully getting Roll's point but finding it rather hilarious. Roll just rolled her eyes before they began to search the directory for the room where Roll would meet her mother. They found the room wasn't too far away from the waiting area and they both headed for the door. Roll was just a few inches away when she could feel her legs turn into jello, causing her right foot to make a "tap, tap, tap" on the floor with her pump. She lifted her left foot out of her shoe and wiggled her toes a bit. Sable noticed.

"Wanna take them off now?" Sable asked. Roll just shook her head.

"Just needed some air," said Roll as she slipped her foot back inside the shoe and did the same with the right foot, "You know I really like Kicks' shoes. They are very soft and comfortable. Sometimes I even forget I'm even wearing them until I look at my feet." Sable hummed.

"Good...are you gonna stop stalling and open the door so we can wait for your mother?" she asked.

"Don't rush me!" she snapped and then clasped her mouth with her hands in shock.

"I'm sorry Sable," said Roll, feeling very guilty for her outburst, "I didn't mean to snap at you. I guess...I am...I'm still scared of her, okay! I don't think I can do this. There I said it! I don't wanna go in there!" Roll began to tremble a little and Sable gently pulled her into a hug and just held her. Roll slowly began to feel better as she felt a tear or two creep out of her eyes as she held Sable for dear life.

"Don't be afraid sweetie," said Sable, "you're already here. Now let's do this and then we can go home okay." Roll nodded but another pair of tears streamed from her eyes, which Sable wiped away with her thumb.

"Come on," said Sable gently.

"You'll be with me through this right?" Roll asked shakily.

"I won't leave your side," said Sable and then took her hand. Roll nodded and then with a slow but shakey hand, she reached for the door knob. Even as her fingers slowly gripped the knob, her arm was trembling as she slowly turned it and the door opened. The door gave a long and slow creak as Roll and Sable slowly walked inside and the door made the same creak as it closed shut with a loud slam.

"EEP!" Roll jumped.

"You're okay," said Sable, trying to calm her down, "Now come on. Let's take a seat." Here was another benefit of being the mayor. It was the fact that Roll didn't have to speak to her mother behind some bullet proof glass using a cord phone to communicate with her. Roll got a small private room all to herself where she and her mother would be able to speak to each other alone. Well not completely alone. Roll had Sable sitting at her side and her mother would have a police guard standing by but wouldn't interfere with the conversation unless it was necessary. Roll hoped that wouldn't be the case. Otherwise why would she be afraid of getting grabbed again. While having Sable helped her feel better, she was still very nervous as she waited anxiously. Sable noticed that Roll was still shaking a little and even her hands had become sweaty again, even her forehead was getting a bit glossy.

"Roll, may I give you a suggestion," said Sable. Roll looked at her quietly to listen.

"Don't let your mother see your fear," she told her firmly, "Don't give her that satisfaction. Just keep a good game face on and try to stay calm when she comes in. Keep strong okay." Roll then remembered something and quickly pulled out a pair of pilot shades that she had purchased from Labelle and put them on. She then gave Sable a nod as she folded her hands into her lap as she waited quietly for what felt like the was the longest fifteen minutes of her life. She was just about to consider taking her shoes off and was just slipping her left foot out when she heard the sound of the door across from her, causing her to slip her foot back inside her shoe. She did cross her ankles as she noticed the police officer enter the room with a blonde woman in a orange jumpsuit.

Sable gasped quietly as she saw the elder lady. She had Roll's blonde bushy hair and deep blue eyes, but that was there the similarities ended. Her time in prison had aged her considerably and the number of wrinkles on her face were imminent, as well as the fact that her hair was tied sloppily in a mini bun and Sable could tell that her hair probably hadn't been washed in a few days. She just looked miserable as she took a seat across from the table and glared as the officer stood behind her to keep her in order, yet that didn't make Roll feel any better. Roll was still at a loss for words and was unsure of what to say. She hadn't seen the woman since she was toddler so the changes clearly shocked her as well. She gave her mother the coldest look she could give, using her shade to hide the anxiety in her eyes. Jacqueline just sat quietly and looked at the two with blank expressions on their face.

"So...you're this so called Mayor that wanted to speak with me," said Jacqueline with a blunt tone, "I'll be honest I was quite surprised that a mayor would want to speak to the likes of me. I almost seemed like a joke. Considering how young you look as well as the person who claimed was your secretary. She sounded like a child.

"She might have a squeaky voice," said Roll in a direct tone, "but she's certified with masters degrees in over 15 different universities in both politics and engineering."

"Ah a bookworm I see," said Jacqueline, "Glad to see she made something for herself. Unlike the child I had to put up, or disposal trash as I called it." Roll felt like she got punched in the stomach and Sable could see those words really touched a nerve.

"If I may ask..." Sable began.

"Might as well porcupine," Jacqueline retorted, cutting Sable off rudely.

"That's hedgehog!" said Sable.

"Whatever"

"I was asking you if you have a reason for calling your daughter, as you claimed, "disposal trash"," Sable asked, with a hint of irritation to her tone. Roll grabbed her hand as a clue to settle down. She didn't want to see Sable get angry. She wanted to try and handle this herself if possible.

"Simple, it came into my life when it wasn't supposed to," said Jacqueline, "My husband and I promised each other that we wouldn't have children. We just didn't want to be parents, but it still came anyways. In fact, it ruined my relationship. He walked out on me...all because I was pregnant with it." Roll felt sick to her stomach by the fact her mother kept calling her an "it". It was like she didn't even care that she was a girl...or a human for that matter.

"Why not just...abort?" Sable asked casually. Roll looked at Sable agape, yet she often wondered about that herself.

"Oh I tried," said Jacqueline, "but I didn't have the funds for an operation so I tried other methods. Drugs, smoking, even beating my baby bulge with my fists cause it made me look so fat as it grew inside of me, but...it somehow survived. It even reminded me of a fly, no matter how many times you try to kill it, it keeps livin' on. Finally I got tired of trying to get rid of it by starving and ignoring it and I finally threw it into the trash. It's kind of the reason I'm here actually. Some stupid neighbor had to be a snitch and now I'm stuck here in this wretched prison. I hope that thing pays dearly for what it did to me. It's their fault I'm in here!" Roll began to tremble, but it wasn't fear. This time is was anger as she balled her fists, but she still kept quiet.

"Do you know what happened to that child?" said Sable.

"Eh, not that I care," said Jacqueline, "I hear that thing was rotting away in some sort of shack or orphanage or something. I highly doubt anyone would adopt it though."

"Why is that?" Sable asked in a irritated tone.

"Once your trash, you're always trash," said Jacqueline, "Unless you're a scavenger, but even then I don't think they would find anything on that thing worth stripping for parts. It was never meant to be anything much anyway." Roll couldn't stay quiet any and facepalmed her thighs.

"You're wrong..." she said softly. Jacqueline was taken aback by the girl's tone and looked at her rather defensively.

"Excuse me?" she asked. Roll just glared at her behind her shades.

"You're wrong about that child," said Roll sternly, "She was destined for great things and you refused to acknowledge it." Jacqueline blinked a bit but then snarled.

"Just who do you think you are?" said Jacqueline angry, "Who gave you the right to tell _me_ what to think about the thing that ruined my life?!"

"You mean your daughter!" Roll shot back.

"No, I mean a piece of trash that ruined my life," she retorted viciously, "you give me one good reason why you think you can say anything about what that...thing!"

"You mean your girl!" said Sable sternly.

"Does it even matter?" Jacqueline shot back, "trash is trash!"

"Yes it does," said Roll sternly, "In fact, I can even show you one good reason why I have a right to refute your little claim about what you so called piece of "trash"."

"Then show me, little "miss" mayor," said Jacqueline with much spite. Roll then took a deep breath and removed her pilot shades, revealing a very angry and bitter face. Jacqueline just looked un-phased until she looked deep into Roll's eyes. Her mouth dropped once her mind finally clicked and saw that she recognized the blonde girl.

"You!...You!" she exclaimed in shock. Roll glared.

"Yes...it's me...your daughter...Mom," Roll said with much spite in her voice. Jacqueline just looked agape before she growled loudly.

"You...you little...!" What was said next cannot be repeated, for it was the foulest and filthiest language imaginable. Roll tried to stay strong but it wasn't long after her mother's continuous bantering of cussing and swearing slowly caused her eyes to water up. Soon her eyes couldn't contain all the tears and they just streamed down her face. Jacqueline's bantering hadn't stopped but had gotten louder and soon Roll just lowered her head and cried. She had lost her courage and her ability to speak. The harsh language was too much for her to handle and Sable could see that Roll's was breaking more and more and finally couldn't take just letting the elder blonde vent.

"Alright that's enough!" Sable snapped angrily, making Jacqueline stop bantering, "What is your problem with her? What did she do to ruin your life? You still haven't told us! Being born isn't a reason to hate a child. A child that has part of you inside them. She's got your hair and eyes and other features. How else would you recognize her? What gives you the right to talk to her this way?"

"Cause's she just worthless," said Jacqueline viciously, "I thought by being put here I would never have to see her ugly mug ever again and now here she is, ready to ruin my life again!"

"She came here because she wanted answers," Sable explained sternly, "From what you told us with that potty mouth of yours, her only crime was being born to you, which I agree with but on the idea that you never deserved her."

"Well you take her if you want," said Jacqueline angrily, "I don't want her. She's nothing to me!"

"But why?" Sable answered, "why isn't she good enough for you?" Jacqueline snorted.

"Just look at her," Jacqueline answered, "She's not worth anything or did she ever have a real purpose. She's just trash and that's all she'll ever be. She must live in a pretty pathetic town if they elected the likes of her mayor. She's not even pretty either. Talk about a hideous outfit and a hideous face." Sable just looked at her disgusted and with complete fury. Sable had never felt so angry in her life, which is saying something since she was pretty angry at the world for her parent's death and when Labelle had abandoned her. If the officers hadn't been in the room, Sable would have strangled Jacqueline right then and there. She wanted to. As for Roll, those words really hit a nerve and then something finally snapped. While her tears were still falling, they had turned red hot. She was angry...and she wasn't going to keep quiet about it as she lifted her head to make direct eye contact with her.

"Shut...up..." she said hollowly through her teeth. Jacqueline took offense.

"What did you say to me?" Jacqueline demanded in a dark tone.

"I...said...SHUT UP!" ROLL screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing as she rose to her feet. The police guard nearby was in high alert in case Roll tried to do anything physical, but she just stood up and glared at her angrily with both her hands on the table, panting heavily.

"Where do you get the nerve to treat me this way?" Roll retorted angrily, "All my life I always tried to be the daughter you always wanted, but in the end it was just a pointless battle because you weren't going to accept me no matter how hard I tried!"

"Finally figured that out huh?" Jacqueline remarked sarcastically.

"I guess it was foolish of me," said Roll with a smirk that was anything but pleasant, "To think someone like _you_ would actually have a heart. To think you of all people would someday come around to love and accept me. Now I realized something. You never had any love to give. You just wanted things your way and when life chose otherwise you made me your little scapegoat. If you're as heartless as you are to me, it's no wonder Dad walked out on you. He was obviously the smart one!" The hit a nerve with Jacqueline as she tried to lunge at Roll, but the police officer held her back. She just growled and snarled at her. Roll could see the hatred in the elder blonde's eyes, but she wasn't afraid anymore. Her eyes were opened to what her mother really was. Yet rather than hate her.

She pitied her.

"I am sick and tired you constantly degrading and cussing me out just because you didn't want to accept me," Roll continued sternly, "You think I'm so stupid and worthless well take a look at me now." Roll walked around the desk so Jacqueline could see her outfit.

"I guess I'll thank for you one thing only," said Roll, "And that's my fashion sense. The boys can't get enough of me. They find me attractive! They find me beautiful! Plus I am not just some worthless piece of trash rotting away in a orphanage! I'm the mayor of an entire town and everybody loves me and accepts me. How did I do it you ask? No pity parties or any of that stupid crooked political mumbo jumbo! All I did was be myself and they accepted me instantly, unlike you. I also have my high school diploma. Well what do you know? The girl you called stupid is a high school graduate at only eleven years old. She also owns a high class mansion and makes probably more money than you could ever make at a full time job! Does that sound like a girl who is just completely useless?" Roll laughed, but it was out of anger.

"It's funny," said continued with a chuckle that was hallow, "You always used to brag that you were the queen of fashion and a precious diamond. Not anymore huh? Turns out the trash you threw away was actually a precious diamond in the rough. Now I'm the queen of fashion and you...you're just a pathetic woman who threw her life away because she couldn't have life just the way she wanted. You call me ugly? That's really sad mom...if you even deserve even that title. Try looking at your face in the mirror and you'll learn which of the two of us is really hideous!" Jacqueline rose out her chair and lunged at her, but the nearby officer grabbed her. There was a struggle as the officer managed to pin her down to her knees, but Jacqueline continued to snarl and growl at Roll, even foaming in the mouth. Roll just watched as Jacqueline continued to snarl at her like a hound dog eager to kill for its next meal as she sat on her knees on the floor of the room. Roll just shook her head at her.

"You're pathetic," said Roll sternly, "You spent your life degrading me and yet here you are acting like an animal while I'm the one behaving like an adult. I've wasted enough of my life trying to get you to accept me when it's clear as day you never will. In fact..." Roll then kicked off her shoes and then walked towards her with her hand on her sides. "...I hate wearing shoes and I only wore them for you, but now I couldn't care less. I like being barefoot cause that is who I am and if you don't like it, I don't care! If you can't accept me, I don't care! If you think that I am worthless and ugly, then I don't care. If you don't want nothing to do with me...I. Don't. CARE!" Roll shouted that last part by getting just inches of Jacqueline's face. There was a brief silence.

"I'm done with you," Roll continued, "I'm not going to let you ruin my life and my future any longer. In the end, I'm the one who is successful and happy and you get to spend the rest of your life rotting in prison!"

"I HATE YOU!" Jacqueline screamed and then began her endless bantering of crude and harsh words at her. Roll just glared.

"Get her out of my sight!" Roll shouted and turned away as the officer literally had to drag her away, but the elder blonde hadn't stopped her bantering either as they disappeared past the door and her bantering soon faded into silence once the door was shut. Roll just panted slowly. Sable, who had remained silent while Roll said her piece, had gone to pick up the tossed black pumps and put them into her own handbag. She couldn't help but smirk as she picked up the shoes. She knew Roll would ditch them sooner or later. She was proud of Roll. She took a stand and did just what she needed to do. Put all her anger out on the table and let her mother go. Sable was about to congratulate Roll on a job well done when Roll started walking away, not saying anything as she opened the door and left the room.

"Roll?" Sable asked and soon followed the blonde out of the room and found that she had headed straight for the exit and went outside. Sable followed and soon found Roll standing near a large pole. It was actually a telecommunications pole, but it had a cemented base that was several feet high and a good foot thick around the center of the pole. Sable was about to ask her question again when Roll started punching and kicking the side of the pole frantically, even grunting incoherent words, which fortunately were nothing fowl but just gibberish. Despite hearing those worlds at such a young age, Roll promise herself she would never use those words when she spoke or was angry. In fact, she made up words just so she could speak out her anger and frustrations while she continued punching the pole.

Sable normally would have pinned Roll down for such behavior, but this time she just stood close by and let Roll vent. She knew why Roll was doing that and it was important that all that anger fully left her system. It only took a couple of minutes before Roll settled down and she then slumped to her knees, panting but this time out of exhaustion as she leaned her head against the pole. Her punches and kicks did not damage to the pole, but lightly bruised her toes and the knuckles of her hands. Roll didn't seem to mind the minor pain in her hands and feet and soon cried openly. Sable just knelt beside her and kissed the side of her head. Roll looked up at her as she continued to cry.

"I'm sorry..." she croaked.

"It's okay," said Sable, "You needed to get all that anger out of your system. I'm very proud of you and like I told you before. You don't need her anymore. You know who your real family is."

"I know," Roll replied in a broken, "but I still am left without a mom and mother's day is coming soon...I hate mother's day..." Roll then continued to cry as Sable hugged her close until she calmed down. Sable did of course check both her hands and feet to make sure the bruises were minor and fortunately they were. They didn't need any extra care but just time to heal. Once Roll was cleared okay, Sable helped the girl to her feet.

"Come on Roll," said Sable, "let's go home." Roll just nodded, looking rather drained and depressed as she followed Sable back towards the shuttle bus, which took them back to their train. Since it was past lunch time, Sable treated her to lunch at a nearby diner close to the train station. While Roll was quiet, she still managed to eat her share of food before they headed back to train to go back to Animal Town. The ride home was rather quiet as Roll just said nothing but sat in her seat Indian style in her seat, keeping her head down as she fingered her now bare feet.

"Roll," said Sable, knowing that Roll still looked troubled, "Are those voices still bothering you?" Roll shook her head and just sighed to herself.

"Just tired?" Sable guessed and Roll sniffled and shook her head.

"I'm...heartbroken," said Roll sadly, "She was such a horrible woman Sable. How could I have ever thought I could gain her acceptance? How could I even want acceptance from someone like that? What's worse is that I saw part of me in her!"

"If you mean physically I would agree," said Sable, "But on the inside, that's where you two are different. You're nothing like her Roll."

"Yeah, but how can I call myself pretty?" said Roll sadly, "They say daughters are the spitting image of their mothers. Just knowing how mine was...I don't feel pretty at all. I don't think I ever will now." Sable just smiled as she held her right hand with her left.

"True beauty come from within," said Sable, "You can't let who your mother was determine who you are Roll. Just like you told her. You're done with her. She can and never will define who you are. It's like what Mabel said to me when I thought Labelle and Tom abandoned me. Just because someone gives up on you, doesn't mean you have to give up on yourself."

"Well I still don't know how am I supposed to heal," said Roll as fresh tears started rolling down her cheeks, "I mean the person who was doing the damage had been stopped. But the damage they caused is right behind them and you saw how she was. There's no way she will ever clean up that mess. That mess being me! I have to repair myself! And it feels like when you make a world's biggest tower of blocks and someone destroys it or when someone smashes a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle! I don't know where to start!" Roll sniffled as her tears streamed down her cheeks again. Sable grabbed a cloth and wiped her tears away and just cuddled her close. Roll welcomes the gesture and tucked her legs into the seat and rested her head on Sable's shoulder. Once her tears had slowed down, she gave Sable a light peck on the cheek.

"Thank you Sable," said Roll softly in a broken tone, "thank you for coming to support me through all of this." Sable smiled.

"You're welcome," said Sable, "I'm so proud of you Roll."

"Thanks," said Roll quietly, feeling rather tired from everything as she just rested on Sable's shoulder for the rest of the trip, even trying to take a little nap. It was well near 3pm when they finally arrived and they pulled into the train station. Roll took her time stretching as she got up, which included her toes. Sable just chuckled.

"I knew you would feel better once the shoes came off," said Sable. Roll just rolled her eyes and then chuckled, but even Sable could tell the chuckle was rather weak.

"Well they were very comfortable, but you're right," said Roll and wigged the toes on her right foot, "from now on I only wear shoes when I feel like it and not because of what others say." Sable nodded in agreement as she handed the shoes to her and Roll tucked them into her pockets as they exited the train and out of the station. They were then surprised to see that all twelve villagers, including Isabelle were there waiting for her.

"What's going on?" Roll asked curiously. Margie stepped forward.

"I was really worried about you," said Margie, feeling a bit nervous, "well...actually..."

"We all were," said Rosie, "and well..." The blue cat and Bunnie looked at each other.

"Blabbermouths," Roll snapped angrily.

"No, I was the one who told Purrl and Lolly," said Margie, "cause, like I said, I was worried about you. And...I had to talk to someone...and...word got around."

"I was the one who spread the word," said Purrl sadly, "Guess I let my gossip side get the better of me, kitten. Common sense that this was a confidential issue should have been obvious." Roll just huffed.

"So I guess you all know then huh?" said Roll.

"We know you went to confront your mother, it'sa me," said Alfonso.

"And that she abused you, alrighty," Benjamin added, "but I will ask you if that part is true."

"It was," said Roll bluntly, "mostly verbal abuse...but I was tossed into a trash can at the age of three." The villager all gave her sympathetic looks.

"Maybe now you'll understand why I am the way that I am!" said Roll sternly, feeling upset all over again. While she wanted her friends to know about the past, she hadn't wanted the entire town to know about it, "You wanna know what kind of mayor you let into office! You let a broken girl whose mother wants nothing to do with her! Wishes she was dead and looks at her like she garbage. You elected a messed up girl for a mayor. A broken...messed up...girl...who doesn't know how she can help you all when she can't even help herself!" Roll slumped into her knees and wept as she buried her face into the cobblestone. She didn't care what they all thought of her. They knew the truth and she couldn't hide it. She had never felt so vulnerable in her entire life.

She was so busy crying that she didn't even notice when several of the villagers had tried to comfort her or that she had fallen asleep due to emotional exhaustion and Sable had carried her home.

 **Sable may be the oldest of the Able Sisters, but that doesn't mean she has to dress like an old lady or dress old fashioned (like her ACHHD dress, which is a very cute dress, but you get the point).**

 **[...] is the translation of non-english context. Plus I used a translator that is not always grammatically correct so sorry about that.**

 **Koritsa = Russian for Cinnamon. (get the inside joke?)**

 **For years the Able sisters were considered to be porcupines until Nintendo confirmed that they were hedgehogs. Hope you caught the joke about that in here.**

 **I know this arc has been rather dramatic, but don't worry. Things will get better. This story arc isn't over yet!**

 **Till next time!**


	20. Mother's Day Blues Part 3

Mother's Day blues part 3

Three days had passed since the whole confrontation and Roll had been mostly keeping to herself since coming home and having that melt down in front of the entire village. She wasn't upset anymore that the whole town knew about her secret past. Actually, it was a huge relief for Roll since she didn't feel like she had to hide anything about it now. However, whether anybody treated her differently was yet to be determined.

Why? Because after Roll passed out, she had not left her house and she had actually just slept through the rest of the day and had even slept in her demin clothes. It wasn't until she had woken up that morning that she had remembered that even happening. She had almost thought it was just a horrible nightmare until she saw her clothes and realized that the whole confrontation had been real. Despite her wrinkled clothes, she just climbed out of bed and looked at herself in the mirror. No longer were those voices tormenting her mind as she looked at herself, but she wasn't feeling any better about herself either. She felt empty and she still felt wounded because of the pain Jacqueline had caused her from what she had dared to say to the young girl's face. Yet Roll was willing to call her by her first name without any remorse. If Jacqueline didn't want to be her mother, than Roll wasn't going to call the woman her mother anymore. As far as she was concerned, she never had a mother. And just the fact that she didn't is what made her so depressed over the last three days. Her heart felt so empty now.

Roll also refused to see anybody. Her friends knocked on her door regularly, but she never bothered to answer, reply, or open the door since she kept it locked. While she knew that her friends loved and supported her, they couldn't help her with her problem. That was kind of why she kept her distance. Plus to add more insult to her wounded heart was the fact that Mother's Day was slowly approaching. And it made sense that she would feel left out. This holiday wasn't something she was looking forward to, especially with what she had to deal with three days ago. She didn't want to ruin her friend's excitement with her own problems. So she felt it was best she just kept to herself until after Mother's Day had passed. She didn't even want to bother opening her mail box that day either, knowing that she was going to be the only villager not getting a coveted pink carnation.

It was the day before Mother's Day and Sable was hard at work, but surprisingly it wasn't with her daily work routine. Sable was actually using the QR machine! Roll had inspired her to try figuring out how to use it. While she still planned to use her older one for her regular patterns and clothes, she had figured out a better time table so she could have time to relax during work hours and even found time for a special project that she had been working on over the past few days. At first Mabel had been kept in the dark about it until Sable had some trouble with the initial sketch design. Rather than ask Margie for help, she confessed to Mabel what she wanted to do and Mabel was able to sketch Sable exactly what the brown hedgehog was looking for. Now Sable was hard at work assembling the outfit with the new machine since it had special camera eyes that allowed for more precise stitching at angles that she normally had to make a estimates with to get the proportions right. It should also be noticed that the project Sable was working on had to do with Roll, for it was a brand new hand-made dress. While she had been wanting to make something special for Roll for a long time, the whole confrontation incident gave her extra motivation. In fact, Mabel had taken over Sable's regular work load just so the elder hedgehog could have more time to work on her special project. There was just one question that baffled Mabel about the project.

"Sable," Mabel asked as she continued her work at the old sewing machine.

"Yes Mabel," said Sable, deep into her working adding some white lace inside of the skirt.

"Isn't Roll supposed to be giving you presents and not the other way around?" Mabel finally put the question into the air. Sable started and then chuckled when she remembered what Mabel was talking about. Mabel couldn't resist a smirk.

"I didn't think you'd actually had forgotten about tomorrow," said Mabel.

"Perish the thought!" said Sable, "Of course I didn't. Anyway, I plan to give Roll my little gift tonight if I can just finish this bit of lace here on the skirt without..." Sable then noticed that some of the lacing was off...in several places.

"Awww DARN IT!" Sable snapped angrily and went to correct her mistake with a loud grunt. Mabel chuckled as Labelle peered in.

"What's up now?" Labelle asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Miss perfect messed up a stitch...again," said Mabel and she and Labelle chuckled.

"It's not funny," said Sable, "Roll deserves the best, especially after what she's been through. This dress needs to be perfect and I just messed up on the lacing pattern and might have to start over." Labelle just hummed with a smile on her face.

"Sable, I'm sure she would be happy with whatever you gave her, even if it had a stitching mistake," said Labelle.

"But she deserves the best," said Sable, "the poor girl thinks she doesn't deserve nice things because of what her mother used to tell her and because of her past. You've all said the same to me when it comes to deserving nice things and that applies to her too. She should get the perfect dress because she deserves to have the perfect dress. It hurts when she wants to take less because she used to thinking that's all she deserves." Sable then went back to work, but Labelle then gave her a hug from the side.

"I understand completely sis," said Labelle, "Roll does deserve nice things. Especially since she is loved by everyone here in town and because she always gives and helps with little thought of reward. She is also a good friend and very sweet to us all. I'm just saying that you should try not to think too much about getting this dress perfect. It will turn out as long as you do your best. Besides, half of the flaws you're probably are seeing right now I'll bet Roll would never noticed them unless you open your big mouth."

"Very funny," said Sable and the two sisters just snickered to each other. Sable just grunted in irritation.

"Why must you two drive me up the wall?" she asked.

"Cause we love our big sister," said Mabel and the two snickered again. Sable continued her work, but they could tell she was rolling her eyes and let out a grunt again as she continued her work, but then remembered something.

"Labelle how goes that special accessory I asked you to make?" Labelle chuckled as she slipped one onto Sable's head.

"Labelle, your gonna..." Sable stopped when she noticed that Labelle had made a candy gingham headband that matched her apron perfectly. She loved it, but then snorted.

"Cute Labelle, but that's not the type of headband I..."

"I've got the headband you asked for Roll," Labelle interrupted, "I'm just showing that I made you one. Mabel has one to. I'm still deciding how to make mine."

"I thought it was gonna be Gracie patterned," said Mabel, now wearing her own, "if' it's just one, she shouldn't ask for...what's that word...royalties?"

"I know," said Labelle, "But I wanted something more closer to home, but don't worry. It will be ready for tomorrow. Plus that candy gingham one is for you Sable. So feel free to wear it if you wish." Sable just looked at it and smile and gave Labelle a satisfied nod before leaving it on and getting back to work. She had just finished fixing the stitch and was about to continue when two sniffling villagers came inside of the shop.

"Hey there Bunnie, Rosie," said Mabel with concern, "what's wrong?" Bunnie and Rosie just looked at her before they began to cry. The second Sable hard their cries, she stopped working and walked over to them. She knew something was wrong and also had a feeling Roll had something to do with it. Especially since every other villager for the past two days had come into the shop looking glum because they were worried about Roll.

"Why are you guys crying?" Sable asked gently.

"Roll," they both answered, stopping their sobbing but not their tears.

"Is she still depressed?" Sable asked as Mabel headed over to the sewing machine. Bunnie and Rosie looked at each other and then began slowly start crying once more.

"We don't know," Rosie sobbed, "she hasn't come out of her house in the last three days, silly."

"We keep knocking on her door and asking her to open up, but she won't answer," said Rosie, "We've pleaded and begged for to her to please open up but she won't. It's like she's completely shut us out!" Bunnie started crying harder.

"I can't do Charlotte again I just can't!" Bunnie sobbed loudly.

"Bunnie...Bunnie...please..." said Rosie, trying to calm her down.

"I don't wanna be abandoned again!" Bunnie yelled, grabbing the blue cat's dazed dress and slumped to her knees. Sable looked at her sympathetically. She had been informed about the whole Marshal and Bunnie situation and her heart reached out to the burnt orange bunny.

"Well neither do I sis," said Rosie but her tone broke as she spoke, "we can't...we gotta just..." Unfortunately, even Rosie was thinking worst case scenario, proving that even the most optimistic and joyous people can struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Nobody's perfect and they both slumped to their knees and wept. Sable sighed at the two cried before her.

"Now, now calm down you guys," said Sable, "I'm sure Roll didn't just leave. From what she told us, she doesn't exactly have anywhere else to go."

"True," said Rosie as she wiped her eyes as she tried to calm down, "but she still won't let us help her."

"I thought she would be more open with us, not close us off," Bunnie croaked, "I thought coming clean and confronting her mother would help, tee hee. But she's pushed us away. I thought things would be better for her now."

"It has you guys and I'm sure things will get better," said Sable, "But you two need to understand something. Roll may have confronted the problem, but that doesn't mean that she gonna be happier instantly. Roll has some very deep wounds inside of her and until she came here, she's lived her life thinking she wasn't anyone special, important, or even beautiful. Changing how you think about yourself and how you look at life is hard and its going to take time. Lots of it."

"We know that, silly," said Rosie, "but the problem is that Roll is secluding herself and she's not letting us help her heal. We don't know how to get her to open her door and talk to us. Her door has been locked and if we're there, she won't even get her mail." Sable hummed in understanding.

"Well, let me see," said Sable as she pondered in deep thought, "I just need to finish one little..."

"Finished!" said Mabel. Sable was left stunned as she rushed over and found that the dress was complete and even the lacing was done exactly the way she had wanted it. Sable gave her sister a warm hug.

"Get me box so I can take it to her right away," said Sable and Mabel rushed into back storage room. Bunnie and Rosie looked at each other puzzled.

"What's going on Sable?" Bunnie asked.

"Well...since I was making this for Roll," said Sable, "I thought maybe this would make Roll feel better." Bunnie and Rosie gasped as their sadness turned into joy. They had nothing but praise for the dress Sable had made for the blonde girl. Plus Sable was also going to get Roll out of her house. The plan was simple. By going over there to confront the blonde girl herself, she had a cleaver way to get Roll out of her house.

It was already near sunset when Sable arrived at Roll's mansion and found that all the lights were off, yet that didn't discourage Sable. Sable just took a deep breath and slowly knocked on the door. But rather than say who she was, she decided on not saying who she was and just shouted.

"Special package delivery for Miss Roll!" said Sable, trying to sound as closely as she could to Pete. One could debate how bad her impersonation was, but that didn't matter. She could hear footsteps of someone coming down the stairs and slowly opened the door. Sable gasped at what she saw. Roll looked like a mess. Her hair was fully down but all frizzy and sloppy like her mother's had been at the prison and she was only wearing her underclothes/default outfit. Roll just looked at Sable was a glum look on her face. Sable could also see that her clothes were very wrinkled, showing she hadn't changed out of them in days.

"That's wasn't funny!" said Roll, trying to sound angry but ended up sound apathetic. Sable just sighed.

"Who was joking?" said Sable as she showed Roll her package, which had been nicely wrapped. Roll just looked at the package with a glum look on her face.

"What is this?" she asked gloomily.

"It's a surprise," said Sable, "I made it for you because...you deserve nice things and your my friend. I love you." Roll just looked at her sadly.

"You love "this"?" said Roll, pointing to herself. Sable just gave her a smile.

"Yes I do," said Sable, "You're my friend aren't you?" Roll just looked at her and nodded.

"And you would do anything to make your friends happy correct?" Sable continued and Roll also nodded.

"Good," said Sable as she allowed herself in, "Now tell me Roll. What have you been doing in here these past few days? Tell me the truth now." Roll really didn't want to answer the hedgehog's question but her heart was aching to speak with someone. Plus since Sable allowed herself into her home, she didn't feel the nerve to dismiss her like she had with her other friends. She needed to talk to somebody about this.

"The fact that my mom rejected me and that Mother's Day is tomorrow just makes me feel really depressed Sable," said Roll sadly and in a soft tone, "Everyone is all excited about going to meet their moms and having a good time and stuff. I just feel left out of all the fun. So I just wanted to be left alone and not burden anyone with my problems."

"Roll you are not a burden to anyone," said Sable.

"But why ruin everyone's fun with my problems," Roll protested, "Let everyone go have fun and spend time with their mothers and just leave me alone! Then I won't put a damper on anyone plans or their happiness!" Sable just gave her a firm look.

"Roll, do you realize how selfish that sounds?" Sable asked. Roll just looked at her puzzled.

"You're so focused on your own depression that your shutting people out," said Sable, "and by the looks of you, it's clearly not making you feel better."

"Well isn't everyone happier now that they aren't so focused on my pity?" Roll asked, feeling her voice crack.

"Are you kidding me?" Sable snapped, "everyone's been asking about you! Bunnie and Rosie came into my shop sobbing because you are pushing them away. Bunnie had a melt down because she feels like you're doing exactly what Charlotte did to her. She's scared you'll abandon her!"

"Never!" said Roll, feeling deeply hurt by that, "I just wanted some time to myself! I'm hurting Sable! My heart is broken and I still don't know how to put the pieces back together!"

"But since when has keeping to yourself ever fixed that?"

"But what about Mother's day!?" Roll yelled. Sable just huffed and tried to calm herself down.

"Roll, tell me do you feel better being by yourself right now?" said Sable, "Cause from the way you look right now, you look like you've given up." Roll just looked at her as her lips quivered and tears streamed down her face. She couldn't hold her composure anymore and burst into tears.

"I don't want to burden my friends," Roll sobbed, "This isn't their problem...I don't even think they can fix the damage."

"Maybe not Roll," said Sable gently, "but they can help you heal and move forward. You need to understand this Roll, these villagers are your family now and they all love and care about you very much. For the past two days not a single villager has come into my shop with a smile on their face, everyone has had the same problem. They are all worried about you and the fact you don't answer your door when they come by has them all upset. Rosie and Bunnie haven't been the only people crying about you either. Marshal has been crying as well, even Margie, Lolly, and to my surprise even Benjamin and Alfonso. And every single one of them wants to help you heal and feel better. They all feel like you're shutting them out." Roll slumped to her knees and laid on her side as she just cried heavily.

"I thought I was saving them from my burdens," she confessed sadly, "but I ended up hurting everyone who cared and pushed them away. What have I done? I'm as awful as my mother!" Roll buried her face into her hands and wailed. Sable knelt beside her, rubbing her side for comfort.

"Don't say that!" said Sable as she gently tried to get Roll to sit up, "You made a mistake and it was because you were upset, not because you didn't care about the other villagers or their feelings. If you really want to make things right, you need to get washed up, get dressed, and let them know that you are okay."

"But I'm not okay!" Roll wailed and continued to sob.

"I mean that you're still here and you aren't going to shut them out of your life," Sable replied.

"Oh...right...of course," said Roll in a cracked tone as she tried to calm down, "I do need my friends...I just feel so lost and empty inside Sable. Everything just feels so...hopeless...I feel so empty...wounded..."

"I know sweetie," said Sable as she held her close, "but that feeling will go away in time as long as you remember that you are not alone in this. You are surrounded by people who love and accept you. There's no reason for you to feel like you don't belong here anymore. This is your home and we are your family." Roll nodded as she continued to cry and just held Sable for dear life until her tears finally started to slow down.

"I don't know what I'd do without you Sable," said Roll, "You've been more of a mother to me than anyone here. Purrl, Whitney, even Margie and Lolly have been motherly too of course but, when I think of someone who is very motherly. I always think of you. You're always the first person I want to go to when I feel depressed or defeated...or...or just want a little love..." Sable just smiled as a pair of tears left her own eyes.

"I never really thought I was a great Mom," said Sable, "I mean I was kind of forced into it after our parents died for Mabel's sake. I did my best, but I always felt like I could have done better."

"I think you did a great job," said Roll, "Mabel and Labelle love you and they are both very happy. I know things were rough with Labelle, but in the end, she needed you too and loves you. I love you." Sable smiled.

"I love you too sweetheart," said Sable, "and I'm always here for you." Roll smiled as she gave the hedgehog a loving hug, which Sable returned and added a kiss on the side of head.

"Alright then," said Sable, "Now go wash up please. You may be a girl, but your still vulnerable to body odor."

"Huh?" said Roll and lifted her arm to take a whiff and recoiled, "Ugh! Point taken. I did skip bathing since passing out...so not a good call on my part. I stink." Sable chuckled to herself.

"I hope you at least have been eating in the past couple of days," Sable remarked in a motherly tone.

"Not alot of food," said Roll, "but I have been eating a few snacks here and there."

"What kind of snacks?" she asked suspiciously.

"Just some fruit I kept in my refrigerator," said Roll.

"I see, well at least it was healthy," said Sable, "now go wash up, get dressed, and then we are going to do your dailies. It might be late, but you can still take care of business before main street closes up."

"Can you help me with my hair?" Roll asked timidly, "I'm afraid of all the knots I might have in it since it hasn't been washed or brushed either."

"It would be my pleasure," said Sable, "and please pick something cute and that I can add a nice accessory with. Just cause you might not feel pretty right now doesn't mean that you can't make the effort to look your best."

"Alright," Roll conceded as she headed upstairs to change and take a nice long shower. Roll had to admit that taking a shower did help her feel much better now that her body was clean. After a bit of rummaging, she decided on the lite polka outfit with her beret and grabbed a pair of hair ties and her hairbrush. Roll set the hair ties and beret on her coffee table and sat on the sofa with her legs loosely crossed Indian style so Sable could brush her hair. Roll just sat quietly, fingering her feet and toes as Sable gently began to clear Roll's hair of any knots. Roll had a few but they weren't nothing Sable couldn't handle. Things were rather quiet until the brown hedgehog could hear the sound of sniffling in front of her.

"Hey what's wrong Roll?" Sable asked her gently. Roll sniffled as her tears continued to stream down her face.

"I'm just not used to people caring about me," Roll sobbed, "for years, being secluded and keeping to myself was just how I handled problems. Now people are worried and crying over me. People actually cared that I am in here...they wanna help me...they wanna be my friends...but what touches my heart the most is...they love me...you have no idea how long I have waited for someone to say that to me...I only was seeking one person...not several...just when I had given up...I find that...there's hope...hope I thought I was never gonna have...a family..." Roll then just let herself cry. She couldn't help if she was being completely honest with herself, but years of heartache was finally coming out of her system. Plus the long shower had gone a great job in replenishing Roll's tears. Sable put down the brush and just turned Roll around so the brown hedgehog could hold her. Roll cried harder.

"I never thought anyone would wanna hug or hold me either," Roll added. Sable just gently shushed her and just held her gently as she slowly calmed down.

"I'm sorry if I am being such a crybaby lately," said Roll, "I'm just sensitive person...as well as a broken one."

"Don't worry about it Roll," said Sable, "I know all of this is upsetting for you, especially with what happened with your mother. Plus you need to understand that as long as you are my friend and a part of this town. Nobody is gonna just let you stay broken. We all wanna help put the pieces together."

"Really?" said Roll. Sable then pulled away and gave her a smile before reaching for Roll's phone and dialing town hall.

"Hello?" said Isabelle. Sable noticed that Isabelle's tone sounded rather dreary.

"Are you alright?" Sable asked.

"No!" Isabelle snapped, "Roll hasn't been around in three days and I'm worried sick!" Roll got up from the sofa and took the receiver from Sable.

"Isabelle I haven't left," said Roll, "I've been in my house for the last three days." Isabelle released a long and loud sigh of relief.

"Well thanks goodness! I thought you left!" said Isabelle, "Are you okay?" Roll had to take a breather before she could answer.

"No, I feel awful inside," said Roll her voice cracking.

"Because of what happened with your mother?" Isabelle asked.

"Not just that," Roll answered, "but also because I found out that everyone was worried about me while I've been just feeling sorry for myself. I am not used to people caring and that fact I made you all so upset and worried makes me feel even more horrible than I already do!"

"Hey, settle down Roll," said Isabelle, "there's an easy way to fix this. I'm gonna call everyone to the event plaza and you can explain that you didn't mean any harm." Roll groaned.

"You'll be okay," said Isabelle, "You're gonna do what you have been doing all week, being honest and open with people. There is no more reasons for you to keep your wounds to yourself anymore Roll. We all know what hurts you and we want to help you feel better, okay." Roll just sniffled.

"Okay," said Roll, "I'll be there once Sable finishes with my hair. She was just brushing it and clearing the knots."

"And I'm almost finished too," said Sable, "We'll be there in five minutes."

"Alright see you there," said Isabelle as Sable hung up the phone. Roll just looked at her.

"Why must you always push me out of my comfort zone?" she asked, "I hate it when Rosie and Bunnie do that to me!"

"Because if you wanna start feeling better, this is what you need to do," said Sable, "have I ever steered you wrong?" Roll just sighed and shook her head.

"I'm still afraid of talking to people, let alone crowds," said Roll timidly. Sable just held her hand.

"You'll be okay," said Sable, "you've done it before. You can do it again and be okay. What are you afraid of?"

"Feeling stupid," Roll answered.

"How?" Sable answered.

"Stumbling or tripping over my own words, breaking down and crying and just looking like a complete dumb blonde," said Roll.

"Roll this is an emotional situation," said Sable, "Crying isn't weakness, especially if you're speaking from the heart. No one looks down on you if you cry. The last time you spoke and had to cry, you were hurt and you didn't like that your villagers were fighting. You spoke very well that day and I know cause Isabelle told me. Just speak from your heart and let them know that you appreciate their love and support. They wanna hear what you have to say. It's foreign to you, but instead of feeling awkward about it, you need to learn to embrace it. They care about you and what is on your mind. There is no reason for you not to share what's on your mind." Roll just looked at her worried and then gave her a small smile. Sable smiled back as she tucked her beret onto her head.

"My pigtails?" she remarked. Sable snorted.

"Just leave it down," Sable protested, "your hair has a really nice wave to it, its nice and combed, and its really cute down with the beret." Roll just groaned. Sable just rolled her eyes but still chuckled.

"Fine, I'll tie it, but I want you to make a promise to me for tomorrow," said Sable.

"What's that?" Roll asked with some dread.

"Well, as you know, mother's day isn't that great of a holiday for me either," said Sable, "My sisters and I usually visit her grave and then go have a picnic. That way we can share memories and enjoy the fact we've got each other and such, but I always have a hard time being happy. I was hoping...you would join us this year." Roll gasped.

"You...you want me to join your family for mother's day?" Roll asked.

"Yeah," said Sable, "I even made you an outfit for the occasion too. That's what that the box is for in case if you were wondering what to wear. Plus you've been such a good friend to me that I thought you deserved a nice gift. I hope you'll join us instead of just being here all by yourself for tomorrow." Roll just looked at her bare feet and then at Sable. She could tell that the brown hedgehog was pleading for her to say yes.

"Please Roll...for...for me?" said Sable and those last two words felt painful for Sable to say, mostly cause she wasn't the type to ask for something for herself...ever.

"If it would make you happy that I'd be there," Roll conceded, "I'll go." Sable then did a very childish bounce on her feet and even did a clap before embracing her excitedly.

"Be at the train station tomorrow at 10am," said Sable, "that is when the train will arrive to pick you up and don't forget to wear the outfit I made for you okay."

"Sure," said Roll. Sable smiled as she tied Roll's hair into the downward pigtails and then they walked hand in hand towards the plaza where everyone was waiting. Roll was immediately surprised when she came into view Bunnie and Rosie started clapping for her, then Margie and Lolly did the same as Roll went to face them and one by one everyone, including Isabelle began to give her a warm round of applause. Roll suddenly felt less shy and smiled as she made her way towards the center of the plaza where her tree sapling was growing nice and strong. Sable stayed behind with Isabelle as Roll just took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

"Thank you everyone," said Roll, "It's very kind of you to give me such a warm welcome. I wanted to first give you all an apology for my sudden disappearance. As you all have learned, I had gone to confront my mother and in the end, she has made her choice clear that she wants nothing to do with me. While I am willing to move forward without her, the problem for me is that she did alot of damage to my heart and my self-confidence. Many of you have probably seen how shy I can be and that it is hard for me to be open with people. The reason I havn't been seen by anyone in the past few days was mainly cause I was just feeling very depressed. And instead of seeking help I had just kept to myself...because...because that is what I was used to doing. I had forgotten that I was surrounded by people who love and care about me." Roll's voice broke and fresh tears began to stream down her face.

"I promise I'll try not to forget that from now on," she continued as she let herself be completely honest with everyone, "It's just...I feel like such a mess right now and the hurt she did to me is still there. I'm gonna need all the help I can get in order to heal and believe in myself. I really want to be do a great job as mayor and so far I've been able to do my best despite my issues, but I want to do better. I wanna give you my best, but I need your help. I've been told that you all love me and I love you too. So...can I have a hug?" Roll felt very stupid and foolish asking her entire group of villagers such a question, but it was just something she had wanted for years. She had always wanted to ask for a hug, something so simple but yet meant so much to her cause she liked giving hugs, but she was afraid of being rejected. Roll lifted her arms and before her arms were even perpendicular to her body, and to her own surprise, Alfonso and Benjamin were the first to make it to her. Each embracing her heartily. Rudy's was the most awkward cause he was rather sweaty, but Roll still took his hug with a smile. Marshal even kissed her cheek and said he loved her, making her blush even thought she knew he meant it in a brotherly manner. Fang gave her a hug and kiss as well. Katt came up next with her hands on her hips.

"I normally don't give hugs purrty," she remarked and Roll just nodded with a hum.

"But," Katt continued with a smile, "I wanna hug you." Katt then did so and Roll smiled. She was touched that Katt would give her one despite it being out of the tabby cat's own comfort zone. Whitney and Purrl were next, followed by Margie and Lolly, then Bunnie and Rosie gave her three quick kisses on her cheeks, then giggled before they just held her. Roll giggled too as she held them back.

"You're stuck with us forever, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Best friends forever, silly," said Rosie, "you could even say...sisters."

"Sisters forever," they said together. Roll smiled.

"Sisters forever," Roll repeated happily as she continued to hold them for a few seconds longer before they pulled away.

"Hey Roll," said Bunnie softly.

"Before you say anything Bunnie," said Roll, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for worrying you like that. I hope you know that I would never abandon you like Charlotte did. I was just being selfish." Bunnie gave her a smile.

"While I get that you are used to being alone when you're upset, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I also know that the fact Mother's day is tomorrow also has something to do with it too."

"Well...yeah...it is," said Roll, "I mean...just cause I don't have a mom doesn't mean I have to spoil your fun. You guys just go have your fun. I'll be okay."

"No Roll," said Rosie, shaking her head, "You've had enough time to be alone, silly."

"Yeah, tee hee," said Bunnie, "You have to make a choice cause you are NOT going to be spending tomorrow by yourself."

"But you guys..."

"Now make a choice, silly," said Rosie firmly with her hands on her hips, "My family is going to a zen spa."

"And my family is gonna go on a shopping spree at a new mega mall, tee hee," said Bunnie, "so who would you wanna choose to join for tomorrow and neither one of us is gonna be mad if you prefer one or the other Roll. Now what would you like to do, shopping or zen spa?"

"Both would help you relax, silly," Rosie added. Roll just giggled to herself. She turned and saw Sable, who just gave her a smile.

"I appreciate the offer you guys," said Roll, "but Sable invited me to hang out with her. I hope you guys don't mind that." Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other and smiled.

"As long as you're not by yourself, silly," said Rosie, "than that is cool with us."

"Have fun with Sable," said Bunnie, "She's kind of becoming like a mother to you isn't she, tee hee?" Roll was a bit stunned hearing Bunnie say that. Yet the more she thought about it, the more the thought brought a warm smile to her face. Sable...like a mother to her. After everything the brown hedgehog had done for her over the past week, Roll couldn't help but admit that her friendship with Sable was very special. Sable always looked out for her, was always helping her and putting her first, and was always so loving and supportive. She had said Sable was very motherly. Roll's eyes sparkled as she gave them both a smile.

"Yeah...she has..." said Roll, "Do you guys think...if...if I ask her..."

"Ask her what, silly?" Rosie wondered.

"If Sable...would be my mom," said Roll, "after all, Bunnie is right. She is like a mother to me. I mean...she doesn't need to adopt me to do that right?" Bunnie and Rosie smiled as they shook their heads together.

"No," said Rosie, "You don't even need to legalize something like that here. If you feel Sable would be a good mom to you, then all you need to do is ask. Honestly, silly, if you're gonna pick someone to be a mother mentor for you, there's no better choice than Sable." Roll just smiled as she put her hands over her heart, but then a frown appeared over her face.

"Roll," said Bunnie, causing her to look at her.

"You're good enough in every aspect," said Bunnie, "there's no way she could turn you down."

"Except if she's insecure about herself," Rosie remarked.

"Rosie!" Bunnie snapped, nudging her.

"What?" Rosie retorted, "I'm just saying if she says no its because of her own self-doubts, not cause Roll isn't good enough. Roll not being good enough...that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life."

"Really?" said Roll.

"Oh yeah, silly!" said Rosie, "That woman who disowned you is the biggest idiot I've ever heard of! Only an idiot would find a reason not to like you Roll. You're awesome!" Roll smiled.

"Thanks Rosie," said Roll, feeling a better about the situation and also helping her settle some fears. Since Sable had similar insecurities about herself, she might be able to help Sable out in case she was hesitant to be her mother. She could help Sable just as the hedgehog had helped her.

Sunday had finally arrived and Roll was feeling rather excited. She had woken up right at 7am in order to get herself ready. She also anxious about speaking to Sable about her offer. While she had wanted to talk with her about it alone, she realized that might be unfair to Labelle and Mabel and just said she would tough it out and ask with them there, even if it make her more nervous to ask. She took her time washing herself and brushing her hair. As she rummaged through her clothes to find a cute dress to wear, she then groaned and facepalmed herself.

"I almost forgot that Sable had wanted me to wear a special outfit!" said Roll to herself as she rushed downstairs and found that the package Sable had given her was still unwrapped. Roll grabbed the package and rushed back upstairs to see what was inside. She quickly untied the ribbon and opened the box. She gasped when she saw what was inside. Inside of the box was brand new red dress. The dress was sleeveless but had thick straps with some white lace along the neckline. The skirt flared out slightly and she noticed that the inside of the skirt had a perfect lining of lacing along the bottom. Roll also noticed that it was bit shorter than most of Sable's dresses, but that it was just half a inch difference so it was still knee high in length. The material was also very soft and it made her hug the dress happily. Then she noticed something sparkling as well inside the box and found a glittery ruby red headband inside. Roll marveled at how beautiful it looked. The found a small note attached saying that Labelle had made the headband and that Mabel helped Sable with the dress. Roll was deeply touched.

"I can't believe Sable and her sisters went to all this trouble just for me," said Roll as her eyes watered, but unlike the past. These tears were out of joy instead of sadness. She couldn't wait to wear her new outfit. She quickly put the dress on and then brushed her hair and tucked the headband into place and looked at herself in the mirror as she wondered whether to tie her hair and leave it down. For the first time in her life, she smiled. She liked how pretty she looked and then gasped.

"I feel...pretty," said Roll and then giggled to herself as she decided to leave her hair down. Then she grabbed her handbag and headed out of her house. She nearly ran towards the train station because she was so excited to see Sable. When she arrived, it was only 9:30 so Roll had to wait awhile at the train station before the train that was going to pick her would arrive. She was a bit nervous, but mostly because she was hoping that Sable would accept her offer. Her biggest fear was being turned down, but she was willing to understand that if Sable turned her down that it wasn't cause of her. Yet she hoped, despite Sable's own doubts, that the brown hedgehog would accept her offer.

Right at 10 am sharp, the train had arrived and Roll could see the three sisters sitting inside. Roll took a deep breath, even stretching her toes before slowly making her way towards Porter. Once Porter checked her TPC, he let her get on the train. Once the doors opened, Roll saw that they were all wearing dresses. Sable was wearing a floral knit dress with her sunhat. Labelle had a silk bloom dress with her own sunhat. Mable had on a star tank dress with a yellow star hairpin on the left side of her head.

"Hey you guys," said Roll. The three sisters saw Roll and gasped excitedly.

"Oh Roll!" said Mabel, "You look so beautiful!"

"Thanks," said Roll as she approached the three sisters, "I really like your dresses too."

"Can you believe it?" said Labelle, "Mabel is actually wearing a dress! And not jeans!" Labelle made a mock agape face and Mabel snorted before playfully shoving her. Sable just giggled to herself.

"Well anyway, I am so glad you came," said Sable, "Come on, I saved you a seat right next to me." Roll just smiled excitedly as she rushed over to her the seat. Roll then wrapped her arms around her left arm, tucked her legs in and just snuggled her with a smile on her face as the train began to leave the station. Mabel and Labelle snickered to each other and the train had just started accelerating when Roll realized what she was doing and let go.

"Sorry," said Roll, feeling very embarrassed. Sable just smiled.

"I didn't mind," said Sable, "why the need to cuddle?"

"Huh?" said Roll stunned.

"Why did you feel the need to snuggle up to me?" Sable asked. Roll blinked before she recomposed herself.

"Oh, oh, right, right," said Roll as she brushed a few strands of her long hair behind her head, "I mean...Sable...I've noticed how supportive you've been to me and our friendship has grown alot since I moved here and we became friends. Well...remember when I told you that I liked how motherly you've been to me?"

"Uh-huh," said Sable. Roll took a deep breath as she kept one leg tucked into her seat and the other dangling with her toes fingering the metal floor of the train.

"Sable," said Roll, "You know that I don't have a mom. I never had one, but you've...you've been like one to me. So...what I want to ask is...well..." There was a brief silence before Roll finally was able to say it.

"Sable will you be my mom?" she asked. Sable just stared at her agape as Labelle and Mabel did the same but actually had smiles on their faces. They were wondering what Sable would say to Roll's request. Sable hadn't really said much of anything for the moment and just looked away. The longer time seemed to pass, the more Roll felt like she shouldn't have even bothered asking. She tried to her remind herself that if Sable didn't want to that it wasn't because of her, but despite knowing this, Roll was still fighting tears. No matter how she looked at her silence, she still felt rejected and it still hurt...alot. Roll just looked away just as a few tears squeaked out of her eyes and slowly streamed down the sides of her cheek. Sable noticed Roll's distress.

"Roll," she said slowly. Roll didn't want to turn around.

"Roll, look at me right now," Sable said gently but firmly. Roll slowly turned around, revealing that she was now crying. Labelle and Mabel awed sympathetically at seeing Roll in tears. Sable just chuckled.

"Did you really think I would say no?" she asked her. Roll just sniffled to herself and wiped her eyes.

"Well..." Roll sniffled, "I had a feeling you..."

"Roll!" said Sable sadly.

"Just hear me out okay," said Roll with her hand in front of her. Sable just looked at her before nodding.

"I know you have alot of self-doubts about yourself too," said Roll, "and if you're not ready..."

"Roll nonsense," said Sable, "that is no excuse to turn you down!"

"Well I was only considering...wait, what? Are you saying...yes?" Roll's voice broke as she said that last word and her tears began anew. Sable gave her a soft smile and held her hands as tears began to drop on top of them.

"Yes I am," said Sable, "You obviously think I'm good enough to be one and I know you need a mother. I would be honored to be the mother of such a beautiful young lady." Roll let out a sob but a warm smile appeared on her face as she cried, but this time happy tears.

"So...can I call you...mom instead of Sable?" she asked timidly. Sable chuckled.

"Yes you may," said Sable as Roll dove into Sable's arms, kissed her and just cried tears of joy. Labelle and Mabel just smiled at each other.

"Hey Roll," said Mabel, "Do you realize that makes us your aunties right?" Roll pulled away and just smiled at them with watery eyes.

"I've never had an auntie before," said Roll, "but thank you for letting me into your lives you guys. All of you! Oh! I brought you guys these!" Roll reached into her pockets and pulled out three black cosmos. The three sisters gasped in surprise.

"I found out how to grow them," said Roll, "So I cut three stems for you guys so you could wear them if you wanted to. You said the black cosmos was your mother's favorite flower."

"Yes they are," said Mabel as she took one and tucked it into her blue quills. Labelle and Sable both put theirs on top of their straw hats.

"Thank you Roll," said Sable.

"Thank you Sable," said Roll, "For giving me what I always wanted." They embraced each other once more as their train took to toward the cemetery where their parents were buried. Each sister said a few words and then Sable left a large bouquet of black cosmos that she had grown from their own garden. While it was a quiet moment, they didn't stay too long and then walked over to the park area for lunch.

"Sable," said Mabel.

"Yeah Sis," Sable asked as Mabel walked at her left side since Roll was on her right, holding the brown hedgehog's hand.

"I noticed that you didn't seem as...sad this time around," said Mabel, "I mean you still miss mom the most don't you?" Sable just sighed and nodded.

"Yes I do Mabel," said Sable, "and it still hurts to see her burial site, but I guess...having Roll with me made me feel...lighter."

"How?" Roll asked curiously.

"You gave me hope," said Sable, "hope that there's finally a light at the end of the tunnel of darkness I've been stuck in for years. I feel like I can finally try to move forward instead of just being stuck in the past." Mabel smiled as she hugged her from the side.

"Does that mean you'll finally confront Tom Nook about your feelings?" Labelle asked. Sable just huffed to herself.

"Why not at least clear the air?" Roll asked. Sable looked at her shocked.

"Et tu my new daughter?" she asked annoyed.

"Remember what you just said, Momma," said Roll, "you don't want to live in the past. I know Tom hurt you, but what good is it living in that hurt? Why not seek the answers as to why he pushed you away and see if you can at least mend your friendship with him? If you don't want or aren't ready for a boyfriend, then why not at least get your best friend back?" Sable just listened with a blank expression and then smiled.

"You're right," said Sable, "it won't be easy, but if you can do it, so can I. You will help me right? Since you did help Bunnie and Marshal mend their friendship."

"Of course, why wouldn't I help my new Momma?" Roll answered and Sable chuckled and kissed the upper side of her head.

"Now I just gotta find the right time..." Sable pondered until Mabel pulled out her own phone.

"Hello, Tom?" said Mabel.

"Mabel what you doing?!" Sable said in shock as she let Roll go.

"No time like the present," said Mabel, "You're way over due...Tom, Sable wants to know when you are available..."

"Give me that!" Sable bellowed but Mabel dashed away. Sable took off after her.

"Mabel get back here!" she called out and gave chase, "UGH! WHY DID I LET LABELLE CONVINCE ME TO GIVE YOU A SMART PHONE!" Labelle and Roll just laughed at each other as the two sisters played chase until Sable finally pinned Mabel down and started tickling her to get the phone back. Sable managed to do damage control but still had to promise to speak with Tom Nook sooner or later. Sable promised, with much spite and annoyance in her voice, but the sisters and Roll knew that Sable would keep her promise...eventually.

In the end, this was the happiest day of Roll's life. She didn't just have fun with the Able Sisters. She had fun with her new mom. She finally had a mom.

It was also the first day in her eleven years...she felt beautiful.

 **Headbands...the only ones in game were the spa headband and the boppers you can get at the fireworks festivals. They definitely should've added others for the girls, even if they were basic ones, in ACNL AND ACHHD. A cute headband in most colors would have done nicely with the HHA uniform too.**

 **Those who have played ACNL AND ACHHD know that the male and female villagers have a white tank and either dark grey shorts (boys) or a dark grey miniskirt (girls) as undergarments or (default wear minus a random shirt).**

 **That concludes this dramatic story arc. Now that Roll's faced that's been wounding her, she can start to heal. Here's the preview for the next story arc:**

 **Tough Girls**

 **Roll has gotten better with standing up for herself, but she'll be put to the test when a gang of uchi villagers come to cause trouble in Animal Town. Roll will have to learn to defend herself with more than just her words. Can she do it? Can she show what it truly means to be a "tough girl"? And how does Katt know them?**

 **Find out...next time.**


	21. Tough Girls Part 1

Tough girls part 1

Now that Roll had finally come clean with her biggest issues, she had to admit that she was definitely feeling happier with her life and her heart didn't feel so heavy either. While she still felt a bit hurt and would still feel depressed from time to time, she had learned that she always had her friends to talk to about her problems or when she just felt sad and needed a pick me up. Now Roll felt 100% comfortable speaking her mind to those she felt the closest to, which included Margie, Rosie, Bunnie, even Marshal, and of course Sable, whom she now called "Momma". At least she would admit she did, but nobody is perfect.

For the past week, Sable found it difficult to work because Roll seemed to cuddle and cling to one of her arms for hours in end. While she understood why, it made doing her sewing a tad difficult. Since she loved the girl dearly, Sable knew that Roll was clinging to her because she had agreed to let her call her mom from now on. She didn't want to hurt her by telling her to get off. It was a good four days before Sable finally had the courage to tell Roll. She was surprised to find that Roll wasn't hurt at all, but was more annoyed that Sable didn't speak up sooner. Sable just huffed, feeling silly afterward that she didn't just be honest with Roll in the first place. They had promised no more secrets with each other and that was clearly a step in the wrong direction. Roll didn't come down on her either, since she had her own moments of two steps forward, one step back. Nevertheless, they definitely had a strong mother/daughter bond with each other. So when Sable was busy and didn't look up from her work, Roll always kissed her cheek and just let her work before doing any more shopping.

Overall, Roll's friends could see that Roll was changing for the better. While her self confidence had grown over the past couple of weeks, she still had her insecurities. While she still struggled to believe she was beautiful, she was getting better and her friends always made her feel beautiful too, especially Marshal. While their relationship, as said before, as purely brother/sister, he always made the time to help Roll see the best in herself, especially in her talents and with how she looked. His complements always made her smile. Yet that didn't mean that Rosie and Bunnie's complements didn't help either. Margie always had something inspiring to say to her too. So Roll was finally learning that she was definitely surrounded by people who loved her. They were beginning to be more than just friends to Roll, but now she was beginning to feel like she was apart of a family. She could say that she was finally feeling like a true resident of Animal Town.

Within a week's time, she had been able to expand her house and had done so within just a little more than nine weeks, which was quite an accomplishment and even Tom was blown away at Roll's hard work ethic in handling her debts. Tom Nook told her that people who learn to handle debt so well at an early age show that they have both strong integrity and good moral character, which were two qualities that Roll never had too much of a problem with. Everyone could see that these two qualities were her greatest strengths. The funniest moment was when Tom Nook sang his little "congratulations" song in Racconish and Roll's face hung out for a good two minutes before she snapped out of it, making her friends laugh themselves to the floor. While Lyle upgraded her to being a VIP HHA member, she had decided to hold off on a theme challenge. Yet that didn't mean she didn't have high praise from the HHA. Her house score was well over 150,000 points and she had the gold HHA badge on her TPC to prove it.

Yet with such a large house that contained four rooms, an upstairs, and a basement came the most difficult challenge of all: Keeping the house clean. Roll was quite the neat freak. Bunnie and Rosie often teased her about it since she also had no issue walking barefoot everywhere even when the grounds were wet and even muddy. Roll snorted and gave them the same answer when the teasing would get on her nerves.

"Just because I love the feeling of grass, dirt, and grime between the toes and doesn't mean that I like dragging it inside of the house!"

That was quite true. In fact, Roll often kept a clean towel hanging on the side of the door where it wouldn't get wet from rainfalls so she could clean her feet before heading inside, especially during weather when it had just stopped raining and her feet were extra muddy. Roll always took the time to clean her feet thoroughly and even washed them indoors a few times a day if they were extra soiled. Either way, she made a mission to clean her house top to bottom once a week. At first she had done so alone until Bunnie and Rosie found out and pretty much forced her to accept help from her friends. While she was annoyed at first, she found that she was able to perform her job much more quickly and wasn't as exhausted afterward.

Yet today apparently had tired her out cause once she had finished cleaning the room that had become her entertainment room, which had her games, television and even a cappuccino bar that Marshal had installed for her himself. She had just sat onto one of her ranch sofas in the living room and had fallen asleep. Roll had picked out a sunset tee with a pair of denim pedal pushers that were lighter in color (or the same color as the demin skirt, not the dry denim) that were also cuffed with a do-rag on her head since she had kept her hair in her pigtails. She had asked Bunnie, Marshal, and Rosie to help her with the cleaning earlier that morning. Not ten minutes had passed since Roll had fallen asleep when Marshal walked out of the room that Roll had designated as her kitchen.

"The kitchen is complete," said Marshal to himself as he set down a full trash bag near the entrance, "I can't wait for Roll to see her cute, pretty face on the floors. Only I know how to make those floors shine. I just hope the floor isn't too slippery, especially if she walks on it on those cute feet of hers." Marshal gave himself a sheepish chuckle when he snapped out of his thoughts and saw the sleeping blonde girl on the sofa with her legs extended onto the floor. Marshal just looked at her with a smile on her face as he slowly approached her. He wondered just how to wake her up. He tried a distant approach.

"Roll? Roll?" he asked softly. He then tried calling her name again and this time said the name a bit louder but there was no reply. Bunnie walked into the main room with a vacuum in hand and put it away inside the closet when he saw Marshal staring at Roll.

"What's up, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"I found Roll fast asleep, sulky," said Marshal, "How would you suggest I wake her up? I tried to call out her name but nothing." Bunnie just smirked.

"Well, tee hee," said Bunnie slyly, "she does look like a sleeping beauty doesn't she?" Marshal looked at her and smiled.

"Yeah...she is, sulky," said Marshal. Bunnie giggled to herself.

"Well, tee hee," said Bunnie, "How did the prince wake up sleeping beauty?" Marshal went into deep thought and then a light went on.

"Oh yeah, she kissed her," said Marshal and then his eyes shrunk as he looked at Bunnie, "You went _me_ to _kiss_ Roll?" Bunnie chuckled to herself.

"Why not, tee hee," said Bunnie, "A brother can kiss his sister." Marshal just huffed to himself, feeling like Bunnie was just putting him on the spot about it.

"Well fine, I'll give her a kiss cause as her brother I love her and wanna see if she is okay," said Marshal and slowly crawled into the sofa. He just smiled as he puckered up to kiss her cheek.

"Marshal, I'm already awake," said Roll as a matter of fact as Marshal just looked at her with puckered lips. Bunnie fell to the floor in hard laughter. Marshal just growled at the laughing Bunnie until Roll turned his head herself and gave him two kisses on the cheek. Marshal smiled and kissed her back once as they just embraced each other. Rosie came into the room as they pulled away and Bunnie was still giggling on the floor.

"Did I miss something, silly?" she asked as she noticed Bunnie.

"Bunnie told Marshal to kiss me while I was resting with my eyes closed," said Roll as they pulled away from their hug.

"Hey she didn't push me to kiss you sulky," said Marshal, "at least...I know I wasn't gonna kiss Roll on the lips."

"You told Marshal to kiss Roll on the lips, silly!?" Rosie exclaimed.

"I did not!" said Bunnie indignantly as she sat up, "I just said Roll looked like sleeping beauty and Marshal should wake her up with a kiss!"

"Anyway!" said Roll, wanting to drop the subject, "I guess I just got a little sleepy. I didn't sleep to well last night."

"Why not, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"Bad dreams," said Roll instantly, now not afraid to just be honest about those kinds of issues anymore. She always felt better talking about it with her friends.

"Mother still trying attack you?" Marshal asked and Roll sighed to herself as she set her right leg over her left and let it bounce.

"I hate those dreams," said Roll, "She doesn't want me and I don't need her and that is that. But...why do I feel like she would come after me just to torment me? She's in prison after all! What does she have to gain by hurting me even more?"

"Well...what did you do when she did...uhh...hurt you?" Rosie asked as she took a seat behind Marshal.

"Nothing," said Roll sadly, "she just kept beating and beating me, despite my cries to stop. She wouldn't stop until I finally woke up. I felt so helpless and defenseless too. It was awful. Whenever I have that dream, I find it so hard to try and go back to sleep again." Bunnie and Rosie just hummed together as Roll sat on quietly Indian style just fingering her ankles before walking over and each taking a hand into their own. Roll looked up when she felt them hold her hands.

"You know you're not alone anymore," said Bunnie, "we won't let your mother hurt you, tee hee."

"We won't let anybody hurt you, silly," said Rosie, "we love you." Roll smiled.

"I know and I love you guys too," said Roll, "I guess...I mean...what bothers me is that I would like to be able to stand up for myself."

"But you already know how to do that, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Bunnie, I had to get so angry in order to even stand up to my mom," said Roll, "I was so, so angry with her. I hated her...I wanted to strangle her...beat her. The anger and rage I felt...I didn't even feel like myself. I ended up having a temper tantrum and was kicking, screaming, and crying on a cement pole!"

"At least you got the anger of our your system, silly," said Rosie.

"But I hated feeling like that," said Roll sadly, "I didn't feel like myself. I don't want to act out of anger."

"I see what Roll is saying," said Marshal, "Roll wants to learn to defend herself, which isn't a bad thing to want. Any girl, even if she's got a handsome guy and best friends to protect, wants to be able to protect herself and stand up to anyone who might try to knock her down, sulky!"

"Would you be the handsome guy?" Bunnie asked annoyed. Marshal blushed and then just sighed. Roll glared.

"Yes he is," said Roll, "and be nice Bunnie. He's just being sweet. Beside I think he's handsome."

"Oh you do!" Rosie cooed, "Are you guys gonna date now?"

"Rosie!" said Marshal annoyed. Roll snorted.

"Maybe I will!" Roll snapped back, "He's the only boy who seems to like me for everything that I am and he's the only boy who always complements my feet. He makes me feel beautiful and proud to be a barefoot girl! We might just date and maybe even get married. Then I'll never be lonely again and I'll be loved for the rest of my life!" Roll's eyes watered a bit as she held Marshal closely. Bunnie and Rosie just looked stunned but then hummed as smiled appeared on their faces.

"Roll, as much as I like you," said Marshal, "You know I don't see you that way. Besides, I don't think it is a good idea for you to try dating any boys right now, sulky."

"Why not?" Roll asked stunned.

"Well for starters sulky," said Marshal, "It's not cause you're not good enough so get that thought of your head right now!" Roll sniffled a bit, feeling a little unnerved that he knew that had crossed her mind.

"Okay, I'm listening," said Roll quietly as she held her feet together.

"The type of love you're seeking isn't romantic," Marshal explained, "it's a familial type of love. You don't need to date me for this guy to love or see the best in you Beautiful. I love you cause I want to. I care about you cause I want to. You're my new sister and I wanna take care of you and make you happy. Romance love can come and go, sulky, but the love we have now is forever. At least I hope it is..."

"It is Marshal," said Bunnie, "I love you...as a friend of course...I never stopped. I just got...I guess you could say shelved loving...anyone for a while cause of what Charlotte did, but that wasn't right for me to do. Anyway, sorry for what I said earlier. Even I know you don't have an ego."

"But she does," Rosie whispered and Roll giggled to herself. Bunnie just glared before rolling her eyes.

"Like...whatever, tee hee," the bunny remarked, "let's finish with Roll's house and then we can see about getting her some help with defending herself."

"What about Rudy or even Katt?" Rosie suggested.

"Rudy might work Roll to the ground, sulky," said Marshal, "But...Katt might not be a bad suggestion. She's tough, but more considerate."

"True," said Rosie, "Rudy is very sweet, but all he has it exercise on the brain."

"Just like Rosie had shopping and boys on her brain," Bunnie remarked wanting payback for the blue cat's earlier comment.

"So do you, silly," Rosie shot back and Bunnie knew she was done.

"Touche," said Bunnie with a huff, "So...mind if I have you're help with upstairs handsome?" Marshal chuckled.

"It would be my pleasure, cutie," said Marshal with a wink and they headed upstairs. Roll watched them head up with a smile and then gasped inwardly.

"Don't touch my closet!" Roll shouted. It seemed like every time Bunnie and Rosie did her second floor that they had to rearrange or fight over cleaning her closet, often making a huge mess.

"Can't make any promises!" Bunnie shouted.

"Marshal!" Roll called out.

"Sorry beautiful, but Bunnie's alot stronger than she looks, sulky!" Marshal remarked, "Afraid my hands are kind of tied in this situation." Roll groaned with worry and rushed upstairs. Rosie just giggled to herself as she grabbed some cleaning items so she could work on the basement, which was probably the easiest room since Roll hadn't put anything in there other than wall and carpet.

It was mid-afternoon when they had finished with Roll's housecleaning and after a rather late lunch, Roll had changed into a natty tee and matching skirt with a pink ribbon in her hair, which was now in a pony tail. Roll tried working on her dailies as her friends kept their eyes out for Katt. Roll had just finished collecting the bells from her money rock, which was located near the event plaza that day, when Rosie spotted someone walking about in the newly completed fruit orchard just north of the plaza.

"Oh there's Katt, silly," said Rosie, "We're you still gonna ask her about helping you?" Roll noticed the brown tabby just walking about, minding her own business. She took a deep breath and decided to approach her. As Roll drew near the river, Katt was trying to bait a nearby fish. The fish bit down on her line, but she was too slow to reel it in.

"Shoot!" said Katt in annoyance, "I hate when that happens, purrty!"

"It happens to the best of us," said Roll, trying to get her attention. Katt hummed a bit as she moved her head from side to side before looking behind herself.

"Oh hey there purrty," said Katt with a grin, "What's up?"

"Well Katt," said Roll, "While I know I'm growing and learning to believe in myself more, I...I still feel a little helpless and fragile."

"Really?" said Katt, "cause I feel like you don't have too much difficulty standing up for yourself or speaking your mind."

"I might have learned to speak about what's on my mind, Katt," said Roll, "but sometimes I worry about running into that...that someone...who won't listen to what I have to say...and wants to just...well...not listen to me..." Katt took a moment to process what Roll was saying and nodded.

"Well there are people out there like that who probably won't listen to you, purrty," said Katt, "but that is when you just say whatever and move on."

"What about when, despite walking away, they still try to corner and beat you senseless, silly?" Rosie asked her. Katt gasped and then snarled angrily.

"Is someone beating you up purrty?" Katt challenged and got into a fighting stance, "Let me at them! Let me at them! No one messes with my little sister and gets away with it! Come on show me who this twerp is!"

"Katt, it's nobody," said Roll and then sighed to herself, "I've been having this dream since confronting my mom where she tracks me down, hurts everyone I love and then...beats me senseless and won't stop!" Roll said the last part quickly since she didn't want to lose it. Katt nodded in understanding.

"Okay," said Katt, wanting to hear more.

"Katt I may be able to speak my mind...for the most part," Roll explained, "but if someone were to get physical with me...I'm helpless." Katt just stared with her hands on her hips and then it clicked on her head.

"So that's it, purrty!" said Katt, now feeling rather excited, "You want me to help you defend yourself huh?" Roll nodded.

"Yeah," said Roll, "I hate fighting, but...it just really stinks that I still can't fight my own battles sometimes. At least, not the physical ones. When I faced my mother, I finally realized just how sick I was of being torn apart and knocked down by people who clearly want nothing to do with me. I wanna be able to defend myself Katt. Can you help me?" Katt smiled.

"Of course I can," said Katt, "but it's not going to be easy and its going to take alot of training." Roll seemed a bit worried but then just sighed and nodded in understanding.

"It's okay," said Roll bravely, "I'm willing to work hard and I really want to learn how defend myself. I am not afraid." Katt just smirked at her.

"Oh, you will be," said Katt plainly. Roll just smirked back, ready for the challenge as Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other. They too hoped that Roll would be up for the challenge.

The next morning Roll was fast asleep in her bed, just snoozing peacefully. When suddenly...

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!

"EEEEEEK!" Roll shrieked and tumbled out of bed just as the air horn had stopped tooting full blast near her ears. She struggled to get out of her tangles blanket. It should be noted that since it was almost June that Roll was now wearing a sleeveless night shirt that came above her knees to bed. Roll then lifted her head, holding it due to the ringing from the air horn blast, and drowsily looked to see a brown tabby wearing a red cap and a red sports jacket.

"Rise and shine princess!" Katt said. Roll just yawned as she slowly got up to her feet.

"What...what time is it?" Roll asked sleepily.

"5am" Katt replied plainly.

"5AM?!" Roll repeated in shock. The Katt she knew was never up until after 11am!

"5am," Katt said again, this time with annoyance, "come on now. I said you're training was going to start today and today is now!" Roll said nothing since she had fallen back asleep. Katt was losing her patience.

"Roll, we can either do this the easy way...or the hard way," Katt warned. Roll didn't hear her since she was already snoozing. Katt wanted to just walk away and then remembered that Roll was her friend and snorted.

"You'll thank me for this later," she muttered in a low tone as she dragged Roll into her bathroom and set her against the edge of the shower wall. Since she could not undress her, she left Roll in her pajamas, closed her curtain and turned on the water for Roll's shower.

Was it mentioned Katt turned on the cold water tab?

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

Roll's shrieked echoed throughout the town and into the twilight sky. Katt was surprised Roll's screaming didn't crack the windows. It didn't take too much longer before Katt was suddenly pelted in the face with a mass of wet clothes.

"Get me a towel please!" Roll snapped angrily as she adjusted to water that was a much more pleasant temperature and continued to wash up. Katt just did as Roll asked. Dumping her wet clothes into a nearby hamper and grabbed her a towel. She tossed it over the edge of the bar holding the curtain up before leaving the bathroom. Katt then set out a special outfit for Roll to wear. It was cheerleader tank top just like the one she wore with a white pleated cheerleader miniskirt. When Roll came out of the bathroom in a blue bathrobe to get dressed she noticed the outfit.

"Katt!" she called out.

"What now?" the brown tabby bellowed impatiently.

"What's this outfit for?" said Roll, "I have a gym tee and shorts that I can wear for training!"

"Roll, let's be realistic," said Katt, "You don't wear pedal pushers and shorts all the time! And bullies aren't going to wait for you to be wearing those kind of bottoms to bully you. In fact, the attacks will probably happen more often while you're wearing skirts and dresses. If you're gonna learn to defend yourself, you might as well train in a skirt!"

"Katt..."

"You wear a underskirt correct?"

"Yes..."

"Then you're good to go," said Katt, "that's what those things are for! So you don't flash people! No stop complaining, get dressed and get your butt down here so we can get started. We're already late!"

"Well you didn't give me a head's up you were coming this early!" Roll snapped.

"Well I didn't want to spoil the surprise!" Katt retorted, "Seesh, quit being so snippy!"

"Well I get cranky when I don't get my beauty sleep!"

"You don't need no beauty sleep!" said Katt, "You could leave the house wearing a brown bag and sweaty sloppy hair and you would STILL be the cutest girl in the entire village! Geez, it urks me to no end!"

"Did know you were the jealous type!" Roll shot back.

"Just shut up and get dressed!" Katt bellowed and tapped her foot angrily as she waited impatiently for Roll. It wasn't much longer before Roll made her way downstairs wearing the cheerleader outfit Katt had left her with a red ribbon and her hair in a ponytail.

"I hope you meant that," said Roll, "That I am really cute." Katt nodded.

"Trust me, purrty," said Katt, "You are and you wonder why Marshal is so into you."

"He's not into me," said Roll indignantly, "He's just a sweet friend."

"Right," said Katt, not fully believing her, "Anyway, are you ready now?"

"Yes I am," said Roll, "but I doubt I'm not going to be jumping up and down with some pompoms in this."

"Cute idea but no, purrty," said Katt, "You're first exercise is waiting for you outside. Hope you don't mind that I found you a date to join you and make sure you complete the task."

"A date?!" said Roll, "I just said that me and Marshal aren't...oh no..." Roll had walked out of the door as she was speaking to the brown stripped tabby and found a certain reddish brown cat waiting for her jogging in place.

"Hey there, mush," said Rudy, "Ready for a nice morning sunrise jog?"

"Uhh..."

"Sure is," said Katt, "A good five mile run too!"

"WHAT?!" Roll shrieked until Katt pushed her forward.

"Lift those knees! Lift them higher ya cutlet! Now move it! Move it! MOVE IT!" said Katt as Roll began to jog frantically and as she and Rudy began their long jog. Katt just watched them take off with a smirk on her face and then headed inside the house. Since she was aware that Roll's basement was rather bare. She had taken the liberty of ordering a few exercise mats and even some exercise equipment for their training. Since she was Roll's friend, she wasn't going to bother asking Roll to pay the bells for everything. Then again...if Roll backed out then she considered having Roll pay DOUBLE for everything she spent.

It was three hours later Katt was busy in Roll's kitchen room cooking Roll a healthy and hearty breakfast when Rosie and Bunnie came knocking at the door and allowed themselves in. Roll had said as long as the door wasn't locked they could do so since they were her family.

"Hello there, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"We came to check on you, silly," said Rosie. They were both surprised to see Katt enter the main room wearing an apron. They just looked at her with their jaws hanging out. Katt felt insulted.

"What?" she remarked, "So I cook! Got a problem with that?" Bunnie and Rosie went from being shocked to annoyed instantly.

"Quit being so defensive, silly!" said Rosie, "We're just surprised to see you here instead of helping Roll learn to defend herself."

"Well I'm kind of surprised to see you guys up before 9AM," said Katt since it was half past 8AM.

"Well, we are her best friends, sisters even," said Bunnie, "and you still haven't answered our question, tee hee."

"She's with Rudy in one of his runs," Katt answered simply and headed into the kitchen. Bunnie and Rosie went agape again before following the brown stripped tabby back into the kitchen where she was still cooking.

"What were you thinking, tee hee?!" said Bunnie angrily.

"I thought you were gonna train her, not kill her, silly!" Rosie added.

"What are gonna do next, wake her up with an ice cold shower?" Bunnie asked and then the smirk the brown tabby made cause Rosie to growl in disgust.

"You are way too ruthless, Katt," said Rosie, "If Roll doesn't survive, I'm gonna..."

WHAM!

That was sound of the door as someone had come back inside and Bunnie and Rosie smiled when they saw who it was. It was Roll, she was home safe, but clearly exhausted. Her bare feet ached and her clothes were drenched with sweat. Even her ponytail was limp and her forehead appeared very glossy. Bunnie and Rosie walked up to her.

"Hey there, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"We're glad to see that you are okay, silly!" Rosie add. Poor Roll couldn't answer since she had no breath and just leaned against the side of the doorway. Katt just smiled as she continued to cook from the kitchen island Roll found visiting the Island a couple of weeks ago. Roll could feel her stomach growl fiercely as she eyed to delicious food Katt was cooking up. She took a few steps forward and then tumbled into the floor with a loud thud.

"ROLL!" Bunnie and Rosie shouted as Roll just panted heavily on the floor as she lay on her stomach. The landing had only made her feel more winded but she was still conscious. Katt snorted as she turned off the stove, threw the apron at her, and walked out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Bunnie asked her curiously.

"Clearly Roll doesn't have what it takes, purrty," said Katt, "I'm done wasting my time with her." Katt turned to walk away.

"Get back here!" said a rather dark and vicious voice. Katt froze in her tracks and slowly turned around. She found Roll on her bare feet and glaring at her angrily, clearly offended.

"Why should I?" said Katt plainly.

"You promised me that you were gonna help me!" Roll replied in a low tone, "Just cause I trip on my face you decide I'm not good enough for you! I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!" Katt just sighed.

"Well after this morning..."

"You gave me no heads up Katt!" said Roll.

"Like if I had told you to be..."

"Yes I would," said Roll, "I might have been sleepy and drowsy but I would have been there. Just like I'm on my feet despite every inch of my body is screaming in pain right now!"

"So why not just quit?" Katt challenged.

"Because I'm sick of feeling so helpless and defenseless," said Roll, "You clearly know how to defend yourself should you ever get attacked and I want to know how to as well. I'm sick of feeling weak. I wanna feel strong! I wanna believe in myself. Just cause I'm tired and hungry doesn't mean I'm giving up. You _will_ keep training me! Otherwise I'll find a _real_ friend who will!" Roll panted heavily. Katt could see a combination of both determination as well as desperation in her tone, but she saw more of the former. She just stood there a few moments and smiled.

"Roll?"

"What?" she snapped.

"That's what I wanted to hear, purrty," she replied impressed, "I know you're struggling to believe in yourself, but I wanted to know if you were determined to do this. The first couple of days aren't going to be easy cause you're body is gonna hurt before it even gets out of bed. I just want to make sure you're committed."

"I'm still standing aren't I?" Roll replied as her stomach gave a loud growl.

"Ignore that," said Roll, "what are we gonna do next?" Katt chuckled.

"You are gonna a eat the well balanced breakfast I made for you," said Katt, "then after 30 minutes we'll continue with some weights and stretches. If I'm gonna teach you any self-defense moves, you need to take a few days to get conditioned."

"Okay," said Roll and made her way back into the kitchen to eat her share of the food Katt had made. Once she had finished, she decided to do a few stretches as she let her food digest. Katt was rather impressed.

"That's a good idea," said Katt, "stretching will help you keep your muscles loose so you don't get stiff." Roll smiled as she continued with her work. Katt just watched her stretch for a while as she felt a couple of glares behind her.

"What?" she asked Bunnie and Rosie.

"We just wonder if you're trying to push her too hard," said Bunnie.

"We don't want you to hurt Roll," Rosie added, "Why are you being so tough on her, silly?"

"Guys leave Katt alone," said Roll as she did some arm stretches, "I trust her judgment." The brown tabby just smirked as the two best friends rolled their eyes at her.

"Well we already know you're a strong woman, Roll," said Rosie.

"You have nothing to prove to us," said Bunnie, "So...don't let her push you too hard okay." Roll just looked at their worried faces and smiled.

"I won't," said Roll with a smile and continued her stretching. Bunnie and Rosie gave her a smile on return, but they still gave Katt warning glares before heading out of the house. Katt just rolled her eyes at her before letting Roll stretch a bit further.

"Alright Roll," said Katt, "now follow me. I got something to show you." Roll just nodded as she followed Katt into her recently maxed out basement. She was shocked to see all the floor mats as well as all the exercise and boxing equipment.

"Wow," you really went all out with this training program," said Roll, "how much do I owe you for all of..."

"Roll," Katt interrupted, "if you are committed to this program as you told me a few minutes ago, you won't owe me a single bell. If you quit, then you can expect a bill... _with heavy interest_...on everything in here."

"I won't," said Roll, "We'll work even if I have to drag myself through it with just my toes." Katt was rather stunned and looked at her with such an expression on her face.

"Do you really expect me to push you _that_ hard?" she asked the blonde girl curiously.

"You've made it clear you don't believe in me," said Roll bitterly, "I'm ready to prove it to you." Katt suddenly felt rather uncomfortable. The focal point of that discomfort was in her heart. She originally had planned to push her as hard as she could, but hearing Roll say that made her feel guilty.

"Are you trying to make me feel bad?" Katt asked in her defensive nature, but the truth was that even her attitude was just a facade.

"I'm saying that I'll do whatever it takes to prove myself," said Roll, "the only way I'll quit is if you turn out to be just like my mother."

"What does that mean?" Katt asked offended.

"If you refuse to accept me despite my best efforts, then I'll say that this isn't worth it, take this for compensation and leave!" said Roll sternly, "there is a fine line between trying to do your best for yourself and for the sake of others and I'm through wasting my time on people who clearly won't love or support me now matter how hard I try!" Katt could see that Roll was serious, plus she could feel anger as well as fear inside of her. Yet the fear was of being rejected, not because she was intimidated by her. Clearly Roll still had a lot of work to do for such wounds to be healed and that her attempt to leave clearly hit a nerve for the blonde girl.

"Hey listen Roll," said Katt after a moment of silence, "I'm just trying to be tough. I haven't given up on you. I never have and I never will. I just wanted to push you to the limit physically and see if you really wanted to do this. You clearly do and I'm glad that you are. I do believe in you. I'm just not the type of girl to show emotions and sympathy all the time. It's who I am."

"Yeah well showing your emotions isn't weakness," said Roll, "Even if I'm doing an exercise in tears, those tears are just the fact that I'm still trying." Katt hummed and nodded.

"I'll remember that," said Katt, "shall we get started?"

"Ready when you are...coach," said Roll. Katt couldn't resist beaming a bit at hearing that as she lead Roll towards some of the weight lifting equipment. Rather than just dump a heavy set of weights on her. She did it more progressive style, which mean that she started out slow and then built her up with each set. Adding five to ten pounds each before Roll was crying trying to complete the set. Part of Katt wanted her to keep pushing, she realized that it wasn't going to be her who wore out Roll. Roll's own worst enemy was her self-determination.

"Okay, okay," said Katt as Roll was trying to lift what was 120 pounds of weights behind her, "Just let it go!"

"No...I can do it!" Roll grunted as she slowly and wobbly began to lift the weights and when she finally pulled them to the top, she held it for one second and tried to lower it slowly. Katt had to help her since Roll nearly dropped it a bit too quickly.

"Take it easy," said Katt, "You don't need to push yourself that hard. It's only day one after all!" Roll just panted heavily as she tried to catch her breath and shook her hands out a bit. They continued on for a couple of more hours before Katt decided Roll had worked hard enough for her first day.

"That's enough for today, purrty," said Katt, "but you did well. And Roll there is no need to push yourself that hard okay. You are only going to hurt yourself."

"O...kay..." said Roll, clearly exhausted as she sat on her ranch sofa. Katt just chuckled.

"I'm proud of you Roll," said Katt, "try to rest and then do your dailies alright."

"Yes coach"

"I'll see you tomorrow, purrty," Katt added, "same time"

"I'll be ready coach," Roll added, clearly drained. Katt just chuckled to herself and left. Roll just say for a moment before slowly making her way to her bedroom and washed up. She knew tomorrow was going to be a long day.

While the second day did prove to be tougher due to her already aching muscles, she clearly showed Katt that she was as determined to get stronger as she had claimed to be. Yet that didn't mean that Roll improved overnight...well not at first. Roll struggled the first few days doing those long jogs with Rudy and keeping up with him the first couple of days. Yet by day four, she was keeping up with him and then each day was getting faster and faster until she realized that she was slowly going even faster than the jock centric cat himself.

As for conditioning, after a couple more days of just doing weights and stretches, Katt finally started showing Roll some self defense techniques. These techniques included a combination of shadow boxing and even some wrestling. Roll didn't take too long to learn shadow boxing but wresting was a bit more difficult for her. Her biggest issue was trying not to get pinned down since Katt seemed to be especially nibble as well as quick. That didn't mean that Roll never stopped trying. In fact, Katt stunned both Bunnie and Rosie when she told them that Roll never had to be pushed during her training. Katt was actually having to hold Roll back! Roll clearly wanted to learn and getting stronger physically very quickly, but there was a fine line between wanting to work hard and trying to the point of burning herself out, which nearly happened twice. Katt couldn't tell them how many of those days Roll wouldn't stop trying to beat her in their little one-on one matches, especially with wresting. Soon Katt combined both so Roll could get used to using multiple techniques.

While Roll still struggled to defeat the brown tabby, her body had improved physically over the course of those two intensive weeks. Her arms and legs had become firmer and more muscular, which was a good thing since the late May weather had brought early summer heat and Roll had no problem wearing sleeveless tops around town once and a while. She had also adjusted to the wake up times and her endurance was much stronger. Roll even surprised herself by not even crying as much as she thought when she pushed herself to the limit. Sure, she was getting tired of losing the matches with Katt, but Katt never tore her down about it. Her words to Roll were simple:

"It's not about defeating me, purrty. It's about improving your technique and you're showing that every time you fight."

Roll still wanted to have the bragging rights to say that she defeated Katt. She learned to use those defeat to motivate her rather than tear down her self confidence. She knew her chance to beat Katt would come.

The next day after those two weeks, Katt came to Roll's house and found that the living room was dark and Roll wasn't there to greet her. Katt just snorted.

"She better not have overslept again," said Katt with a warning tone as she made her way upstairs. She was surprised to see that Roll wasn't in her bedroom. She then checked her bathroom, but found that the room was also empty.

"Weird," said Katt, "I know I said Rudy wasn't gonna jog today, but she knew I was still gonna train her. Where is...ahh the basement!" Katt rushed down both flights of stairs and to her surprise there was Roll, dressed in a green gym tee, matching girl's gym shorts, and her hair tied into her pigtails, practicing her shadow boxing on a nearly heavy bag. Katt just smiled.

"Hey purrty, ready to go I see," said Katt. Roll just continued her boxing.

"I heard you upstairs," said Roll, "still think I'm a lazy bum?" Katt just blinked a bit and then smirked.

"I see you're hearing has gotten better," said Katt.

"Too bad my fighting skills aren't as good as my hearing," said Roll as she continued to punch the bag.

"You're getting there, purrty," said Katt.

"How?" said Roll, "You still beat me in all our matches. I don't consider an almost victory yesterday a victory in my eyes."

"Well that's cause you're still don't have the right frame of mind," said Katt, "you are getting better and you're becoming a very strong fighter. Just cause you can't beat me doesn't mean you're not skilled enough to win in a fight. There's not alot of people who are better than me in this kind of fighting around here. Most are weaker."

"If you say so," said Roll as she kept punching the bag until Katt grabbed her arm.

"Come on," said Katt, "Let's have another match."

"Alright!" said Roll with a determined grin as they got into position, this time however, Katt didn't give Roll her gloves.

"Where are the..."

"We won't need them this time," said Katt, "they were just a "crutch". Now come on! Unless you chicken!" Katt began to taunt Roll, which was part of her ritual for the start of the battle. Roll just looked at her and yawned.

"What...sleepy alrighty? Whittle baby sweepy?" Roll just rolled her eyes at her.

"No...you just bore me," said Roll, "I don't even know why I bother with you. See you!" Roll then turned to leave. Katt took offense.

"Hey you wanted me to fight and you leave! Get back here you...WOAH!"

Katt then realized that she had fallen for her own trick. Usually she was the one walking away and Roll would try to attack. This time, Katt was the one to make the first move. The brown tabby had taught Roll when it came to pinning your opponent down that she should try to use their energy against them. Roll had attempted just that, but Katt managed to dodge her lunge. Roll wasn't down yet. Just seconds after she landed on her stomach, she hooked her left bare foot into Katt's right and pushed it to the side, breaking the brown tabby's stance so she came tumbling into her back. Now their fight had really begun as they began to several rounds of attacks and blocks. There was also several attempts of struggles as they tried to send the other to the floor so they could pin the other down, but neither was able to do so in time. Then Katt found an opening and went to send Roll the ground, but then she was given the shock of her life when Roll fell forward, she had pulled her left leg forward so the brown tabby was sent into her back once more, but this time with Roll right on top of her. Roll wasted no time, climbing on top of the cat and pinned her arms down so she couldn't move. Katt struggled a bit but then realized that she couldn't break free. If this had been a week ago or longer, Katt could have easily broken free, but Roll was far stronger now and Katt had to admit she helpless.

"Okay, okay," she admitted, "I'm down! I'm down! You can let go now!" Roll just glared and slowly let Katt go. Roll was about to get up when Katt tried to flip her over so she could pin her down by surprise. However, Roll was ready for her and instantly kicked her off so she landed hard onto the back wall of the room before tumbling the floor and Roll pinned her against the wall once more.

"Wanna try that again?" she challenged and this time pinned Katt the floor with her hands behind her back. As she sat on top of her.

"Do you give up now?" she asked. Katt tried to break free but then she just sat there and sighed.

"You can get off now!" she asked but Roll refused to move.

"No, not until you say it," said Roll. Katt huffed to herself, but she knew Roll had gotten her.

"Alright," said Katt, "I...I...give up." Roll just glared but then smiled as she got off of Katt but still had her guard down. Katt just stood up, dusted herself off. Then she tried once more time to knock Roll down, but the blonde was able to use her momentum against her and send her back down to the floor. Roll looked at her fiercely until Katt just smiled at her as she rose to her feet. Katt then walked up to her and then tried to hug her but Roll was still on the defense. Katt laughed.

"Stand down will you?" said Katt, "I'm giving you a hug." Roll just looked at her and then smiled as she embraced the girl happily. They just enjoyed the embrace for a few seconds and then pulled away.

"You see Roll?" said Katt, "I told you. You would learn how to defeat me someday. If you can beat me, you will have no trouble dealing with anyone else. I'm very proud of you, purrty."

"Thanks Katt," said Roll, "So...shall we continue?" Katt surprised her by shaking her head.

"Roll, all you need to do is continue your training in your own," said Katt, "Within the last couple of weeks, you've exceeded even my expectations. You still have alot to learn and need experience defending yourself but you are more than capable. There isn't much more you can learn from me." Roll just smiled, feeling proud of herself as she embraced the brown tabby once more.

"Thanks Katt," said Roll, "I love you big sister." Katt's eyes twinkled.

"I love you too, my strong little sister," she answered happily.

After that, Katt gave Roll a day off so she could relax and enjoy herself. Even she understood that you can't spend your entire life exercising and training. Bunnie and Rosie told Katt that they would help Roll come up with a time table so she could keep up her training and still find time to relax and enjoy her time being the mayor of Animal Town. Katt was pleased Roll had such good friends and Roll had earned a special place in the cat's heart. The girl was definitely becoming what she considered to be a tough girl.

One night, Katt was sleeping soundly in her bed when she was awakened with the start. She had heard a sudden crash from her window. Katt jumped out of bed and went to see what the crash was. She noticed that her window has a large hole where something had been thrown right through it. Katt snarled at the damage.

"They are gonna pay for that!" she bellowed and she went to turn the light on to clean up the broken glass when she saw something in the middle of glass shards. Carefully, she used a broom to clear a path towards the item and picked it up. She found that it was an old tan colored brick. Katt angrily was about to throw it out of her house and then froze when she noticed that there was a particular carving on the brick. It was simply a single letter but written in a cryptic font style. It was the letter U but with a pair of crossbones underneath it. Katt felt her face become very pale.

"Oh no," Katt whispered as she saw what was clearly an insignia, "They've found me. I don't know how but they found me...I thought they were gone for good...I thought I was done with them...but they are still around..."

All Katt knew was that the town was in BIG trouble.

 **While we all know items like bathtubs, showers, and toilets are sold in Animal Crossing, but let's just assume each room in the house already come equipped with the bathroom that has all the basics that can be replaced and upgraded when needed.**

 **NOTE: Miniskirts are no shorter than one and a half inches above the knee, thus only a half inch shorter than most ACNL and ACHHD skirts for girls. Girl's shorts have 4 1/2 to 5 inch inseams, no shorter than that.**

 **FACT: Peppy villagers normally wake up at 9AM, Uchi villagers at 11AM, and Jocks at 7AM**

 **YES I know...you usually wear proper exercise shoes or sneakers when exercising and for safety, but this is Animal Crossing. Apparently Roll can handle dropping a large weight on her barefoot without getting seriously injured. She's that tough!**

 **Anyway, something nasty is going down! If you wanna find out what, stay tuned!**


	22. Tough Girls Part 2

Tough girls part 2

The next morning, Roll, wearing a blue gym tee, girl's matching shorts, and a dark blue cap with her hair in pigtails, was doing some jogging on her own when she headed past Katt's house. She immediately froze in her tracks when she noticed the bashed in window.

"Oh no!" said Roll as she rushed towards Katt's house and knocked on the door loudly. It was about a minute later before the brown tabby open the door with a very cranky look on her face.

"WHAT?" she bellowed angrily with a yawn. As if last night hadn't cost her sleep, the fact she had been woken up earlier than her usually wake up time had made her extra crabby.

"Katt, did you notice your window?" Roll asked concerned and ignoring her crabby tone. Katt look irritated until she remembered what Roll was talking about. She didn't want to talk about what had happened or the little "memento" she had received.

"That's nothing, purrty," said Katt quickly, wanting to drop the subject but Roll wasn't convinced.

"Nothing?" said Roll in disbelief, "Katt, it looks like someone bashed in your window. And unless it's just the fact you look drowsy, you don't seem to be that concerned about it."

"Roll it's no big deal," Katt retorted, "I was just practicing shadow boxing and I accidentally punched a hole in the window." Roll just narrowed her eyes at her. She knew Katt was lying.

"Oh really?" said Roll, "then where the bandage?"

"What bandage?" Katt snapped.

"The bandage around the hand you crashed into the window!" Roll continued, "You might be tough, but not even you can punch a glass window and not get a few cuts and scrapes from the broken glass!"

"Well that shows you just how tough I am!" said Katt proudly.

"Katt, why don't you stop lying to me and tell me what really happened?" Roll asked sternly and losing her patience.

"I'm not lying!"

"Are too!"

"Whatever!" Katt yelled, "it's none of your business! It's just a stupid window. I can have Tom Nook repair it...WHEN I'M READY TO GET OUT OF BED!" Katt slammed the door loudly. Roll just huffed angrily.

"I thought we were sisters," said Roll, "I tell you stuff, why can't you do the same?" There was no reply and Roll just snorted to herself.

"Hypocrite," she muttered as she jogged away, but that last word left a bit of an impression into her conscious. As she finished her job and had settled down. She felt bad for saying it. Yet despite that, she was still worried about her big sister.

A few days had passed since the incident. Normally Katt would have jumped at the chance to find the culprit and make them pay as well as make them repair the broken window, but this time Katt just tried to keep things quiet. Other villagers even asked about the window, but Katt dismissed them every time. Roll clearly didn't believe that the broken window was just an accident, but just let the situation go after a couple of days had passed and the window was fully repaired. Plus she saw Katt enter Purrl's home one day and it wasn't until late that night she came out. Roll figured that Purrl might know more about what was going on, but didn't bud in about it. For the moment, that was the only incident that had occurred so far so Roll wasn't going to make such a big deal about it...at least not too much for now. But she had a bad feeling that Katt was clearly hiding something. She was grateful that Katt was going to somebody about the incident. At least she hoped that was reason the brown tabby had gone to Purrl about.

About a week later, Roll was with Rosie, Bunnie, and Margie at Rosie's house. She was wearing a dreamy tank dress with a white headband that had a ribbon on it with in her hair with a ponytail. Roll was making a signature dish that she had learned to make herself: Pizza. Pepperoni Pizza to be more precise. Thanks to her friends and Sable, Roll had become more proud of her ethnic heritage, which was a combination of Russian and Italian. Yet she knew she was more Italian then Russian despite being able to speak Russian fluently. Either way, she was more interested in making her own signature Italian dishes and today's lunch featured her own homemade pizza. Unlike other rookies who tried to make pizza, Roll didn't try to toss her dough as high as she could...only for it to stick to the ceiling. She kept her tosses low and then she made the tomato sauce from scratch. Everyone was excited to taste it, especially Rosie.

"Pizza, Pizza, Pizza," Rosie sang as she started dancing around the kitchen, "Pizza's so good to eat! Grab a piece and have a feast! Of Pizza! Pizza! Pizzaaaaa!" Roll laughed as she finished loading the pizza with plenty of cheese and pepperoni before tucking it into a special brick oven Rosie had purchased from shopping outside of town.

"How soon will it be ready, silly?" Rosie asked excitedly, "Will it be soon? Will it be soon? Will it be soon?" Roll couldn't stop smiling. While Rosie was technically an "adult", she often acted like a child from time to time. Bunnie was the same way.

"Seesh, just calm down a bit Rosie," said Roll with chuckle, "I just barely put the pizza into the oven." Rosie just groaned as the blonde girl guided the blue cat back towards the living room area where Margie and Bunnie were doing a chess game. Bunnie was looking rather stressed as she was trying to figure out her next move.

"Why not move your king?" Margie asked since that was the only move she could see that Bunnie could make without losing any more of her pieces. It's was pretty obvious that Margie was beating her since the elephant had almost twice as many pieces on the board. Bunnie had been spending the last five minutes just thinking about her next move before she groaned.

"My head hurts," she groaned. Roll just chuckled to herself as she whispered a suggestion to Bunnie. Bunnie just looked at the blonde girl, who was just smiling at her. Bunnie decided to take a chance and moved her knight, which she had expected Margie to capture. Instead Margie quickly captured a nearby pawn and Bunnie the gasped as she moved a bishop one diagonal square away from the king.

"HA!" she exclaimed. Margie gasped at the move. By moving the bishop to that specific place, Bunnie had successfully boxed in her king. She had no place to move.

"Checkmate, tee hee," said Bunnie proudly. Margie just rolled her eyes at her.

"You only won cause you had help, tootie," said Margie annoyed.

"True," said Bunnie, "but either way. I can say I beat you at chess!" Margie just rolled her eyes at her. Bunnie just giggled to herself as Roll took a seat next to Margie and just tucked her legs in while hugging one of Rosie's sofa cushions.

"What's up, silly?" Rosie asked since she could tell that Roll appeared to be in deep thought. Roll just blinked.

"Huh?" said Roll.

"I asked you what was up?" Rosie repeated.

"Can't I just be deep in thought and not have to spill my guts about it?" she asked annoyed.

"No," said Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie together and giggled to themselves. Roll just rolled her eyes at them and then huffed.

"I guess I am just worried about Katt," said Roll, "It's not like her to just let incidents like that just slide off her chest."

"Do you want her to go barging into everyone village threatening them that she will clean their clock for breaking her window, tootie?" Margie asked her skeptically.

"Of course not," said Roll, "But...she's just been exceptionally quiet about the incident. It's like...like...well..."

"Like she's trying to hide or cover up the incident," said Bunnie, "Yeah I noticed that too, but I doubt she would cover up a crime."

"But you also get the feeling like there's more going on about that incident than she's telling us," said Roll. Bunnie nodded as well as Margie. Roll snorted.

"I hate that!" said Roll, "I was nagged for months to be honest and open with my problems by her and now she's just letting whoever did this to her walk all over her. What happened to standing up for yourself and not letting people push you around? What happen to going to your friends for help and strength? She spent weeks drilling that into my head and now when it's her turn, she cowers back? If there is one thing that I can't stand its people who don't practice what they teach?"

"Sable does that all the time, tee hee," Bunnie pointed out.

"That's different," said Roll, "She admits that she has trouble doing what she preaches and is trying to change that. I don't see Katt making any effort practice what she taught me! Plus sometimes I hardly even recognize her. She's acting like me before I learned I could confide in your guys about stuff...and she doesn't need to..." Roll sighed to herself as Margie hugged her close.

"Just give her some time, tootie," Margie suggested, "Remember that you took time to learn to come clean about your past because you had issues. Maybe Katt has her own issues that she's learning to deal with. She'll come around in good time."

"Possibly," said Roll, "I think she might be confiding in Purrl about it, but still...I wish she would confide in me like I did with her. I don't see what the problem is and why she won't talk to me. She's knows that I love her and she can trust me to keep secrets."

"Well you know that Katt can be a bit stubborn too, silly," said Rosie, "She's quite headstrong."

"Oh brother," said Roll, knowing that part to be especially true.

"Don't worry too much about it, tootie," said Margie, "Katt will talk when she is ready. Even you understand that sometimes there are certain topics that are harder to talk about than others."

"I know," said Roll with sigh, "I know." There was a few moments of silence as Rosie set up the chessboard for another game when Roll said aloud.

"I'm just glad that the broken window has been the only incident," said Roll, "But why do I get this sinking feeling that something isn't right in Animal Town. Sable calls it girl's intuition, a females ability to sense trouble, but still...I just wish I could put my finger on what that trouble might be..." Her friends said nothing until...

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!"

The four friends all jumped in shock before they quickly made their way out of Rosie's house and headed straight in the direction where they had heard the loud screaming. They found that several of the villagers were already at Katt's house. Roll gasped at what she saw. Katt's house had been covered in a large amount of toilet paper. The walls of her house was also covered in graffiti and her once beloved red pansy garden was completely destroyed, not a single pansy had survived. Roll just couldn't believe what had been done to the brown tabby's house. She scouted around to see that Purrl was gently rubbing Katt's back as the brown tabby sat on her knees with her head lowered.

"Katt!" said Roll as she knelt beside her. Katt said nothing and refused to raise her head.

"Katt please, talk to me," said Roll, "What happened? who did this? WHO DID THIS?" Roll turned around and yelled angrily at the rest of the villages. Nobody stood forward or spoke up. Then Roll blinked when Benjamin stood forward.

"None of us did this, alrighty," said Benjamin, "Nobody here has a reason to do such an awful thing to Katt. We all just heard her scream and we came here to find all of this." The rest of the villagers nodded in agreement. Roll looked at each other their faces, but could sense that none of them were lying or acting suspicious. Roll just huffed until she heard the sound of someone babbling in a broken tone and started crying. She was surprised to see that it was Katt. After holding it in and trying to brush everyone off, there she was, now blubbering uncontrollably and breaking down. Roll just knelt beside Katt and held her as she tried to offer the brown tabby some comfort. But Roll just felt rather unsettled about all of this. She wanted answers. She wanted to know who was responsible for doing this to her big sister! She...she...wait a minute!

"Where's Booker and Copper?" Roll called out, not seeing the two dogs anywhere at the scene of the crime.

"They are investigating the house, kitten," said Purrl, "They've been busy for a while now so they should be able to..." Suddenly there was a rumble underneath the ground and there popped out...wasn't Resetti, but rather a slimmer and taller looking mole with a 5'oclock shadow on his face.

"Sorry for the delay," said the mole, "I would have got here sooner, but...oh dear..." The mole noticed the damage and realized that he was too late. Roll was furious.

"Where were you!" Roll snapped angrily, "I didn't make this town raise 348,000 bells just for you guys to be late when a crisis is occurring here in Animal Town! And where is Mr. Resetti?" The mole stayed calm as he hopped out of his hole and dusted off his overalls.

"I'm afraid Sonny is unable to be here due to...high blood pressure..." said the mole quietly, "I'm his older brother, Don. We handle security together. As I said before, I'm sorry for my delay but Sonny had collapsed due to high blood pressure and I had to make sure he didn't need to be rushed to the hospital..."

"The hospital?" said Roll surprised, "Is Son...I mean Mr. Resetti okay?"

"He'll be okay," said Don with a nod, "but those responsible for this really gave my little brother the run around. My brother is known for being very headstrong and hot-tempered, but these hoodlums made it their mission to push my brother's blood pressure to the breaking point. Poor Sonny collasped and that was when they made their move to vandalize Katt's house. Like I was trying to explain earlier, I was making sure Sonny didn't need medical attention otherwise I would have been here sooner."

"I see," said Roll in an understanding tone, "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier Don. I'm just upset over what has happened to my dear friend."

"It's alright, Mayor Roll," said Don, "When you have a little brother whose had trouble controlling his anger since his days in diapers, you get used to dealing with loud and brash venting."

"Still, I don't feel good venting at you over this," said Roll sadly, "Do you have any idea who these hoodlums are, Don?"

"I haven't had a chance to check the surveillance equipment," said Don, "I know my brother would hate this but we will need your help with dealing with these hoodlums. So can you please come with me to the reset surveillance center?" Roll gave him a determined look and nodded. They were just about to leave when they noticed both police dogs had arrived.

"Mayor Roll!" said Copper in a proper tone and saluted her.

"Police chiefs Cooper and Booker," said Roll formally, "has your investigation found anything that could help us determine who did this to my big sister?"

"We...uhh...appear to have found only one specific clue," said Booker, "If you will...uhh...follow us...you can see what we have found...we hope it will help...I think..." Roll nodded and gestured for Don to follow. The two officers led Roll and Don towards the side of the house where it was the easiest to see the walls of the house and showed them a rather graphically drown letter U with a pair of crossbones beneath it. Next to it was the phrase in sloppy lettering.

We're baaaaaaack!

Roll could feel the taunting tone in that short sentence and just narrowed her eyes in determination.

"Someone is clearly threatening Katt and I won't tolerate it!" said Roll.

"They might have gotten away," said Don, "but the security system back at the headquarters archives its records. We might be able to at least identify whoever it was that damaged Katt's house." Roll looked at Don surprised and then remembered something.

"I'm the older brother and Sonny is out of commission right now," said Don, "This is an emergency and you are the mayor so I'll let him know you are permitted down there once he wakes up!"

"Alright then," said Roll with a nod, "Let's head to the surveillance center and see if we can determine who is threatening and taunting Katt."

"Yes maim, right this way," said Don as they headed back towards the hole he had made coming to the brown tabby's house. Don has just jumped into the hole and Roll was about to follow when she felt someone put a hand onto her back.

"Wait!" said the voice who the hand belonged to. Roll turned around and saw that Katt was looking at her with bloodshot eyes that looked clearly shaken. She could also tell that Katt looked rather nervous.

"I...I...t-t-think I might...k-k-know who is behind this," said Katt shakily, "but I need to make sure s-s-so...can...can I come with you, p-please...purrty?" Roll had never seen Katt so shaken up before and it made her more worried than ever about her big sister.

"Alright, come on then," said Roll as she scooted into the hole to follow Don and Katt was right behind her. It wasn't too long before Don had burrowed his way towards side entrance so they could walk into the reset surveillance area. Don, being a gentlemen, helped Roll get to her feet and did the same for Katt. The fact that Don helped Katt shouldn't have been such a big deal but it was for Roll cause Katt didn't let people help her like that. Plus Katt still looked rather timid and insecure, making Roll even more concerned. Katt noticed her staring.

"What? Stop!" she requested, but it sounded more like pleading.

"Just follow me," said Don before Roll could ask Katt why she was acting like this. He guided the two girls down the path where the main hub of the reset center was located. Roll was rather surprised as how tiny the surveillance are was. There wasn't even a bedroom area and just a tiny side area for the bathroom and two large chairs and a giant supercomputer.

"If I had known this place was so dingy and tiny, I would have offered to give you more funds for this place," said Roll as she dusted off her dress.

"Most of the funds went into the surveillance and computer equipment," Don explained, "But we manage just fine down here with what we've got."

"Are you sure you guys don't need extra funds," Roll asked, "I'm sure Isabelle..."

"Can we discuss this later and find out who trashed my house!" Katt shouted but when Roll and Don looked at her. Katt coward back.

"Please?" she asked timidly. Roll just looked at her with worry as Don headed towards the super computer. After a few clicks and beeps and other sounds later, Don found the security archives. It only took him a few seconds to find the security camera recordings that showed Katt's house. Don professionally backed up the recording at just the right time so they were able to see the very beginning of the crime as it took place. Roll just watched quietly as Katt gasped as she saw that her worst nightmare had been realized. She clearly recognized the purple kangaroo, red and black dog, purple rhino, purple and blue ostrich, and yellow bear cub.

"It's them!" said Katt with much fear in her tone and took a step back, "It's really them!"

"Whose them?" Roll asked worried, but also in a demanding tone. Katt tried to run but Roll grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me!" Katt pleaded.

"No!" said Roll angrily, "If this was me, you would be demanding me to come clean..."

"SHUT UP!" Katt bellowed.

"NO!" Roll shouted back and pinned her to her knees, "Katt please tell me. If you know who those girls are, you need to tell me before they try to cause me more damage or even try to harm the other villagers in the town!" Katt just sniffled and started to cry. She was also shaking a little as large drops of tears splashed into the surface of the dirty floor. Roll wasted no time kneeling beside her despite the dirty floors and just embraced her as Katt continued to cry. Roll had never seen the brown tabby so vulnerable before. She wanted to cry with her, but stayed strong.

"Katt please tell me," said Roll, "You're scaring me. I feel like I don't know who you are right now. Please tell me what's troubling you. I can tell that those five girls have something to do with this and I can bet my headband that they were the one whos smashed your window a few days ago." Katt sniffled a bit before looked at Roll sadly.

"I...I know who they are..." said Katt, "They...they are the Uchi gang."

"The Uchi gang?" Roll exclaimed, "Katt...you...you never told me that you were bullied before." Katt sniffled.

"No...I...I..." Katt just couldn't say it.

"Katt please," Roll pleaded.

"I used to belong to that gang!" Katt sobbed, "I was a part of them!" Roll just gasped. Don who had been just standing by, just handed the sobbing brown cat a box of tissues. Roll looked up at him.

"Did...did you know about this?" she asked him with a calm but serious tone in her voice. Don just sighed to himself.

"Yes," said Don, "but in all honestly, I have not dealt with this particular gang in many years. In fact, with all the villagers and citizen we keep track of. It's hard to really remember the past and histories of everyone here. Gangs are often the most elusive types of criminals, especially since they work in numbers. Sonny and I have spent countless hours trying to prevent gang activity and despite our best efforts, they are still a persistent threat to truth and justice around here.

"Has Katt...well...served?" said Roll curiously.

"More in terms of community services and by turning her life around," said Don, "Purrl was the one who helped her when we confronted Katt directly and she was under special surveillance to make sure she followed the straight and narrow path during those first few years. While she can't repair all the damage she had done in the past, she had proven herself a solid citizen who wants to live a normal life away from gang activity. We don't worry too much about her causing any more trouble...at least not intentional or destructive trouble..." Don was referring to Katt's tough and rough personal, which Roll had to chuckle about. Katt just sniffled and blew her nose.

"It was...just a part of me that I wanted to forget..." Katt explained, "like how you just want to forget how awful your mother was to you...but...I guess...you really can't run away from your past. I can see it in your face! I don't practice what I teach okay! I'm a hypocrite! There I admit it! Okay? OKAY!" Katt then broke down in tears once more as Roll hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.

"Katt?" Roll said gently.

"What?" Katt croaked.

"So you had a rough past and you made mistakes," Roll told her gently, "You're still my big sister and I love you."

"Really?" said Katt as a few more tears streamed down her face.

"Yes," said Roll, "and I'm sorry if I gave you a hard time Katt. I just wanted you to be honest with me like I am with you. But even I understand that sometimes the past is just too painful to talk about and deal with. I just want you to know that you can come to me whenever you want to just talk things out or vent, even cry when necessary. I won't tell anyone about it. Just know that I'm always here for you." Katt slowly calmed down and nodded.

"Well," she sobbed, "does the fact I'm falling apart like an idiot show that I'm not afraid to open up to you?" Roll smiled and hug her, which Katt returned willingly.

"Roll," said Katt quietly.

"Yeah?"

"If...if we can find a quiet place to talk," said Katt, "I'll tell you everything." Roll looked at her concerned.

"Are you sure?" said Roll, "you don't have to."

"Yes," said Katt, "You need to know who these girls are and what they are capable of." Roll was unsure but she just conceded with a smile.

"Okay," said Roll, "You can come with me back to Rosie's house. Before we do, is there anything else we should know about the Uchi gang and their activities, Don?"

"So far, they haven't done anything else in particular," said Don, "but that doesn't mean that these girls are done causing trouble. If gangs follow any of the patterns I've learned over the years, this act was just the big expose."

"What do you mean Don?" Roll wondered.

"He means that what they did to me was a warning or a state of presence," said Katt, "This was the gangs way of telling everyone around the town that they were here and ready to take over." Roll growled.

"Nobody is taking over this town," said Roll with a great amount of determination, "Not while I'm in charge. Now come on Katt. I gotta see if the pizza I was making didn't burn!"

"You made pizza?" said Katt and Roll smiled. Katt suddenly felt her stomach grumble before she let Roll help her to her feet.

"I'll keep you informed if I hear about any more trouble," said Don and handed Roll a special mini comlink device.

"Thanks Don," said Roll, "Now come on Katt." Katt just nodded as they walked, holding hands as they made their way out of the reset center back to Rosie's house. Apparently Rosie, Bunnie, and Margie had returned the house. They had also managed to save the pizza and were letting it stay warm as the two made their way back to the house. Katt was feeling a little hesitant to enter since she had thought her and Roll would be talking alone, but once she saw that Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie were very kind to her, even offering to help her repair the damage to her house, she slowly began to feel a little more comfortable. They clearly didn't pity her like her thoughts had claimed, but just simply cared about her, like real friends should. Katt could see why Roll made the three girls her best friends. They also didn't seem to judge her at all because of the fact she knew and was apart of the Uchi gang either. Roll let everyone enjoy a few bites of her pizza before opening the conversation for Katt.

"How is it?" Roll asked.

"Delicious, tee hee," said Bunnie as she licked some sauce off her fingers.

"That's what I like about you, purrty," Katt added, "you always surprise me with what you can do!"

"Well you surprised us all when you told us you were once part of that gang, silly," said Rosie and Purrl groaned inwardly as she swallowed her bite.

"How did you end up being in a gang anyway?" said Margie. Katt was hesitant to answer when she felt Bunnie hold her hand.

"You need to feel insecure, tee hee," said Bunnie, "whenever you're ready." Katt had felt nervous about speaking about her past this entire time, but Bunnie's, as well as Roll's, smiles made her feel better. She cleared her throat before beginning her tale.

"When I was a younger kitten," said Katt, "I had alot of trouble trying to get attention because I was the third of four siblings. Sometimes I felt like, just like Roll, I couldn't make myself heard. My second oldest sibling never had an issue with drawing attention to themself, but I was shut down alot. Sure I had my talents and such, but I was often teased about it and it made me feel down on myself. So one day, I decided to run away from home to try an prove myself."

"So you really understood me to a great degree huh?" said Roll.

"Yeah I did," said Katt, "Guess I just was so used to..."

"...Feeling like nobody cared about how you felt," said Roll, "You just kept to yourself." Katt nodded as she wiped her nose again.

"Pretty much," said Katt, "I know I'm a hypocrite..."

"Stop Katt," said Bunnie, "talking about the past and telling others about your past are two different things. I had the same problem when I had to talk about what happened with Charlotte." Katt nodded before she continued.

"While I was wondering around in the streets," said Katt, "that was when I met Sylvia and the rest of the gang Cherry, Renee, Phoebe, and Tammy. They had taken me in and she was the leader cause she was the oldest. The rest of the group was the same age as me. Don't ask the age!"

"Oh whatever Katt," said Margie, "age is just a number after all, tootie." The other nodded and Katt just rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, so Sylvia took me in and they became my new family," said Katt, "They taught me everything that I know in regarding to fighting, standing up for myself, and making myself heard."

"But they were still a group of troublemakers, silly," put in Rosie.

"Yeah...I did my share of bullying and stealing and such, I'll confess to it," said Katt, "But I...I just never saw what we were doing as wrong...not at first. I just saw it as a way of surviving and showing others that I wasn't someone to mess with. At least I know I never got rough or stole unless they gave me a reason to retaliate. The Uchi's were my family and we looked out for each other. Sylvia was like my big sister...she was a big sister to everyone. I finally felt like a belonged and I finally felt like I could believe in myself. When my family found out that I was in the gang, they were furious. They ordered me to leave the group at once. But...I defied them...and it was a few days afterward that I realized what kind of family that I had chosen to be apart of." Katt shuddered.

"What...what happened?" said Roll worried. Katt just lowered her head.

"I had gone to Sylvia about what my parents had said," said Katt, "I saw something that I had never seen in my big sister before. Anger, rage, hatred. I had only seen her that angry when we had a female villager join our group and then she left the group to follow some dream that I don't remember clearly. Sylvia gave me this glare that still sent a shiver down my spine. She said that she would take care of things. The next day I was walking home after going to the store to get groceries. My eldest sibling was with me cause my parents no longer trusted me and it really made me feel angry. I'll admit that I wanted my parents to pay for not understanding me. When we arrived at the house, I was shocked to see the entire house in flames. There was Sylvia herself and the rest of the gang, holding what were clearly gas cans as they laughed and watched the house burn. Sylvia had such a devious smirk on her face that still gives me goosebumps.

"She set your old home on fire, tee hee?" Bunnie asked shocked.

"Yes...she did," said Katt as if she could remember the memory clearly, "Then before I could really react to what was happening, the gang grabbed my eldest sibling and started punching her in the face and stomach while Sylvia kicked her in both her legs. I just stood there and watched. Sylvia just smirked in triumph once my eldest sibling was unconscious until we all heard the sound of a siren, whether it was the police or the fire department or both. I would never know. Everyone scattered to avoid getting caught as my eldest sibling lay on the ground helpless. Instead of trying to help her, I ran, like a coward I ran for my life. To this day I blamed myself for what had happened to the house. To this day...I still don't know if my family was even inside or...are even alive."

"Oh Katt..." said Margie sadly.

"Despite what Sylvia did, I stuck with them," said Katt, "if my family was truly gone, the uchi's were the only family I had left. But my eyes had been opened to who the gang really was, especially Sylvia. Since that day, Sylvia was more willing to cross the lines to get what she wanted. Nobody in the gang ever seemed to protest her actions. I could never find the courage to speak up either, but every time she would get rough with someone, my heart always ached watching her."

"Why didn't anybody speak up?" Margie asked curiously.

"Sylvia," said Katt, "was not only the oldest, but she was the strongest and most vicious fighter you would ever see. I was surprised at how assertive she could be and often it was something as simple as bumping into her. Plus she hated whenever anyone opposed or questioned her. She always had to have her way or there was trouble. I remember one time she threw Phoebe into a wall for beating her in a game of checkers. Another time Tammy got slugged in the eye for accidently putting onions in her hamburger. (She hates onions). Renee was nearly choked to death for beating her in a video game, which she smashed both the television and the controller afterward. I almost got trounced when she tried to beat up a girl half her age for taking what she considered _her_ bubblegum ball."

"Why would she trounce you over a bubblegum ball?" Rosie asked.

"The girl had gotten the bubble gum ball fair and square," said Katt, "yet because it was purple. She wanted to take it from her. She demanded the gumball from her. When the girl said no and put it on her mouth, Sylvia dived into top of her, pulled the gum out of her mouth and began to yell at her, saying that gum ball was hers and if she asks for it, she gets it or else!"

"How did you get beat up then?" Bunnie wondered.

"I spoke up," said Katt, "I told Sylvia why she would even want a half-chewed bubble gum ball anyway. The machine wasn't even twenty feet away and there were plenty of fresh gum balls there and I had a quarter. I didn't get why she had to beat up a child just for something so petty. Sylvia just stayed still for a moment and then raised her fist to slug her I grabbed her arm to stop her and the girl, terrified, ran for her life. I watched her leave before I was pulled and she shoved me into a wall with a vicious look on her face. She was angered that I let the girl get away and then slugged me several times in the face before throwing me to the ground. Then before I could recover, true to her nature, she threw me again and started drop kicking me before I could even react. I was half-conscious from the beating when she learned her face into mine. I could hear her panting at me as she said these words: if you ever interfere again, you won't live to tell about it! Then she left me to lay on the ground alone, not caring if I did fall unconscious or even returned home."

"Wow..." said Roll shaking her head in disgust.

"Yeah," said Katt, "It was hours later before I returned to what was our current headquarters, limping as I headed inside. The rest of the group just looked at me and then turned away. I felt like such a disgrace that I didn't talk to anyone and just went to what was considered my room, but what happened had really touched a nerve. I didn't want to be apart of them anymore. Later on that night, Sylvia had another gang raid set up and had instructed me to be the recon person, which is the most risky cause if you got caught, you were on your own. I knew it was a set up, so instead of heading toward the designated location. I headed straight for the train station, bought myself a ticket, and got on the train and never looked back. I didn't want to be a part of the Uchi's anymore."

"So you ran away from them, silly," Rosie concluded.

"Yes I did, purrty," said Katt, "but I always knew that even if I ran away, that they would come looking for me. After all, I abandoned them and Sylvia didn't take people leaving the group lightly. When that human girl left, that was when Sylvia showed just how cruel she could be. While she never went after the human girl, she used her anger and rage to intimidate us into staying in the group and to make sure we never opposed her. I was taking a risk leaving, but I had had enough. I didn't want to be a apart of a family like that. They changed after that human girl left. I hated what I was apart of. I wanted to start over."

"So you moved to Animal Town to start a new life," said Roll, "to get away from the gang."

"Yes," Katt nodded, "Purrl had always been like a true big sister figure to me. That was why I confided in her and she helped me turn my life around. After a few years had passed, I figured I could just forget about the fact I was in a gang and all the terrible things I did. Like I said, Sylvia never came after me. While I knew if they found me they would find a way to retaliate for me leaving, I was still surprised they did so much damage to my home. Whether they found me by accident or came after me doesn't matter anymore."

"Why?" everyone at the table asked.

"Because if they are here, then that means that they are here to cause alot of trouble for Animal Town," said Katt worried, "it's only a matter of..."

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

Suddenly a very loud beeping went off as Rosie and Bunnie covered their ears. Roll answered the comlink to turn off the beeping.

"What's going on Don?" Roll asked seriously.

"The Uchi gang is spray painting the town hall!" said Don, "Isabelle has tried to take action, but she is getting shoved around." Roll narrowed her eyes and growled.

"I'm on my way!" said Roll, "I'll be back!" Roll then dashed out of the house since she has only eaten half of her pizza slice.

"Wait for us!" said Margie as Rosie and Bunnie followed.

"W-w-wait for me!" said Katt after hesitating to even leave. It didn't take long before they arrived at town hall and they found Sylvia trying to tear off the bells in Isabelle's top knot and the other's laughing at Isabelle's screams since Sylvia was tugging her hair...hard.

"FREEZE!" Roll shouted and the Uchi gang stopped laughing and turned around to see Roll with her friends right behind her. They were still for a second until the Sylvia let go of Isabelle's top knot, by shoving her backwards and grabbed Tammy by the shirt and lifted her into the air.

"You were supposed to be keeping a lookout for the authorities, joey," said Sylvia angrily.

"B-b-but, ya heard, you...OOF!" Sylvia didn't wait for Tammy to respond before she threw her to the side where Renee and Phoebe helped the bear cub to her feet as Sylvia approached Roll. Isabelle had run to Roll in tears since her head hurt from the hair tugging.

"And just what are you trying to prove little girl?" Sylvia asked in a condescending tone. Isabelle cowered behind her as Roll took offense to the Kangaroo's attitude.

"Quit talking to me like I'm some kind of baby," said Roll, "I saw what you guys are doing to the town hall and to Isabelle and I don't appreciate it one bit!"

"Aww, whittle baby don't like to color or play tug of war?" Cherry added with her front lip sticking out, "oh no she doesn't, no she doesn't." The rest of the group laughed as Roll just growled.

"That's a good one Cherry," said Sylvia, "She does look like a baby. She's probably still in diapers, joey!" Roll groaned loudly.

"Will you quit talking down to me like I'm some sort of baby!" Roll retorted hotly, "I happen to be the mayor of this town. Not like you can tell!" There was a brief silence before the group burst into laughter once more. Roll tried to look irritated but she was getting a bit hurt at being laughed at. Katt could tell Roll was getting a bit overwhelmed and stepped in.

"Alright you guys cut it out right now!" Katt snarled and they all stopped laughing instantly. Yet it was Sylvia's death glare that made them stop more than Katt telling them. Plus Katt cowards back when Sylvia looked directly at her.

"So...look at what the dog dragged in," said Sylvia, which Cherry glared since she was offended but ignored, "You've got alot of nerve show your face to me. After what you did!" The other girls nodded in agreement. Katt suddenly lost her courage as Sylvia continued to glare at her with devious smirk on her face.

"Leave my big sister alone!" said Roll. Sylvia blinked.

"HA!" she remarked, "Katt a big sister? Don't make me laugh. She doesn't care about the likes of you, joey! She only cares about herself."

"Yes she does!" said Roll, "and no she doesn't!"

"Yeah well did she ever bother to you tell you she was one of us?" Sylvia asked, "I bet you would love to hear about all the things she did when she was a part of our group." Roll just glared and now it was Katt's turn to feel shut down. Bunnie and Rosie rubbed her back supportively as Katt took two steps back, unable to say anything else.

"You know what...Sylvia isn't it?" said Roll slowly, "We all have pasts that we aren't proud of. Katt isn't perfect and neither am I...either way...I love her just the same." Katt lifted her head surprised. She could feel her eyes water since she was deeply touched at what Roll said. Sylvia just looked bored and did a mock clap.

"Very touching, joey," said Sylvia, "Alright then Mayor Blondie..."

"The name is Roll!" The blonde girl answered, deeply irritated. The girls all gasped silently and then burst into hard laughter. Sylvia was in her back in tears as she laughed herself silly.

"That's your name, joey?!" she mocked, "Hey girls. This mayor is gonna _roll_ into action! She's gonna rock and _roll_ herself silly. Are you hungry? How about a Maki _roll_? Check it out girls! I'm on a _roll_ now!" Roll bawled her fists.

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" Roll snapped angrily, "YOU FIVE PUNKS GET YOUR SORRY BUTTS OF MY TOWN **NOW!** " Sylvia stopped laughing then and Phoebe and Renee oohed.

"She gonna get it now, ya heard," Tammy whispered.

"You got that right, what-what," Cherry added. Sylvia slowly approached the blonde girl and grabbed the front of her dress so they were looking eye to eye.

"Since you're new around here, I'm only gonna say this once, joey," said Sylvia darkly, "Nobody. Tells. Me. What. To. Do!" Sylvia ended by tossing Roll to down so she landed hard on her rear so now the kangaroo was looking down at her.

"Do I make myself clear?" she added in a overly sweet and deadly tone. Roll snorted as she got up to her feet, with some help from Bunnie and Rosie, but Sylvia shoved her back down.

"I didn't say you could get up little Roll!" She snarled.

"You're not my mother!" said Roll, "and I could care less that it bugs you that I told you what to do. This is _my_ town and as mayor of _my_ town! Now get out!" Sylvia gritted her teeth.

"Is that a challenge?" she demanded.

"If you won't leave on your own," said Roll, "I'll make you leave. I warn you...don't underestimate me! I'm a tough girl!" Sylvia snorted.

"You...a tough girl?" she asked mockingly and then smirked, "Very well, name the time and the place."

"Town plaza, midnight, you and me!" said Roll, "If my words won't make you leave then maybe my fists will!" Sylvia just kept smirking.

"Either you're very brave or you're as stupid as your hair color, joey," said Sylvia, "Very well. We rumble at the stroke of twelve and that is when the whittle princess turns back into a pumpkin!"

"Just get out of here!" said Roll, having enough of her taunting.

"Very well," said Sylvia, "I'll be back! Just remember, it's your funeral!" She chuckled deviously as she and the rest of the gang walked away. Roll just glared at them, clearly upset and angry at being teased and talked down to. Isabelle just sighed as she surveyed the mess they had made all over the town hall walls.

"I better get the cleaning crew..." she sighed.

"I'll take care of it, Isabelle," said Roll, "but I'm more concerned if you are okay. They didn't hurt you did they?" Isabelle just shook her head.

"Just shoved me around and tried to take my bells," said Isabelle, "good thing they didn't. My Momma gave these to me. Hopefully I can get help cleaning up the town hall and Katt's house."

"Let's split up," said Roll, "Katt, Margie, and I can take care of Katt's home. You, Bunnie, and Rosie can clean up the mess here at town hall." The other agreed, minus Katt, who just looked at Roll dumbfounded for a moment before she found her voice again.

"Are you NUTS?!" Katt snapped.

"What? If we split up, three of us can clean up both locations," said Roll.

"Not the cleaning purrty," said Katt angrily, "why on earth would you challenge Sylvia in a one-on-one fight?"

"Trust me, Katt, I don't want to fight, but if she is gonna be a threat to Animal Town, I gotta do this!" said Roll, "I won't let them keep damaging the town and hurting the people that I care about the most!"

"Roll...Sylvia...is...well..." Katt stuttered a bit and then found her words, "She's that small percentage of fighters who I have never defeated in a fight." Roll just blinked and then just sighed.

"I see..." said Roll quietly.

"Also," Katt added, "Sylvia has never been known to fight fair. She'll crossing lines you won't want to in order to win. She will do whatever it take to take you down and it _will hurt_! If she's gotten worse, you might not survive..."

"Good to know," said Roll bluntly, "but she dishonored me, Katt, and she hurt Isabelle. Plus she's gonna wreck Animal Town if I don't do something. I have to face her tonight and make her respect me!" Katt just sighed slowly to herself as Roll started heading toward Rosie house to clean up their lunch so they could get work on the brown tabby's house.

"Roll, even if you beat her," said Katt, "She'll never respect you." Roll then turned around angrily.

"Then what do you suggest?" said Roll, clearly frustrated, "Even you couldn't even stand up for yourself to her! The Katt I know doesn't cower back like this and let people take advantage of her and destroy everything she cares about! If you won't face your fears regarding her then someone else has to step up and I have to be the one to do it! I won't let anyone hurt my family!" Roll was nearly in tears as she finished and Katt just looked at her sadly.

"Please don't do this!" said Katt, "This isn't you fight!"

"As long she threatens this town and my family," said Roll sternly, "This is my fight too! Now let's find some villagers so we can clean up this mess more quickly and repair the damage to your house. Also I want you to stay with me for the night since you're clearly in no condition to be alone..."

"Purrl already invited me," said Katt quickly. Roll blinked a bit but then nodded.

"Well, as long as you're not alone," Roll replied, "now come on." Katt just watched her walk away before following her behind. She had to admit she was worried. If anything happened to Roll, she was never going to forgive herself.

It was just a few minutes before midnight and Roll had changed into a black demin vest with a white camisole underneath with some matching cuffed pedal pushers with her hair tied in a ponytail with a black headband Labelle had made for her. She had a stern look on her face, despite the fact she was very nervous inside. She didn't want to fight. She wished that it hadn't come to this, but...she knew there was no other options with her and she wasn't going to back down. She had to do this.

"You don't have to do this you know, silly," said Rosie.

Even if her own friends were against the idea of her fighting. She had brought Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie with her for both moral support as well as backup. Roll has taken Katt's words to heart about the fact that Sylvia didn't like to fight fair so she brought them in case of any dirty tricks. Yet the three friends were hoping that they wouldn't have to fight since they had very little experience in fighting. Sure Margie had alot of strength but that didn't mean that she liked using it to fight people. Roll was aware of this and the fact that Rosie and Bunnie looked really nervous about being with her made it clear they were not as prepared for this as she had hoped. Roll could feel the tension as they made their way through the cherry orchard since they had wished Katt goodnight before leaving Purrl's house and heading towards the plaza.

"Guys look," said Roll gently, "If you wanna go back, I'll just..."

"No silly," said Rosie, "we might be scared, but..."

"...we are willing to stay by your side through all of this, tee hee," Bunnie finished, "we've got your back."

"We won't let Sylvia hurt you, tootie," said Margie, "As much as I'm not a big fan of using my strength for violence, I will protect you if I have to." Roll smiled.

"Guys I appreciate this, but I can feel the fear from all three of you clear as day," Roll protested.

"You mean clear as night," said Bunnie and the other three girls just glared at her annoyingly.

"It is true, tee hee," said Bunnie in her defense as the rest of the group just rolled their eyes at her. Then Roll felt a cold shift in the wind, which was unusual since it was early June and the temperatures was still warm despite being so late at night. Then they heard a dark and sinister snicker within the fruit trees surrounding them.

"Stay on alert," said Roll, getting into a defensive stance, "Katt warned me that Sylvia would play dirty so be ready for anything." The rest of the girls said nothing as they nervously began to scope the trees. Yet neither of them were sure of what they were gonna do when Sylvia or any of her Uchi gang members should surprise them in the trees. Margie tried to stay close to Roll as best as she could trying to scope the trees and keep her guard up. However, Margie wasn't too good at listening or being aware of her surroundings. Thus she missed the dark figure sneaking behind her. Before she could sense them, they had clocked Margie in the back of the head. Margie tumbled forward with a thud, now unconscious.

"Margie!" said Roll fearfully as she knelt beside her. She noticed a rather large red bump in the back of her head. Suddenly, Roll then flinched when she heard the sound of struggling and shouting.

"Bunnie? Rosie?" Roll called out.

"Don't worry my dear," said a rather dark voice as she came behind a nearby tree, "You're so called friends are being taken care off!" The rest of the Uchi girls arrived. Roll noticed that Phoebe was carrying a sack in her hand, which the blonde figured was used to knock out Margie. Renee and Cherry were each keeping Bunnie and Rosie restrained. The two peppy villagers struggled to break free but to no avail. Roll snarled as she rose to her feet.

"Katt warned me that you like to play dirty!" said Roll, "What's this all about? I thought you and me were going to fight one-on-one!"

"Can't I bring my friends to join?" Sylvia asked in mock innocence, "After all...you brought yours."

"I brought them cause they are my friends, but the fight was still gonna be one-on-one," Roll said angrily, "Unlike you! Your friends hurt Margie and now you're holding Rosie and Bunnie hostage!"

"Fine, we'll let them go!" said Sylvia and snapped her fingers. Rather than just let go of the two peppy villagers. Cherry and Renee threw Bunnie and Rosie into each other. They crashed into one another and then landed on the ground unconscious. Roll just looked stunned and disgusted.

"Was that really necessary?" Roll demanded.

"No," said Sylvia plainly, "this is necessary Blondie!" Sylvia snapped her fingers again and this time Tammy and Phoebe grabbed both her arms and lifted her off the air. Roll struggled to break free but they refused to let go. Despite all her training, these girls were clearly far stronger than her.

"Hey let me go!" said Roll, "What is you think you're doing?" Sylvia laughed at her expense.

"Did you really think I was gonna waste my time fighting the likes of you?" the kangaroo taunted, "You're just a pathetic little blonde girl who needs to know whose boss around here."

"I know whose boss around here," said Roll, "I'm the mayor of this town..."

"Just because these pathetic losers made you the leader doesn't mean that you are...in my eyes...a leader...or the boss for that matter," Sylvia explained darkly, "As far as I'm concerned, you're not what I consider to be a leader of anyone here."

"I've never hidden from you!" Roll snarled, "Let me go and I'll fight you right now!"

"Uh...no," said Sylvia, "You are going to be a good little Blondie and face the facts. I'm in charge if this town now, not you!"

"Over my dead body!" Roll snapped.

"Oh that can be easily arranged," Sylvia suggested sarcastically, "but for now...we're just going to let everyone know what I think of their so called leader." Sylvia walked up to her, readying her fist when Roll glared at her.

"You're pathetic," said Roll, "You wouldn't be so tough if you had fought me alone..."

Whether that was the right thing to say or not is debatable.

All Roll saw after that was the flash of a fist connect with her face.

Then everything went black.

 **If you've ever heard of a show called** ** _The Puzzle Place_** **you'll recognize Rosie's Pizza song :)**

 **Plus the brick oven is actually available in ACHHD. And its purchasable with MEOW tickets via Ketchup's RV.  
**

 **For those who have actually quit without saving more than seven times. (yes I'm guilty of it. I'll confess!) Don mentions in New Leaf that the reason he came was because of Sonny's high blood pressure so the fact he has a high-blood pressure problem here is actually canon.**

 **Keep in mind that this is a family rated story and despite that the girls do beat Katt's sibling that it is not done inappropriately. Plus the type of attacks Sylvia did to Katt were mostly body checks, hard kicks, and face and stomach punches. She might not have any morals, but the way these girls fight is "clean".**

 **Until next time! Stay tuned!**


	23. Tough Girls Part 3

Tough girls part 3

There was a strange and yet happy chiming that was heard from Roll's ears as her vision appeared rather fuzzy and eventually cleared within a few seconds. Roll woke up to see both Sable and Mabel staring down at her. Roll groaned as she slowly lifted her head. Her entire body ached as she painfully tried to sit up.

"Ugh..." she groaned as she finally could sit up in what was apparently her own bed.

"Take it easy," said Sable in a motherly tone, "don't try to get up."

"I feel like one of the train railcars just ran me over at full speed," Roll groaned as she rubbed her eyes to get the sleepiness out and then flinched when she felt pain on her right eye.

"It kind of looks that way, Roll," said Mabel, "but no...you got beat up. And have a black eye to show for it too." Roll just looked stunned and then everything that happened came back into her head.

"Wait! Sylvia! The Uchi gang! Rosie! Bunnie! Margie!" Roll exclaimed, "I gotta..." Roll tried to hope out of bed, barely noticing that she had slept in her black denims when Sable made her sit back down.

"Calm down, Roll," said Sable, "They are just fine. They are downstairs recovering. Please just stay put and try to relax." Roll just looked worried as well as anxious.

"How are they?" she asked worriedly.

"Bunnie and Rosie are just fine," said Mabel, "only worried about you. Margie's head bump has been treated and other then a light headache, she has no signs of any concussions. Bunnie and Rosie just had some light bruises on their foreheads, but there perfectly fine." Roll just huffed in relief as Sable sat beside her and used a package of medicine slowly began to heal her black eye. Roll winced as the medicine did its work but just let Sable do her work quietly...for a few seconds.

"So...what happened?" said Roll, "besides getting ambushed by a jerk and her so called friends..."

"Thank Sable," said Mabel, "Apparently her motherly instincts were able to detect something was wrong."

"Really?" said Roll, "You knew I was in trouble Mom?"

"Yes I did," Sable answered as she continued her work on Roll's eye, "It also helped that Katt called me and told me that you were gonna confront Sylvia and that gang. I'll admit that I was surprised that you thought fighting would solve anything."

"I didn't want to fight Mom," Roll explained, "but she kept degrading me...constantly and wouldn't stop. I only wanted to fight so she would stop treating me like a baby and leave the town and my family alone. The whole reason Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie were with me was so I had reinforcements. Yet they still overwhelmed me just the same. Sylvia had her friends knocked out my friends and then they pinned me down just so Sylvia had a free shot to my face."

"Pretty low," said Mabel in disgust.

"That was just the surface," said Sable.

"What do you mean Mom?" Roll asked as Sable finished with her eye.

"I arrived just after Sylvia has clocked you in the face," said Sable, "I also had Booker and Cooper with me. As soon as I saw her hit you, I screamed for them the get away from you. Then Booker and Cooper charged. That was enough for them to drop you and they apparently scattered. Neither officer was able to capture any of them though."

"Like cowards," Mabel added.

"Besides that," said Sable, "I rushed towards your side and carried you back home."

"By yourself?" said Roll, "No offense to your strength Mom, but I'm a lot heavier since I got the extra muscle."

"You'll be amazed at what I can do if I feel like my baby is being threatened," said Sable with a smile and Mabel giggled to herself. Roll just smiled back before sighing sadly to herself.

"Too bad I couldn't channel that," Roll remarked, "I still can't believe I got KO'd in one punch."

"Don't feel too bad Roll," said Mabel, "From what you said, you couldn't even defend yourself. She fought dirty."

"Still," said Roll, "I trained so hard so that bullies couldn't do that to me, physically or verbally. Yet they walked all over me just the same. Now I'm in disgrace..." Sable could see that Roll looked rather depressed as the blonde girl just looked at her feet and wiggled her toes. That was when she found that her hair was also down and her headband was missing.

"Oh great," Roll muttered.

"It's right here," said Sable as she showed Roll the headband, "It fell off cause when they dropped you, they threw you aside and when you landed, your ponytail came apart after your hair tie had snapped. I already put a replacement in your pocket."

"Oh...thanks Mom," said Roll, "Is my eye okay now?" Sable nodded and pulled Roll into a tight hug.

"Everything else is going to be okay too," said Sable, feeling her daughter's distress.

"But those bullies are still at large," Roll protested sadly, "and I can't keep them from causing more damage to the town or my friends. They don't respect me or take me seriously. It's clear I am not every good at handling group fights."

"Roll, fighting isn't going to solve any of this," said Sable.

"But Mom...ignoring them and doing nothing about them isn't gonna solve anything either!" said Roll, "They could attack someone else in town at any minute! They already tried to rip Isabelle's hair off her head cause Sylvia tried to steal her hair bells!"

"Well I say that fighting isn't the answer!" said Sable sternly, "It's not going to solve anything!"

"Well then what do you suggest I do," said Roll angrily, "Katt and I seemed to be the only ones capable of any self-defense. And they took out my best friends in seconds! Negotiation at this point is what got me slugged in the first place!"

"Well there might be a way," Mabel pondered.

"Mabel...NO!" said Sable.

"Why not Sable?" said Mabel, "A friend of mine knows Kung Fu and she owes me a favor! She can help Roll at least learn some proper defensive fighting!"

"It's still fighting and I don't like the idea of her fighting anybody!" Sable protested, "Not all bullies need to be put in their place using their fists!"

"Sable the last time I tried to talking to Sylvia she was too busy laughing at me," said Roll.

"Besides, Sable," Mabel added in Roll's defense, "This girl teaches the art of fighting...without even having to fight. Plus Roll wouldn't even have to use her fists. Kung Fu will give Roll the advanced skills she needs to defend herself without even having to get offensive. While what Katt taught her was good, it's not as effective when you're getting attacked at multiple opponents at once. What is Roll supposed to do if they ambush her again? Just stand there and say...leave me alone?"

"They'll be too busy playing hot potato with my entire body," Roll added. Sable just shook her head.

"I don't want to see you get hurt like that ever again okay," said Sable sternly, "I don't want you to fight. There has to be another way to deal with these bullies that doesn't evolve that. So please...don't engage them again...I hate seeing you so beat up..." Sable was on the verge of tears and Roll just conceded.

"Alright Momma," said Roll, "but we still need some sort of solution to all of this sooner than later. I don't want to be afraid leave my own house cause I might get ambushed and beat up again."

"They wouldn't dare go that far!" Sable protested.

"Wanna bet?" Mabel added as a matter of fact. Sable turned around to refute when there was a ringing of the phone downstairs. Roll slowly got up since her entire body was very sore and quickly rushed towards her phone. Rosie, was already holding the receiver and answering it as she saw Roll arrive.

"She's right here," said Rosie to whoever was talking on the phone and handed it to Roll.

"Rosie, are you..."

"I'm fine, just answer the phone, silly," said Rosie in a very serious tone. Roll was taken aback and answered.

"R-r-roll?" croaked the broken tone of a familiar hedgehog.

"Labelle!" said Roll, "What's wrong?"

"Uchi's...store raid...vandalized...tormented...ruined!" Labelle broke down in tears and Roll just narrowed her eyes in determination as her grip on the phone tightened.

"We'll be right there as soon as we can!" said Roll, "Sable! Mabel!"

"What's wrong?" Sable asked as they came down the stairs.

"Labelle said that she and the shop were attacked," said Roll. Sable gasped and Mabel growled.

"Well don't just do nothing! Stand there!" Mabel barked. Everyone looked blankly at her until Mabel realized her mistake.

"Let's move! NOW!" she yelled. Despite her wrinkled clothes and messy, fully down hair, Roll just followed Mabel and Sable with Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie right behind her as they made their way into the Able Sister's shop. Sable grew more worried once she saw the bashed in windows and the door leading the accessories side hanging on just the bottom hinge. The group rushed inside and they gasped at what they saw. The accessories area was in complete shambles. Accessories tossed all over the floor, torn and damaged. Even Labelle's framed newspaper clipping that had hung on her back wall had been smashed was now a broken heap in the back of the store. Lamp bulbs were broken and even some mannequins were damaged. Sable's face grew pale as Mabel covered her mouth in shock. Then they realized that Labelle was missing.

"Labelle? Labelle!" they called out.

"In the main room!" she wailed. They quickly rushed in and found the main area in the same condition. Wall paper torn and damaged mannequins and merchandise. Yet near the floor, leaning on the back of the side of the register table was Labelle. Her face was covered in smeared make-up, with the excess on the front of her dress and even one of her arm sleeves was ripped clean off. To make matters worse, the group learned instantly why Labelle was laying on the floor. They saw that her right shoe heel had broke and they could tell it was no accident since her right foot was also swollen. A sign that it was badly twisted. Sable and Mabel wasted no time kneeling beside her as Labelle continued to cry.

"I tried to stop them, but they were horrid!" said Labelle, "Especially that kangaroo! She did this to me, the face, my dress, my foot..." Labelle couldn't speak and just wept as Mabel went to remove the broken shoe despite Labelle's cries of pain. Sable stood up to find the first aid kit when she froze in shock with her eyes wide and the pupils small. Mabel noticed her staring.

"What are you waiting...oh my..." Mabel couldn't say any more as she noticed the corner where Sable worked. The sewing machine, not the high tech one, but Sable's sewing machine, the very machine that had belonged to their mother...now lay in ruins all over the floor completely destroyed. The back wall was covered in graffiti paint with streaks of paint smeared all over the picture frames. Suddenly the picture containing their parents crashed to the floor. Sable rushed over carefully grab it and discovered a painful truth. They had gotten inside of the picture frame and has painted all over the picture inside. While Sable had other pictures, this one had meant the most to her and now it was ruined, irreplaceable. On the back was a smeared ink message:

Mess with us. We mess with you!

There was a long silence before Roll had tried to approach Sable, careful not to stick her bare feet on anything on the floor.

"Sable..."

"Mabel," said Sable darkly, cutting Roll off, "Did you still have the contact info for that friend of yours?" Mabel, who had applied the medicine and bandaged Labelle's ankle by now, just looked towards her eldest sister as she helped Labelle sit up and wipe her face with a clean cloth.

"Yeah, but what happened to finding alternatives to fighting..."

"There is no other way!" Sable screamed, "Do you see all of this! Huh? Huh! These monsters cannot be reasoned with! They need to be stopped. Roll is the most skilled with hand to hand combat and if this will teach them whose boss, then give her the information!" Mabel was rather hesitant since Sable was clearly talking in anger as hot tears streamed down the hedgehog's face.

"Mabel, I don't want her to fight," Sable sobbed, "but...your friend can help her...then Roll can help us. We need to find a way to defend ourselves against these bullies. As long as we're defenseless, we don't stand a chance..." Sable began to cry as Roll held her for comfort. It didn't take long before Mabel ducked into the register to find the information. She was rather stunned despite all the damage they didn't steal any bells from the register or from Labelle's purse, showing that they were just seeking fun at the expense of others. Mabel handed Roll the sheet of paper, which the blonde girl took in one hand and held a sobbing brown hedgehog in the other. Seeing Sable break down made Roll angry. She knew she had to do something and hopefully Mabel's friend could help.

Roll left early the next morning, even packing a small suitcase with some duplicate training outfits inside her pockets that Sable made for her with the new sewing machine. Before leaving, she did make sure that Sable was going to be alright and that she didn't try to do anything rash. Sable promised Roll she wouldn't and to keep her distance from the Uchi gang as much as possible, but she was going to see about implementing a temporary ordinance that would allow for a neighborhood watch as well as promoting self-defense training while Roll was gone so the other villagers could be prepared for another gang raid. Roll gave her consent to both plans before hugging and kissing Sable goodbye as she boarded a train to the town of Kyoto. When Roll exited the train, she found that the town was far different from the towns where the special characters lived and Animal Town. This town didn't have areas surrounded by villagers but was actually a very large zen-style mansion carved into a large mountain that was located just west of a nearby water fall. A rather large arched zen-bridge extended over the falls that lead from the mansion to the train station. Despite the early summer weather, the mansion was surrounded by trees still in fully bloomed cherry blossoms and other Japanese style trees. Roll was rather impressed as she headed across the bridge. She had picked the kung-fu tee to wear along with a pair of jinbai styled pedal pushers that had a inch crease on the sides of the leg bottoms. She had tied her hair into a ponytail with a blue ribbon on the side her head. Hey, just because she wanted to be a fighter didn't mean she couldn't accessorize. She was sure Mabel's friend probably accessorized herself since she was girl too. Roll reached the front of a large stair case that was surrounded by two lotus ponds.

"Hmm," said Roll as she examined the info card, "This is the place. Yumi's Kung Fu Dojo and Curry Research Facility. Unlocking chakras and spicy recipes since 1996." Roll didn't know what to think about this "Yumi" person, but Mabel said she was highly recommended for both her kung fu and curry recipes. Roll was more concerned about the former as she slowly made her way up the stairs. When she reached the top, she found a pair of marble dragon statues glaring menacingly at her and before her were two large zen-style wooden doors. In the center of the two doors was a large symbol of what appeared to be an archery bow holding an arrow in solid gold. Roll pondered at the design for a moment before grabbing one of the door rings and giving it a loud knock against the wood of one of the doors. She waited patiently for some sort of response. After a few seconds, there wasn't any type of reply. She took a step forward to try again when the door slowly opened, revealing a light brown haired individual wearing a imperial style garment in grape purple and some ninja sandals.

"May I help you?" he asked. Roll plucked up courage.

"Good morning, sir," said Roll with a polite bow, "I'm here to see Yumi. I've come to have her train me in the art of Kung Fu." The young man looked at her with apathy.

"You should know that the master doesn't train just anybody," he replied bluntly.

"Well I am a friend of Mabel's and she does owe her a favor so that is why..."

"Just because you're friends with someone the master knows doesn't mean she will train you," the young man replied, cutting off Roll's explanation, "have you brought anything to prove your worth?" Roll just looked blankly at him for a moment and just looked at him sadly.

"Just the need to protect the ones that I love," said Roll quietly. The young man just looked at her blankly before giving her a small smile.

"Very well," said the young man, "Follow me." Roll nodded with a smile as the young man lead her through the gates. Roll found that within the walls was a rather spacious courtyard where a giant glass dragon resided in the heart of the area. Behind the giant dragon was the entrance to the dojo itself which was a rather large mansion that had two large wings on both the east and the west sides of the building. The surrounding area was filled with various villagers who were dressed on white martial arts robes. The young man led her towards the front of the steps and stopped.

"Please wait here while I speak with my master," said the young man. Roll just stood still and bowed respectfully before the young man headed inside. Roll just felt a little shy being alone. Despite all her character growth and such, she still felt a little insecure trying to make new friends. So she didn't make an effort to really try and socialize with everyone. For the most part, everyone looked busy training and doing their own business so Roll just looked around, rubbing her bare feet against the stone tile floor until she noticed a strange looking structure nearby.

"Why would Yumi need a hat stand?" Roll thought, "they are all over the place. She then noticed a villager walk by and they started attacking it. Roll was more baffled until it finally clicked in her head.

"Oh, those aren't hat stands, they are dummies to practice kung fu!" said Roll with chuckle, "Hat stands...you dumb blonde." Roll then frowned and snorted to herself.

"Seesh, I can't even take a joke on myself," she muttered.

"Ahem," said a voice, causing Roll to jump in surprise. She turned around to see it was the light brown haired gentlemen.

"Oh sorry," said Roll, "I was just looking around." The young man just continued to give her an apathetic look before smiling at her.

"The Master is inside waiting for you," he answered, "good luck." He then bowed and then gestured with his arm for her to enter inside. Roll just took a deep breath and walked inside where she found a slightly dimmed room where some students were either apparently mediating or doing what looked like yoga style movements. Yet Roll wasn't too concerned until she noticed that Yumi was nowhere to be found.

"Where is Yumi?" Roll whispered to herself, "do I need to ring for her or something?" Roll just looked around the room, not really seeing much that she could use to contact or speak with Yumi. At least nothing that would distract the current class and draw attention to herself, which Roll didn't want to do. This was, in her opinion, a private matter. Roll continued to scout around the area curiously until she noticed a gong nearby with a sign written in Japanese. Roll wondered what the sign said until she noticed some tiny letters underneath the kanji in English.

To summon the master, ring the gong. By invitation only.

"Oh cool, a gong," said Roll, "That is even cooler than ringing a bell or a beeper." Roll took the wand needed for hitting the gong and gave it a good strike.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

The vibrations made Roll's body shutter a bit before she recomposed herself. As the gong settled, she noticed that nobody showed up.

"Oh great," she groaned.

"You rang?" said a voice.

"AHH!" Roll jumped in surprise as she made a one-eighty. There before her was a young lady with blue eyes and black hair in a pixie haircut that had white pom-pom headband. Her outfit was a dark purple sleeveless mini dress that had gold buttons along the front with a thin lavender sarashi around the waist with magenta three-quarter leggings. She also had matching sports tape around her arms from the elbow to the wrist and, like Roll, was barefoot. She also had a serious look on her face as Roll tried to calm down and regain her composure, realizing that she had found the kung fu master herself.

"H-hello," said Roll with a polite bow, "my...my name is Roll and I'm..." Roll was suddenly cut off when Yumi put a finger over her lips.

"Take this and go into the next room," said Yumi as she handed Roll a CD disk. Roll was a bit puzzled but then read the labeling, which said Kung FU 101 on the face, and just nodded before obeying her new master and headed into the private room. Soon Roll was sitting on a sakura cushion Indian style as she had some large headphones on to listen to the CD Yumi had given her with her eyes closed.

"Welcome to this special session of kung-fu training while you meditate," said the voice on the CD, "just relax as we teach you everything you need to know on how to become a kung-fu master. Just...relax..." Suddenly it felt like someone was literally punching the daylights out of Roll's brain. After several seconds of interior battery she tumbled into her back unconscious.

"The end" was all the CD said shortly afterward.

A few hours later, Roll had recovered, but she felt different. She felt...empowered.

"I know Kung Fu," Roll said confidently to Yumi with a determined smirk on her face. Yumi took a stance.

"Show me!" she challenged.

"...and...curry?" Roll added with some uncertainly before charging forward to attack. For the first minute or so, Roll and Yumi were both evenly matched. Roll was actually amazed at what she could do. It was like the ability to do Kung Fu had always been inside of her. Whatever that CD had said was clearly now permanent knowledge in her head. She even could do a few kicks, flips, and even a side flip. However, their equality was brought to an end when Yumi started using some more clever tactics to outclass Roll. Roll tried her best, but she was quickly and immediately overwhelmed and was soon sent flying into the air and landed on her stomach with a loud thud. Yumi stayed in stance for a few minutes before she noticed that Roll started to cry.

"I can't stand it! I just can't stand it!" Roll sobbed, "No matter what I do or how hard I try. I just keep getting trounced." Roll just continued to cry as Yumi just looked at her unamused with her hands on her hips.

"Then tell me Roll-chan," said Yumi, "why have you come here?" Roll sniffled a bit as she sat on her knees with bloodshot eyes.

"There are some bullies who are terrorizing my town, my family, everyone that I love," Roll explained, "I tried to confront them, but they ambushed me and KO'd me easily."

"Do you know any forms of self-defense?" Yumi asked curiously as she sat across from her.

"I know shadow boxing and some wrestling skills," said Roll, "But I'm more skilled in one-on-one battles. Groups are clearly not my forte...then again...I've only faced a group once in my life. But either way, sensei, I'm not here for glory or self discovery. Those bullies have already hurt my friends. I wanna be able to protect them and get those bullies to leave the town alone. I'm the mayor, it's my responsibility to take care of the town and turn it into something special. Just like you did here with Kyoto." Yumi hummed as she gave the blonde girl a small nod.

"Then answer me this, Roll-chan," Yumi replied, "Do you feel worthy of learning Kung Fu?" Roll just looked at her sadly.

"I don't feel worthy of anything," said Roll, "I'm just tired of people thinking that they can walk all over me because I'm a young blonde girl. I wanna be able to defend myself and protect the one's I love. I know Mabel said you owed her a favor but...I came here seeking help. And I'm more than willing to work for it. But if you don't find me worth your time, I'll just go..." Yumi just hummed as she stood up and just looked at her with a stern look for a moment before huffing to herself.

"Well, Roll-chan," said Yumi, "You still haven't answered my question. Do you feel worthy of my training?" Roll just looked at her sadly as a small tear dripped from her right eye.

"No..." said Roll quietly. Yumi just stared and then smirked as she offered the blonde girl a hand to help her to her feet.

"Well then, let's find out together how worthy you are," said Yumi, "I will train you." Roll smiled.

"Hai, sensei," said Roll with a polite bow. Yumi smiled and returned her bow.

"Well then, let's start you off with some of my students," said Yumi, "I gave you the knowledge, but your true potential is much like the hibiscus flower. It must be given the right conditions in order for it to bloom to its full potential." Roll hummed in understanding as Yumi summoned a collection of some students as she took a seat near an exotic low table in which she knelt on a sakura pillow. She had Roll stand in the center of the main training hall where the meditations had taken place. It wasn't much longer before the young light brown haired man arrived beside her with a cup of...was that a latte? Yumi just sipped her drink for a moment before setting her cup on its saucer. Just as she set the cup down, four villagers appeared before her, a dragon (Drago), a rooster (Ken), a white cat that had red stripes that resembled makeup (Kabuki), and a rabbit (Snake), each wearing a while martial arts outfit. Then two more villagers appeared and stood on both sides of Yumi, one was a blue wolf (Lobo) and the other a leopard (Leonardo), but they were donning brown training outfits. While the latter two villagers sat on their knees, the other four villagers began to perform kung fu forms in a slow motion.

"In order to unlock your true potential," Yumi instructed, "you first need to learn how to go into the offensive without using alot of energy. Shadow boxing and wrestling focused on using as much brute strength and power as you can, but Kung-Fu isn't always about strength. Kung Fu fighting involves using your natural intelligence and instincts to overcome your opponents. The best fighters understand that fast and quick attacks are just as effective as stronger and slower attacks. Understand, Roll-chan?"

"I...think so, sensei," said Roll, trying to comprehend Yumi's explanation. Yumi just chuckled.

"You'll understand better through trial and error," Yumi replied, "since experience is what appears to be your greatest weakness. Alright white group, attack Roll!" The four students began to approach her slowly and Roll slowly approached. Drago went to attack first, which Roll quickly grabbed his arm and flipped him over onto his back. Ken attacked next and Roll grabbed his arm and spun him around before letting go so he tumbled over into his back. For Kabuki, she launched a series of quick jabs around him so he lost his stance was wobbly and then she lightly tilted him back so his lack of balance made him fall down. Then Roll went for a stronger attack by flipping over and spun around so her bare feet nailed Snake in the face several times, dazing him before he fell over. Roll was rather impressed with herself, but most of it was for the fact she had just done a spinning handstand. Something she had never done before.

"Well done, Roll-chan," said Yumi, "When it comes to self-defense, sometimes a fast and quick strike can help give you the element of surprise. Now your next phase will help you with what was your downfall with the Uchi gang, how to defend yourself when being surrounded." Roll blinked in surprise. She had never told Yumi who the bullies were or the name of the gang. Yet she didn't have too much time to ponder on it before her four students had surrounded her. Roll got into a defending stance.

"The golden rule when facing ambush groups," Yumi explained, "is that you cannot trust what you can see. You must learn to rely on what you can feel and what you can hear. While I only do it indoors, you can use the fact that your barefoot all the time to your advantage. When you learn to quiet your mind, you can detect who is going to attack you and defend yourself accordingly. Remember to remain calm and concentrate on the moment. Feel the ground with your feet and use your instincts. Be calm and relax..."

Roll nodded as she closed her eyes so she could just wait and listen. She could tell that they were all on guard. Then Snake went on the offense and tried to kick her, but Roll opened her eyes and sidestepped so he crashed onto the floor beside her. Then Ken immediately tried to strike just as Roll was about to finish her movement and surprised the chicken by halting his momentum and reversed it by shoving him down. Drago then followed, coming at her even quicker, but Roll managed to duck so Drago flew right over her and crashed into Snake just as he was getting to his feet.

"Ooooh," said Yumi, "He's gonna feel that tomorrow morning."As for Kabuki, he wasted no time charging for his attack. Since Roll didn't have time to evade, she went for a simple block, which stopped the cat's momentum in his tracks. Then Roll did a quick sweep kick under his feet before he could stabilize himself and he landed hard on his back.

"That's it Roll," said Yumi, "and your technique against Kabuki was genius. Block and then go for the attack before they can recover from your defense. In Kung Fu, a good defense is a good offense and vice versa. Finding balance between heads on approaches and evasive maneuvers is what is gonna open up more possibilities to protect yourself. Plus don't limit yourself either, even if you're not on the ground or have been taken off the ground. You can still find ways to defend yourself and find an opportunity to attack. Keep your senses open and alert at all times."

"Hai, sensei," said Roll, keeping her stance.

"Now while quick and evasive maneuvers are good in battle," said Yumi, "that doesn't mean that your natural strength gets set aside. In Kung Fu, there are ways that you can channel your strength and even use their own opponents strength against them."

"Isn't that similar to using their energy and movement against them, sensei?" Roll asked.

"Not in this case," Yumi answered, "You are going to face opponents that are going to be far stronger that you are."

"That's actually what brought me here, sensei," said Roll, feeling embarrassed.

"Well now you'll learn how to outsmart your opponents using their own strength," said Yumi, "when your opponents try to overpower you, they often focus all their energy to pin you down. When that happens, you can use their momentum to their advantage by making them think you've stopped resisting them. When you do that, they won't be able to stop their momentum and you can redirect their momentum before they can recover. It might surprise you, but when you do that, you can actually pin them and even toss and throw them about."

"Really?" said Roll, "but what if they are bigger than me, sensei?"

"Size doesn't matter my young pupil," said Yumi, "If you just follow the flow of their momentum, you can overpower anybody bigger and stronger that you. As usual, the best teacher is experience. White group, prepare for the next attack run."

"Should I worry..."

"They are used to being tossed around," said Yumi, "They get a kick of crashing into each other as well as the zen bells at both sides of you. White group...attack!" Drago immediately went for an attack before Roll was even ready for him. However, Roll was able to dodge his attack and pinned him from behind. She then the momentum as he tumbled forward to spin him around and sent him crashing into Ken and Kabuki.

"A double whammy," said the young man and Yumi just glared at him. The young man just coughed a bit for his outburst and stayed quiet as Yumi silently chuckled to himself. Roll didn't wait and decided to try and offensive approach and used her own momentum to lift Ken into the air and tossed him a few yards away from herself.

"Nice throw," said Yumi impressed. Kabuki then charged angrily at Roll.

"Me-Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Kabuki screamed as Roll grabbed him from the side, swung him around twice before letting go as he went flying into the western zen bell. It gave a loud bong as Kabuki collided with it.

"That toss had a nice ring to it," said Yuki, smirking at her own pun. Roll then repeated another simple toss with Snake to complete the attack wave. It was then Leonardo and Lobo stood up with determined glares on their faces and walked towards her.

"You'll find these opponents to be much tougher," said Yumi with a smirk, "You'll need to focus a little more if you want to break their stance and momentum. Now brown group...attack!" Leonardo and Lobo smirked as they approached her. Roll then kept her senses up in case one attacked and then the other followed. It was a good call, because Leonardo tried to grab her but Roll stood her ground despite that Leonardo was rapidly overpowering her. She was about to make her move when she detected Lobo trying to attack her from the side. She quickly let go and blocked Lobo's attack. It was then that Roll noticed that Leonardo had wobbled a bit and she quickly tried to pin him down, but Leonardo was much quicker and soon were wresting each other with Leonardo gaining the upper hand. Roll saw Lobo go for another attack and she quickly broke free of Leonardo, but rather than just blocking, she grabbed Lobo and managed to lift him up using his attack momentum and she quickly tossed him at Leonardo, knocking both of them to the ground.

"Nice move!" Yumi called out impressed. That meant Lobo was done, but Leonardo was still up for battle as he tried to wrestle her once more. This time Roll just pulled him forward and quickly pinned him so he was leaning forward as she used the momentum to spin him around twice and then send him crashing into the white group, who had been sitting nearby. The impact sounded like Roll has gotten a strike on bowling.

"Oh I don't care what village you're from, that's gotta hurt," said Yumi as a matter of fact as the white group recovered from the collision and Yumi made a quick double clap so they all had stand up.

"Now let's give you a true test," said Yumi, "both white and brown groups attack Roll together. Use what you have learned to bring down your opponents."

"Hai, sensei," said Roll. She was now feeling much more confident with her skills now as she got into her stance and bounced on her bare feet a little to keep herself loose and her reflexes up. Roll did exactly as Yumi had suggested and used multiple tactics in order to knock down all six of her opponents. She even was able to take down both Leonardo and Ken at the same time by evading the latter while outsmarting the former and sent him flying into the remaining four students. While Roll didn't expect them to come at her a second time, she was well prepared when they surrounded her and she used multiple offensive and defensive maneuvers to ensure that all six of her opponents were down for the count. Roll kept her guard up for several seconds after all six had gone down for the second time before relaxing and breathing a sigh of relief. Yumi then smirked.

"This final phase is not over," said Yumi, "Now it's time to put you the ultimate test. Let's see how you match up against my right hand, second only to me." Yumi then glanced over the young man Roll had met earlier that day. He smiled before removing his robe, donning some brown kung fu pants that he had worn over his stomach with no shirt on. He then did a high front flip and stomped the ground as he landed a few feet from Roll, causing the house to rumble. Yumi became very angry at the house rumbling.

"Didn't I tell you not to be super stomping the ground?" Yumi scolded angrily as the house settled from the sudden rumbling. The young man didn't seem to care as he turned to face his master.

"My apologies master," said the young man plainly, "I had forgotten my master's fear of earthquakes." Roll was then surprised when Yumi went from her seat to the young man's face in under a second with a vicious death glare on her face.

"Not...another...word..." she threatened. The young man just smirked as Yumi stepped back, still glaring at him before he stuck her tongue at her.

"What's your problem?" Roll asked, now offended, "How dare you insult sensei!" The young man just faced her and kept smirking.

"I can push her buttons," he remarked, "She's my wife." Roll just blinked a bit before he suddenly tried to attack, but Roll just managed to dodge his attack as Yumi just rolled her eyes.

"I think my _butler_ will be the perfect example of the type of bullies you're probably dealing with back in your home town," said Yumi, "engage him in a one on one battle and use everything I have taught you! And for my sake, give him a good butt whopping!"

The young man gave her a raspberry and was immediately taken by surprised then Roll kicked him square in the chest, breaking his stance a bit before Roll tried to grab him for a toss. Yet the young man managed to escape her grip, but not before he could pin Roll down as she weaved her way out of his grasp. Roll then went on the defense as the young man showered her with multiple attacks, which Roll used as little energy as she could to avoid every single attack and allowing the young man to tire himself out before she tried to grab him and pick him up once more. This time she was successful and threw him hard into the zen bell on the east side of the room. Everyone cringed since the young man hit the bell head first. He was still shaken up as he tried to get back into his feet to keep fighting. Roll was ready for him as he got to his feet when he just looked at her viciously.

"You have interfered for the last time! Now you must pay!" he replied in a very pathetic Japanese accent and one second later landed on the floor face first. Roll stayed above him despite the fact he was down. Yumi just clapped for a moment before she noticed Roll hovering over the young man.

"You can ease off Roll-chan," said Yumi, "He's down."

"Sure about that sensei," said Roll, "I've been fooled before. Just when I think they are down, they come at me and nearly take me by surprise."

"Don't worry," said Yumi, "he's down. Besides, even if you relax your stance, you can still keep your senses up. Now come over here." Roll nodded and turned to walk away and just as she had expected, the young man got up and lunched at her, but Roll grabbed him and tossed him to Yumi, who caught him and slammed his head into the zen bell. He backed away in a dazed state.

"But mommy I don't wanna go to school today!" he said in a dizzy state before shaking his head to recompose himself. Yumi covered her mouth to avoid laughing while everyone else chuckled at his expense. Once he got his head to stop ringing, he turned to Roll.

"You've done well," said the young man and presented Roll with a black belt, "take this as a sign of your skill!" Roll felt her cheeks turn pink and she turned slightly away with a hand over her eyes.

"I...uhh...I can't accept that," said Roll uneasily. The young man looked baffled as he also was hearing snickers behind him.

"Why not?" he asked innocently until Yumi tapped his shoulder and pointed downward with a smirk on her face. The young man then noticed that the belt he tried to give Roll was his own and now his pants were on the ground and showing his boxers.

"Oh hello!" he exclaimed and tried to cover up before grabbing his pants and held them with his hand to keep them up and walked away embarrassed. The other students laughed as he waved them off and muttered for them to all shut up. Yumi tried to keep serious but soon she couldn't hide her own smile and was soon laughing as well.

"Like I always say, what goes around comes around," said Yumi. Roll just chuckled lightly before approaching her once Yumi had settled down.

"May I speak freely, sensei?" Roll asked with a polite bow.

"Sure," Yumi answered quickly with her arms crossed.

"How did you know that the bullies I was facing were the Uchi gang?" Roll asked her curiously, "I mean...I'm not surprised Mabel told you. Just surprised you mentioned it." Yumi just looked at her quietly before looking away.

"I was once part of the group," said Yumi, "I used to be the leader and the founder of the Uchi gang." Roll blinked in surprise for a moment and then she remembered something.

"Wait a minute," said Roll, "Katt told me that there was once a human member in the group when she first joined but then you and Sylvia got into some sort of fight..."

"Fight?" said Yumi stunned.

"Well Sylvia never bothered to tell her or any of the group what had happened exactly," said Roll, "Other than you choosing to leave, or as Sylvia had put it, abandoning her and the family. They had learned not to question her." Yumi shook her head in disgust.

"I started the Uchi gang to help young woman who were struggling to find attention as well as finding their own dreams," said Yumi, "back then, the Uchi gang did try to be tough and often learned how to fight in hand to hand combat and such, but it was supposed to be used for self-defense only. Sylvia was one of the original members of the group along with her best friend Cherry. I'll admit, we did things outside the law, but it was harmless pranks. However, my biggest regret was teaching the group self-defense. The stronger Sylvia became, the more her strength went to her head. Time and time again, I had to scold her for using her strength to intimidate people and for harming others. She was the one who encouraged the group to start doing more destructive acts and crimes. Soon she was even leading the gang behind my back, using her strength as a way to get them to follow her instead of me."

"So Sylvia betrayed you," said Roll.

"Yes," Yumi continued, "Instead of making women feel stronger and encouraging them to find their own dreams, the Uchi gang had become a gang of bullies who used fear and strength to get what they wanted. I had a dream to master kung fu and pursue the culinary art of making all sorts of curry as well, but they no longer cared about their own future or each other's dreams. They soon stopped following me entirely. That was when I made my decision to leave. Sylvia came after me and accused me of abandoning the group. I told her exactly what she clearly didn't want to hear and she attacked me. I managed to defeat her and then walked away, no longer wanting anything to do with them."

"How did you manage alone?" Roll asked.

"That was when I found this abandoned mountain," said Yumi, "I was training myself solo when I met the young man that I would eventually marry and boss around. He helped me create the very mansion we are in today, but a long time would pass before I ever tried to train students. I had lost my own confidence because of the mess I had left behind with the Uchi gang. I knew they continued to torment innocent lives and all because I failed to lead them like I should have."

"You didn't fail sensei," said Roll.

"I appreciate the sympathy but I did," Yumi retorted, "I shouldn't have been so lenient with Sylvia. If I had been more firm or had dismissed her from the gang at the first signs of trouble, maybe...maybe she wouldn't have betrayed me and turned what I created into a menace to society!" Roll just looked at her bare feet as Yumi placed the palm of her hand over her face. Roll was quiet for a moment before speaking up again.

"Then what can I do?" Roll asked.

"I was hoping I could train someone who could finally put Sylvia in her place," Yumi answered, "someone who could redeem the Uchi gang. If you haven't noticed, there is still some good in the gang, yet not everyone was like Katt. She was brave enough to overcome their fear of Sylvia's wrath and leave the group. Brave enough to want to make a clean living and that strength comes from wisdom and peace, not fear and destruction." Roll hummed.

"I'll do my best, sensei," said Roll, "if I may keep speaking freely."

"If you must," said Yumi bluntly.

"If there is one thing that I learned from being in Animal Town these past couple of months, it is that you can't change the past," said Roll, "We can only look towards the future. You can't live your life thinking "what if". I did the same regarding my mother, but in the end, people chose their own paths and make their own choices and there is nothing you could have or can do to change their minds."

"You're point being?" Yumi asked, annoyed at being lectured by her own pupil.

"Sylvia made her own choices," said Roll, "Your only mistake was giving her the opportunity to betray you, but her decision to betray you was her own decision and even if you had dismissed her from the group, whose to say she wouldn't have still tried to betray you? In fact, she might have even done what she did to me. Gang up on you instead of just facing you one on one. Then who's to say if you would have survived and be here today, married and successful? Everything happens for a reason, sensei. Nevertheless, I will redeem you. Sylvia has grown quite arrogant of his own abilities and the power the others have given her. She needs to go down and with your help, I can do just that and finally put her on her place." Yumi just turned to face Roll, listening attentively before smiling.

"You're quite wise for one so young," she replied after a short silence.

"Not really," said Roll, "I'm still learning...about life and my own capabilities."

"You also have a drive," said Yumi, "and the integrity to go with it. My _butler_ said you weren't even sure you were worthy of my training. But as far as I'm concerned, you are far worthy than any student I have ever trained." Roll smiled as she gave her bow to say thank you. Yumi returned both her bow and a warm smile.

"Come on," said Yumi, "You must be hungry...I treat you to one of my curry recipes. Ever had curry?" Roll shook her head as Yumi escorted her to her dining hall. Roll was hesitant in the tasting but once she took her first bite, she was glad that she did.

Roll spent the next three days at the dojo training with Yumi to fine tune her newly discovered abilities. While she didn't want to leave Animal Town unattended for a long period of time, she knew despite her fast progression in learning kung fu that she didn't want to rush into a confrontation. Patience was key and Yumi was proud that Roll understood that early on in her training. Roll wasn't even sure if three days were enough but Yumi assured her that she was ready the night of the third day. So the morning of the fourth day, Yumi was dressed in a lavender kimono that had a floral pattern on it with a dark purple sarashi around the waist, matching kimono sandals, and a purple orchid on the left side of her hair instead of her headband. Yumi had given Roll a special kimono of her own but was in pastel yellow with white orchids on it and a light green sarashi. She kept her hair on a ponytail with a white orchid tucked in the left ear and stayed barefoot.

"Remember your training my young pupil," said Yumi as they stood outside her mansion, "and remember that you are in control of your own skills and strength. Do not let them control you."

"Yes sensei," said Roll with a bow, "and thank you for your time and training! I am honored to have trained under you and I was also grateful for all the new friends that I made here as well." Yumi was well aware that her students had grown fond of her and smiled.

"It was a honor to teach you, Roll-chan," said Yumi, "Remember to keep up your training, for if you stay on this path, you'll become a greater and wiser woman than I am."

"I will," said Roll and then surprised Yumi with a friendly hug. Yumi was taken aback before she returned her hug awkwardly since she wasn't used to being hugged or giving hugs. Roll pulled away with a smile.

"Take care everyone," said Roll with a wave goodbye as she headed down the stairs. Yumi just smiled with her hands in front of her as the rest of her students waved her goodbye as Roll headed across the bridge and into the train station. Roll took a deep breath before buying the ticket for her return trip home. As she admired the material of her new kimono, she could feel her nervousness. But she quietly just crossed her legs and did some breathing exercises to relax. She trusted Yumi and she knew that she need to return home.

It was time to head back to Animal Town.

 **Until I start implementing more of Happy Home Designer, most of the Special Characters all know enough first aid to take care of most serious injuries on their own. Since a sprained ankle has been the most serious injury to date, the medicine pack can help heal a sprained ankle when applied, but like colds, they take a few days of using only one pack a day to fully recover.**

 **Kyoto is actually a real city in Japan know for a large concentration of Japanese temples and shrines. Yumi's mansion design is based off such temples, but it used purely for training rather than Buddhist worship.**

 **FYI: 1996 was the Japanese debut of Pokémon. My hidden shout out to the 20th anniversary of the series.**

 **Yumi is Japanese for "archery bow". She is also based off of the character from _sosostris_** ** _.com_** **.**

 **I also used elements from** ** _Avatar the last Airbender_** **and** ** _Lego City Undercover_** **in this story if you can find the references.**

 **Now that Roll had been trained in kung fu, can Roll take on the dreaded Uchi gang now?**

 **Stay tuned to find out!**


	24. Tough Girls Part 4

Tough girls part 4

Roll just sat quietly as the train made its way back to Animal Town. She had missed being home, but it wasn't until she was riding the train home that she realized just how much she was missing Animal Town. She was also very worried. While she had left Sable to handle the town while she was away training with Yumi in Kung Fu, she was still concerned since Sable had been rather unraveled with having her parents' wedding picture and the old sewing machine completely destroyed. Plus Roll hadn't had time to help them clean up and repair the damage to the store. She knew the first place she needed to head to was the Able Sisters. She need to see if Sable and the rest of her family were okay. As soon as it was safe for Roll to leave the train, she quickly showed Porter her TPC, only to find that he wasn't at his post.

"Where is he?" Roll asked and before she could ask the engineer, he slammed the door behind her and the train took off without another word. Roll grew worried as she quickly left the station. When she exited the shop, she found that the town's orchard was still intact. So far she didn't see any damage of any sort, but she knew all was not well. Things were quiet...way too quiet. So quiet even Roll could hear the steps of her bare feet as she walked across the cobblestones. She was getting more and more worried until she decided to head towards main street. When she arrived, she was surprised to see the area was like a ghost town. Several of the windows had been boarded up tight and even TIY, the most recent T&T upgrade, had its lights off to look like they were closed. That was unusual since it was barely going to be 5pm and this particular shop stayed open till 11pm at night. Roll grew more worried and nearly ran towards the entrance of the Able Sister's shop. She quickly banged her fist against the door, but there was no answer. So she banged again. Just as she pulled away, panting with worry. The door open with a blue hedgehog raising a baseball bat at her. Roll and Mabel both screamed when they saw each other and Roll took a step back in fright.

"Oh it's you!" said Mabel as she lowered the bat and tossed it aside, "I thought you were that stupid gang. They've been prowling around since damaging the store. We've been keeping the doors locked and shop closed so we could make repairs without them trying to cause more damage. The rest of the shop keepers have done the same."

"Has anyone else or their shops been attacked?" Roll asked worried. Mabel just looked at her sadly.

"Come talk inside," said Mabel, "No need drawing attention to yourself and I can't hold off five Uchi girls from breaking down the door." Roll just nodded as she walked inside as Mabel closed and locked the door behind her. She noticed that the shop had indeed been repaired, but she did take noticed of one particular difference. It was the fact that Sable was now just sitting in a chair as she was now doing her cross stitches by hand and the ruins of her old sewing machine now nonexistent. Yet there was an empty space where the machine once stood. Roll slowly made her way towards the brown hedgehog.

"Momma?" she asked. Sable perked up a bit and then noticed the blonde girl in the kimono and smiled, though her eyes did become glossy when she saw her.

"Roll," said Sable, embracing her daughter as she began to cry into her shoulder. Roll just held her securely as the brown hedgehog shed a few tears before pulling away.

"Sorry, I just missed you so much," said Sable meekly.

"It's okay, mom," said Roll softly, "I missed you too."

"Did...Yumi help you?" Sable asked her curiously. Roll took a step back and showed her the kimono she was wearing.

"I wouldn't be wearing this if I had failed my training," said Roll. Sable giggled as she was drying her eyes.

"You look beautiful," said Sable.

"Thanks Mom," said Roll, "but how is everyone here?"

"We've pretty much been on lockdown," said Mabel, "Thanks to Tom Nook, we all have smartphones so we can keep in touch with each other since we're just guarding our shops. Everyone around main street has been working together to make sure what happened to us doesn't happen to them. They did try to damage Shampoodle the other day, but we were able to scare them off. Plus the extra boards on the windows and glass panes are just so they can't fire any cheap stones and smash themselves in."

"I see," said Roll, "what about Porter? He wasn't at the station, but I still was able to come in. And Labelle?"

"Porter made sure that you would be able to enter , but he is home since we didn't want visitors coming here and getting mugged or worse," Mabel explained, "Labelle is at home, resting her ankle. It turns out she fractured it. While the bone has healed, the pain has taken its time to go away despite the medicine."

"Well I'm glad she's okay," said Roll, "and what about the villagers?" Mabel then gave her a worried look.

"Sylvia and the Uchi gang took over," said Sable sadly, "they saw you leave and within the hour, they had booted Isabelle out of town hall and said they were in charge now. They even claimed that they had driven you out of town."

"Oh great..." Roll groaned. She was starting to regret leaving now.

"Don't worry," said Mabel, "We let everyone know where you were going and that you would be back after a few days. Despite that, they have been using their toughness to bully and intimidate others. So far Fang has been the only one to take a stand physically and got himself trounced.

"Oh boy," said Roll.

"I should also mention that all twelve of the villagers have all taken refuge in your house," said Sable.

"MY house?" Roll exclaimed.

"They wanted to make sure they didn't try to move in or trash the place," said Mabel, "At first only Rosie, Bunnie, Marshal, Benjamin, Alfonso, and Margie had moved in. But once Fang got trounced, the other villagers didn't feel safe staying alone in their homes. Especially since the Uchi gang trashed Rosie's, Bunnie's, and Marshal's house. Margie and Fang both got their houses burnt to the ground. They've been living in your house, training with Katt so once you arrived, they would have the skills to stand up the bullies with you as their leader." Roll just sighed to herself.

"And where's Isabelle?" Roll asked.

"She's been training with the rest of the villagers," said Sable, "only..."

"Only...?" Roll repeated with concern.

"Before Sylvia threw her out," said Sable slowly, "They took Isabelle's bell ribbon."

"You mean she ripped it off her head," said Mabel bitterly. Roll gasped.

"Oh no!" Roll replied, "and I know how much those bells mean to her! She said those bells were from her mother."

"Yes," said Mabel quietly, "While she has a drive to learn to fight, she's still very depressed without it...much like Sable's been very depressed since they totaled the sewing machine." Roll just looked at the brown hedgehog sadly before Sable just turned away.

"I've just been taking it hard," said Sable, "I'll be okay."

"No you're not!" Mabel protested, "there's no life in your work! Sometimes you look like you're half dead..."

"WELL YOU WOULD ACT THE SAME WAY IF YOU LOST SOMETHING YOU COULD NEVER **EVER** GET BACK!" Sable screamed, making Mabel and Roll take a step back. Mabel didn't hold her composure and burst into tears before running into Labelle's section of the shop. Mabel had gotten tired of putting up with Sable's outbursts and her heart couldn't take getting screamed at anymore. It didn't take long before Sable realized her mistake and she turned to Roll, looking devastated.

"Still want me for a mom?" she asked in a broken tone. Roll kissed her cheek.

"Yes," she answered, "you go apologize. I'm gonna change out of this kimono and get into something a bit more maneuverable before I go to my house. I might as well be ready for anything."

"Be careful okay," Sable mouthed since her tears had begun anew as she rushed to find her youngest sister. Roll just watched Sable head into the accessories area before heading into the changing booth. She quickly picked some green plaid shorts (reminder: 4 1/2 - 6 inch inseam for girls) with a green horizontal striped tee and left her hair in a ponytail with her white hibiscus flower. Yumi had taught her how to fight while wearing one and she wanted to wear it for good luck. She could still hear the sound of two hedgehogs sobbing in the other room. While she wanted to stay and help, she knew she had a town to save.

Once Roll was back at the train station, she slowed down as she made her way down the path towards the main bridge. She was about half way there when she heard some shuffling and stopped. She knew the Uchi gang was close by and she could hear their snickers, especially from a certain purple kangaroo.

"Well, well, well," Sylvia sneered, "look who decided to show up. I thought we had scared you off for good, joey." Roll was afraid, but decided to play it cool. Yumi warned her to be careful with using taunts, but the master knew using it helped Roll relax more.

"Nah, I just got sick of seeing your face so I took a break to cleanse my mind," Roll replied. Sylvia blinked a bit before she heard some of her own gang snickering. She glared fiercely at them, causing them to stop instantly before they began to surround Roll once more.

"I see you've got a tongue," said Sylvia, "too bad it won't save you from me or my gang."

"I'm not afraid to fight you," Roll implied, thought she was, "in fact, if you need your little safety net I'll be glad to deal with them _and_ your sorry butt!" Sylvia growled angrily but then recomposed herself and laughed.

"You poor stupid little blonde girl," said Sylvia, "you really think you're worth my time?"

"You're not worth mine!" Roll retorted back, "and yet...you're _still_ here." Sylvia was seething, but she still kept her cool.

"Ooooh...that really hurts," said Sylvia mockingly, "you need to get this into your tiny little pea brain of yours. I am in charge if this town now."

"No, I'm in charge of this town now," said Roll, now facing her firstly with a fierce look on her face, "and you're gonna do what I asked you to do three days ago: Get. Out!" By now the twelve villagers and Isabelle had quietly made their way towards the commotion, but rather than make themselves known. They had ducked behind some shrubs that Roll had planted several days ago on the other side of the river so the Uchi gang couldn't sense them. But it was hard to keep quiet for some since they were happy to see Roll was back, yet they were worried since she was surrounded by the Uchi gang. Sylvia just laughed after Roll told her to leave.

"We're not going anywhere little girl," Sylvia retorted, "but if you really want to fight, my friends here would be happy to take you down. Maybe once you're beaten senseless, you'll learn who's in charge here, joey." Roll glared, still wondering why Sylvia wouldn't fight her directly and then noticed a familiar jingle. She then saw that Sylvia was wearing Isabelle's bell ribbon around her wrist like a bracelet.

"Those bells belong to my friend!" said Roll angrily.

"No, they belonged to me, joey," said Sylvia as she admired it, "your friend was just giving them to me."

"Only in your mind," said Roll sternly.

"Whatever," said Sylvia, "But we've been talking too long anyhow and I'm getting bored...girls...finish her off." The other four Uchi members began to slowly close in. Roll just got into her new kung fu stance and just waited for them to attack. Tammy was the first to charge. Roll acted like she wasn't even noticing her until the last moment when she suddenly sidestepped, causing Tammy to tumble over onto her stomach. Sylvia went agape. Phoebe charged next, but used her wings to dive bomb Roll from above. Roll however dove underneath her as she wobbled from the landing. Using her newly discovered agility, she landed on her hands, recoiled, and kicked Phoebe square in her rear, causing her to tumble forward. Sylvia growled in disgust as the battle continued and Roll seemed to outwit and outsmart each of the Uchi's attacks. She grew more irritated when Roll picked up Tammy and tossed her into the others. Then Cherry tried to grab Roll but she managed to wiggled her way around Cherry so the red dog was the one being grabbed and tossed her hard away from the group so Cherry landed at the edge of the river. Cherry gasped when she saw the river nearby and just stopped her momentum long enough to avoid falling in. It should be noted that water was Cherry's weakness. Plus she couldn't swim. Roll noticed her flinch at the sight of the water and angrily picked her up and held her above her head.

"Stand down!" she shouted to the other three.

"Why should we, sparky?" Phoebe challenged.

"You don't know how to hold someone hostage, yo-yo-yo," Renee added. Roll growled as she turned her position so she was facing the side of the river where it widened into a lake and it was also the deepest part as well. Sylvia just clapped as she approached the group.

"Very impressive, joey," Sylvia remarked, "You bested my gang and you've clearly gained the upper hand against Cherry." Roll just glared at her.

"Well since I've proven I can fight, maybe you'll take me seriously from now on," said Roll.

"Uhh...no joey," said Sylvia plainly, "you just proved you can fight. It doesn't mean that I take you seriously. Little piece of trash." Roll's body trembled and it wasn't from holding Cherry in the air for so long.

"What did you call me?" Roll asked darkly.

"You heard me," said Sylvia, "then again someone as stupid and worthless as you would play dumb to the truth wouldn't you?"

"What truth?" Roll asked through her teeth.

"That your mother was always right about you, joey," said Sylvia. The villagers still hiding from the shrubs oohed. They knew saying that touched a nerve and Roll growled in rage.

"You think I am so worthless?" Roll yelled, "How worthless will I be if I throw your best friend into that lake? I throw her from here you know!"

"And how does that prove your worth, joey?" Sylvia challenged with smirk. Roll chuckled humorlessly.

"You think I wouldn't learn about the strengths and weaknesses of your team, Sylvia," said Roll darkly, "I know Phoebe hates the dark. Tammy is terrified of bugs, even the harmless little butterflies, Renee can't stand tight spaces, you can't stand the idea of being rejected and ignored, and your best friend Cherry...is afraid of water and can't swim." Each member of the Uchi gang suddenly felt rather awkward, knowing Roll knew their weaknesses unnerved them a bit. Cherry felt the red fur on her face pale. Except for Sylvia, who just look bored.

"Your point of this being, joey?" she asked unimpressed.

"Hello stupid!" Roll snapped, "I've got Cherry in my arms helpless over a large body of water. I'm this close to throwing her into the center of the lake, knowing she can't swim and is afraid of the water."

"And then what?" Silvia asked.

"She'll drown," said Roll and Cherry let out a light squeak and the other Uchi's looked worried. Sylvia looked apathetic about it.

"Well that seems a bit dark for you," said Sylvia, "Eh...whatever. Go for it." Roll was rather surprised that Sylvia was so calm about all of this. She just said she was gonna throw Cherry, her right hand and best friend, into a lake to drown and she just says...ok?

"I'm serious," said Roll, "I'll will be easy from this distance. She'll land right into the center of the lake and go down before anyone can get to her!" Sylvia just smiled deviously.

"Show me!" was her answer. Roll just looked out into the water and then at Cherry, who she could feel was trembling at just looking at the water. Roll just huffed before tossing Cherry...not into the lake but just a few feet in front of the campsite. Roll just panted heavily before glaring at Sylvia who just chuckled to herself.

"I knew you didn't have the guts, joey," said Sylvia, "even when you've got the upper hand...you're weak!" Roll just growled angrily.

"You're _sick_!" said Roll, "I was just about to end your best friend's life and you were going to let me?"

"I wanted to see if you had what it takes to be a tough girl, joey," Sylvia answered, "But you obviously don't. Consider this a draw Blondie, but as far as I'm concerned. I'm still in charge of this town. Move out girls!" The rest of the gang followed Sylvia, except for Cherry, who was still rather shaken up from what had happened. Roll had just looked away, she was ashamed she had almost let her anger get the best of her and started to cry. Cherry just looked at her with sympathy for a moment...

"CHERRY!"

Until Sylvia started shouting for her in which she went to catch up with them. Roll just continued to cry quietly as the rest of the villagers and Isabelle came out of their hiding places. They had managed to duck into the perfect cherry trees when the whole conversation involving Roll tossing Cherry into the lake had taken place. Bunnie and Rosie was the first to run towards Roll, ready to congratulate her on standing up to the Uchi gang.

"Don't!" she cried out, "Don't cheer for me! I don't deserve it!"

"Of course you do, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"You stood up to those bullies and showed them whose boss, silly," Rosie added.

"We're so glad that your training with master Yumi could be put to good use," Isabelle added, "we are all proud of you!" Roll just felt her tears fall faster.

"How can you all be proud of me?" said Roll, "You saw everything that happened right?"

"Yeah, we did, sulky," Marshal added.

"You saw me try to drown Cherry," said Roll, "I had her right above my head and I was gonna throw her. Master Yumi warned me not to let my strength and power get the better of me and I did just that!" Roll continued to cry as she buried her face into her hands for a moment before she felt someone pull her hands away from her tear stained face.

"No, you didn't snappy," said Whitney, "you were strong enough to stop yourself. You knew you didn't want to stoop down to Sylvia's level. No one's respect is worth earning if you have to cross lines like that."

"But she still thinks she's in charge," said Roll, "not even defeating her friends in combat would get her to stand down and leave."

"Don't you worry about that, Roll," said Alfonso, "Katt has been training us in self-defense, it'sa me."

"We've all gotten much stronger too, alrighty," said Benjamin added, try to flux his muscles to her.

"Now hold on, purrty," said Katt in protest, "we've only been training for two days..."

"And now that we've got Roll," said Isabelle, "we have a fighting chance against them!"

"Yeah!" the rest of the villagers. Katt just looked defeated and Roll looked overwhelmed.

"Guys I know I learned alot in the art of Kung Fu," said Roll, "but are you sure..."

"Can't you teach us what you've learned, cha-chomp?" Fang asked, "If we can learn to do the moves you learned, we can _really_ show those bullies not to mess with us." Roll just sniffled a bit as she noticed the white bandage around his head.

"I'm more worried about you Fang," said Roll, as she referenced the bandage. Fang just looked up and snorted.

"I'm just fine, cha-chomp," said Fang as he punched his right hand into the palm of his left, "and I'm ready to defend our town." The rest of the village nodded in agreement as Roll just looked at them with uncertainty. While she was grateful for their determination, she really didn't want to fight. Margie noticed her distress.

"Roll, trust me, tootie," said Margie as she approached the her, "We wish it didn't come to this, but these Uchis cannot be reasoned with. They only understand brute force, but we also know that you're new style of fighting has made you more agile and nimble. That means that you fight with smarts and not just strength."

"So you mean if we can work together to wear them down," Roll pondered aloud, "Then they will realize that they can't intimidate or bother us. Okay, if my training can help us do that, then we can get these Uchis out of our town. Let's do it!"

"Yeah!" said the rest of the villagers in agreement. As they made their way towards Roll's house, she learned a few things that had taken place over the past three days she had been gone after Isabelle had been stripped of her bell ribbon and thrown out of the town hall. She learned that the Uchi gang had been terrorizing the other villagers. Fang had been the first of their victims when they threaten him to pay them for "protection". When he refused they gave him a few good punches and then clocked his head against the tree, which was why he got the bandage to the head. After that, Isabelle started rounding up the rest of the villagers. Many were afraid to stay alone in their homes, especially Katt, who had suggested that they take shelter at her house. They figured that by staying sheltered together that the Uchi gang would leave them be. For the most part, it seemed to work but the only downside was that they hadn't really left the house in the past three days and they were all cramped into Roll's mansion. They had brought their own sleeping bags, pillows, blankets and such, but of course the snooty villagers had to take Roll's bed as well as her only spare bed that was stored away in her bedroom. That annoyed Roll as well, but Whitney and Purrl did say they washed the bed sheets daily in their defense. Roll just rolled her eyes about it when they finally reached her house and began their training. Yet if the fact that she had twelve villagers following and staying in her home wasn't strange enough for her, it was the fact that she had never been a teacher before.

Over the course of a week, Roll was hard at work showing off her skills and techniques to everyone in the village. It was clear that those like Katt and Rudy were clearly more capable of learning the techniques, it was Fang, Marshal, Purrl, and even Whitney that progressed more quickly in learning the forms. Roll knew that there would be no possible way that these villagers could learn the art of Kung fu as quickly as she did. Only Yumi knows how Roll obtained all the knowledge in her head so Roll had to instruct everyone the natural way. That didn't mean that they couldn't defend themselves either, but everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses, which made teaching for Roll very tricky. She had to learn to adjust since some villagers were more motivated to learn and work hard than others, but that didn't mean she ever had a hard time teaching anybody. Just everyone learned differently. Roll often wondered how Yumi even got both the confidence and developed her own teaching style so that it worked for everyone. She wished she had asked and often wondered if she should have even tried contacting Yumi for help, but figured the kung fu master was too busy.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Uchi gang was just chilling inside of the town hall. They had literally turned the place into their own headquarters. Sylvia had taken Roll's desk as her own as she propped her feet up while reading a magazine. The rest of the Uchi gang had taken the liberty of the sofas and Isabelle's own chair. Well the latter only until they smashed it trying to decide who would get to use it. They hadn't really tempered with any papers per se, but that only implied they hadn't stolen any information other than the transcripts for Roll, which was how Sylvia learned about her past and her mother. Yet even those documents just lay tossed in a corner now since, in Sylvia's eyes, they had served her purpose...for now. The Uchis usually traveled light, bringing only a few things with them as they roamed from town to town. One of them was a small portable tablet, which Renee, Phoebe, and Tammy were now fighting over in deciding what to watch.

"Hey I was watching that, hi there!" Tammy exclaimed as someone closed her video.

"Big deal, sparky," Phoebe protested, "it's time for the big baseball game!"

"Who cares, yo-yo-yo!" Renee snapped, "Pointed love 2014 is starting soon!" They began a tug of war with the tablet as Cherry just looked at them with an irritated expression. She had been feeling upset since the whole incident. It wasn't long before Phoebe noticed that Cherry was looking rather glum. While they acted cold and heartless towards others for the most part, they did truly care for one another. Well...at least everyone minus Sylvia didn't have a problem showing it to each other.

"Still fuming over losing that fight, sparky?" she asked. Cherry just looked at her with a bitter look on her face and then looked away with her arms crossed.

"It's not that fight, what-what," said Cherry, "it's..." Cherry knew Sylvia had long range hearing so she decided not to say her name aloud, both for keeping peace and for keeping the purple kangaroo out of the conversation. Phoebe gestured they step outside since Sylvia wasn't paying attention. Once they were outside and out of hearing range, they spoke more clearly.

"You know that's how she is," said Phoebe in her defense as they whispered to each other, "I mean...what can you do about it? I don't want to see you turned into red-black goo! Just like you don't want to see me plucked, stuffed and roasted, sparky."

"I know that!" Cherry whispered back, "but that doesn't mean that I have to accept it, what-what! I'm her right hand Uchi for crying out loud and she was willing to let an eleven year old blonde brat drown me! I'll bet you my mascara for the next year that she would have prevented any of you from rescuing me. You all know how much water terrifies me! I've tried to overcome it for the sake of the group and you've seen that, but at the end of the day. If I fall in, that's it for me! If Sylvia was so willing to dispose of me what's she gonna do if I fall in on my own. Just watch me drown?!" Cherry was on the verge of tears. Phoebe just looked at her sympathetically but still put a finger over her mouth.

"HUSH!" Phoebe snapped in a loud whispered, "do you want her to hear you, sparky?"

"I could hear you, yo-yo-yo," said Renee as she peeked outside.

"Do you always have to eavesdrop, what-what?" Cherry asked.

"Sorry but I was worried," said Renee, "plus I wanted you to know that I would have dived in and saved you, yo-yo-yo!"

"Even if Sylvia said not to?" Cherry challenged. There was a long silence before Phoebe narrowed her eyes at her.

"Don't judge us, sparky," she retorted defensively, "You wouldn't move either if she said not to." Cherry balled her fists.

"Just watch me!" said Cherry as she stomped back inside, but Renee grabbed her arm.

"Do you have a death wish or something, yo-yo-yo?" Renee asked her with worry. Cherry just glared.

"I need to know something," said Cherry, "and if this is it...so let it be written...so let it be done..." Cherry shrugged Renee off and walked over to Sylvia, who was just chuckling as she read her magazine. Cherry was unsure of how to start the conversation before she plucked up her courage again. She need to know something and in her eyes, getting beaten to a pulp was worth the risk.

"She's not weak you know," said Cherry slowly. Sylvia lowered her magazine with a perplexed look on her face.

"What, joey?" she asked, not understanding the statement. Cherry just kept glaring as she fingered the edge of the desk.

"Valuing life isn't weakness," said Cherry bluntly. Sylvia just blinked before she chuckled to herself once more.

"If this is about what happened earlier Cherry," said Sylvia smiling, "I had everything under control, joey. You had nothing to worry..."

"And disregarding it isn't a strength, what-what!" Cherry added angrily, cutting her off.

"Cherry I called the dumb blonde's bluff," Sylvia explained, "I knew she didn't have to guts to throw you into the that lake. It's not my fault you so weak around H2..."

"How about the next time you gamble," Cherry warned, getting right into her face, "Bet your own life, what-what!" Cherry walked away. Yet it wasn't long before Cherry felt someone shove her hard to a nearby wall, turn her around 180 degrees and stuck their nose right into her own.

"I'll do whatever I see fit, joey," Sylvia warned, "and you are going to shut up about this and let it go!" Cherry just glared.

"You wouldn't have cared less if I had drowned, what-what," said Cherry angrily, "If she had thrown me into the water, would you have even bothered to try and rescue me?" Sylvia just smirked as she let go of her neck.

"Why?" Sylvia replied plainly, "You're inability to swim isn't my problem, joey. If you can't overcome it, why should I be wasting my time about it?" Cherry just went agape.

"Sylvia, you're my best friend!" Cherry responded, "we've known each since we were children! I've stayed by your side through everything! Even when those bullies were torturing you! Even when you took over as leader of the Uchi gang! You're my sister Sylvia and I love...AHHHH...OOF!" Cherry could finish before Sylvia tossed her into the air and side kicked her hard into the back wall where there was a bookcase, causing several books to come crashing on top of her head. Cherry rubbed her head as Sylvia towered over her.

"Quit living in the past you idiot," Sylvia snarled, "That was then and this is now, joey! I'm in charge of the gang and nobody is going to be questioning what I do and how I treat you or anyone else in this gang! A _real_ best friend would keep her big mouth shut and follow me _without_ question!"

"A real best friend would tell _her_ best friend that she doesn't like the idea of having her life being put on the line!" Cherry snapped, "That isn't the Sylvia I used to know! You're a monster!"

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Sylvia then threw Cherry across the room so she was sent crashing into nearby potted plant, smashing the pot and getting her spider web tee and her red-black fur soiled. Cherry lay on the floor dazed as she looked up to the purple kangaroo, who towered over her angrily.

"Who are you?" she whimpered since her body ached from being tossed around, "and what have you done with my best friend? My sister?" Sylvia looked at her fiercely.

"She became the most powerful fighter this world has ever seen," said Sylvia, "and she'll make sure that _nobody_ will stand in her way and that includes you, joey!" The purple kangaroo then turned towards the other Uchi's, who were trembling fearfully at what she was about to do.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you," said Sylvia, "If you let one person stand up to you, then other's will learn to stand up! These stupid villagers clearly outnumber us and if they ever figure that out, there goes our way of life! So let me warn all of you, if any of you ever _dare_ to question me again. This is what will be waiting for you!" Cherry just watched as Sylvia lifted her foot and slammed it right into Cherry's head. All Cherry's saw was a quick flash and then darkness. Cherry was still alive, but the fact she was so still due to unconsciousness the other Uchis thought Cherry was...gone. They trembled fearfully, too scared to even cry for their lost sister.

"That stupid little blonde," said Sylvia angrily, "She's proven that she is a big pain in the tail, but now she corrupted Cherry. Well we've squashed that attempt haven't we, joey?" There was no answer and Sylvia snarled.

"Haven't we?" she asked again louder and they all nodded their heads at once. Sylvia just gave them a blunt glare before facing them both.

"Tammy!"

"Y-y-yes S-S-ylvia, hi there," she answered nervously.

"Call up my friends right away," said Sylvia, "We are going to need a few more hands to even the odds. Even if they outnumber us by just three or four people, we'll still have the advantage."

"You mean..."

"Yes Renee," said Sylvia with a smirk, "The time has come...for a turf war!" Sylvia laughed maniacally. The rest followed, but only for the sake of saving their own tails. None of them were aware, that despite her unconsciousness that Cherry had heard everything.

It was a few hours later when Cherry woke up and found herself in a dark environment. Once her vision cleared, she found that she was still in the town hall, but the Uchis had already left. Cherry eye's then widened in surprise and she felt her heart sink. They had left her. Sylvia had left her! She could feel her heart break. Despite everything she had done, Sylvia had left her to waste away. None of her sisters had even bothered to drag her body back home where they were sleeping for the night, which was Purrl's house. They had taken it over two days ago.

"I guess they really didn't care," said Cherry to herself, "they only care about themselves...well they fear Sylvia more." She then sighed to herself. She had come to realize how cruel Sylvia had become. Her best friend was gone, replaced by this...this monster that wanted nothing but fear and power and no longer cared about anybody. Cherry had never felt so alone in her entire life. She wasn't sure what to do now. Then she remembered what Sylvia had said.

"The turf war," said Cherry, "they'll tear this town to the ground! But what can I do?" Cherry slowly tried to sit up and then attempted to rise to her feet. She wobbled a bit since her body ached from being beaten up. She slowly limped out of the town hall when there was a rumble of the earth

"HEY YOU!" Resetti shouted as he emerged from his hole and sent Cherry off her feet and landed hard onto her rear.

"AH-HA! FINALLY CAUGHT YOU IN THE ACT!" he exclaimed with triumph, "WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?" Cherry felt her spirit break. She had nothing. No family. No sisters. No place to go. She didn't want to fight anymore. She had given up...on everything.

"What can I say?" said Cherry in a very defeated tone as she stood up, "I give up!" She lifted her wrists in surrender. Resetti laughed as he handcuffed her.

"At last I finally caught one of those blasted Uchi gangsters," said Resetti as he picked up a communicator, "Mayor Roll. I've finally placed one of the Uchi members under arrest!" Cherry just stood still quietly with her head in shame. She didn't care what happened to her now.

Cherry did something she hadn't done since she was child...she began to cry.

It wasn't much longer before Roll arrived with Sable, who had come with her to provide some moral support since they others were training late that night. Resetti was just standing by with Cherry just standing next to him quietly as Roll arrived, wearing a sleeveless blue sky dress with a straw boater with her hair in pigtails.

"Good work Mr. Resetti," said Roll, "I'll handle this from here on out."

"Very well," said Resetti, "But do call if she gives you any trouble." Roll looked at Cherry, despite the darkness, she could see the tears slowly streaming down her face.

"I don't think I will," said Roll, "but I'll keep you on standby." Resetti nodded before diving into his hole and disappearing. Sable walked up to her with a stern look on her face.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?" she scolded, "The things you done to hurt my family. You destroyed something that I can never get back. Something that meant more to me than _anything else_ in the world and you took it away from me!" Sable had learned from Labelle that Cherry was the one who smashed her sewing machine and had ruined the picture of their parents.

"Mom, calm down!" said Roll, "Look at her!" Sable just glared but then her anger melted instantly. She noticed Cherry was crying steady. While she knew it wasn't guilt, she could tell that is a was a combination of fear, emptiness, even defeat. The last quality scared her a little.

"It's like...she's lost everything," said Roll, "Like she's...worthless..." Cherry then cried harder. Roll slowly approached her. Cherry looked at her with watery eyes, afraid of what the girl would do. Roll walked over to her...and removed the handcuffs...before embracing her into a hug. Sable was rather stunned at the gesture, but Cherry was dumbfounded.

"Do...do you realize what your hugging, what-what?" Cherry croaked in a broken tone.

"Someone whose clearly lost and confused," said Roll as he continued to hold her, "and also needs a friend...and a place to stay that's safe." Cherry was left stunned before the broke down in heavy sobs. Despite everything she had done, Roll was willing to show her kindness. It just made her brain feel like an atomic bomb just waiting to explode. Explode it did, but more in a series of heavy sobs and wails. Roll just held her gently until Cherry had cried herself out. Then they pulled away and Cherry suddenly began to wobble a bit before she fell backwards. Roll's kindness was just too much and she passed out once more. Sable went agape when she saw Roll try to scoop her up in her arms.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Sable asked shocked.

"Taking her to my house," said Roll, "Unless you're actually gonna suggest I just dump her here and leave her to the mercy of that monster!"

"She's one of those monsters!" Sable snapped.

"And that makes it right for her to die?" Roll barked. Sable just glared before she softened a little and snorted.

"Sorry," she said, but with much bitterness in her voice. Roll just glared and carried Cherry back to her house on her own. The rest of the villagers were just as skeptical, but none of them bothered to stop Roll from setting Cherry on the sofa and rested a blanket over her so she could rest. While Sable still didn't think she deserved Roll's compassion, she did make some effort to heal some of Cherry's injuries while the reddish-black dog was unconscious.

The sun was already rising as Cherry slowly began to stir.

"Roll, come quick silly!" said a voice she didn't recognize.

"She's waking up, tee hee!" another voice added.

"Well no need to shout and startle her you guys!" a third voice protested that Cherry recognized as Roll.

"Why not, tee hee!" said the second voice.

"I still don't even know why were even keeping her here, silly!" said the first voice.

"It's called doing the right thing, tootie," said Margie.

"No," said Roll, now wearing a bubble tank with her denim pedal pushers, hair in pony tail with a blue ribbon, "When Mr. Resetti arrested her, he said she just surrendered. She didn't even bother to put up any type of fight. She just let him handcuff her and started crying. I looked into her eyes you guys. She looked...lost...broken...defeated...like...like she felt like the most useless being on the planet." Bunnie and Rosie softened instantly as they nodded in understanding.

"I guess Sylvia really doesn't care about anyone other than herself, tee hee," said Bunnie with disgust.

"If that's true, then why do those other Uchis even stick with her?" said Rosie.

"Because she's very vicious and she's not afraid to beat you up and make sure you are in pain all over your body for speaking up or opposing her," Cherry replied weakly, making them all turn around and face her, "she's never killed anyone, but she's definitely tried to see how far she can get before crossing that line. I'm just one of many victims, but it hurts me the most. She was my sister...my best friend..."

"But she cared only about herself, tee hee," said Bunnie sadly, "I understand that pain. I wasn't beat up, but...I was definitely stabbed in the back when my...ex-best friend decided to throw away all the love and support I had to offer her." Cherry just hummed as she turned away and continued to lay on the sofa quietly.

"So...what happens to me now, what-what?" Cherry asked sadly.

"You are gonna rest and recover," said Roll, "and when you're well enough to stand up on your own feet..."

"I go to jail?" Cherry asked.

"No," said Roll with a shake of her head, "You're gonna help us repair the damage to the town and then we'll help you start a life of your own outside the gang." Cherry just blinked in surprise.

"My...own life, what-what?" Cherry asked, "but...why? Why would you even waste your time with me? After how mean and cruel I was to you!"

"Cherry, just answer me this?" said Roll sternly, "Are you here to hurt me because you have something against me? Or because Sylvia said we're gonna terrorize this town and no questions asked?" Cherry just sighed to herself.

"The...second one..." said Cherry quietly.

"Do you find me unlikable?" said Roll, "too weak to be your friend?"

"Honestly...no..." said Cherry, "After all, you didn't drown me when you had the chance so...you obviously value life."

"I do value life," said Roll, "I was just as surprised as you were that Sylvia was actually going to let me drown you. My point is this: do we have to be against each other? Can we just be friends? I don't want to fight you, or your sisters, or even Sylvia. I only fight because you refuse to stop hurting my family. I honestly wish there was another way to deal with Sylvia, but brute force seems to be the only thing she answers to." Cherry just sighed to herself. Honestly, she never really understood the point of why Sylvia wanted to pick on her or terrorize the town or anyone for that matter. After all, Roll wasn't weak in her eyes, the girl knew now to fight and unlike her "former" best friend, she had morals too.

"You know what, what-what?" said Cherry quietly, "my eyes have been opened for the first time in my life. This whole time I was following a bully who only wanted to use us to get what she wanted and she doesn't care about anyone other than herself. The best friend I used to know is gone, consumed by power and arrogance. I can't stand here and let her destroy another town just for her sake of self-pride. I won't do it anymore!"

"Neither will I!" said a voice and Katt stepped forward, "This entire time, I've been taking a back seat and letting Roll fight my battles and that is not what a true Uchi does, purrty. This is just as much my battle as it is the town's. We've got to stop Sylvia from doing anymore damage!" Cherry nodded in agreement as she slowly sat up from the sofa.

"It won't work," Roll answered bluntly and the girls all looked at her stunned.

"What do you mean, tootie?" Margie asked.

"If we just chase her out of town," said Roll firmly, "the same thing will only happen again in another town. We need to put an end her terror once and for all!"

"Good point, silly," said Rosie, "But just exactly how you plan we do it? Even you admitted that even with you teaching us your moves, we're are still out matched."

"We still have to try Rosie!" said Roll, "We can't let Sylvia keep being a threat to Animal Town or any town for that matter! Who knows when she will strike!"

"It might be sooner than you want it to be, what-what," said Cherry and everyone looked at her with concern.

"What do you mean, tootie?" Margie asked.

"Just before I lost consciousness," Cherry explained, "I heard Sylvia mentioning something about calling up her other friends...or feared supporters as I call them now...if that is true. Then Sylvia might be planning a turf war on Animal Town!"

"A turf war?" said Bunnie fearfully, "what exactly is that, tee hee? I've heard of it from Katt..."

"A turf war is when two or more opposing groups of villagers fight it out for supremacy," Katt explained, "but these types of fights are very, very messy. I remember large portions of town being leveled to the ground and ripped up to shreds because the fights got so intense, purrty."

"It also doesn't help that Sylvia had never lost a turf war, what-what," said Cherry.

"Won't she be weaker now that you're on our side, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"Not really," said Cherry, "Sylvia has more than enough "friends" to make up for my absence." The other's groaned as Roll just crossed her arms and tapped left bare foot against the floor.

"We still have to try," said Roll, "This is our town and we're not going to give it up without a fight!" The other's nodded in agreement as they headed back downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Cherry asked.

"We gotta keep training," said Roll, "We need to be ready for Sylvia whenever she initiates this so called turf war!"

"But she's pretty quick with these gatherings!" said Cherry, "She's be ready to strike in less than 48 hours!" The rest of the group just groaned again and even Roll wiped her face in frustration. Even she knew less than two days wasn't enough time to get a group of fighters ready to defend Animal Town. Cherry noticed their distress and painfully crawled out of the bed.

"I can help!" said Cherry, "I happen to know the strengths and weaknesses of every person on the gang and several of her so called "friends". You might not be able to outclass her in terms of strength, but maybe you can learn to outsmart them and wear them out just like Roll did to me and the others. I can show you how to deal with them...it's the least I can do for what you've done for me." The group just looked blankly for a moment before they gave Cherry a warm smile. Katt was the first to walk up to her and gently gave her a loving hug.

"We can use all the help you can get," said Katt, "thank you, purrty."

"No...thank you Katt," said Cherry, "Now I understand why you walked away all those years ago. And...well...I'm sorry." Katt just smiled and gave her a playful shove. Cherry winced a bit from the touch but still smiled.

"Apology accepted, purrty," said Katt, "Now let's get to work...sis." Cherry smiled as they headed together downstairs to get into training. The next day or so were going to be very busy.

A sudden crackling of lightning could be heard in the distance above a large mountain mansion yet it had yet to start raining in the town. A lone figure stood alone in her house where the lighting and a few candles were the only sources of light in the room. She was just gazing outside the window as what appeared to be a storm was making its way into the area. Yet this storm was forming just after it was leaving the mountain mansion. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but for Yumi, it was. She could feel it inside her bones as she stood there with her hands cupped behind her back and just stared at the clouds with a stern look on her face. She wasn't alone for much longer before a certain light brown haired young man arrived before her.

"How many times must I tell you when I have the candles lit and the lights off that I want to be left _alone_?" she replied sternly. The light brown haired man just stood his ground.

"I was worried about you," he answered, "You don't stand there staring at that passing storm for nothing. You sense trouble don't you?" Yumi said nothing for a minute or two. The young man just stood a few yards away for a while. Just as he was going to turn to leave...

" _Butler_ ," she answered plainly.

"Yes Sensei," he answered with a bow.

"Prepare my railcar for immediate departure to Animal Town," said Yumi.

"Hai, sensei," he replied as he quickly left the room. Yumi just continued to stare out into the distance as another flash of lighting appeared before her. She just kept her stare firm and stern as she waited for the young man to return.

She knew she was needed in Animal Town.

"It is time," said Yumi to herself.

 **Did you catch the references from movies like** ** _The Incredibles, A Bug's Life,_** **and** ** _The Ten Commandments_** **? Kudos if you did.**

 **By the way, Yumi's husband/servant may be addressed as** ** _Butler_** **. but that is not his character's name. He is left unnamed for personal reasons.**

 **It looks like the final showdown is imminent! Can Roll and her friends put an end to Sylvia's reign of terror? And how will Yumi play a role on all of this?**

 **Find out...next time.**


	25. Tough Girls Part 5

Tough Girls Part 5

It was late afternoon the next day and the so called storm that had been slowly drifting in had finally made its way into Animal Town. While the thunder and lightning had already departed, the rain continued to fall rather steadily, making the grounds where the turf war would take place wet and very muddy. Yet nobody was really that concerned about getting wet or dirty. The early summer heat had just made weather extra muggy and sticky. They were all thankful for Roll's house having proper A/C unit. Overall, the conditions for fighting a turf war were clearly not in their favor. Yet Roll wasn't that worried about that weather and more concerned about her team being battle ready by the end of the day. Earlier that morning, she had received message that had been crudely hammered into her door, damaging it in the process. The note warned her that Sylvia and her Uchi gang were initiating the turf war if she didn't leave town by the end of the day. Roll had to admit that neither she or her team were 100% ready but she knew that they had all worked hard. Cherry had certainly been a big help as well in helping them learn the strengths and weaknesses of her former family. Roll noticed that Cherry had much bitterness in her heart whenever she spoke about them, except for Katt. When Cherry went to grab a drink of water, Roll, wearing her gym attire with her hair in a ponytail, went to speak to her.

"Cherry," said Roll gently.

"Huh, oh hey there, what-what," said Cherry as she lowered her glass and set it on the table.

"Cherry can I talk to you about...hey...what's that?" Roll pointed towards a rather crinkled up picture Cherry had in her hand. Cherry noticed the picture in her hand and sighed to herself.

"You don't have to tell me," said Roll, "I just wanted to speak to you about...I guess if I can put this gently..."

"I'm angry at them, what-what," said Cherry, "I don't hate them! I'm hurt alright?" Roll just nodded.

"It's okay, Cherry," said Roll, "Remember what I told you about my mother yesterday?" Roll had hoped Cherry would open up more if she told the red dog about her mother. The blonde girl learned that Cherry had a mother with problems of her own. While Cherry's mother's didn't despise her, she did hurt her physically and was jailed because of it when she was rather young. Cherry's decision to join the gang had caused her to drift apart from her older siblings and she hadn't spoken to them in years. Roll knew there was more, but she wasn't going to push it unless Cherry wanted to talk.

"His name is Bacon," Cherry explained, "I had a huge crush on him. We tried to get together but my affiliation with the gang was what kept us from truly becoming a couple. Plus Sylvia didn't approve of him and...to save my sorry tail...I broke up with him." Roll just looked at her sympathetically. Sometimes Cherry often wondered if Roll just pitied her, but the fact she even had a place to stay and talk to reminded her that Roll did genuinely care about her.

"I'm sorry about that," said Roll.

"It's my biggest regret, what-what," Cherry continued sadly, "I didn't want to break up with him and when I was forced to choose between my family and him. I made my choice and broke his heart. I can still remember the tears in his eyes. He knew that I didn't want to break up. He knew how awful Sylvia was, but...I wouldn't listen...I didn't want to...and the damage was done. Roll, I loved him...I still do...but it's been several years and he's probably moved on by now. Guess I didn't deserve to be happy...or to find true love..." Cherry sniffled a bit as she felt a tears stream down her face.

"Geez, I feel so weak," Cherry grunted angrily, "but...but...I just can't control my tears anymore...I just can't..." This hadn't been the first time Cherry had cried since being taken in. She had shed alot of tears, especially at night since she had trouble sleeping. Roll just pulled her into a hug until she had calmed down.

"Please don't cry," said Roll, "I'm your friend now and I'll take care about you. I promise once this is over, we'll help you start fresh and maybe you'll find love again." Cherry pulled away gently to wipe her eyes. Roll's words had touched her heart and made it harder for her to stop crying.

"You have no idea how much I appreciate your kindness Roll," said Cherry as she wiped her eyes, "I don't deserve it. Why? Why show me such kindness?" Roll just smiled.

"Guess I'm just a caring person," said Roll, "You did prove my speculation about your old family."

"What is that, what-what?" Cherry asked curiously.

"You might not be the only one who wishes they could have the opportunity to break away from Sylvia and just live their own life," said Roll, "If we can open the eyes of the other's, Sylvia's power just might disappear."

"It's a good plan," Cherry sniffled, "I mean...if you gave them the same kindness as you showed me."

"I would," said Roll, "but if they respond with a punch to my face, then I'm gonna give them the spanking of a lifetime."

"Fair enough," said Cherry and they chuckled to each other. It was just then Rosie arrived back inside of the house, donning a umbrella and just tossed it by the door instead of wring the water out of it. She looked rather panicky as she rushed into the kitchen to find Roll.

"Roll! Roll!" Rosie called out.

"Rosie...what's the matter?" Roll asked as she and Cherry looked at the rather distressed blue cat with concern.

"I just caught site of Sylvia and her newly upgraded Uchi gang," said Rosie, "If you thought just one kangaroo was going to be trouble, she's got _four more_!"

"What?!" said Cherry fearfully, "She normally only brings one or two at most! She's never brought that many kangaroos before, what-what. Can you describe them to me Rosie?"

"One had this red arrow shirt on," Rosie began.

"Mathilda," said Cherry, "she's pretty tough but much slower than Sylvia. Who else?"

"Another one is white with lots of stars," Rosie continued.

"Astrid," said Cherry, "what she lacks in power she makes up for with her speed and agility. Anyone else?"

"The other two were boys apparently, silly," finished Rosie.

"Rooney and Walt!?" said Cherry, "oh man..."

"Cherry what do you know about them?" Roll demanded.

"Rooney is Sylvia's big brother," said Sylvia, "He's the one who had encouraged her to become the fearsome person she is today. Walt...shockingly and I still don't get it...is her boyfriend." Roll and Rosie felt their jaws hit the floor at that bit of news.

"I feel sorry for that guy, silly," said Rosie, "Can I assume Walt was intimidated into dating her?"

"No one knows for sure, what-what," said Cherry, "but they are very, very protective of her. They will stop at nothing to beat whoever has the nerve to attack or injure her. Roll this turf war just got way more complicated."

"Yeah and?" Roll asked. Cherry just looked stunned.

"You're...you're still gonna fight?" said Cherry, "Roll this is crazy! I know your team had been training hard and such but you're way over your head here, what-what! You're not gonna survive this!"

"WELL DO YOU HAVE ANY BETTER OPTIONS?" Roll yelled angrily, making Cherry step back as Roll panted and then huffed.

"I'm sorry," said Roll, "I just want Sylvia to stop hurting people okay."

"A-alright," said Cherry nervously. Roll could see that both her and Cherry looked rather uneasy and made another huff before turning to Rosie.

"Gather everyone into the living room for a meeting," Roll commanded. Rosie nodded worriedly before leaving the kitchen and doing what Roll had requested. Cherry looked puzzled as Roll gestured for her to follow her into the living room. It was less than five minutes before everyone had arrived upstairs, curiously wondering what Roll might have to say. Sable was able there, wanting to learn some self-defense to help boost her confidence and to help support her daughter.

"What's going on?" Isabelle asked curiously.

"From what I have learned," said Roll, "The total of Sylvia's gang numbers about eight so we'll only need about eight fighters." The other's just smiled, knowing not all of them would have to go to battle.

"However," said Roll, "These fighters are far more skilled and loyal to Sylvia than we had expected." Their smiles flipped over and they all groaned.

"My point is this," said Roll, "I love this town and I love all of you. I know that this fight is gonna get ugly and those who go out there to fight will most likely get hurt. I know many of you are still new in terms of being able to fight and that many of you are scared." She turned to Cherry. "Unlike other leaders, I would never force anyone to fight against their will. That is why I called this meeting. If you don't wish to fight, speak up now. Otherwise, will those who still want to help me step forward. Don't be ashamed if you back out. I'm scared too, but...I'm willing to fight alone if it comes down to it...to show how much I love my family and will do whatever it takes to protect them." There was a long silence as Roll just stood quietly.

"I'm in," said Bunnie, stepping forward, "like I said before, tee hee..."

"We're your best friends, silly," Rosie finished for her, "We've got your back. I'm in too!"

"Same here, sulky," said Marshal, "A gentleman's gotta protect the girl he loves."

"Oh quit being so chivalrous," said Bunnie annoyed.

"What?" said Marshal, "How can you not love your best friend?" Marshal gave her a wink, making Bunnie's cheeks turn a little pink before she looked away rolling her eyes at him. In the end, Alfonso, Benjamin, Isabelle, and Katt followed. Roll smiled for their moral support.

"Count me in too," said Cherry, "At the least I can do." Roll continued to smile as they gathered around for a bit of strategy. Roll was gonna play smart and told Fang, Whitney, Purrl, and Rudy to stand by as reinforcements in case Sylvia's gang did prove to be too much.

"But isn't that unfair?" Sable asked her curiously.

"No, it's called using our numbers to our advantage," said Roll, "Even if we can't take them down, we can at least wear them down enough so our reinforcements can strike. You and Mabel said you guys were more than ready to stand by if necessary. You said you would offer to serve as medical support if needed too. Those guys might be tough, but everyone has a limit. Fortunately for us, we've got the advantage regarding that."

"How, mush?" said Rudy, "Aside from yours truly, no one here is that conditioned."

"Maybe not physically," said Roll, "but we've got one thing they haven't."

"What's that, what-what?" asked Cherry.

"Love," said Roll. The other smiled and nodded in agreement...except for Cherry. Such a quality seemed a bit foreign to her, but she wasn't going to question it. Yet she had to admit, the idea of feeling loved did make her feel a little stronger.

A few hours later the team was ready to go. The turf war was going to take place in the open field just in front of retail just as the sun was going to set. It was the only area where there was little to no development surrounding it with Katt's and Rosie's houses acting at the outer edges of what was going to become a temporary battlefield. Since the Uchi gang had left, Roll had taken measures to have any surviving flowers removed so they wouldn't be damaged during the ruckus. Due to limited pocket and storage space, Leif was willing to store the flowers somewhere safe until the turf war was over. The rain was still falling steadily as Roll and her eight villagers arrived on the east side of the battle field as they waited for the Uchi gang to arrive. Roll had changed into the outfit she had worn when she had confronted her mother, but without the shoes despite the rain and her hair was in a ponytail with no accessory. The rest of the group had been given dry denim vests to wear to make them look tougher and to boost team morale. Katt and Cherry stood next to Roll as they felt a cool chill make its way across the field.

"They're here," said Cherry quietly. It wasn't much longer before the gang appeared with Sylvia leading them. The four kangaroos were there as well, ready and waiting for action as their slow steps made a THUMP-THUMP-THUMP across the wet terrain. Sylvia took two steps forward before smirking at them. That was when they noticed that Sylvia had added a fifth as he walked along at her side, which was a white tiger.

"Shoot, I forgot about Rolf!" said Cherry.

"And he is...?" Roll asked.

"Her bodyguard," said Cherry, "and well trained in martial arts."

"Wonderful," said Roll with as much sarcasm as possible. Alfonso and Benjamin then walked up to Sylvia and Rolf.

"Na-na-na-na-na-NA!" they taunted as they shook their rears them. Rolf growled before clawing at both of them, giving them a nice scratch to their rear ends.

"ACK!" they screamed before dashing behind Bunnie and whimpered as they rubbed their scratched bottoms.

"Now I won't be able to sit for a week, alrighty!" said Benjamin.

"You can say that again, it'sa me!" said Alfonso.

"Now I won't be able to sit..."

"But DON'T!" said Bunnie, annoyed with the both of them. Sylvia just laughed.

"So this is your strike team," said Sylvia, "I must admit that I am not that impressed."

"Yours look like all brawn and no brains to me," said Roll indignantly, but glared mostly at Rolf and the other Kangaroos, who just snarled at her offensively.

"Why are you even wasting your time, joey?" Sylvia remarked, "You know we are alot stronger than your team. How about you save yourself the trouble and just surrender now? At least it will keep your friends from being hurt..." Roll just glared. She knew Sylvia was lying about her friends being considered "safe" if she stood down.

"This is your last chance, Sylvia," said Roll, "Get out!"

"I'm not going anywhere, joey," said Sylvia, "if you wanna fight...very well...you're the one whose gonna end up the hospital or worse."

"We'll see," said Roll, getting into a fighting stance.

"Yes we will," said Sylvia with a sinister grin, "ATTACK!" With that battle call, both sides charged and the battle had truly begun.

Turns out that Roll was right in being concerned for her team. While she was managing several attackers coming at her and fending them off without too much difficulty, her other friends were having a tough time trying to stand their ground against the rest of the Uchi gang. Despite everything Cherry and Katt had taught them, they were having alot of trouble trying to exploit the weaknesses of the other team. Anyone who tried to attack Sylvia was either knocked back to attacked with twice the force from either Rolf, Rooney, or Walt. Roll's team was definitely losing this turf war badly as they were all taking more damage than they could deal. Even Cherry and Katt, who were handling their fights a little better, were having conflicted feelings over fighting their old gang members. It seemed as if their fear of Sylvia was giving their opponents more strength than Roll had anticipated. It wasn't long before both Cherry and Katt were quickly overwhelmed by their former sisters. Less than an hour had passed before Roll's team, including their reinforcements, had been huddled up together, clearly battered and worn out as Sylvia's gang surrounded them. Roll was the only one still in decent shape to fight while everyone else had been drained of any energy. Sylvia just chuckled in triumph as she surveyed Roll's worn down team.

"Well I must admit," said Sylvia, "You're team put on a quite a show, but sadly they were just as pathetic as I had thought. They couldn't beat me or my gang! You're the only one that's even standing. Impressive, but not that impressive at all. You were just lucky." Roll just snorted as she brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

"Well then answer me this question," said Roll angrily, "why are you such a coward?" Sylvia stopped smirking and gave her a bitter look.

"What did you call me?" Sylvia asked darkly.

"I said you are a coward," Roll repeated sternly, "Time and time again I've said I would fight you, but you keep sending me your goons to do your job, claiming that I am beneath you and not worthy of fighting you. You know what I think? I think you just too afraid that if I take you on, you are gonna get what you deserve. A good smack in your fat tail!" Sylvia gritted her teeth and glared at her fiercely. With a loud snap of her fingers, Roll suddenly sensed someone charging at her at high speed. Roll quickly dodged the first attack, the second, and the third, but the fourth was way too fast for her and she found herself flying as Rooney kicked her hard with his foot. Roll slammed hard into the ground a few yards away. Before she could fully recover, Walt moved quickly around her and then kicked her another few yards so she landed hard again, this time more dazed and hurt then the first time. Astrid then repeated the attack but didn't even wait for Roll to even have any time to react. Roll could feel her body screaming from the pain and bruises she had gotten from being kicked around that all she could do was hold up her hands in defense so she could block while trying to find a way back to her feet, but Sylvia didn't wait for Roll to recover and used her feet to kick Roll several times. Each time made everyone watching cringe before Sylvia kicked Roll across the grass so she landed hard on her stomach. Poor Roll had gotten the beating of a lifetime, her right eye was black, her pony tail had come apart, the sleeve of her left arm was torn at the shoulder, and bruises could be seen on her arms, lower legs, and even her bare feet. Despite her pain, Roll didn't cry and just panted heavily as she lay on the ground before the purple kangaroo. Little did anyone know that a mysterious figure in a brown cloak had been watching everything that had taken place from behind a nearby cherry tree. She had ventured closer towards the crowd when Sylvia was approaching Roll. She had also cringed in disgust at how ruthless they had been with attacking Roll.

"Where do you get the _gall_ to call me a coward?" Sylvia asked sternly.

"You...you never fight fair," Roll strained, "you always have someone else do you dirty work while you keep all the spoils. You never bother to fight me one on one! You only had to guts to strike me when I was down. You have no dignity and you have no honor!"

"I hate it when people just don't learn to _shut their stupid mouths_!" Sylvia picked up Roll viciously and threw her back towards the other villagers. Those like Bunnie, Rosie, and Marshal were crying in tears since the other members of Sylvia's gang had blocked them from reaching Roll and were helpless in offering the blonde girl any help.

"You piece of dirt," Sylvia sneered, "no...I'm wrong. You're lower than dirt. You're a dumb blonde." Roll groaned feebly since her body ached too much to move.

"Let this be a lesson to all you fools!" Sylvia announced, "Speaking up is a very dangerous thing. People who open their big traps end up like your friend here, which is battered and beaten like a chicken cutlet! If you are smart and actually have brains in your heads, you can learn to button those mouths of yours and I'll promise you that you'll live long, peaceful, and healthy lives!"

"You're...wrong...Sylvia..." said a hoarse voice. Sylvia stiffed as her temper began to hit her boiling point as she watched Roll slowly and painfully rise to her feet. Despite her pain, Roll looked at her fiercely and angrily.

"No village is happy when people can't speak their own minds," Roll continued with a hoarse tone. Sylvia glared and slowly approached her.

"This town is the best not because of the leader who runs it, but because of the minds and ideas of everyone who lives here," said Roll, her voice strained at first but grew stronger as the spoke, "People need to be able to speak their minds because it not only helps to have different perspectives about things, but it also helps to prevent people doing awful and terrible things that you are doing now! Being able to share ideas with each other is what helps a leader become as strong as he or she can possibly be. Those who follow a leader who cares and listens to them will learn to love and care for you as well as each other. They'll support you through anything that you face or deal with it will be through love, and not by fear. So...so who is the weaker leader here?! You think you're so tough Sylvia. You think leading by fear makes you stronger...well you are dead wrong!" Roll shouted the last part of her speech. Her words had touched not just the hearts of her own friends and family, but also their other Uchi gang members as well, even Sylvia's friends.

"You don't know the definition of what it means to have a family," Roll continued boldly, "A family is not some sort of pyramid where you get to be on top. You can't force people to stay loyal to you and you can't force them to do things that they don't want to do. You think that inspires loyalty? I can assure you that it doesn't. You only think you're strong because you've intimidated them into following and staying with you through fear. Fear isn't friendship and it certainly isn't what it means to be a big sister, or Uchi as you call it! You act like you're a one woman show, but if they were to walk out of you, you're strength and power would disappear!" Sylvia slowly came to a stop before Roll so her nose was just inches from her face. She then could hear murmuring from both her original Uchis and her Kangaroos allies. Roll could see that Sylvia was getting nervous.

"Your Uchis are alot stronger than you give them credit for," said Roll, "They can't spend the rest of their lives serving you. They have their own dreams and futures...and you know it...don't you?" Sylvia just glared before she growled and slapped Roll hard across the face, sending her to the ground. Roll tried to get up but Sylvia pushed her head down with her foot. She went to lift her foot, determined to put so much power into her stomping that it would probably end Roll's life...

But Sylvia was stopped. Tammy, Phoebe, and Renee stood before her in front of Roll, along with Cherry and Katt. All five of them were glaring at her.

"Get out of my way!" she barked viciously.

"No, hi there," said Tammy, "Roll is right. You don't care about us at all!"

"All you ever do is make us do whatever you want to do and if we want to do something we want, we get beat up, snarky!" Phoebe added.

"All you care about yourself and what you want, yo-yo-yo!" said Renee, "what about our wants and our dreams, Sylvia?"

"We've followed you for years and what have we got to show for it, what-what!" Cherry added, "Nothing! Nothing but the cops after us and people who think we're monsters!"

"Well isn't that what you all wanted, joey?" Sylvia yelled, "to be respected? To have people listen to you and learn not to mess with you? I gave you all of that and this is how you thank me for it!" They all just glared.

"We do appreciate what you did to help us become stronger, purrty," said Katt, "but you've crossed lines we never wanted to cross and they are lines we never want to cross ever again!"

"We don't even know why we're here, hi there!" said Tammy, "or why we even travel and terrorize towns? what have they ever done to you?"

"SHUT UP!" Sylvia barked furiously. She was getting sick of being told off.

"No, yo-yo-yo," said Renee, "We've gone along with this far enough. The only reason you've even picked on Roll is just because she stood up to you! She had done nothing to wrong you or offend you. Yet here you are! Ready to end her life!"

"Because I get what I want!" Sylvia yelled, "and nobody is going to stop me. If you five don't get out of my way, you'll all suffer the same fate her!" Sylvia was then stunned by the sound of someone grunting and giving her disgusted sounds. She turned to see that Rolf, Rooney, Mathilda, Walt, and Astrid were leaving.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Sylvia asked angrily, "GET BACK HERE!" Rolf spat on the ground near her and left without another word. Rooney glared angrily at her.

"Forget it, sis," said Rooney, "You lied to me, punches. You said Roll was causing you problems when the truth is you're still bullying and degrading people just for the fun of it! I warned you that if you kept doing it that my support was going to stop and you've lied to me for the last time. You're on your own!" Sylvia just panted heavily as she saw them leave.

"WALT!" she screamed. He did stop, but just so he could glare into her eyes bitterly.

"You're not the woman I thought you were, pockets," said Walt, "If you do this to them, just what do you plan for our future. I don't want to marry you just so you can rule over me! I love you Sylvia. Did you ever love me?" Sylvia said nothing but just glared. Walt just glared fiercely before ripping off the "bracelet" she had on her wrist.

"HEY!" she barked. Walt took the "bracelet and removed the charm that he had added to it as a sign of their so called "love" that had never existed. He then walked over Isabelle, who was quite battered, even her top knot was missing. She looked at him nervously and was stunned when he gave her the bell ribbon. Sylvia had told him that she had gotten it after Isabelle had tried to fight her. Now he knew the truth and kindly handed it back to her.

"I believe this is yours, pockets," he replied. Isabelle just smiled softly.

"Thank you," said Isabelle meekly. Walt gave her a smile before giving Sylvia a glare as the other three kangaroos walked away. Sylvia just watched them leave before she turned to the other Uchi gang villagers.

"You brainwashed fools! You..you idiots!" she screamed at them.

"Knock it off, sparky," said Phoebe sternly, "We have brains after all!"

"And thanks to Roll we now see you for who you really are, yo-yo-yo!" said Renee, "A monster!" Sylvia just panted heavily in rage and screamed. She then grabbed Cherry by the front of her shirt and threw her away from herself.

"I'm gonna end that blonde garbage..." She then slugged Phoebe to the face to send her flying backwards.

"...If it's the last..." Belting Renee to the face and knocking her out.

"...Thing..." She then kicked both Katt and Cherry out of her way next.

"...I do!" She finished with picking up Tammy and throwing her several yards away and into the other villagers. They were so surprised by Tammy coming at them that they had forgotten to block Sylvia as she was about finish off Roll!

"NO!" Bunnie and Rosie shouted. Sylvia lifted her foot and was about to set it down on Roll's head when there was a flash and Sylvia was went flying backwards several yards. Sylvia was stunned from the sudden strike for a moment or two before she hopped to her feet.

"WHO DARES TO INTERFERE WITH ME?!" She bellowed in rage. She then noticed a figure in a defensive stance. Her purple kimono sandals showing out of her cloak as she faced her with the hood covering her face.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Sylvia demanded angrily. The figure then removed her hood and cloak as she glared at her. Sylvia gasped in shock as did the rest of the villagers. It was a black haired pixie haircut lady wearing a pom-pom headband with blue eyes, dressed in her purple fighter's outfit.

"Yumi!" said Katt feebly as she was trying to get to her feet from Sylvia's attack. Yumi just kept glaring as she gently helped Roll back to her feet. Roll wobbled a bit but soon found her footing.

"I'm so proud of you, Roll-chan," said Yumi with a warm smile. Roll just smiled back and then stood with her master. She may have been down, but she was certainly not out. Yumi smiled at her before redirecting her attention to the purple kangaroo approaching her with a vicious smirk on her face.

"So...you've finally decided to come out of hiding, joey?" said Sylvia.

"I've never hidden from you," said Yumi angrily, "You knew where I lived. Why didn't you show up and take me on if you are so brave?" Sylvia felt at a loss for words before she growled at her.

"Yeah...well...you still turned your back on us!" Sylvia barked, "You're a traitor to us all!"

"No, Sylva," said Yumi, "You became a traitor when you stopped protecting everyone that you loved and everyone who loves you."

"I don't care!" said Sylvia, "I don't need love! I don't need anybody!" Yumi just shook her head at her in pity.

"Sylvia your time of bullying others is over!" said Yumi, "and thanks to Roll your so called "gang" now knows who you really are! You're gonna have to get this into that head of yours. They love each other...more than they will ever fear you!"

"NO THEY ARE ALL IDIOTS!" Sylvia screamed in rage, "THEY SHOULD'VE FEARED ME MORE! NOW PUT EM UP!"

"Forget it Sylvia!" Roll added, "It's you against everyone else here! It's time you put the past behind you and stand down!" Sylvia's body trembled. Her temper had reached her breaking point as she gave out another blood curling scream.

"NEVER!" Sylvia barked, "I'LL _NEVER SURRENDER_!" She then glared viciously at Yumi.

"I'm gonna do to you what I should have done all those years ago, joey!" Sylvia snarled and charged. Yumi was ready, but to her surprise Roll jumped in the way and lunged at her, using her momentum to send her tumbling backwards. They rolled about several times wrestling with each other. That was when Yumi gasped when she noticed them heading towards the south-western boundary of the field. Fortunately they stopped and soon Sylvia and Roll was fighting each other. Despite all the battering, Roll was just as quick and precise as ever. Apparently, her determination had given her the extra adrenaline she needed to fight. Sylvia could not pin her down. As she grew angrier and angrier, she seemed to get more and more sloppy with her movements and attacks, making is easier for Roll to avoid her attacks. Then Sylvia got a lucky hit and sent Roll sliding towards the cliff edge where there was nothing but water a good 80 feet beneath her. Sylvia went to pounce her, but Roll lifted her bare feet and pushed her off, sending her flying and right over the cliff edge. Everyone gasped as they rushed over to watch the two battle, ready to step in if necessary. Two seconds passed before a purple hand appeared over the cliff, trying to get back up but failing miserably. The rain had done its toll on the rocky wall separating the town from the ocean below, making the rock not only slippery but also crumbly. Sylvia was struggling desperately to climb back up but was having trouble. Roll crawled over.

"Sylvia, give me your hand! Hurry!" Roll reached out with her hand, but only to get it violently slapped away. That was a big mistake as Sylvia dangerously began to slip and was now just struggling to hold on.

"Sylvia, come on," said Roll desperately, "Please...let me help you." Sylvia just looked at her, her anger had disappeared and was now replaced with confusion and fear. Just as Roll had thought she had seen a tear appear from Sylvia's left eye.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Sylvia scream as her grip was lost and she tumbled into the ocean with a massive splash. Yumi had arrived just in time to see her fall along with the others.

"Sylvia!" the other Uchis cried out. Roll searched the water desperately and when she saw that Sylvia wasn't surfacing. She threw herself over the cliff.

"ROLL NO!" Sable screamed as Roll dove in the water after her. The next seven seconds, nobody could breathe as the water grew calm and nobody had surfaced. Suddenly, someone did and they all released their breath at once. Roll had appeared from the water, with Sylvia in tow and was trying with all her remaining strength to drag her back to the closest shoreline.

"She's needs help!" Yumi called out.

"The ramp is over here, silly!" Rosie called out.

"Just follow us, tee hee," Bunnie added as they both led Yumi towards the shoreline. Yumi wasted no time, throwing off her sandals just before they reached the sand and rushing into the water to help Roll as she was dragging Sylvia to shore all by herself. Roll crawled onto the wet sand, soaking wet, and panting heavily as she knelt over to catch her breath. Next to her was Sylvia, who hadn't stirred since Roll found her sinking in the water and had not woken up or moved when Roll grabbed her and carried her to safety. Yumi knelt beside the purple kangaroo to examine her while Bunnie and Rosie helped Roll sit up a bit.

"How...is...she...?" Roll asked, clearly exhausted.

"She's still alive, but she unconscious," said Yumi. She tried to wake her up, but nothing seemed to revive her. Surprisingly Sylvia wasn't waterlogged despite being submerged for over twelve seconds. Yumi grew worried as she just knelt beside her. Despite what Sylvia had done, Yumi could have never wished for this. She didn't bother to tell the other's that Sylvia's pulse was very weak. She was afraid that Sylvia wasn't going to have the will to live. Roll had managed to limp over to Yumi and set a hand behind her back.

"Let's take her back to my house," said Roll, "We can figure out what to do with her and the rest of the gang there." Yumi just nodded as a small tear left her eyes and wiped it away. Rosie and Bunnie each had to pick up Sylvia together to take her back to Roll's house when Rosie realized something.

"Wait a minute, silly," said Rosie, "How do you know the rest of her gang even wants to change? I mean sure they were willing to stand up for you but..."

"Uchi gang had been secured!" said a voice. Yumi and Roll both looked up and saw Mr. Resetti saluting them from above with Phoebe, Tammy, and Renee now handcuffed. Their looks on their faces showing that they had surrendered. Roll just sighed and shook her head.

"Does that...a...ans...wer..." After everything Roll had been put through, her strength has finally run out, causing her to collapse. Sable caught her before Roll could crash into the wet sand and just held her close in her arms as she cried.

"Oh my baby, did you have to be so brave..." she sobbed, hoping that Roll would be okay as she carried her back to the house.

Roll woke up late the next morning and no one blamed her for sleeping in either. After all, she had taken quite a beating and every part of her body ached. Luckily thanks to both Sable and Yumi, both had provided some creams, ointments, and medicines for Roll use to help heal her bruises and other injuries. Yumi had chosen to stay with Roll for a few days to help her with repairing the town and helping her deal with the remaining Uchi gang members. Yet everyone was still surprised that Roll had only suffered minor injuries. After such a beating, they were amazed that nothing was sprained or broken. Since Roll was very sore, Sable helped her shower, and then combed and brushed her hair. Since the brown hedgehog did her hair, Roll had no choice but to wear it down, much at her own expense. Yet Sable did add a white headband to go with her hair as Roll changed into a pink bud tank with a white folded skirt. Roll found herself liking how pretty she looked.

As for the other Uchis, Roll had them placed under "house arrest" until she could figure out what to do with them. She said house arrest just to please Mr. Resetti, but the blonde girl had no plans in holding them hostage inside her house, at least not for the long term. But she did want to talk to them. While none of them didn't break down like Cherry did, Sable said that they did cry for a while as they kept them under close guard until Roll had woken up. Roll had no worries about any of them trying to attack her, except for Sylvia. Yumi had placed the purple Kangaroo in the guest wing of the house and there she stayed for the rest of the night with Yumi keeping an eye on her. Renee, Phoebe, and Tammy all pleaded mercy and agreed to servitude under the blonde girl, but Sable put a stop to it immediately and said sternly that Roll will decide what to do with them. Roll had planned on talking to the other three Uchis after she had eaten some breakfast, but seeing that they looked so nervous, she decided to address them beforehand. Cherry was also there as well to offer moral support and because she wanted to see what Roll had to say. After all, she, like the others, had no place to go. As the uchi's sat on the main sofa, Roll took a seat in one of the side chairs, patting her skirt into her lap before speaking.

"I guess I don't need to lecture you on all the damage you've caused to this town," said Roll, "but I am also willing to give you the benefit of the doubt that neither of you meant to do all the terrible things you've done." All four Uchis just shook their heads together.

"We were just afraid for our lives, yo-yo-yo," said Renee sadly, "Sylvia was very ruthless to us all."

"But I don't understand why you guys didn't just stand up to her?" said Roll, "You outnumbered her five to one."

"Roll-chan, you saw how easily she threw off all five of them without breaking a sweat," Yumi explained, "These Uchis weren't just in fear. They were abused. Abused to the point that they didn't want to be hurt anymore." The other Uchis felt very shamed and depressed and nodded in agreement. Roll just looked at them with sympathy.

"Everything is going to be okay, you guys," said Roll as she slowly stood up from her chair and stood before them, "I'm gonna make sure Sylvia never hurts you guys ever again."

"How, sparky?" said Phoebe.

"I'll see to it myself," said Roll, "Sylvia isn't strong without you guys. I'm not gonna let her hurt you anymore."

"Speaking of which..." Yumi replied as she headed into the guest room where Sylvia had been put to sleep. She had stepped out to see how Roll was gonna handle the other Uchis but knew if she stayed away too long Sylvia might try something. And the kangaroo had done just that.

"SHE'S GONE!" Yumi shouted and everyone rushed into the bed room. They noticed that they bed Sylvia had been resting in was empty and the window to her room was open, not smashed, just opened.

"She must have gone out the window, what-what," said Cherry. They also took note that nothing inside was damaged. Sylvia had managed to sneak out without nobody noticing. There was a loud whimper. Sable, Yumi, and Roll noticed that the four Uchis were trembling in fear.

"Don't worry you guys," said Roll gently, "She's not gonna come after you. I promise."

"She's right," said Yumi, "I can feel it. She's in no condition to harm anyone right now. Unfortunately, going after her won't do any good. Her heart is filled with much conflict."

"How do you know, sensei?" Roll asked.

"I could feel her chi when I examined her," said Yumi, "Your act of kindness caused a conflict deep within her. Now she's in conflict with herself and until she figures out who she is and what she truly wants in life, she'll never be strong. It's a path of self-discovery she needs to do on her own and no one can chose it for her. She won't be bothering anyone for a long time. Who knows, maybe she'll learn her lesson and find a better path for her life than just being a bully." Roll just hummed and then turned to the other Uchis. They were relived Sylvia was gone, but they felt empty.

"So...what happens to us now, yo-yo-yo?" said Renee.

"First you're gonna help us clean up the damage you've done to the town," said Roll, "and once you've finished, you can tell us what you really want to do with your lives. I'm sure all of you have had some sort of dream despite Sylvia's tyranny. If you willing to tell me about it, we can work together to make that dream come true." The four Uchis were left stunned and suddenly they burst into tears. Roll's kindness was just too much and they couldn't help but break down.

"But...but...after everything..." Tammy croaked, "we don't deserve it."

"Yes you do," said Roll, "If being a fool means protecting someone whose in need than turning their back on them, then that's what I am."

"You're not a fool, sparky," said Phoebe sadly as she cried, "You're a caring person. And you're kind enough to show compassion to the likes of us, despite everything."

"You're strong in both your character and in the way you fight, hi there," Tammy sobbed, "You fight with love instead of strength and fear. You are what we've wanted when we first joined the Uchi gang. You're the true definition of what it means to be a tough girl." Roll just listened attentively and just smiled as she called for them to group hug. They did willingly, still crying as they did so. Sable and Yumi just smiled to each other, each proud of Roll for similar as well as different reasons.

Thanks to the Uchis cleaning up the town, repairs were complete within a few days and the town looked better than new. Katt also offered her house for the Uchis to stay so Roll could finally have her house to herself. Well...at least just have her house with only one guest. Yumi stayed to help with the clean up as well as her _butler_. They were a big help as well and the rest of the village welcomed her and her _butler_ with open arms. After she left two days later, she was willing to admit that Roll was more than just a student, but a lifelong friend. Roll made her promise to come back again someday and Yumi assured her that when the time was right she would. Roll gave her a parting gift, which was a western style party dress in purple with a lavender waist belt that had a belt buckle with Yumi's other favorite food. Toast. She loved the dress and promised to wear it in the future.

Within a week or so the other Uchis, with Roll's help, had relocated to other towns to start their own lives and pursue their own dreams. Tammy was going to start doing research on how to become a hostess so she could throw lots of different types of parties, her favorite being Halloween costume parties. Phoebe always had an interest in volcanoes so she decided to go back to college and try to earn a degree in earth science and geology. Renee wanted to help prevent children from joining gangs and went back to her home town to set up a community center for children to play that was safe and where they could help the community rather than cause mischief. Katt was letting Cherry stay at her house since Cherry's dream coincided with Margie's. While Margie wanted to create clothes and designs, Cherry wanted to have her own fashion runway where people could showcase their designs. They had decided to work together so once Margie was ready to promote her clothes, Cherry could help her showcase them to the public.

The Saturday before the big bug off, Sable was hard at work in her shop trying to do her cross-stitching with the digital QR machine when she heard someone enter the shop. She turned and was surprised to see Cherry walk in with Mabel just smiling suspiciously. While Cherry had earned everyone's forgiveness, Sable was still quiet towards her. Cherry knew Sable was still mad at her even when the brown hedgehog smiled back at her. Cherry could always tell that Sable's smiles were forced and hoped her little surprise would settle this issue once and for all.

"Hey Sable," said Cherry cheerfully.

"Hi," she replied bluntly and got back to work.

"I have a surprise for you," said Cherry. That got Sable to stop working as she turned towards the red and black dog. Cherry giggled before the eagerly rushed out of the shop and rolled in what appeared to be a sewing machine. Yet it wasn't just any sewing machine. It was _her_ sewing machine. She didn't want to believe it, especially since the machine looked brand new. Sable was speechless.

"H-h-how?" said Sable, noticing that "Able" engraving was also there. She had first thought it was duplicate until she noticed that the engraving was the original, but it had been repainted and restored.

"Mabel told me that you had actually saved the broken parts, including the outer covering with the family engraving on it," Cherry explained, "I was able to find a blueprint for the exact machine model and I used the parts and some spare parts I salvaged at a local garbage dump to rebuild it piece by piece. I did have some help from an old friend to restore the outer covering, but...I know that this machine meant alot to you. Since Tammy was able to restore the picture she drew over, I figured...I could try to restore the sewing machine since I had the technical knowhow to do so. If there was one thing I learned during my time with the gang, it was how to tinker with machines, especially older machines. It wasn't easy but I had it tested and it seems to work. Care to try it out?"

Sable just stared at the machine before she slowly approached. She just fingered the outer covering for a moment before grabbing a pattern that needed a good cross-stitching and slowly started up the machine. Sable was immediately satisfied. It was like the machine had never been damaged and it worked just like it had before, but better. In fact, because the parts were now brand new, the stitching process was much smoother and she wouldn't have to worry about oiling and adjusting the gears and threads as much due to wear and tear. Sable then stopped the machine and just looked at Cherry was teary eyes before embracing her warmly.

"Thank you," she said with a sniffle.

"You're welcome, what-what," said Cherry, "I hope I can earn you're forgiveness now." Sable pulled away as she dried her eyes.

"You already have," said Sable, "I was just being immature. After all, it's just a machine. I don't need it to remember my mom, but...I'm still glad to have my mom's sewing machine restored nevertheless." Cherry smiled as a young man entered the shop wearing a horizontal stripped tee, jeans, flip-flops, messy brown hair, round glasses and a beret.

"My Cherry amour?" he said softly. Cherry froze when she heard the voice and slowly turned around and gasped with her hands over her mouth. She knew who the young man was.

"B-Bacon?" she called out. The young man just smiled and raised his arms. Cherry wasted no time rushing into them as he lifted her into the air and spun her around and held her close as Cherry broke down in tears. They pulled away, still holding each other. Cherry smiled as her tears continued to fall and Bacon slowly used his thumb to wiped them away, making her giggle.

"I'm so sorry..." Cherry tried to apologize but he put a finger over her lips.

"It's okay," he answered sweetly, "Mayor Roll explained everything. I've been waiting for this day when we could be together again."

"You...you have, what-what?" Cherry croaked.

"Yes, you lost your way," said Bacon, "but you've found it again."

"I did lose my way," said Cherry, "I wouldn't say I found it again, but I do know this...I love you and I want to be with you, what-what."

"That's good to know," said Bacon, "cause I want to be with you too...forever." Cherry gasped once more and both Mabel and Labelle squealed with glee. Bacon was now on one knee, holding a precious diamond ring inside of a black box.

"Cherry I love you with all my heart," said Bacon, "and together we are gonna make your dreams come true. Will you do me the honor...of becoming my wife?" Cherry was almost too choked up to speak but said timidly.

"Yes..." before she began to sob, but she did so happily as Bacon slipped the ring onto her finger and they exchanged a kiss with each other.

Outside, Roll had been watching the event discreetly from outside the shop's window. She smiled happily before leaving to do her own regular dailies around town. As for the rest of the village, Roll was being declared a hero. She had saved the town and she had helped four girls turn their lives around so they could pursue their own dreams.

Now she was the true definition of what it meant to be...a tough girl.

 **Hope you caught the** ** _Toy Story_** **,** ** _Lion King_** **,** ** _Avatar the Last_** **Airbender, and** ** _A Bug's Life_** **references here. I just had to include at least one** ** _Star Wars_** **and** ** _Sonic X_** **reference too.**

 **I had the dress described is a QR code in my twitter account but it was so long ago that I might need to repost it.**

 **The Uchi villager's dreams are based loosely off their projects designs in ACHHD.**

 **I didn't expect this to be five parts, but a good story needs its content. Here's the preview for the next story arc:**

 **The Bug Off: Roll's first bug off is coming up, but she doesn't want to participate due her fear and disgust of bugs. But when another Mayor named Sakura comes to participate, can she help Roll overcome her fear and insecurities? Especially with...eww...cockroaches?**

 **Find out...next time.**


	26. The Bug Off Part 1

The Bug Off Part 1

While both Bacon and Cherry wanted to get married as soon as possible, there was one thing that Cherry wanted to do more than to be with the man of her life and that was to find her family. She really wanted them to be at her wedding and hoped that despite her past that they would be willing to forgive her and accept her back into their lives. While Bacon could only offer her some positive encouragement and lots of love, which isn't a bad thing, he was willing to spare no expense to help Cherry locate her lost family. Cherry couldn't resist crying. Despite everything she put him through, his love for her was so strong and so sincere. He still saw the best in her. That made it easy for her to open up to him and that included crying too. It was even easier to do the one thing that Sylvia would have killed her if she had done it beforehand, which was lower her defenses and open her heart. With the decision made, they left early the next morning on the train just as the sun rose into the sky. Roll, while still in her summer pajamas, was there to wish them both off before she headed back to her house and went back to bed.

As for Animal Town, life finally felt like things could return to normal and the timing couldn't have been more perfect either. The Uchi gang had disbanded and now were friends with Roll and living their own lives. Sylvia never showed up, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be back again. Roll wasn't worried, saying she would be ready for her whenever that day would come. Despite that, the town had become busy and peaceful once more. Everyone was happy and nobody was afraid to stop outside their houses anymore. Things could go on as usual with no more unnecessary problems and Roll could focus more on making Animal Town a sweeter, better, and a happier place. When Roll finally reawakened and had dressed into twinkle tank with her denim skirt, hair in a ponytail and a star hairpin, she immediately got to work on her dailies and making sure that everyone was okay and happy. The morning turned out to be very busy and it was afternoon when she arrived at the train station to check the message board. She hadn't been expecting anything new on the message board and was surprised to find out about an upcoming event was happening in the town.

 _Attention! Attention!_

 _The first Bug off event of the year is this weekend. Be sure to have your nets ready and we'll see who can deliver the most delectable...err...the finest bugs in the town with the top three receiving a shiny trophy._

 _Nat_

"Oh the Bug off is this weekend, tee hee!" said Bunnie excitedly.

"Is that exciting Roll?" Rosie added.

"What is the Bug off?" Roll asked curiously, forgetting to ask where the two peppy villagers had even come from, "Is it like the fishing tourneys?"

"That is correct, kitten," said Purrl who had been reading the bulletin as she was causally walking by, "You basically catch bugs and bring them to Nat, who is the host of the bug off events, and he will judge them according to size, color and luster and give it a numerical score."

"Sounds more complicated than the fishing tourney," said Roll, lightly playing with a strand of hair from her bangs.

"The way he scores can be a bit hard to comprehend, kitten," said Purrl, "but basically the general rule is the more rarer the bug, the higher the chances will be of the bug getting a really high score."

"Plus every time you smash the days record, you can get prizes just like with Chip, except these furniture designs are based off of bugs instead of fish, silly," Rosie added. Roll just made a face. She didn't like bugs to begin with and the idea of having furniture based off of bugs didn't sound that appealing to her. She was quickly losing interest in the Bug off event.

"Oh this is gonna be so exciting, tee hee!" Bunnie cooed and she hopped up and down and turned to Rosie, "With our access to the Island we can stock up on lots of rare and exotic bugs."

"Yeah that is true!" Rosie added, "Roll will you take us to the Island later this week for some beetle hunting. We're bound to find some game winning bugs out there, silly!" Roll just gave them sheepish smile.

"Alright..." she conceded with a sigh, showing no enthusiasm about it but the two peppy villagers didn't seem to notice as they cheered and clapped excitedly. Now they huddled up together to figure out what day they wanted to make the trip over there. Purrl took notice of Roll's exasperation about the whole idea. She could tell Roll looked a little bothered.

"Must be quite a handful chaperoning those two, kitten," she teased. Roll just rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself.

"It's not really the trip to the island that bug's me, so to speak," said Roll, wincing a little at her accidental pun, "I guess...I guess this whole Bug Off event just doesn't excite me like the fishing tourney's did."

"Why is that, kitten?" Purrl asked, "Is it because of your fear of bugs?" Roll just sighed in defeat and nodded. Thanks to Bunnie and Rosie, everyone knew about her fear and distaste of bugs. Well she couldn't blame them completely. Plenty of villagers had seen her shriek whenever bugs crawled too close to her or flew into face. Several villagers were there at the museum when Celeste surprised the both her and Blathers with a mole cricket to their faces, causing them both to pass out.

"I feel so stupid..." Roll remarked, remembering that last incident clearly.

"You're not stupid dear," Purrl protested with her hands on her hips.

"Well it feels so stupid," Roll continued, "I mean...think about it Purrl...I took on eight of the toughest and fiercest fighters not even a week ago and yet I still freak out at the sight of a cockroach! It's embarassing that someone who people here think is the bravest person in the village will get overwhelmed by the of something so small...and icky...and creepy...and crawly...EEEEKKKKK!" Everyone near the bulletin board stopped to look at her. Roll blushed a bit before rubbing a hand through her hair as she adjusted her ponytail a bit and played with her star hairpin. Fortunately, after a few seconds of looking they just went back to their business, including Bunnie and Rosie who were still discussing their island plans and mostly gossip as Purrl just chuckled to herself.

"I didn't mind gathering large bugs for the sake of raising the funds I needed to pay off my house or for public works projects," said Roll, "but this...this is just gathering bugs for the fun of it. I can't enjoy something if it makes me feel all nervous and uncomfortable. I...I don't think I'm gonna participate..."

"NO!" Bunnie and Rosie shouted sadly.

"Roll you have to participate in the bug off, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"It's your mayoral duty, silly!" Rosie added.

"Is it?" Roll groaned as Purrl rolled her eyes.

"No, it's not kitten," Purrl answered. Rosie just rolled her eyes back at her.

"Okay fine!" Rosie pouted, "The mayor isn't _required_ to participate, silly, but your best friends still want you too."

"It just won't be as much fun if you're not there, tee hee!" Bunnie added, "please say that you'll participate." Roll just groaned. She really didn't want to and while she was still growing in terms of self-confidence, she hated seeing Bunnie and Rosie pout at her just because she didn't want to do something. They were really good at making her feel guilty and it was often at her own expense. Friends can take you out of your comfort zone, but the number of times these two had done was so was getting on Roll's nerves.

"Don't let them force you into doing this," said Purrl, "If you don't want to participate, then just let them know that." Roll just gave them a serious but sad look.

"I'm sorry you guys," said Roll, "but bugs still bother me and being around them just makes me uncomfortable." Bunnie and Rosie just looked sad but then just nodded with a smile.

"Alright, tee hee," Bunnie conceded.

"It's up to you, silly," said Rosie plainly. Roll could hear the sound of their disappointment in their voice.

"Did you still want me to take to you the Island later this week?" Roll asked. Just because she didn't want to participate didn't mean she couldn't help them out with their own bug entries.

"Nah," said Bunnie plainly.

"Forget it," Rosie added in the same tone, "I don't think we're gonna participate either. See you later." They both took off in opposite directions without another word. Roll looked dumbfounded until she growled and balled her fists.

"Aw come on you guys!" said Roll, now frustrated, "Just because I don't want to do the Bug Off doesn't mean you have to cancel your plans!" The two peppy villagers said nothing and kept walking away without another word. Roll just looked at them for a bit longer before snorting in defeat.

"This is why I still struggle with feeling self-confident," said Roll to no one in particular even though Purrl was listening, "I still can't even make decisions for myself. CAN I JUST DO SOMETHING FOR ME JUST ONCE IN MY LIFE! AM I REALLY DOING HARM BY NOT DOING TO THIS STUPID EVENT!?"

"Hey, calm down young lady!" said Purrl firmly but gently, "No need to shout." Roll just panted heavily and just sighed to herself.

"I am not a selfish person," she said meekly.

"I know you're not and so do Rosie and Bunnie, kitten," said Purrl, "Just try to relax, take some deep breaths. They are not going to stop being your best friends cause you said you didn't want to do the Bug Off. They'll pout awhile and then get over it."

"Then why do I feel so bad," said Roll, "I hate it when they do that."

"You just have a very unselfish heart and sometimes I think they take advantage of that, kitten," said Purrl, "But don't you worry. They won't get away with that for long. I'll tell you what, kitten. If it will help you feel better about all of this, why not just keep an open mind about this? There's still a few days before the Bug Off this Saturday. How about you just leave the decision in the air and see how you feel about it once it gets closer to the event? Then in the morning you can decide if you want to do it or not."

"Isn't that just giving them false hope?" Roll wondered.

"No," said Purrl, "cause young minds can change about things multiples within a single day and I should know, kitten. You might not feel up to this event right now. But give it time...you just might change your mind and your feelings about the Bug Off." Roll didn't think that was true, but was willing to do that if it would make her friends feel less sad and ease that annoying tug on her conscience.

"Okay..." Roll conceded. Purrl smiled and gave her a hug from the side.

"Now try not to think about it anymore and just give those two their space, kitten," said Purrl, "go find something to do that will take your mind off of this alright?" Roll just let out a long slow breath and nodded before she made her way towards main street. She first decided to check out Nook's homes first. She had been waiting for new house exterior parts. As much as she loved her mansion style exterior she wanted to upgrade it to the castle. Unfortunately, today wasn't her lucky day and she saw that Tom Nook only had the modern house design. Roll was disappointed but she decided to see what else Tom might have in his shop since she was looking to make her house all pink with a brown roof. She had the brown roof, pink door, and pink cobblestone. She was still looking for a good exterior since they didn't have a pink exterior that was too over the top as well as a pink mailbox and fence.

"Why hello there Mayor Roll," said Tom Nook, "what bring you in today, hmm?"

"Just browsing to see if you had any of those pink house parts that I've been looking for," said Roll sweetly with Tom with her hands behind her back. Tom just smiled.

"Would this be on your list of wants, hmm?" Tom Nook answered as he pointed toward a pink fence and pink house shaped mail box. Roll gasped excitedly.

"They are so cute!" said Roll as she bounced on the her toes, "I'll take both of them Tom Nook!" The tanooki smiled as Roll gave him the bells need to purchase both parts.

"Very good, very good," said Tom Nook, "I'll send in your order right away and the construction will be complete and ready to go in the morning, hmm."

"Thank you," said Roll, excited to see how they would look in the morning.

"So Roll. How are you? You Good. You Bad. Wanna know. Know Now! BOOM!" said Lyle. Roll just giggled at his bantering. She had gotten used to his blunt language by now. Thought she still couldn't understand him most of the time.

"I'm doing fine Lyle," said Roll, "How are you today?"

"Just fine. Just dandy! BANG!" Lyle answered, "Busy. Just like a bee. But excited? Yes! Why? Event this weekend. Not too common! First of Summer! Hope to participate! Yes I do! If not too busy! Always Busy! Gotta participate! Gotta try! BOOM!"

"Ah, yes, yes, the Bug Off," said Tom Nook, "Well if we find ourselves a bug or two after work. We might have a sporting chance my friend, hmm."

"Yes! A chance! A chance we have! A chance we'll get! But must do so soon! Busy we are! Bang!" Lyle answered.

"Isn't your store open during the event?" Roll asked.

"Yes. Business open. We get busy, very busy. Boom!" Lyle answered, "but remember? Yes you do! Business at 10am. 10am sharp! Bug off? When it starts? Starts at 9! 9am sharp! 9am comes before 10am does it not? Yes it does! Means time that we can participate! Yes it is! Bang!" Roll just chuckled to herself.

"Point made Lyle," said Roll, "Well I hope you guys have fun. I best be going and thank you those house parts Tom Nook!"

"Thank you for your business," Tom Nook replied with a bow, "please come again soon, hmm?" Roll just nodded as she exited the shop and headed towards Dr. Shrunk. Since it was past 12 already, she could learn a few more of his jokes. Only today was different since she had checked her joke book and found that she only needed one more. She was eager to find out what it was as she headed inside where the axolotl was busy cleaning up the club for tonight.

"Good afternoon Dr. Shrunk," said Roll. The axolotl stuttered a bit since he had been in deep thought.

"Ah you're come for the final joke in your joke book I see," said Axolotl with a warm smile.

"Yeah I did," said Roll, "I also brought a special snack for the occasion." Roll dipped into her pockets and pulled out a golden colored cherry.

"Oh my, a perfect cherry!" said Dr. Shrunk, "Well don't mind if I do!" He gobbled it up quickly as if it were any other fruit but his cheeks were flushed when he finished with it.

"Oooh that was just absolutely delectable!" said Dr. Shrunk, "Now let me get into my old suit and I'll show you that final joke." Roll nodded as she headed towards the front of the stage and waited patiently til Dr. Shrunk arrived and cued himself on.

"Thank you, thank you Dr. Shrunk is in the house," he said as he introduced himself, "it is now time to show you the grand finale. The Shrunk Funk Shuffle! Now pay attention and watch the master show you how's it done!" Roll just smiled and saw that the last joke was actually a dance. She felt a little silly doing it, but she did learn it within a couple of minutes. Dr. Shrunk was very impressed with Roll's own dance moves.

"Well done, Roll," said Dr. Shrunk, "Now you have a complete set of my jokes in your book. Now you can become a fully realized comedian like yours truly!"

"Thanks," said Roll, but with a hint of sheepishness and also a touch of tone saying that she didn't want to be a comedian _just like him_.

"Maybe if you do well this weekend, you might be able to show off your new dance on the winner podium!" he added and Roll just groaned.

"You mean...the Bug Off?" she asked simply.

"That's the event!" said Dr. Shrunk, "It's coming up this weekend!"

"Yes...I know..." said Roll, getting irritated about hearing about the Bug Off event again and again, "Well thank you so much for showing me the last joke Dr. Shrunk."

"The pleasure was all mine," said Dr. Shrunk, "but please still drop by from time to time even though you've learned all my jokes. It can get a bit lonely around here before opening hours." Roll smiled.

"Of course," she answered and left the club soon after. She needed some air since all the constant talk about the Bug Off was starting to irritate her. As she made the journey into TIY, she found that fate wasn't going to let her get away from the subject. TIY was loaded with bug nets and other plants that would help attract bugs for the very event. Roll tried to be as gentle and kind about Tommy and Leif's advertisements as she could, but the constant talk was really starting to get on her nerves. She was about to leave Leif's new section of TIY when he stopped her.

"Hey, hold up their...uhh...Roll, yes Mayor Roll!" he said excitedly.

"What is it?" Roll asked bluntly, feeling drained from all the Bug Off talk.

"Umm...well...oh yes, I remember now," said Leif, "that was your fiftieth tree sapling that you've purchased from me!"

"Really?" said Roll surprised, "I...hadn't kept count."

"Well for your fiftieth purchase of my tree saplings," said Lief proudly, "I want to present you with this!" Lief reached into his pockets and Roll gasped in amazement as he gave her a axe made out of gold!

"This golden axe is very special," Leif explained, "It never breaks! Thought I don't assume you'll go chopping down a bunch of trees with it!" He looked worried as Roll giggled to herself.

"Of course I won't Leif!" said Roll with a smile as she put the new axe into her pockets, "But this will make replanting my cherry trees alot easier when it comes time to harvest them! It was quite a chore trying to relocate fruit and non fruit trees when your axe kept breaking every 6-10 trees. Now I can do more at once instead of just a few a day! So thank you Lief. This will help me with creating my fruit and non fruit tree areas."

"You are most welcome!" said Leif, "Now come again soon and I hope you find some nice bugs for the Bug off on those new trees this Saturday." Roll grinned but it was more out of annoyance rather than appreciation of his comment as she made her way out of the shop. She stopped short of entering the Able Sisters and groaned loudly. She then just took a deep breath before entering into the Able Sister's shop. She decided to enter the accessories area first because Labelle was finally returning to work that day. Since the shop had been trashed, Labelle had been forced to stay home due to her ankle being put in a cast. While she said she could manage being in crutches, Sable wouldn't hear any of it and the middle sister was forced to stay at home. Roll couldn't resist giggling as she remembered Mabel's stories about how Labelle was complaining about being bored as entered the shop. She saw the reddish brown hedgehog at work and couldn't help but smile.

"Hi Labelle," said Roll sweetly. The hedgehog stopped what she was doing and turned to see the blonde girl and smiled.

"Hey Roll," said Labelle as she walked up to her slowly and embraced her. Roll hugged her back warmly. Labelle had opened up with Roll alot over the past month or so and now she had no problem giving her a hug and a kiss since she grew to love her new niece dearly. Roll was grateful for the extra love and often asked her for fashion advice from time to time. Labelle was the one who had suggested the fabled all demin outfit she wore during the turf war and when confronting her mother.

"I'm glad to see you're doing better," said Roll and then noticed that Labelle's was wearing a pump instead of her regular high heeled shoes. Labelle caught her looking and chuckled to herself.

"While it's healed, it's still a bit sensitive if the foot isn't leveled," said Labelle, "but better than be safe than sorry I guess."

"Sable forced you to wear them didn't see?" Roll responded as she hinted the annoyance in Labelle tone. The hedgehog just huffed.

"Yeah, but it's also my fault," said Labelle, "I tried my heels at home and I almost re-twisted it since my ankle is still weak from not putting alot of weight on it. To say Sable was angry at me for trying was an understatement."

"I hope she wasn't too harsh," said Roll, "When you know you did something dumb, the last thing you need is someone saying I told you so."

"I agree," said Labelle, "but I know its cause Sable loves me so I can't really stay annoyed with her for too long. I was more worried that wearing a comfortable shoe would make my feet ache since I'm so used to high heels, but I'm actually doing okay."

"Why not try it my way?" Roll suggested. Labelle smiled but rolled her eyes at the same time.

"Nice try," said Labelle, "But the barefoot fashion is your forte, not mine."

"Just offering," said Roll, "have you got anything good today in stock?"

"See for yourself," said Labelle, "I banked more on hats since people are gonna want to the sun out of their eyes for the big..."

"Don't say it!" Roll snapped as she lost her temper, "Just...don't say it! UGH!" Labelle just looked at her with concern.

"I'm guessing your either getting flustered over all the Bug off advertisements," said Labelle, "or you're just not looking forward to the event." Roll just sighed quietly in defeat.

"Both," said Roll in exasperation, "I mean...you understand why I'm not looking forward to this right?" Labelle just smiled and nodded. She knew of Roll's story about how her bug phobia had manifested.

"Yes I do," said Labelle.

"It's kind of stupid isn't it?" Roll asked sheepishly.

"Not at all, Roll," said Labelle, "I hate bugs too you know. They are creepy and yucky to me and I can't stand seeing them crawl about sometimes. So don't feel stupid about it okay?"

"It's hard not to feel stupid, Labelle," said Roll quietly, "I mean this is the same girl who fought the Uchi gang and yet a bug the size of my pinky still makes me shriek."

"These situations aren't the same, sweetheart," said Sable as she entered the accessories area. Labelle looked indignant.

"Were you spying on us?" she asked inquisitively.

"No," said Sable, "But I could hear you talking from the other room." Labelle groaned.

"I want a door and new _soundproof_ walls over here!" said Labelle.

"Let me think about it...NO!" said Sable and Labelle pouted.

"Back to the subject at hand," Sable pressed on, "facing bullies and facing bugs are two different scenarios. The former was just you wanting to defend your family. The latter had to do with a traumatic experience."

"Traumatic experience?" said Roll.

"Sable I wouldn't go that far," said Labelle.

"Then tell me how you would feel waking up and having millions of cockroaches crawling all over every inch of your body?" Sable asked.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Roll screamed and then panted heavily as if all the breath had been sucked out of her. Labelle looked worried as Sable walked up to her and gave the clearly flustered blonde girl a warm hug.

"I think you got my point," said Sable.

"Guess I'm not as strong as I thought," said Roll sadly and also embarassed.

"This has nothing to do with strength," said Sable, "it has to do with the fact that you had a bad experience with cockroaches, but I can assure you...just because cockroaches scarred you psychologically doesn't mean that all bugs will be like that or will they do that to you."

"I...know..." said Roll, "but seeing alot of bugs still makes me feel very uncomfortable. I just don't get how everyone gets so excited over collecting, catching and displaying them."

"Well some people do collect and study bugs for a hobby," said Labelle as a matter of fact, "anyway, if you don't want to participate, then why not just say so?"

"Cause all my friends are gonna participate and when I said I didn't want to I think Rosie and Bunnie got really upset about it and now they don't want to talk to me," Roll explained.

"Well don't worry about it," said Sable, "You know those two can pout for a while before they realize that they can't force you to do stuff. Nobody can force you to overcome this phobia of yours either. Just like you learned to confront your mother and face all the negative things that were attacking your mind, you can eventually learn that cockroaches would hurt you. When that day comes, they won't bother you as much anymore when they crawl about."

"I hope so," said Roll sadly.

"I know so," said Sable, "Momma knows best." Roll smiled and embraced her lovingly.

"I'm glad you're my momma," said Roll sweetly as she held her dearly. Sable kissed her cheek and continued to hold her. Labelle just smiled before finding a spot where she could join the group hug so she wouldn't feel left out.

After spending some time with Sable and her sisters, and making a purchase or two, Roll made her way back home. While she felt better, she still had alot to take to think about. While Sable agreed with Purrl in terms of keeping her decision open about the Bug off, Roll still felt torn about the decision. She didn't want to disappoint her friends but...this was bugs. She simply did not like bugs at all and her fear of cockroaches really made the idea of seeing lots of bugs made her very uncomfortable. In fact, she never even went into the bug exhibit in the museum. Since learning that June was the time of year that tarantulas were could appear at night. Roll didn't like going outside the house alone after 7pm since such large spiders never appeared around groups. As Roll made her way towards her house, she came to some realization.

"Would it really kill me to participate?" said Roll, "even if it's just a common bug, at least I can just spend time with my friends and they would be happy! I mean sure, I wouldn't feel completely comfortable but is that a such a huge price to pay for my friends' happiness? No!" Roll smiled.

"I can do this," said Roll, "I can go to the bug off and have a good time. I'll have my friends and they make me happy and...huh?" Roll had passed the lemon tree she had planted near her house and felt something hit the front of her forehead. Just as she lifted her right arm, the object jumped off and landed on her hand. Roll gasped in fright when she saw a common yellow and brown stripped spider was now on her hand.

"EEEEK!" Roll shouted, "GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF!" Roll bounced around in a circle, waving her hand around trying to get the spider off her hand. Yet the spider just stayed still and didn't leave her hand.

"Don't move!" shouted someone from above, "or that spider will get away." The person who shouted suddenly jumped out of the tree and dropped her net at Roll, dumping it over her head and knocking the spider off her hand. The spider quickly tried to crawl away.

"Aww...I told you not to move!" said the voice as she grabbed a spare net and tried to snatch the spider by swinging at it.

"Oh come on!" The person missed.

"Get back here!" They missed again.

"Wait!" and again.

"Wait!" and again. Roll was just too stunned at the fact someone had thrown a bug net over head and hadn't moved or even bothered to removed it. Then she heard the sound of someone catching the bug.

"YES!" they shouted, "I caught the spider! That rare spider is mine! All mine!" They began to dance about with glee.

"I caught the spider! I caught the spider! I caught the spider! I caught the spider!" They sang as they hopped and danced around. Roll finally came to her senses and threw the net off her head and down on the ground.

"Hey! Just what do you think you're..." Roll suddenly stopped when she noticed who it was that dropped the net over head. She was even more surprised when she saw that it wasn't any of the villagers. In fact, it wasn't even a villager at all. It was a pink haired girl with blue eyes who had it styled with a pair of downward pigtails with a oversized flower hairpin. She was wearing a pink tank that had white flowers on it, a white skirt with lacing on it, and some pink pumps on her feet. She also looked older too. Roll guessed around 13-14 years old.

"I've meet alot of different villagers, even a human boy,," said Roll to herself as the girl sorted through her pockets and approached her, "but I've never met a human girl before in this part of the world." Roll just glared at her until the girl put out a fist in front of her face.

"This is for you," she replied. Roll was taken aback for even leaned away a bit from the closed hand in front of her.

"Huh?" was her only reply.

"I'm Sakura, from a nearby town," she answer cheerfully, "I decided to come here to play today." She kept her closed fist towards Roll and pushed it forward a bit. Roll could tell she was just offering something and not trying to slug her, but she was still on the defense.

"Uhh...this isn't exactly how I pictured this conversation going," she said aloud but the pink girl didn't seem to take much notice.

"Anyway," said Sakura with a smile, "I managed to catch the spider, thanks to the two of us!"

"The...two of us?" Roll repeated surprised and also nervously.

"Yes, and this is for you!" said Sakura happily. Roll looked at her closed hand as the pink girl opened it and there was another bug, but it wasn't just any bug. It was a cockroach! The bug innocently flew out of her hand and landed on Roll's forehead. Roll cringed as her eyes shrunk in pure fear before...

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Her scream could be heard from every corner of the town. It made everyone freeze in surprise. By the time Sakura realized her mistake, poor Roll was out cold on the ground near her house. The cockroach just flew away as if nothing had happened.

Roll woke up slowly laying down on the sofa inside her house. As her vision cleared, she noticed two familiar faces looking at her worried.

"Bunnie? Rosie?" she asked wearily.

"Hey Roll, are you okay, tee hee?" Bunnie asked gently.

"Yeah, I...I guess I just passed out..." said Roll.

"What happened, silly?" Rosie asked.

"We heard you screaming full force, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Then when we found you out cold on the ground and then we saw this pink haired girl near you. Don't worry. We made sure she didn't try to hurt you."

"Where...where is she?" Roll asked as she slowly sat up.

"Don't know, silly," said Rosie, "We just told her to leave you alone and she ran off!" Roll just blinked before she groaned and lay back down on one of the sofa pillows.

"Great, I finally get the chance at making a new friend, a human girl," said Roll, "and you two shooed her away." Bunnie and Rosie looked indignant.

"Well excuse us for caring, tee hee," said Bunnie, "the way you screamed, we thought she did something to you!"

"Do you at least remember what was going on when you screamed, silly?" Rosie asked with a serious tone in her voice.

"She...was thanking me for helping her capture a spider from a tree," Roll replied slowly, "Then she wanted to say thank you and gave me a bug she had in her hand."

"Oh no..." Bunnie and Rosie remarked.

"What kind of bug did she give you?" Rosie asked with much dread.

"A...a cockroach," said Roll, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Oh no..." Bunnie and Rosie repeated but this time in a more melodramatic tone. Roll just blushed in embarrassment and closed her eyes.

"Roll..." said Rosie gently. Roll slowly opened her eye and looked at Rosie.

"Is...is that why you don't want to do the bug off?" said Rosie, "cause of your fear and discomfort around bugs?" Roll just looked at her sadly and nodded.

"How could we be so stupid..." Bunnie began.

"What's stupid about wanting me to participate with you guys?" Roll asked as she sat back up, "I'll...I'll do it..."

"No, no, it's okay, silly," said Rosie, "We should have considered your feelings when we asked or tried to persuade you to participate. And we shouldn't have gotten so upset with you when you said no."

"Guys, it's okay," said Roll, "I mean...I thought..."

"Roll you don't have to participate for our sake, tee hee," said Bunnie, "You know we'll always love you, right?" Roll just stared and then nodded. Bunnie and Rosie looked at her sadly.

"Did you really think...?" Rosie tried to ask. Roll just let out a long sigh.

"I didn't want to disappoint or let you down," said Roll, "Like I was gonna say...I'll do it for you guys. I mean...you'll protect me from the icky buggies right?" The two peppy villagers just smiled.

"Well we appreciate the thought, tee hee," said Bunnie, "but you don't have too. We won't be upset anymore if you don't want to participate okay." Rosie nodded in agreement. Roll just smiled as she embraced the both of them into a group hug.

"Well, I figured I could just leave the decision in the air til the day of and then see how I feel," Roll thought aloud.

"It's a good idea, silly," said Rosie, "In the end, we will support whatever you decide. Promise." Roll just smiled, feeling much better about the whole bug off situation, but she still looked worried.

"I am still worried about Sakura," said Roll.

"Sakura?" said Bunnie and then it clicked, "Oh! You mean that girl from earlier. Yeah...I guess we kind of got a bit harsh with her..."

"Maybe scolding her wasn't such a good idea..." Rosie added sheepishly and Bunnie slapped a hand over her forehead as a clue that Rosie said too much.

"You _scolded_ her?" said Roll, now feeling upset, "Well that's just..."

RIIIIIIING!

Suddenly the telephone began to ring and Roll decided to delay her thought and answered it.

"Hello?" Roll asked.

"Good evening there, bonbon," said Lolly on the other end.

"Oh hello, Lolly," said Roll warmly, "How may I help you?" Lolly chuckled.

"Always as helpful as ever, bonbon," said Lolly, "Actually, I was talking a nice walk in the sunset at the beach a few minutes ago when I found this poor girl curled up into a ball and crying. She seemed really upset. When I tried to speak to her and ask what was wrong, she just broke down in sobs." If Bunnie and Rosie didn't feel bad enough, they _really_ felt small hearing that. Roll just glared them for a moment before easing off since she didn't want to make them start crying.

"I see," said Roll, "I must have scared her when I shrieked and passed out."

"When she finally calmed down," Lolly continued, "she was able to explain to me what had happened. Apparently she had tried to give you gift but had no idea about your phobia with cockroaches. The rest was just her tearing herself apart that she just always messes things up and that she can't do anything right."

"Oh boy..." said Roll, "Where is Sakura now?"

"She's still here, bonbon," said Lolly, "We're just having some iced tea together. She's calmed down a little since I offered to be her friend but she still feeling pretty down..."

"I'll be over there right away," said Roll, "She didn't know and I am not mad at her. I'm mad at someone else...but not her."

"Roll..."

"Yes Lolly?" she answered.

"Go easy on them, bonbon," said Lolly in a motherly tone, "They didn't mean any harm you know. They are just looking out for you." Roll just looked over to her two friends, who were looking rather sad and ashamed. She just smiled and then hummed to herself.

"Point taken," said Roll, "I'm sure they would feel better if they could apologize for being so harsh. I'll see you soon Lolly."

"Alright," said Lolly, "See you soon, bonbon!" Lolly then hung up the phone and Roll did the same. Then approached Rosie and Bunnie.

"Come on," said Roll as she headed towards the door. They said nothing but obediently followed her as they left her house and made their way towards Lolly's house. Roll was the first to lightly knock on the door. It wasn't long before Lolly opened the door.

"Evening Lolly," said Roll politely, making the grey stripped tabby smile.

"Good evening dear," said Lolly, "She's right over here waiting for you." Roll entered inside the house, but then stepped out and dragged both Bunnie and Rosie inside since they hadn't moved when Lolly welcomed all three of them and then closed the door once they were all inside. Roll then walked over to Sakura, who was just sitting on a floor cushion with her feet extended in front of her. Sakura was barefoot since out of respect she had removed her pumps when she entered Lolly's house and was just sitting quietly alone. Roll could see the stains on her cheeks and the redness in her blue eyes showing that she had been crying rather heavily over what had happened.

"Hey," said Roll as she took a seat next to her on a nearby cushion. Sakura just sniffled a bit and looked at her quietly.

"Hi..."she mumbled quietly in a soft tone, "I'm...sorry..."

"It's okay," said Roll gently, "You didn't know that I have a...problem when it comes to bugs. And my friends didn't mean any harm...they are just protecting me."

"She's right, tee hee," said Bunnie quietly, "We just got worried cause Roll screamed and passed out."

"We didn't mean to make you feel bad, silly," said Rosie, "And we didn't mean to yell at you. We're sorry."

"It's okay," Sakura sniffled, "I had only come by cause I wanted to make some new friends." Bunnie and Rosie smiled.

"Well why didn't you say so in the first place?" Bunnie replied cheerfully.

"Cause you were yelling at her," Roll muttered under her breath.

"Way to ruin the mood!" said Rosie with a glare.

"Sorry," said Roll, rolling her eyes.

"Our _point_ in this is," said Rosie, shooting another glare at Roll, "We didn't mean to hurt your feelings Sakura. And we would like to be your friends too, silly."

"Really?" Sakura asked curiously. Bunnie and Rosie smiled, which got the pink girl to smile as well as she rose to her feet.

"Thank you," said Sakura, "This is my first time traveling in a long time. I guess I'm a little rusty in trying to make new friends."

"How come you haven't been traveling around in a long time, tee hee?" Bunnie asked curiously. Sakura grew a bit shy as she subconsciously rubbed her hands together.

"I...don't really feel comfortable talking about that just yet," she answered softly, "Just...give me some time and when I'm ready I'll tell you." Bunnie and Rosie just smiled.

"Alright then," they said together in understanding. Sakura smiled in return as Roll stood up.

"Hey Sakura, would you like to come over to my house?" Roll offered. Sakura smiled and gave her a shy nod before putting her shoes back on and bidding Lolly goodbye. That was when she noticed that Roll was still barefoot.

"Oh...umm...uhh..." Sakura than just realized that while she had introduced herself, she had never bothered to ask the blonde girl for her name. She felt a bit embarrassed until Roll just gave her a smile.

"I guess I forgot to tell you my name," said Roll with a chuckle, "My name is Roll."

"Roll?" Sakura asked surprised.

"Yeah..." said Roll, brushing her toes back and forth against the grass, "I was named after my love for cinnamon rolls." As much as Roll had grown in self confidence, she still had alot of trouble feeling pride with her own name. Sakura just giggled.

"I like it," said Sakura, "It's unique." Roll just smiled timidly.

"Thanks," she answered and rubbed her feet together.

"Oh Roll," Sakura replied, remembering her question, "where are your shoes?" Roll just looked at her bare feet and smiled as she wiggled her toes.

"I don't wear shoes," said Roll, "it's who I am. I'm a barefooted kind of girl. I don't wear shoes unless it rains. Even in the winter, I'm the type to wear a legging with a pump or shoes that doesn't require a sock. And FYI Sakura, I hate socks. I won't wear them so don't bother giving me any."

"Good to know," said Sakura, "when is your birthday?"

"December 17th," Roll answered, "what about yours?"

"September 18th," Sakura answered, "I know it's only June but I'm so excited that it's just a few months away." Roll laughed and Sakura did the same. Roll and her friends had just turned to leave when she noticed Sakura remove her pumps and tucked them into her pockets.

"You don't have to..."

"Well I want to as well," said Sakura, cutting her off, "I go barefoot at home year around anyway when inside my house. I can do it outside too. I'm not afraid of a little dirt."

"Sakura, we're friends, you don't have to go barefoot for my sake," said Roll, "Your pink pumps were really cute." Sakura just smiled.

"I know," Sakura replied, "but...I guess I just want to fit in. Is it really a crime if I want to be like you?" Roll looked a bit stunned.

"Why...why would you want to be like me?" Roll asked curiously. Sakura smiled.

"I heard about how you faced that dreaded Uchi gang," said Sakura, "and also how you not only defeated them but also converted everyone minus their leader into turning their life around. That's pretty amazing Roll."

"I'm amazed that you've even heard of me," said Roll.

"Word gets around rather quickly from town to town," Sakura explained, "I'm not the only town that's heard about you. You must be pretty brave."

"I guess," said Roll, "But as you can see...I still have my fears and such." Sakura just smiled.

"I don't see why a fear of bugs should make you be seen as someone who isn't brave," said Sakura, "I mean say one of your friends was cornered by a legion of cockroaches. What would you do?" Roll shuttered at the thought but then could vision the sight of one of her friends frightened and possibly crying from being so scared.

"I...I would make my way through and rescue them," said Roll, "And please don't describe situations like that. If I'm supposed to overcome my fear of bugs and cockroaches, I'd really hate to think that I would have to be put in a situation like that in order to face my fears."

"Sorry," said Sakura, "I guess my point is that you would face your fears about bugs and cockroaches if your friends were being overwhelmed or surrounded by them right?" Roll just hummed with a small smile on her face.

"Yeah...that's true," said Roll, "I would brave my fears to protect my friends. They are my family." Sakura smiled.

"So are my villagers," she replied, "Well if you are able to overcome your fears for your friends then your bug phobia isn't as bad as you think."

"You think so?" Roll asked curiously.

"Of course I think so," said Sakura, "You're alot stronger than you give yourself credit for. You can get over this and I am going to help you do just that."

"Really?" said Roll surprised, "but...but why? I mean...sure, I wanna be your friend and we are friends...but..." Sakura just took her hand in hers.

"Because friends help each other when they have a problem," said Sakura, "and I'm sure Rosie and Bunnie would do the same for you."

"Yeah I know," said Roll, looking back and giving them a smile, which they returned and both hugged her from behind, "they are my best friends...you could even say...sisters."

"Sisters...wow...cool," Sakura replied. Roll then got an idea.

"Since you're new around here," said Roll, "How about you join me for dinner? Then we can get to know each other more?"

"I would like that!" said Sakura, "I am kind of hungry..." Her stomach made a loud growl, making the rest of the group giggle to each other.

"Well we better get going then," said Roll, "Come on, I'll take you to my place." Roll then grabbed Sakura's hand and guided her towards the house.

"Wait a minute silly," Rosie called out and the two girls stopped.

"What's up Rosie?" Roll asked curiously. Bunnie and Rosie looked at each other and then smiled at her. Roll just chuckled to herself.

"You guys can come too," said Roll, with a tone that showed annoyance, but was also teasing, "Might as well see if Marshal and Margie wanna join us."

"YAY!" Bunnie and Rosie cheered and hopped up and down twice before dashing off. Sakura chuckled at the two.

"Are they always that hyper?" Sakura asked.

"Pretty much, why?" Roll answered.

"I have two peppy villagers in my town and they can get just as hyper," said Sakura, "especially when I share them some of my candy. Then it's oh boy!"

"That is why I don't give Bunnie and Rosie candy," said Roll as a matter of fact.

"Smart idea," Sakura replied and then they both laughed once more. Roll could definitely see the start of another friendship developing with this girl.

 **Sakura is based on a very close friend of mine. Some of those who follow this story will know who she is and she gave me the copyright to use her character. Also their meeting is based off of the Animal Crossing Anime movie.**

 **Anyway, Roll still has bugs to deal with...literally! So stay tuned for next time!**


	27. The Bug Off Part 2

The Bug Off part 2

Once they had arrived back at the house, Roll got to work with making something to eat for dinner while Sakura sat with Bunnie and Rosie in the living room. Apparently Marshal was busy with training in order to learn some more advanced coffee drinks so he couldn't come. Margie had passed as well but still stopped by to introduce herself and was inspired by Sakura's outfit to make another design in her honor. Bunnie and Rosie were interested in Sakura's outfit as well.

"Please tell us Sakura," said Rosie excitedly, "Where did you get such a cute outfit, silly?" Sakura just giggled to herself.

"Well the pumps are a Kick's designer shoe," said Sakura, "and the rest of my outfit is from GracieGrace."

"Oooooo! GracieGrace!" said Bunnie and Rosie in amazement.

"I hear her outfits are so expensive, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"They are pricey," said Sakura, "But this skirt and tank are just so cute that I had to give in!"

"I can see why," said Rosie, "We love the color pink as much as anybody, silly!"

"Pink rules!" Bunnie added.

"Right on!" Sakura chanted and they all laughed as Roll entered the main room with some food for their dinner. Sakura eyeballed the food eagerly.

"You made pizza!" she exclaimed in surprise. Roll smiled.

"It's one of my favorite foods," said Roll, "I'm part Italian you know." Sakura chuckled to herself.

"Well pizza is one of my favorite foods since...like...EVER!" said Sakura with glee.

"Mine too, silly!" said Rosie, "Pizza, pizza, pizza...Pizza's so good to...mmmph!" Rosie was cut off when Bunnie grabbed a sofa pillow and stuffed it into Rosie's mouth.

"I think we can do without the pizza serenade, tee hee," said Bunnie bluntly. Rosie glared with the pillow still inside her mouth before spitting it out and shoving it into Bunnie face and knocking her onto her back.

"Hey, cut it out, I can't breathe!" Bunnie bellowed with her voice muffled behind the pillow.

"Will you two behave?" Roll scolded before pulling the pillow off of Bunnie and smacking both of them with it.

"Sorry Mom! Bleh!" they both said in mock tone before giggling to each other. Sakura was cracking up as she put a hand over her mouth to hide her snickers. Roll just glared before smiling and rolling her eyes before serving everyone their share of the pizza pie. Sakura just ate her share quietly as the rest of the girls did the same. Roll seemed a bit worried since Sakura was rather quiet.

"Is...the pizza okay?" Roll asked, wanting to break the silence. Sakura just lifted her head a bit with her mouth full and politely swallowed before giving her a smile.

"It's delicious, Roll," said Sakura, "you're a great cook!" Roll gave her a smile.

"Thanks, I try my best," said Roll modestly. Sakura just blinked for a moment before wiped her mouth.

"You surprise me Roll," said Sakura, "I guess I never expected someone with your fame and status to be so...humble." Roll just swallowed her bite and wiped her mouth.

"I guess I just don't consider myself a celebrity," said Roll, "I mean I know I'm special and pretty and such but...I don't think I'm that amazing."

"Yes you are, tee hee," Bunnie retorted.

"As you can see," said Roll, glaring at the rabbit from the corner of her left eye, "I've got plenty of moral support and people who believe in me, but I still have alot of growing to do."

"Why is that?" Sakura asked curiously. Roll just looked at her friends insecurely and they just gave her a warm smile. Roll was thinking quietly for a moment and was unsure of what to say.

"Let's just say my mother didn't want me," said Roll, "and I was put in an orphanage and became very shy. It didn't encourage my self-confidence too well. You...could imagine how I felt coming into Animal Town and being made mayor." Roll glanced over to Bunnie and Rosie who just smiled and gave her a supportive nod. Sakura stayed quiet for a moment and pondered to herself.

"Is...that why you're so afraid of bugs?" she asked, "Did...did you mother chase you out by putting bugs on you or something?" Roll just huffed. She wasn't comfortable talking about this. It wasn't cause she didn't want to deal with the issues. She was working on that and getting the help she needed. The issue here was that she had barely known Sakura for just a few hours.

"If you don't want to tell me..." Sakura began, hoping to change the subject since the silence was making her feel awkward.

"She threw me into a trash can and when I woke up I found dozens of cockroaches crawling all over my body!" Roll said quickly and then panted a few times to calm herself down. Sakura just looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm so sorry," said Sakura, "I didn't mean for you to talk about a subject you weren't comfortable with..."

"It's okay," said Roll, "I mean...it took me awhile to be honest with my friends about it and when I broke down, the whole town pretty much knows how messed up I am!"

"You're not messed up," said Sakura, "we all have issues that we need to deal with. I have mine, but...well...maybe I could..."

"Don't!" said Roll as she walked up to her, "Sakura, you don't need to open up to me about anything unless your 100% comfortable about it. We are friends and you don't have to prove it to me by revealing something about yourself that you're not ready to. I guess I just wanted to tell you where my bug phobia comes from." Sakura nodded as she took a large drink of her soda. She was about to say something when...

"BURP!" She covered her mouth in surprise.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. Roll just stared and then laughed heartily. Soon Sakura and the rest of her friends laughed as well. The rest of the evening was spent just chatting and even playing a few board games with each other. When they finally saw what time it was, they were surprised to see that it was nearly midnight. Rather than have Sakura travel back home so late, even thought Sakura said she didn't mind. Roll offered that she stay at her house for the night, which Rosie and Bunnie immediately called out "Slumber Party!". Roll figured it was a good idea and Sakura said that she had a set of pajamas and other items in the travel locker. Apparently the lockers connected to the towns so visitors could transport items from this town to their home towns. Then Roll was caught off guard when Sakura asked Roll to go with her to the train station. Roll wanted to say no but Sakura gave her a pouty face and the blonde was forced to concede as they left her house and made their way together to the train station. Sakura could tell after taking a few steps that Roll looked really nervous.

"What's up?" Sakura asked, "Afraid of the dark?" Roll just shook her head and stayed close to her.

"June is the time of year when tarantulas come out late at night," said Roll timidly, "Especially after 11pm and before 3am. Those things I heard actually attack people, especially if they see you holding a net. Rosie said their bites knock you out too! I don't like being out here this late at night knowing they spawn!" Roll trembled a little and Sakura just looked at her with concern.

"I could just...go by myself..." Sakura said quietly.

"N-n-no," said Roll shakily, "I...I...will go with you. They...they are not supposed to spawn around when two people are together. I...I'll be okay." Sakura looked a bit worried though. She could tell that Roll looked really frightened.

"You should go back," said Sakura, "I'll be okay."

"NO!" said Roll, making the pink haired girl jump a little, "I'm not letting you go alone. Let's just get to the station okay." Sakura wanted to have Roll stand down, but she just conceded.

"Alright," Sakura answered, "But stay close to me okay." Roll nodded as she securely held onto Sakura's left arm. That was when she noticed just how afraid and timid Roll was. She also noticed that Roll look...a bit childish...so to speak.

"Roll, exactly...how old are you?" she asked as they slowly crossed the wooden bridge leading into the evergreen forest.

"I'm eleven years old," Roll answered, "What...what about you?"

"I'm fourteen," said Sakura simply.

"That's cool," said Roll and then added without thinking, "Are you boy crazy?"

"Totally," Sakura squealed, "There's this really cute boy in another town that I visit and he is _so cute_! I can him my little unicorn and boy, does it drive him crazy! He is _so cute_ when I call him that. He says he can't stand me but I know differently! (giggle) Did I mention I like unicorns? I just adore them! They are like the cutest things I've ever seen..." Roll just zoned out as Sakura went to a long but almost peppy like speech about how Unicorns were all things cute. While it took her mind off her fears about tarantulas, it made their walk to the train station seem _much_ longer. Roll actually stumbled a bit when Sakura stopped walking. The pink haired girl just looked at her puzzled.

"Was I boring you?" she asked, clearly aware that Roll had stopped listening to her speech about unicorns. Roll just turned a little pink at getting caught.

"No, just got a little distracted," said Roll, which was the truth.

"Sorry," said Sakura, "I always get carried away sometimes when it comes to unicorns. I just love them. EEEEE!" She bounced on the toes of her bare feet, since she had gotten her pumps at the house, and Roll lightly chuckled as they entered the train station. Roll waited inside as Sakura loaded up a duffle bag with some essentials and pair of pink floral pajamas that consisted of a camisole top and some pantalette style knee length pajama pants.

"Those are cute pajamas," said Roll out of the blue.

"Thank you," Sakura replied, "I had them custom made myself." Roll smiled as she finished loading up her duffle bag and they headed back to the house. The trip was rather quiet but Sakura took noticed just how tense and on edge Roll was on the way back. She didn't have too much time to think about it when they returned back to the house. What awaited them for sure didn't help Roll feel better.

"BUNNIE! ROSIE!" Roll yelled when she saw that the living room floor was covered in popcorn. Roll could clearly tell what had happened considering each culprit was holding half of a now empty popcorn bag that had been clearly ripped open.

"SHE DID IT!" they each shouted pointing a finger at the other. Roll just facepalmed herself as Sakura burst out laughing. Roll just ordered Rosie and Bunnie to clean up the mess while she changed into some brand new pajamas Sable made for her to say thank you for saving the town. The top was similar to Sakura's and even had lacing on it but she had a pair of pajama shorts that had lacing along in the leg bottoms and they were in a white mint green.

The rest of the evening was less eventful but it wasn't much longer before everyone was tired out and had fallen asleep. Roll had offered that Sakura take her bed and she could just sleep in the living room, but she refused. Since Rosie and Bunnie had borrowed her extra sleeping bags and were now fast asleep in them, Roll had to search her cabinets to find an extra pillow and spare blanket since Sakura didn't want to sleep alone in the guest bedroom. Roll was so tired that she fell asleep almost before her head even hit the pillow.

 _Roll found herself walking down a dark corridor, unsure of where she was and why she was down there. All she did know was that being down there was making her feel a chill on the skin of her arms. She had a bad feeling about this._

 _"Hello?" she asked shakily, "Bunnie? Rosie? Sakura?" She heard no answer._

 _"Looking for them?" said a slithery and sinister voice. Roll turned around and felt her heart sink to her stomach. There before her was a large life sized cobweb where three large cocoons were nested on it. She could see by the shapes who they were inside and there before was a HUGE tarantula with a couple a nearby lackeys that included a life sized spider and a cockroach that was twice her size. It was the tarantula that spoke._

 _"We've got your friends my dear Roll," said the tarantula demonically. "and we're still hungry..." The spider and the cockroach snickered quietly. Roll was unsure of what to do before she felt something grab both of her arms. While she couldn't see, she could tell that they were another four cockroaches and they were brushing their antennas on her arms and legs to make it feel like they were crawling all over her. Roll began to panic._

 _"It's dinner time my child!" the tarantula said licking it's fangs and then brushed a hairy leg over her nose. Roll began to screaming for dear life._

Back in reality, the only thing rubbing against Roll's arms and legs were a blanket that she was tangled in and Sakura rubbing a feather against her nose. She had noticed Roll groaning and whimpering and was trying to wake her up by tickling her nose. That was when Roll began to scream and Sakura stopped with her tickling. Bunnie and Rosie rushed upstairs.

"What's going on up, here?" Bunnie demanded as she saw Sakura with the feather.

"I...I was trying to wake her up cause she seemed to be having a bad dream," Sakura said over Roll's screaming in her defense, "but then this happened." Rosie then rushed over to wake Roll up.

"Roll wake up! Roll wake up!" Rosie tried to shake her awake but Roll was resisting and hadn't stopped screaming. But Roll's constant shifting had caused her to move too close to the edge of the bed and she tumbled into the floor head first. That woke her up with a loud thud and she fought out of her blanket before opening her eyes with a start. As her vision cleared and she panted heavily as her vision cleared and she recognized her friends standing before her. She also noticed that Sakura's hair was down and the length of it was nearly the same length as her own. Roll had worn her hair in a ponytail to bed but all her shuffling had made it come apart. Sakura looked at her with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked worried. Roll just calmed down for a minute and just looked at her sadly. Roll felt so embarrassed that she began to cry.

"Hey, it's okay Roll," said Sakura as she scooped Roll into her arms for a hug and just held her as the blonde girl began to weep and just buried her face into her shoulder.

"Just calm down Roll, big sister is here," said Sakura sweetly. Roll's eyes bulged out and she pulled away in surprise.

"Big...sister?" she croaked. Sakura just smiled, but rather sheepishly.

"Well I would like to be that to you someday," said Sakura quietly, "I know we just met and all but...I was only trying to help." Roll just sniffled as she just continued to cry quietly.

"Guess I'm just touched you cared," said Roll in a cracking tone, "As you can see, I'm not as amazing as people think. I'm just a messed up girl who still struggles to believe in herself!" Roll just sobbed as Bunnie and Rosie hugged her and kissed the sides of her head. Sakura just looked at her sympathetically as she crossed her legs to sit across from her.

"Roll, as far as I'm concerned, you are an amazing girl," said Sakura, "you're just showing me that you're human...so to speak."

"Huh?" Roll asked confused as her tears slowed down.

"She means that you don't try to act over confident in your skills," said Bunnie, "you're still down to earth and easy to talk to about stuff, tee hee."

"Yeah," said Rosie, "everybody gets nightmares from time to time. And we all have things that we are afraid of, silly."

"If we're not afraid to tell each other," Bunnie added, "Then that means that we are just as brave too." Roll just sniffled and nodded as she tried to calm down a little since she was still crying rather steadily.

"That nightmare must have been pretty bad, silly," said Rosie, "wanna talk about it?"

"Yeah, Roll, please just talk to me," said Sakura, "I'm a good listener and I care too! Please tell me what made you cry." Roll sniffled a few more times before she tried to speak.

"I...I had this terrible dream..." said Roll shakily, "I was...going down this really, really dark passage way and when I found you guys. You had been captured by this giant spider and tarantula. They said they planned to eat you. Before...I could save you guys, I got grabbed by a bunch of giant cockroaches and they just started brushing their...and it felt like all this stuff was crawling all over me...and then the giant tarantula put his icky hairy leg on my nose...EEEEEEEEEEK!" Everyone jumped back when Roll screamed and just panted a couple of times before letting out an exasperated sigh and just lowered her head in shame as she pulled her legs into her chest.

"You really have a bad fear of bugs don't you?" said Sakura as she knelt beside her and Roll nodded.

"I really thought I could do it, but I just can't," said Roll sadly.

"Can't do what?" Sakura asked.

"Participate in the Bug Off," said Roll, "I didn't want to let my friends down, but...I feel like such a idiot freaking out like this all the time!"

"Roll, we already said that you didn't have to go," said Rosie.

"We would be a little sad you're not there, tee hee," Bunnie put in, "but we know why you're not going to participate. So don't worry about it!"

"But you guys said that I would be okay," said Roll, "I trust you...and I really want to at least try." Bunnie and Rosie just gave her a sympathetic smile. Despite her fears, Roll was still willing to make them happy. But they also didn't like her doing that at her own expense either. They were about to protest when Sakura appeared to be deep in thought.

"So your problem then is being able to handle being around a large collection of bugs correct?" Sakura asked Roll and the blonde girl nodded.

"Then maybe I can help you," said Sakura kindly. Roll blinked in surprised.

"You...want to help me?" she asked in shock.

"Of course I do!" said Sakura, "Don't you think I wouldn't care enough to try and help you?"

"Well, I...I mean...(sigh)," Roll replied quietly, "If you burden your friends, soon you won't have any..."

"What are you, a fortune cookie?" Sakura answered, "That's what friends are for. To help you, but...of course, only if you allow them to help you." Roll just dried her eyes quietly before giving Sakura a warm smile. They exchanged another hug before pulling away.

"Now how about we get cleaned up and then we can get started," Sakura suggested.

"Get started on what?" Roll asked.

"Taking steps to help you overcome your fears about bugs," said Sakura, "Or at least help you feel more relaxed when alot of them are crawling about nearby."

"O...okay," said Roll quietly, "You can use my shower first if you'd like." Sakura smiled and conceded with a nod before grabbing a lacy white tank with a denim skirt just like Roll was wearing yesterday and went into the shower to clean up. Yet before she went into Roll's bathroom, she handed Roll what looked like a plush unicorn toy.

"Huh?" she asked.

"It might help you feel better if you snuggle it a bit," said Sakura, "I might be 14, but I believe sometimes the best comfort is cuddling a snuggly toy." She gave her a wink before heading into the bathroom to shower. Roll just looked at the toy and tried a gentle squeeze before putting in on the bed.

"Nada?" Rosie asked.

"I'd rather have a stuffed sea turtle or a dolphin," Roll replied, "those are my favorite stuffed plush toys. Just...never got a chance to have one... Anyway, the unicorn is cute and all but it's just not my taste." Bunnie and Rosie exchanged a look, saying wordlessly to each other to make the effort to find one sometime in the future before they headed downstairs to chance out of their night shirts and into their traditional tees. Once Sakura had left the shower, fully dressed and was brushing her pink hair. Roll headed into the shower and changed into some girl's royal shorts with matching red tank top that was a modest halter style since it didn't show alot of back or shoulder. Roll had chosen to leave her hair down with one of Labelle's custom made glittery red headbands.

"Very cute," said Sakura as she was busy tying her pigtails into place. Roll just smiled as she headed downstairs to get breakfast ready. Rosie and Bunnie were dressed and reading Roll's latest addition of _Animal Crossing Post_ , which was the Animal regions version of a daily newspaper. They both looked up when they saw Roll. She noticed their staring.

"What?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"You're hair is down, tee hee," said Bunnie, aware that wasn't her favorite hair style.

"I'm wearing that new halter top I designed and I don't want people staring at my shoulder blades okay," said Roll a bit sternly. Bunnie and Rosie giggled.

"Well we always said your hair was cute when you wore it down, silly," said Rosie, "We like the down look with the headband." Roll just smiled, knowing that they were telling her the truth.

"I know," said Roll, "thanks you guys." The two peppy villagers smiled as they went to make breakfast as a trio. Once Sakura was down did they enjoyed a good breakfast. Sakura also surprised Roll by leaving her shoes off.

"Your pumps?" Roll asked. Sakura smiled and shook your head.

"You're so pretty barefoot," said Sakura, "I wanna be barefoot so I can be pretty too!" Roll laughed at her logic and then Sakura took Roll over to Animal Town's museum. Roll seemed puzzled about why Sakura had taken her there until she saw that Sakura was leading her into the bug exhibit. Roll nearly stopped moving until she forgot Sakura was holding her hand and the pink haired girl pulled her into the first exhibit where there was lots of butterflies and a few bugs that hopped about. Roll just looked about for a moment and smiled.

"This isn't too bad," said Roll calmly as a few butterflies floated about around her. She giggled a little as a few butterflies danced around her and Sakura lifted a finger as a Raja Brooke butterfly landed calmly on her finger tip.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble doing that?" Roll asked.

"I'm not gonna take it out of here Roll," said Sakura, "plus if it lands here on its own, I'm not gonna stop it. Anyway, you know butterflies are bugs right?" Roll nodded as she leaned against the railing and just watched the butterflies flutter about.

"How do you feel right now Roll?" Sakura asked.

"I'm...actually okay," said Roll, "These butterflies don't scare me."

"Good, now scoot over here and take a look at these buggies." said Sakura as she lead her over to the display where there was some water. Some of the bugs of interest included a pond skater, a diving beetle, and the Raja Brooke butterfly that Sakura placed near the water and it calmly went from her finger to the flower. Roll just watched the two water bugs. The beetle just seemed to be busy just surfacing and diving about while the pond skater just glided casually across the water. Roll had to admit that watching the bugs was helping her feel better. She then looked behind her and noticed a few of the hopping grasshoppers and locusts she had collected were just bouncing about and not even bothering her, nothing was attacking her or trying to harm her. Sakura then noticed one hop right behind Roll's bare feet.

"Roll be careful if you turn around, there's a long locus behind your feet," said Sakura. Roll then grew stiff, knowing that a bug was just a couple of inches from her feet. She just slowly turned around, looking really tense as she noticed the long locust just flapping its wings at her before hopping away. Roll then relaxed and let out a long sigh. Sakura just looked at her sympathetically.

"That long locust wouldn't have hurt you," she commented as a matter of fact. Roll felt a little embarrassed.

"I know," Roll said quietly, "I guess bugs close range kind of get me a little nervous."

"Not all bugs," said Sakura, "You were fine with the butterflies. Now hold out your palm there's a rice grasshopper coming your way. Let it say hello rather than recoiling from it okay." Roll was hesitant to do so but decided to give it a try. She slowly lowered her hand so the palm was face up. Her hand shook a bit and a few seconds later a grasshopper landed squarely on her palm. She whimpered a little as the bug crawled slightly, making her skin tingle and then just stayed stationary.

"Just calm down and relax," said Sakura, "it won't hurt you." Roll just closed her eyes and just took a slow deep breath as she watched the bug just stay in her hand. It gave her a couple of chirps before it hopped off. Roll just looked rather surprised.

"That's it?" she asked. Sakura giggled.

"Did you expect it don a hat and start dancing for you?" Sakura asked her with a smirk. Roll just gave her a funny look and rolled her eyes.

"Oh ha-ha," Roll remarked and Sakura started laughing.

"My point little Roll," Sakura pointed out, "is that the grasshopper you were so afraid of didn't hurt you did it?" Roll just blinked a bit as she remembered the bug on her hand and held out her hand to re-envision the moment in her mind.

"N-no...it didn't...bother me at all..." Roll replied slowly, "It just chirped like it always does and then hopped away. It...never attacked me." Sakura just smiled at her.

"See, nothing to be scared of huh?" Sakura asked her again and this time Roll just smiled. She still jumped a bit when a long locus hopped up to her but she just giggled and smiled as it turned and hopped away.

"I guess I can manage these bugs," said Roll and Sakura smiled.

"Well then let's go into the next room then," said Sakura as a honeybee buzzed about. Roll was still a bit timid until she remembered that honey bees didn't sting. She felt a bit silly afterward as she followed Sakura into the next room. This one had a rafflesea in it, but since it was artificial, nobody had to worry about the excess stench that it would normally produce from its flower buds. Plus Roll was also a bit more timid since this place had some lesser nice looking bugs. Sakura then just looked about until she noticed something and decided to give it a try. In this room, there was a long trail of ants that walked about the floor of the museum from one anthill in the center of the room to a small hole in the backside. Sakura then gently walked over so her bare feet blocked the path the ants were taking to get to their hole. Rather than walk around her feet, they began to crawl over them. Roll felt her jaw drop when she saw what Sakura was doing.

"Come on," she replied, "these are black ants. They won't hurt you." Roll was really nervous but just walked next to her. After a few false starts and hesitations, she scooted her bare feet over the line where the ants were walking and let them crawl over her feet. Roll whimpered a little as the ants crawled over her feet as Sakura took her hand and just held it gently.

"You'll be okay, Roll," said Sakura, "See...the ants aren't even trying to attack you. They are just trying to rejoin their group. Most ants don't understand the idea of sudden changes so despite our feet in the way. Their only path is to go over our feet to continue their path. If we lifted our feet, the ants would just continue on their way and those on our feet would either just crawl over and under until we gave them a path to get back down to rejoin their family."

"Sounds...simple...and also dangerous," said Roll.

"It can be," Sakura answered, "but you're not the type of person to hurt a bunch of ants would you?" Roll was still trying to ignore the fact that ant after ant was crawling over her bare feet. In all honestly they weren't even paying attention to her at all and were just crawling over her bare feet to get to their destination. It made her feel bad that she wanted to hop up and down and get the ants off her feet, which would risk the chance of her squishing the ants in the process. That made Roll feel guilty. These ants were just trying to get to their destination and she was willing to kill them off cause she didn't like them using her bare feet as a bridge. Despite her discomfort. she slowly just tilted each foot forward so they could easy slide off and continued in their predetermined path without harm. Roll just looked at them sadly as they just continued to crawl about.

"What are you thinking Roll?" Sakura asked her, wanting to hear what she had to say. Roll just sighed.

"Even thought I know these ants wouldn't hurt me," said Roll quietly, "I was still terrified at them just crawling over my bare feet like that."

"Then why didn't you just shake them off and back away?" Sakura asked her curiously. Roll just took a long deep breath and looked at her quietly.

"I...I guess I just felt bad because if I had freaked out," Roll explained, "I would have squashed a bunch of ants that had no intention of hurting or harming me. That didn't sound too fair doesn't it? I mean...it is their fault that I'm afraid of bugs."

"You seem only afraid of bugs when they crawl, hop, or buzz too close to you," said Sakura.

"YIP!" Roll jumped back when she felt something prick her face and then noticed a fuzzy bug just float on by.

"Stupid mosquitoes!" said Roll angrily. Sakura giggled at her expense until she felt something prick her cheek.

"Ouch!" she yelped as she rubbed her cheek. Roll just smirked to herself as Sakura just glared and then smirked back at her.

"Okay, fine, _some_ bugs do cause harm, but it's never anything fatal," she remarked, "even the bite from the tarantula just knocks you out. You hardly feel a thing!"

"Yeah, well those things still scares the living daylights out of me," said Roll.

"Well as you know, not all the bugs you've seen so far don't even try to harm or attack you like that," said Sakura, "I mean my point in all of this is that even the bugs that make you afraid the most don't even try to harm you. I mean...just think of all those giant beetles you've collected at the island. What happened when you got too close to them?"

"They...just flew away from me," said Roll, realizing Sakura's point, "Okay, point is taken. Most of the bugs that I find don't even bother me."

"And that also includes cockroaches," said Sakura. Roll made the face of someone who looked like someone had stomped her bare feet hard and Sakura laughed.

"You'll be okay," she said comfortingly, "Now come and follow me." Roll let out a long, worried whimper and refused to move. Sakura had to pull Roll back into the first room where she led her directly towards the area where the cockroach was just crawling about in a much slower and less frantic pace than when Roll had captured it. Sakura just looked at the bug with a smile as Roll just looked at the bug with a combination of fear and disgust.

"Okay, if you're so afraid of that cute little buggy," Sakura asked with a teasing tone, "how on earth did you catch that thing?" Roll just shuttered to herself.

"It was at the island," said Roll, "and I was trying to scare away the bug when it decided to charge at me and it got caught in my net!"

"I see," said Sakura, "and how did you even get it here?"

"I had Bunnie carry it for me!" Roll snapped, "There is _no way_ I would _ever_ have such a disgusting thing in my pocket! BLEH!" Sakura just nodded as she just looked at the bug before she picked up and quickly set it on top of Roll's head. Roll became so still someone could have sketched or carved a statue of her with ease, but she probably would have hated the look on her face, which was that of pure fear.

"Get. That. _Thing._ Off. Of. Me!" Roll said through her teeth as it crawled mindlessly about her head.

"Calm down, Roll, all it is doing is just crawling about," said Sakura, "You're okay. It's just one cockroach. Just one single cockroach. Move your hand towards your head and let it crawl off of you and onto your hand."

"How do I know that it wouldn't fly into my face?" she asked.

"Wharf roaches aren't known to fly," said Sakura, "this one will just scurry about."

"Scurry?!" Roll shrieked lightly as he quickly darted up her bare arms, up the side of her face, and then about her blonde hair. Roll felt like she was gonna scream at any moment and was in full panic.

"Just calm down Roll," said Sakura, "it's darting about cause you scared it."

"I _scared it?!_ " Roll remarked.

"Word of advice, I'd keep your mouth closed so it doesn't enter your mouth!" Sakura suggestion. It was just then that the cockroach crawled onto her nose. Roll felt her heart hit the bottom of her stomach. She couldn't take it anymore.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!

Roll ran as fast as she could out of the bug exhibit, send the roach flying, as she ran out of the museum. Sakura just sighed, realizing that while Roll's biggest issue was cockroaches, her first attempt to help her didn't not turn out too well. Yet the pink haired girl was not going to give up yet.

A little over an hour later, she lead Roll towards the beach of her town. Sakura had also taken her towards the northeastern side of the beach where there was a secluded island. Sakura clearly wasn't afraid of getting her clothes wet as they both treaded through the shallow water towards the island. Once they arrived, Sakura let go of Roll's hand.

"Do you have a reason for bringing me down here?" she asked as she wrung out the bottom part of her blonde hair, "besides getting me all wet."

"Hey, it's summer!" Sakura pointed out, "I thought you would enjoy a dip in the ocean after such a heated moment." Roll's cheeks turned pink from embarrassment from her freak out earlier and she said nothing. Sakura then used the opportunity to push Roll towards a star spot that she had buried when Roll wasn't paying attention, causing her to shriek and tumble in. Fortunately she landed on her rear first so other than a bruised rump, there was no injuries.

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!" she shouted angrily, "Get me out of here!"

"No," said Sakura, "It is all a part of my master plan." Sakura just stood over the hole to keep Roll from climbing out as she just towered over her and smirked.

"What are you talking about?" Roll asked.

"You need to learn that cockroaches aren't going to hurt you," said Sakura. Roll just looked puzzled and then she felt her face pale when she realized what Sakura was going to do.

"No!" she shouted, "Please don't do it! I beg of you! Please...have mercy! I thought you were my friend!" Roll was on her knees and began to cry. Sakura just looked at her sadly for a moment.

"Roll, I would never torture you," said Sakura, "I'm seriously trying to help you overcome your fears. You were a-okay with all those other bugs. Even with the ants crawling over your feet. I promise you that what I am about to do is to help you. Please just trust me okay. You'll be okay. Cockroaches won't you hurt you! I promise!" Roll just looked at her with teary eyes. Sakura wasn't going to back down.

"Just get comfortable and you'll be okay," said Sakura. She then reached into her pockets and pulled out a bug box. Roll's felt her blue eyes shrink in horror as Sakura opened the container and allowed a single wharf roach to fall out of the box and into the pit Roll was trapped in. Roll pressed herself against the back of the vertical wall fearfully as Sakura dropped not one, not two, not three, but twelve wharf roaches down into the pit. Roll was petrified with fright as they scurried about.

"See Roll?" said Sakura, "All they are doing is scampering about! They aren't even paying attention to you!" Roll felt like she was gonna go into catatonic shock at any second now as she just watched the collection of cockroaches just scurry about aimlessly. For the most part, they seemed to just ignore her for the moment. But then a couple started crawling about her body and Roll felt like she was going to wet herself.

"Just stay calm," said Sakura, "They might just be marking their territory." Sakura soon realized that wasn't the smart thing to say when Roll skyrocketed into the air with a very frightful and powerful super jump.

"Whoa! Fifty feet!" said Sakura as she titled her head to watch Roll fly high into the air. She was impressed until Roll came back down. Sakura began to panic as Roll came crashing down with a very hard and rather painful belly flop.

"ROLL!" someone screamed from the top of the cliff as the blonde girl just sank into the waves. Sakura wasted no time swimming over to try and rescue her now drowning friend. A few minutes later, poor Roll was curled up into a ball trembling fearfully as tears streamed down her face. Margie had been the one who shouted and came down to the beach to see what was going on. Shortly after Sakura had brought Roll to shore and the blonde girl had regained consciousness, Roll began to scream uncontrollably and Margie had to hold her for several minutes.

"We leave you with Roll and now she's a complete wreck!" said Margie angrily to Sakura, "I thought you were supposed to be helping her!"

"Hey, I was trying," said Sakura in her defense, "the best way Roll will ever overcome her fear is if she learns that scurrying and crawling cockroaches won't hurt her."

"This isn't just some causal fear, tootie," Margie scolded angrily, "she has a serious problem with cockroaches and she had a traumatic experience!"

"I had the same with spiders!" Sakura shouted, tears streaming down her face, "I even got bit by two black widows and even a few tarantulas! Bugs are always going to exist Margie! Roll needs to learn that not all bugs who decide to get near her or crawl on her won't hurt her. Roll wouldn't die if a 100 cockroaches decided to crawl all over her body!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Roll screamed loudly and let out a wail. Margie just held her tightly.

"You're not helping, tootie!" Margie shouted, "Just leave her alone!" Sakura just opened and closed her mouth before her face scrunched up and she began to cry.

"All I wanted to do was help her," Sakura sobbed, "I was only trying to be a good friend and all I ever do is mess up every time! I just wanted to help her okay! I'm sorry! I'M SORRY!" Sakura then dashed away sobbing. Margie just watched her leave. It didn't take long before her conscious made her realize how harsh she had been to the pink girl. Even if it was in Roll's defense, Margie knew she had been a bit cruel. Despite her own verge of tears, she stayed strong for Roll, who was still sobbing rather heavily as she held her rather tightly.

By nightfall, Roll had finally settled down but her cheeks were still tear stained as Margie just finished making dinner for the two of them. Roll just looked at the food Margie had made and then at her sadly.

"Thank you," she said politely, but there was much sadness and embarrassment in the tone of her voice. Margie just nodded with a warm smile to cheer her up, but it was no good. Roll took a bite or two of her food before just shuffling her food about her plate. She wasn't feeling too hungry anymore. Margie just tried to eat quietly before she felt like Roll was staring at her.

"You didn't have to be so harsh to Sakura," said Roll softly, "she was only trying to help. It's not her fault that I am such a coward..."

"You are not a coward, tootie," said Margie rather firmly due to being scolded, "and can you blame me for getting defensive? You were a wreck when I found you after she put on in that pit of cockroaches!"

"Don't you think I should have been able to handle it?!" Roll snapped, "I mean...come on! I faced people twice my size and they did attack me and beat me up. A dozen little creepy crawlies no bigger than my finger came crawling over me and yet I had a complete freak out! It just doesn't make any sense Margie! I thought I was getting stronger and braver too...but now...I'm just as pathetic as I was once before...and don't even know why I wore my hair down either...I'm not that pretty..." Roll then buried her face into her arms but she didn't cry. She just felt rather down and Margie could feel it as she reached for Roll's hand and held it securely.

"Roll, you are brave and strong, also beautiful," said Margie, "Nobody is perfect and everyone has their own fears and weaknesses, tootie. This fear of bugs...it seems to me that it is more specifically with just cockroaches since those seems to be the source of your fears...but the point is that being afraid of bugs isn't anything to be ashamed of."

"But don't I embarrass you when I freak out," Roll asked her sadly, "I mean come on. I must have embarrassed you when I am screaming like an idiot..."

"Roll, you don't embarrass us," said Margie, "We've gotten used to your bug fears around here."

"That...doesn't make me feel better..." Roll replied.

"My point is that nobody is embarrassed or ashamed of being your friend," said Margie, "we all love you Roll. This fear of bugs isn't going to change that okay, tootie." Roll just sighed to herself.

"I'm still a failure," said Roll, "The Bug Off is coming soon and I really wanted to try and get over this for their sake, but...it's just too hard..." Margie just smiled as she stood up and gave Roll a loving hug.

"You can't force yourself to overcome something like this so quickly, tootie," said Margie, "no one is going to force you to overcome this and nobody is going to force you to do the Bug Off. If you don't feel 100% comfortable about it, then don't participate. Nobody is going to stop being your friend if you don't."

"How do you..."

"I've known Bunnie and Rosie alot longer than you Roll," said Margie, "and I know that they won't love you any less if you don't participate." Roll just sighed to herself. While she knew Margie was right, she still felt like she had failed her friends. She especially knew that Sakura was probably hurting the most from her struggles as she sighed to herself.

"I need to find Sakura and hope she is okay," said Roll, "Even I know she wasn't trying to be cruel. She just wanted to be a good friend and help me."

"Don't you think she might have gone too far?" Margie asked defensively, but her defense was not that strong and it weakened more as Roll glared.

"Maybe, but you didn't have to make her cry," said Roll sternly. Yet the blonde girl softened when Margie began to cry.

"I was only defending you, tootie," she sobbed, "I hated seeing you that way. I hate seeing someone I care about so scared and frightened. She did that to you!"

"But not on purpose," said Roll, "and you know that." Margie just sniffled to herself as Roll stood up.

"I'm gonna go find her," said Roll. Margie just sniffled, ignoring the fact Roll had only eaten half of her dinner as she excused herself and exited the house. By now it was approaching around nine o'clock at night and it was rather dark and quiet outside. Roll was already at the heart of the town where north went to the train station and south was the bridge and the campsite.

"There's no turning back now," said Roll fearfully as she cautiously made her way towards the train station. She was about to head inside and ask Porter where Sakura lived when...

"HELP!" someone called out. Roll's ears twitched a bit before she followed the sound as quickly as she could into the evergreen section of town. At one of the pine trees was the pink haired girl, cheeks tear stained and leaning against the tree in a very stiffened state.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Roll asked worried as she approached her and noticed just now frightened she was.

"Don't worry," said Roll gently, "I'm not gonna..."

HISSSSSS

Roll froze and stiffened as she turned to face the same direction as Sakura, now mimicking the same frightened face.

There before her...was a big, hairy...tarantula...

And it was ready to strike...

 ** _Robots_** **movie reference there. Plus a** ** _Looney Toons_** **reference as well.**

 **Plus the tank Roll's wearing is a custom design. I don't have a QR code for it yet. Sorry!**

 **The "ant test" was done with the games black/brown ants, which I have been told don't bite and are often used in the traditional ant farms.**

 **Also the only way to swim without a swimsuit is by using a cheat glitch and it is legitimately possible in New Leaf.**

 **Oh boy...How will Roll and Sakura get out of this one? Unlike the games, this one is ready to attack even without the net! Will they survive?**

 **Find out...next time...**


	28. The Bug Off Part 3

The Bug Off part 3

The multi-eyed bug stared them both down. While Roll could tell it was glaring at Sakura, she was afraid to move as well fearing that it would attack her. Sakura was just stiff hoping that the vicious bug would lower its defenses and leave her be. Roll wasn't sure of what to do. Her entire mind was screaming for her to run, but she knew that would be the stupidest thing for her to do. Blathers told her that tarantulas were very, very fast and they knew how to cut corners so they could easily catch up to their prey and attack them. Roll watched as the spider was still on high defense and then slightly lowered it body and started crawling away. Roll was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw that Sakura had her net, a golden one, hiding behind her back.

"No...No!" Roll whispered loudly.

"Shush it!" she snapped soundlessly.

"Don't it Sakura!" Roll begged, "That tarantula means business. Just leave it alone! I mean you obviously already have one in the museum since I can tell in the dark you have a gold net!"

"Well I wanna show you that despite my own bug fears that I don't let them scare me!" said Sakura sternly.

"Please don't!" Roll pleaded fearfully, "just leave it alone..."

"I can't it's right behind you!" she snapped in a whisper.

HISS-HISS! Roll froze again as she bit her upper lip since she could feel it one of its hairy legs brush the back of her right foot and it was just an inch away when it hissed at Sakura. Roll felt her body tremble as she shook her head slightly to tell Sakura not to try anything. Sakura just glared and waited patiently for the tarantula to stand down. In a few seconds it did so and slowly crawled to the left side of Roll and then just stopped. Sakura now had a clear shot. Roll shook her head harder, almost squeaking that Sakura don't do it. Sakura ignored her and swung her net down at the tarantula.

Sakura missed.

The rest happened within seconds. The instant the tarantula saw the dropped net, it made its charge for Sakura, ready to sink its fangs into Sakura's bare feet. Yet it never got to her feet. As soon as Roll saw that Sakura had missed she slid in front of the bug as it charged. The tarantula sank its fangs into the back of Roll's left ankle. Roll's eyes bulged out from the tarantula's bite. Sakura gasped in horror at the whole thing as her net fell out of her hand. Yet what broke her heart was the expression on Roll's face as she was bit.

"Why?" she mouthed before the effects of the bite made Roll's vision fuzzy and she soon tumbled sideways to the ground, now unconscious. Sakura just watched as the tarantula just watched Roll tumble over and then crawled away without a care in the world before disappearing.

"Roll!" Sakura screamed as she knelt beside the now unconscious blonde girl. She tried to shake her to wake her up but it was no good. Sakura began to breathe heavily as her tears returned. While she knew the bite wasn't fatal, the fact Roll took the bite that was meant for her just made her feel terrible. Roll did warn her not to try and get it. Now Roll paid the price with a swollen ankle. A bite that was meant for her.

"HELP! she screamed in anguish, "HELP!" Her voice broke as she cried into the night and began to weep heavily and loudly as she held the blonde girl in her lap. It was about a minute later a shadowy figure appeared to offer the pink hair girl some help. Rather than take Roll back to her house, she helped Sakura carry Roll to the train and they headed into an area known by Roll and the figure only.

It was already early morning when Roll finally woke up and she found herself in some unfamiliar surroundings. Well they were unfamiliar because she knew it wasn't her room. Once her vision, cleared she saw the nearby collection of hedgehog pictures nearly. She was at the Able Sisters household and apparently had been sleeping in Sable's bed. The sun was barely rising in the background as a certain brown haired hedgehog appeared, using a picnic tee that was a few sizes too big as a night shirt and carrying some now folded bed sheets in her arms.

"Mom?" she asked quietly since she noticed that Mabel and Labelle were fast asleep in their own beds. Sable just smiled as she set her bed sheets into a nearby hamper and put the pillow away before taking a seat next to the sleepy blonde girl.

"Sorry for taking your bed," Roll replied quietly, "I'll leave if you..."

"No, no, no," said Sable as she used a hand to gently keep Roll from leaving, "you just rest and try to sleep okay." Roll wanted to protest but just lay back down on the bed and brushed her blonde hair away from her face. She almost asked where her headband was until she saw it set nicely on Sable's side table.

"So...what happened to me?" said Roll, "I mean...I know that tarantula bit me and after that everything just went black."

"You got a nasty bite to your left ankle," said Sable, "it was pretty swollen but I applied some medicine on it and it healed instantly so you shouldn't have to worry about any pain or discomfort if you walk in it."

"That's good," said Roll, "I didn't think heaven would look this...rustic..." Sable laughed, forgetting that her other sisters were still asleep before putting a hand over her mouth to shush her laughter.

"What's so funny?" Labelle asked drowsily. Sable hadn't suppressed her laughter fast enough.

"Nothing sis," said Sable, "Roll just said something that was so cute and adorable that it made me laugh." Roll groaned and just hid her face under the covers. Sable just giggled before tugging the blanket off as Labelle approached her.

"How are you doing sweetie?" Labelle asked gently.

"I'm okay," said Roll bravely. Labelle chuckled and she kissed Roll on the cheek.

"Well you are a very brave young lady," said Labelle, "Taking the dive so your friend couldn't get hurt. Did it hurt?" Roll just smiled and shook her head.

"A little," said Roll, but the truth was that it did hurt alot. Why else would she have passed out...besides the small amount of poison that knocked her out...wait the poison?!

"Hold it!" said Roll as she shot up, "A tarantula bite would only knock me out if it wasn't poisonous! Sable..."

"You're just fine," said Sable, "The toxin only causes you to pass out. It's not enough to end someone's life. We already checked you and your body is toxin free." Roll just sighed slowly as she lay back down in the bed. That was when she noticed that she was still in her red clothes.

"Remind me next time I pass out to wear pajamas," she muttered. The two older sisters giggled to each other.

"Aw, but you look cute in your halter top and shorts," said Labelle. Roll just rolled her eyes and huffed as Sable laughed quietly.

"Well when it comes to situations like this," said Sable, "worrying about your clothes is at the back of the list." Roll just hummed as she rested comfortably on the pillow before she remembered something else.

"Where's Sakura?" Roll asked, "is she okay?" Labelle just looked at Sable, who just sighed quietly.

"She's fine," said Sable, "but she's feeling really bad about what happened. She knows you took that fall to protect her and seeing you collapse scared her. I spend a good hour telling her that you weren't gonna die and trying to calm her down."

"She panicked over me?" Roll asked surprised.

"More like went to pieces," said Labelle, "Sable had to scold her..."

"You _scolded_ her?" Roll exclaimed.

"Not for what happened," Sable retorted in her defense, "she was degrading herself and wishing she was never born. I just told her to shut up really loudly and to help me get you home. I already apologized for snapping at her."

"But the poor thing acted like Sable was gonna kill her once she found out that you call her "mom"," Labelle remarked. Sable just rolled her eyes and Roll did the same.

"Great," said Roll with a light groan, "where is she now?"

"She's downstairs in the living room," said Sable, "The poor thing is still worried sick about you. I don't think she's slept a wink all night. I told her that people get bitten by those things all the time and it's never fatal. I guess she'd feel better if you went to see her yourself." Roll wasted no time getting out of the bed and headed downstairs to find the pink haired girl, still in her attire from yesterday but her hair was now down but rather frizzy from the heat, just sitting on the sofa chair looking half asleep. As Roll slowly approached her, she noticed that Sakura's cheeks were sticky from constant;y crying and that her eyes were dark grey, which was a clear sign that she hadn't slept all night either.

"Sakura?" Roll asked gently. Sakura shot up from surprise and then turned drowsily to see the blonde girl standing next to her.

"Roll," she exclaimed in a happy but clearly exhausted voice as she stood up and embraced her tightly. Sakura had barely held onto Roll for about a few seconds before she began sobbing into Roll's shoulder. Yet the sobbing was tearlessly since Roll didn't feel anything wet hit her bare shoulder. Roll pulled away after about a minute when she could tell that Sakura hadn't stopped crying.

"Hey calm down, I'm okay," said Roll, trying to assure her, "All the bite did was knock me out. I'm not poisoned and I'm gonna live okay. Sable says people get bitten by those things all the time. I'm okay, Sakura. I'm fine. You even said yourself tarantula bites aren't fatal." Sakura just sniffled a bit and tried to wipe one of her sticky cheeks but to no avail.

"It's...It's just..." Sakura croaked as she tried to calm herself down. Roll just took her hands and guided her back to the sofa so they could sit together facing each other.

"Just calm down Sakura," said Roll, "besides that tarantula biting me, what about it scared you so badly?" Sakura just looked at her sadly, showing just how tired she looked with the combination of bags under eyes and the bloodshot red color of the whites of her tired eyes.

"I...lost my mom a few years ago," Sakura explained in a shakey tone, "it just happened so fast too. And I miss my momma so much..." Roll just looked at her with sympathy as she sobbed some more.

"So...you were afraid you were gonna lose me to?" she asked and Sakura nodded as she tried to calm down.

"It would be worse cause if you died. It would have been my fault..." Sakura's voice broke.

"Hey, hey, hey, no need to go that far," said Roll gently, "I'm okay."

"No it's not okay!" Sakura snapped, "This is all my fault. I was just so determined to try and help you...do determined to show that you can overcome your fears...that I was willing to put you in harm's way to do it. Well the tarantula was the only harmful incident but I'm sure you consider the pitfall of cockroaches as that too."

"Kind of..." said Roll gently, not wanting to upset her more but still be honest.

"Well my point is this," said Sakura sadly, "that attack was meant for me! I should have been the one to get that bite! Not you! Yet...you took that bite to save me! After everything I did to make you more afraid of spiders and cockroaches, you still protected me and got bitten by that tarantula. All I can ask is...why?"

"Did you really expect me to let that "thing" hurt you?" Roll asked her with a serious expression on her face. Sakura just whimpered.

"I deserved it," said Sakura, "I hurt you. I ignored your advice. And I messed everything up!" Roll just let out a long sigh.

"Sakura, as long as you are my friend," Roll explained gently, "you're going to have to learn that I'll always put my friends first, even if it puts me at risk of getting hurt. I don't regret getting in front of that tarantula to save you. I'm just a very loving and caring person. Trust me, I've been told this before and they are probably right. It could be the death of me."

"Don't say that," Sakura croaked, "If you go, I'll be all alone again."

"Don't you have other friends?" Roll asked, "even within your own village?" Sakura just sniffled to herself as she stared at her bare feet and then grabbed a few strands of her hair and played with them.

"I do have friends," said Sakura, "I mean I have a BFF in my village named Bluebear and I know other mayors and such, but I...I don't really confide in them about my inner most feelings. I'm more of the girl who always is goofy and likes to make others smile. I don't really get deep with others about my problems."

"So you don't have anyone in your town you confide in?" Roll asked. Sakura just looked at her sadly.

"Not really," said Sakura quietly, "I usually don't let people see this side of me."

"What side of you?" Roll asked gently.

"The side of me that shows that I have issues and that I'll never truly have a friend that cares about the messed up side of me," Sakura answered, "it's all I really want...and something I've yet to really have..."

"I see," said Roll, "well...I promise you that if you'll be my friend...I want it to be forever too." Sakura's face lit up.

"You do?" Sakura asked hopefully. Roll nodded.

"I thought it was obvious," said Roll, "if I let you make ants walk on my bare feet, have a single cockroach crawl into my face, push me into a pitfall and unleash a dozen cockroaches that crawled on me and I'm still talking to you. Wouldn't that be a clue that I'm not gonna get rid of you?" Sakura chuckled lightly as she just smiled.

"Point taken," said Sakura, "Confession Roll. My hair color isn't actually naturally pink, it's natural color is blonde. But...I have alot of "blonde" moments and I got embarrassed of being one so...I...alternate between having my hair either pink or light blue since those are my favorite colors." Roll chuckled.

"Well, there's no shame in being a blonde girl," said Roll, "I have those moments too, but...as far as am concerned. We blondes gotta stick together." Sakura just blinked a bit before they just laughed and then shared a hug with each other.

"So we're cool now?" said Roll.

"Sure thing," said Sakura, "I've always wanted a little sister." Roll giggled.

"Well I don't mind having you for a big sister," said Roll. They chuckled again as Sable came back down with Labelle and a sleepy Mabel in tow.

"Guess everything is all settled between you two," said Sable.

"Yes Mom," said Roll as they pulled away, "Well at least between me and Sakura."

"What do you mean?" Labelle asked curiously and Sakura just looked at her with interest.

"My friendship with Sakura is going to be okay," said Roll, "but I'm still just as lost as ever about what to do about the Bug Off."

"Roll, all your friends already said that if you don't want to participate that it would be okay," said Sakura, "The same goes for me." Roll blinked in surprise.

"But...I...I thought...I...I mean...you tried so hard..." Roll tried to protest.

"Roll, that was where I made my mistake," said Sakura, "I was just so determined to have you get over this that I was willing to put you in harm's way to do it. Nothing is worth that." Roll just nodded in agreement but it was Roll's smile that made it clear as day that the blonde girl had forgiven her already.

"So...what now?" said Roll.

"Well for starters," Mabel yawned, "You could let your friends know that you're okay. They were calling us non-stop to see if you were okay."

"I'm sorry," said Roll, "but I really do appreciate you all taking such good care of me. If there is anything I can...hey I know! You've always said you've wanted a good housecleaning! I'll do your house top to bottom to say thank you!"

"No Roll..."

"Why not?" Roll asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Labelle and Mabel asked together until Sable growled at the both of them. They reluctantly conceded.

"Sable at least let me do the living room," said Roll, "please!" Sable wanted to say no but the look on Roll's face, as well as the silent pleading of her other sisters, made her concede with a clear rolling of her eyes.

"Fine," said Sable, "but change your clothes before you do young lady!" Roll just nodded as the younger sisters clapped excitedly. Sakura just giggled and shook her head. She was gonna have to get used to the fact that her new little sister was a neat freak.

Once Roll had changed into a red tye-dye tank with some khaki shorts and then wore a red handkerchief over her blonde hair, which she kept down instead of her pigtails, she got to work cleaning the main room of the house. While it took alot of persuading, she convinced Sable that if she didn't get too worn out that she could do their bedroom as well. She conceded but warned Roll not to overwork herself. Roll agreed and once she had returned to the house, she immediately got to work. Sable was still worried about Roll so Sakura decided to stay and help her out anyway she could with the cleaning, even though Sakura hated to clean. Sakura had changed into a pair of her own khaki shorts with another clean lacy tank and added a light blue hair ribbon in her hair and decided to help Roll once she had taken a long nap. Roll had then split up the living room so she did the kitchen and Sakura took care of the living room section. Sakura started vacuuming the carpet so she could dust and polish when...

"EEEK!" Roll screamed.

"What's wrong?!" Sakura called out as she turned off the vacuum and then noticed a whole legion of cockroaches start scampering about. They were small in size, but the fact there were so many was an obvious clue that Roll was going to have a problem about it. It also made sense that Roll would be freaking out and was standing on a kitchen chair as the bugs just scurried about.

"Where did all these things come from?" Sakura asked as she tried to use a broom to keep them from crawling about.

"There was nest in the back of the disposal unit," Roll cried out, "Geez, I've heard of life giving you lemons, but cockroaches? I hate my life right now!"

"Never mind that!" said Sakura, "help me get rid of these things!"

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Roll called out, "I'm not wearing shoes and I doubt you've got any!"

"I'm _so_ NOT wearing my pink pumps to squash cockroaches!" Sakura snapped as she whacked as many of the young cockroaches as she could, but the pink haired girl was clearly getting overwhelmed as the cockroaches continued to scurry about and soon Sakura found herself surrounded and one successfully crawled over her left bare foot.

"YIP!" she squeaked as she dropped her broom and was soon out of reach. While the cockroaches were just scurrying about, their random patterns quickly closed the gap between her and the dropped broom. Sakura began to panic. Roll was rather surprised.

"I...I thought you weren't afraid of cockroaches," Roll called out. Sakura just whimpered as she slowly found herself backed into the nearby TV and found a few of the cockroaches were crawling about the wall as well. Sakura was frightened.

"I wasn't...until now!" said Sakura, "I've never seen this many cockroaches before in my life. Now I get why you so freaked out about them. This is scary!" Sakura began to panic and soon tears began to stream down her eyes. She had started crying as the cockroaches were giving her no access towards her boom and she wasn't brave enough to squish them with her bare feet. Roll noticed the poor girl had started to cry and then noticed the cockroaches just darting across the floor. There had to be at least three hundred of them on the floor now and she was frightened. As she stared at all the cockroaches, she could hear a tiny sound and suddenly it grew louder and louder. Roll then gasped as her ears realized what the sound was.

It was laughter. The cockroaches were laughing at her. They were laughing at the fact that they could pin her down in fear and run about freely as they pleased. They were laughing at how she just stood there on a chair helpless. Roll then looked at Sakura who was now crying a little louder since she wasn't sure of what to do and the laughter had increased for Roll as the cockroaches continued to dominate the floor. Roll just glared at all the bugs and felt her body tremble. She then looked at her now sobbing friend a third time before she leaped off the chair and stomping hard on one of the cockroaches with her bare feet, crushing it.

"ROAR!" she screamed loudly but the bugs paid no attention to her, making Roll even madder.

"You think you're all so tough? You think you've got some sort of power over me?" she added angrily, "well...GET A LOAD OF THIS!" Roll then raised her left bare foot and squished another cockroach. She then began to stomp cockroach after cockroach one by one with her bare feet. Roll also couldn't help but stomp each one rather firmly and was also grateful that these cockroaches didn't splat when stomped on but just faded away, never to be seen again. Sakura had stopped crying as she watched Roll angrily conquer every cockroach that she came across and within a good two minutes she easily dwindled their numbers and eventually there were only a few left and Sakura could make her way towards the broom so she could help out her little sister. The broom was fortunately just as effective, but it was Roll who took out the majority of them. Once they were down to the last one, Roll stomped with both her feet several times angrily.

"No more! NO MORE! NO MORE!" Roll shouted with her tone rising as she screamed the last sentence and then panted heavily as she slid to her knees and continued to try and catch her breath. Sakura was a little taken aback by her rage and just kept her distance for a few seconds before trying to approach her. Roll just sat on her knees quietly as hot tears streamed down her face.

"Roll..."

"Are you alright?" she asked with a serious look on her face. Sakura was taken aback by her tone but just sniffled a bit.

"I'm...I'm okay," said Sakura quietly, "Just a little flustered by all the cockroaches is all but I'm just fine. What about you? You took on nearly 300 cockroaches single handedly and defeated them all!"

"Not quite," said Roll, "There's just one thing left to do..." Roll just took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes before she walked over to kitchen cabinet where the source of all the cockroaches were. Sakura just waited nervously before she heard several loud thuds and punches before she heard the sound of water. Roll arrived wiping her bare feet with a paper cloth.

"I had to destroy the source," said Roll, "there was a nest. Destroy the nest, destroy the chance of those cockroaches re-spawning around this house ever again."

"G-g-good," said Sakura shakily, "but are you okay?" Roll just looked at her puzzled.

"What do you mean?" Roll asked.

"You just took on a legion of cockroaches and you just walked up to cockroach nest and destroyed it!" said Sakura, "this is the same blonde girl who was freaking out having just twelve of them surrounding her and then had a nervous breakdown! What happened?" Roll just sighed to herself and then looked at Sakura with a serious look.

"You were overwhelmed," said Roll and soon her composure slipped as she spoke, "I saw you being surrounded and crying. I...I heard them laughing at me. Having a fun time watching me cower back and think they could torment you as they pleased. I felt so helpless...I felt like...like..."

"Like what?"

"Like my mother was trying to degrade me...from my mind," Roll croaked, "and now that I know she will never accept me. I just got...angry...I didn't want her to win!"

"Win?"

"Win," Roll repeated in tears, "She believes that I'm a worthless, ugly, piece of trash. Trash that not even the cockroaches would want! The fact they were trying to leave me defenseless and helpless to save you...it was like what she said about me was right."

"So...you basically just got tired of being scared," said Sakura in understanding.

"Exactly," Roll nodded, "Those bugs are so small compared to me and while large swarms like those are scary. They weren't doing anyone harm. They were just being a nuisance. Why should I let something so tiny scare me?"

"Does this mean that you aren't afraid of bugs anymore?" Sakura asked.

"No," said Roll as she tried to calm herself down, "but it means that I'm not gonna let them intimidate me anymore. At least not the cockroaches. I won't let them scare me anymore. Tarantulas are different story but cut me some slack...one bug at a time..." Sakura laughed as she embraced Roll tightly.

"Well I happen to be very proud of my little sister," said Sakura, "You overcame your fears and saved me. That was very brave of you."

"But I feel so filthy," said Roll.

"Why?" said Sakura, "I mean sure, you were really angry, but you channeled your anger and used it to show those stupid bugs whose boss. You never cussed either so...why feel so dirty?"

"Cause I touched and stomped on so many of those wretched things with my hands and feet," said Roll, "I've washed my hands in water and soap so hot they burn and are pruned!" Sakura laughed and soon Roll laughed as well as Sakura helped Roll to her feet.

"Well the worst is over and I'm sure your hands are clean," said Sakura with a chuckle, "So let's just get back to cleaning the house."

"Alright," said Roll, "Just remind me to take another shower when we get home for sure. I might need to burn my bare feet!" Sakura just laughed herself silly and soon Roll was laughing as well before they had gotten back to work. It was late in the afternoon when they finished and the entire living room was spotless. Due to the whole infestation, Roll was too pooped to do their bedroom. She had also telephoned Sable and had told her what had happened. She was shocked to hear about the cockroach nest under the disposal unit but did admit that she hardly ever went down there. She apologized several times and nearly cried because she knew well of Roll's fears of cockroaches and she too had a phobia regarding them as well. Sable also didn't believe Roll when she said that she had taken care of the nest and the legion of cockroaches until Sakura stepped in to confirm that Roll was telling the truth. Sable was very proud of her little girl and Roll said that she felt proud of herself as well.

Later that night, Roll just sat at her desk in her bedroom. Despite her successful confrontation with the cockroaches. She still wasn't 100% sure if she had even conquered her fears of bugs in general. Sakura understood and told her that she would be more than willing to take Rosie and Bunnie to the Island tomorrow is she wanted. Roll wasn't sure cause despite her fears, she knew Bunnie and Rosie had wanted to collect beetles at the Island. It just wasn't fair that they wouldn't go unless she participated and it put her in a no-win situation. That was when Sakura said she would take them so they could still collect their bugs and Roll wouldn't have to feel bad about ruining their chances of winning. It had taken a good hour of convincing but the two girls conceded. It seemed that they were more hesitant to go with Sakura because of how she tried to handle Roll's bug fears rather than Roll not participating. But once they learned that Sakura really did have pure intentions and that Roll wasn't carrying any grudges against her, they conceded. Sakura hoped that she could build a friendship with the two in the process so Roll actually did her big sister a favor.

That problem might have been settled but this whole issue about the Bug Off still left Roll feeling unsatisfied. While her friends all told her that she shouldn't feel bad about not participating, that was exactly how Roll felt at the moment. She also didn't like the idea of missing out on something, even if it was a bug competition. She continue to ponder if she should just participate and hope for the best.

"Would it really bug me if I saw a cockroach at the competition now?" Roll asked herself and ignoring her own pun as she wore her floral sleeveless dress with her hair in pigtails and had her beret hanging on her newly acquired hat rack. She probably could do it, but she didn't want to go and be miserable either. Yet Roll couldn't help but feel like she was just talking herself in circles.

"Maybe a walk outside would help me feel better," said Roll as she stood up from her desk and stretched a bit as she put on her beret to go outside. She was just about to walk right out the door when she noticed the time on her wall clock.

"10:05 pm?" said Roll with a groan. She knew it was the time of night that a certain bug was going to be lurking about in the grass. She really didn't want to have another encounter with a tarantula but she needed the fresh air.

"Guess I'll just take the risk," said Roll, "As long as I don't have a net equipped, they shouldn't bother me...they better not bother me." Roll just huffed as she adjusted her beret and then walked back outside without another word. For the most part, the walk outside was rather quiet as Roll just relaxed and enjoyed the fresh air. Since it was June, the air outside was still quite warm even though the sun was down, but it wasn't as unbearable as it had been during the day. However, Roll was glad that the material her dress was made out of was very thin so she just wiggled her toes into the dirt paths she had created and just enjoyed her walk around the town. After a good half hour later, Roll was feeling much better as she sat along the edge of the river near Purrl's house and was just soaking her feet in the water. She was glad that the fish didn't seem to mind her feet swirling the water about. She was also thankful that the piranha fish didn't try to bite her feet either. As she sat quietly and just looked up at the starry blue sky, she soon came to a realization.

"Cockroaches are a pretty common bug," Roll thought aloud, "and they probably won't be worth too many points either. And if the process is similar to the fishing tourney then the only bugs I'll have to look at are the ones that my friends have and even they wouldn't try giving cockroaches to this Nat person! I think I've been worrying over nothing about this! And those beetles that I find at the Island are more afraid of me than I was of them. I can do this! I'm gonna participate at the Bug..." Roll suddenly went rather tense as she heard something shuffled through the grass near the fruit trees behind her. She lifted her feet out of the water and turned over and silently gasped. It was a tarantula! Roll wasn't sure if it was the same one that had bitten her yesterday but to her it didn't matter. She had found one and it was just a few inches away from her. It seemed to stare at her with it multiple eyes. Roll was a little fearful at first but then just narrowed her eyes at it.

"What do you want?" Roll asked bluntly, "back for seconds? Was I tasty for you?" The tarantula said nothing, it didn't even hiss at her. It just shuffled its legs a bit and then turned to crawl away without another word. Roll just glared at it as he walked away from her.

"Hey where are you going?" Roll asked it but it kept walking away from her. Roll took offense.

"What's your deal? Not good enough for you?" Roll snapped. The tarantula turned around for a brief second and then continued on its way. Roll just grunted before she rose to her feet and followed. Yet despite following it, the tarantula didn't pay any attention to her as she walked up to it and then stopped as it continued to ignore her.

"Guess you're not as tough as I thought you were," said Roll and then got an idea. She quietly dipped a hand into her pockets and pulled out her silver net. The tarantula then made a quick 180 and hissed at her. Rather than cower back, Roll just narrowed her eyes at it.

"Oh!" she retorted, "So now you pay attention to me! Cause am a threat to you now! I see how it is!" The tarantula just stayed on the defense as Roll just looked at it unimpressed.

"Get off my case," said Roll, "I'm not gonna hurt you, now scram!" The tarantula just stayed in defense for another second and then decided to just crawl away and mind its own business. Roll then walked so softly that the tarantula was ignorant to her approaching her. Once Roll was within range, she dropped her net over it and caught it!

"YES!" she shouted in triumph as she caged it and then stared it down, "HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW!" The tarantula just hissed at her, but it could no longer attack her since it was securely boxed into its container.

"Yeah not so tough now aren't you?" said Roll sternly, "You think you're so strong and intimidating but you're not. You're a stupid, pathetic little bug who isn't brave at all! You...you...you..." Suddenly Roll began to feel a pain...nothing life endangering, but the location could make one worried since it was in her heart. Roll then realized what she had done and how she was acting. She felt very guilty.

"Look at me," said Roll, "I'm no better than my mom..." Roll gasped when she said that and she slowly began to cry. She hated to admit that but it was true. That tarantula wasn't bothering her at all. It was just crawling about and minding its own business. Yet she kept taunting it and even provoked it by pulling out her net and captured it. Then she started condescending it. She didn't even know if this was even the same tarantula that hurt her yesterday. Not that it mattered to her now, she was better than that. Just because she was angry at being scared of bugs doesn't mean this little tarantula, even if she still thought they were icky and scary, deserved being her scapegoat. Roll looked at the captured bug sadly with teary eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said to the bug, "It's not your fault I'm afraid of bugs and I didn't mean to take out my anger out on you like that. I'm sure you never wanted to attack. I bet you just attack cause you're trying to defend yourself or looking for a quick meal without getting hurt. I didn't mean to insult you like that." Roll wasn't even sure if the bug even understood her but she felt better talking to it, however weird that sounded in her head at the moment as she dried her eyes with her hand while holding the container.

"Well, like I said," said Roll, "You're weren't hurting me and you don't deserve to be captured I'll just let you..." Roll then realized that the museum didn't have this particular bug and that it also added another entry into her already filling encyclopedia. Roll then sniffled a bit and gave the tarantula a smile.

"Actually, I know a place where you can live a happy healthy life and you won't have to worry about people trying to hurt you," said Roll, "come on." Roll decided to just hold the bug container with the tarantula and headed straight for the museum. By now, Blathers was wide awake in the main room and was just dusting off the giant clock when Roll entered the room.

"Excuse me Blathers," said Roll gently.

"Oh why hello there dear!" said Blathers, "what may I ask brings you...GAH!" Blathers yelped as he took several steps back in fright once he saw what Roll had in her head. Celeste rushed downstairs when she heard her brother's scream.

"Oh what in the stars is going on down here...oh hello there, Roll!" said Celeste, calming down once she saw the blonde girl, "What brings you here tonight?"

"Well...I have this donation to the museum...and..." Roll showed her the tarantula and Celeste then sighed as she saw her poor brother trembling in fear.

"Oh brother, what are we doing to do with you," she remarked as she took the bug from Roll, "Well we will be sure to give this bug a nice home here in the museum. I am rather impressed you are actually holding such a creature considering your bug phobia." Roll just giggled.

"Guess I just got tired of being scared," said Roll, "I think it was more afraid of me than I was of it." Celeste smiled.

"That is probably true," said Celeste and turned towards her brother, "If only my brother would figure that out." Blather's just coughed in annoyance.

"Who-hoo!" he snorted, "Fine, I'll show you and put this...ugh...thing...it in its proper place in the exhibit. Now if you'll excuse me..." Blathers then headed into the bug exhibit but still held the container a good twelve inches away from himself as he disappeared. Celeste just smirked and shook her head.

"Well I better make sure he doesn't pass out being in there again," said Celeste, "I'll see you later Roll and thank you for the donation." Roll nodded as Celeste walked away. She continued to smile as she turned around and left the museum knowing one thing was true now. Bugs weren't going to bother her anymore.

The next evening Rosie and Bunnie were waiting at the dock for Sakura to arrive. They knew the pink haired girl was going to be going to take them to the Island so they could gather some bugs. However, she was late and the two peppy villagers were getting rather impatient.

"I know they say that the later it gets, the higher the chances are of finding good bugs," said Rosie, "but I don't recall us staying past midnight at the island, silly!"

"It's already almost 9:30pm!" said Bunnie, "She better show up in the next five minutes or we can just call this trip off, tee hee."

"Oh, do we have to sis?" Rosie whined, "We need some good bugs for the bug off!"

"Well it's not like we can use the boat without Roll or Sakura you know," said Bunnie, "I don't feel right asking Roll just so she can be uncomfortable for our sake!"

"Yeah...good point, silly," said Rosie sadly as they both let out a loud and long sigh. Kapp'n looked at them sympathetically. He had been listening in to their conversations and while he didn't know the full story, he was well aware of the blonde lass's fear of bugs as well. In fact, there wasn't really anybody in town who didn't know these days. About two minutes later Sakura arrived wearing a blue-sky rose dress with a straw sunhat and two the shock of Bunnie and Rosie there was Roll. She was right behind her wearing a white rose dress with the same hat and also the same hair style as Sakura.

"Roll?" they both exclaimed.

"What are you doing here, silly?" Rosie asked. Roll just smiled.

"I guess I just decided that I wasn't going to let a little fear of bugs stop me from being in the Bug Off," said Roll, "Those giant beetles are more afraid of me than I am of them. Plus did you really think I would pass up a chance at the island with my best friends?" Bunnie and Rosie smiled excitedly before the three shared a tight group hug together. They giggled as they pulled away and then gasped when they saw a cockroach near Roll's foot. Roll notice them looking down as saw the cockroach dash off her foot and then back on it.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Roll yelled as the cockroach just dashed away and she kicked sand in its direction, "Stupid head!" Bunnie and Rosie were dumbfounded as Roll ironed out the skirt of her dress.

"What?" Roll asked as Bunnie and Rosie just stared at her and then at each other. They then turned towards Sakura.

"Who is this girl, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"Is this the same Roll we know and love, silly?" Rosie added.

"It is," said Sakura with a smile. Bunnie and Rosie just looked at her and then Roll before looking at each other. Then a thought came into Rosie's mind.

"Maybe this is Roll and she's got a bad case of amnesia, silly," Rosie suggested. Roll groaned inwardly as she rolled her eyes at the both of them.

"Maybe she's been brainwashed, tee hee," Bunnie thought aloud.

"Hypnotized?" Rosie added.

"That's the same thing, dum-dum," Bunnie remarked.

"Is not long ears!" Rosie shot back.

"Dork!"

"Moron!"

"Knock it off you guys!" Sakura said annoyed, "The point is that Roll has come to some terms with her bug phobia so they don't bother her anymore. I thought you guys would be happy for her." Bunnie and Rosie just exchanged sad looks and then lowered their heads before the blonde girl.

"We're sorry Roll," said Rosie, "I guess we're just in shock at how you handled that cockroach just now, silly."

"We've never seen you tell off a cockroach without shrieking and squirming before, tee hee," Bunnie added, "we knew you would get over your fear someday but we didn't expect it to be this quickly."

"How'd you do it?" Rosie asked curiously. Roll smiled.

"I just got tired of being scared all the time," said Roll simply, "plus I didn't want to miss out in all the fun." Bunnie and Rosie listened quietly and then just nodded with a warm smile.

"Well, we're glad you'll be participating with us, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Now let's get to the island, silly!" Rosie added.

"Yeah!" they all cheered and boarded Kapp'n boat. The night was an overall success and even Roll filled her travel basket with lots of rare and valuable bugs. She hoped that she would find a winning bug sooner rather than later so she could sell the rest for a load of extra bells.

Soon the day of the Bug Off had arrived and Roll and Sakura had each dressed into a lacy tank with khaki shorts with a matching explorers hat with hair in pigtails. Sakura had already submitted her best entry for the Bug Off and had collected a few pieces of the bug furniture. Sakura was busy showing Roll the furniture pieces she had collected at her house while they waited for Bunnie and Rosie to arrive. The trio had wanted to submit their bug entries together.

"These furniture pieces are so cute!" said Roll as she was admiring a cicada chair, "I can't believe that I almost didn't want these." Sakura giggled to herself when there was a sudden knock on her door.

"Now who could that be?" said Roll as she opened the door and found Isabelle wearing a sunflower tee and a jean skirt. Even her bell ribbon was light blue to match her tee.

"Hey there Mayor Roll," said Isabelle, "I wanted to tell you that today is not just the Bug Off, but also the Summer Solstice!"

"Oh wow!" said Roll, "That explains why it was so bright at 6am this morning!"

"True," said Isabelle, "today the sun will be out all day, even long after midnight. But no worries, I've got something to help you deal with the hot sun today!"

"Sunscreen I hope," Roll remarked and Isabelle laughed.

"Sorry, but this is a close second," the shi-tzu replied as she pulled out a pair of red sunglasses.

"You can wear these ladder shades, they are a exclusive item you won't find in stores," Isabelle replied, "but other than that, I hope you have fun today! See you later!" The shi-tzu then walked away and Bunnie and Rosie arrived, each wearing an explorer tee of their own.

"Are you gonna wear them silly?" Rosie asked. Roll just hummed a bit and decided to try them on. Despite the horizontal lines across the lenses, she actually could see through them clearly.

"How do I look?" Roll asked, doing a pose. The others cheered for Roll, making her giggle.

"Okay, I get it you guys," said Roll, "Let's go submit our entries for the Bug Off!" The three girls smiled as Roll headed towards her Island box and grabbed eight rare beetles into her pockets before they made their way towards the event plaza where a chameleon wearing a full explorers outfit was there.

"Oh now who do we have here?" said the chameleon in a proper British accent.

"My name is Roll sir," said Roll with a gracefully curtsy, "I'm the mayor of this town!"

"Oh the mayor you say, well that is absolutely smashing!" he replied excitedly, "You are looking at the master of entomology. Nat is my name. Have you come to participate in the competition my dear?"

"Yeah, I have some rather...exquisite bugs to submit," Roll answered.

"Oh that just tickles my pudding," said Nat, "Allow me to explain the rules..." The rules were exactly as Purrl had told her but Roll, wanting to be polite, let Nat explain them again before nodding that she understood before handing him her first bug. Nat gasped in amazement.

"Why by jove this is very rare goliath beetle...EXQUISITE!" he shouted, "Do you mind if I examine this specimen? Just remember, any bug I examine won't be returned. Do we have an agreement?"

"Yes sir," said Roll.

"Well...now let me see here," said Nat, "This is a bit on the smaller side...standard color and luster...I would rank it a score of...92 points."

"Wow..." said Roll.

"Not bad for your first bug!" said Rosie.

"Yeah, that's a high score," said Bunnie.

"Indeed, it's enough to put you in first place," said Nat, "now let's just store this bug away." With a quickly lash of his tongue, he slurped it into his mouth.

"Oh pardon me, was I salivating?" he retorted in his defense, "I can assure you my desire for bugs is purely scientific!"

"Right..." said Roll, not hiding her disbelief in her tone.

"But for smashing the current first place record, please take this ladybug carpet as a prize!" Nat then handed her the carpet and Roll took it excitedly.

"Oh very pretty!" she remarked.

"Indeed," said Nat, "now have you got any other bugs to see if you can smash the record again?" Roll nodded as she handed Nat seven more bugs. The second bug raised her score to 98, while the second and third were less, the fourth topped her off at 107 while the fifth brought her score to 150. The sixth and seventh bugs were not even close, but Roll was rather satisfied and she liked the new furniture she had won as well. At the end of the day, she had enjoyed herself and the day had been alot of fun. By the time it was a little after 6pm, the town had gathered inside of the big tent to see who had ranked in the top three for a trophy. Sakura was also there as well. Since the town she lived in was three hours ahead, she had already won herself a gold trophy for her efforts. Now she was here to support Roll and her new friends. Roll held her hand to catch her attention.

"Thank you Sakura," said Roll, "In a strange way, you actually helped me do this." Sakura chuckled.

"Happy to help my new little sister," she replied. They giggled to each other just as Nat appeared before the crowd.

"Attention everyone, it is time for the ceremony!" he announced, "Now let's start off with third place, with a horned beetle of 114 points...ROSIE!" Rosie hopped up and down and made her way towards the podium where Nat gave her a bronze trophy and they clapped for her.

"Congratulations in making it to the podium my dear!" he replied, "and in second place with a rainbow stag of 130 points...BUNNIE!" Bunnie squealed as she headed to the other side of the podium and Nat handed her a silver trophy and everyone clapped again.

"So close but yet to far," Nat remarked, "but still a smashing job! Well done! Now for the winner of today's Bug Off event...with a horned elephant of 150 points...ROLL!" Roll gasped as some confetti shot out of some cannon behind the podium. While she knew her bug's score was really high, she still hadn't expected to win with all with Rosie and Bunnie's submitting their entire basket of bugs. Plus she thought for sure someone else might have submitted a higher valued bug. Apparently not as Sakura pushed Roll gently forward so she could stand at the center of the podium and Nat handed her a gold trophy.

"Thank you so much for such a delectable...errr...I mean such a fine specimen!" said Nat, "and now let's give our winner a final round of applause!" Everyone cheered and whistled, especially for Roll, who just blushed bashfully at their cheers but had a happy smile on her face.

"See you all next month!" Nat concluded. Roll knew for sure she was gonna participate this time. While she wasn't sure if she had fully conquered her fear of bugs, her efforts had earned her a shiny gold trophy.

"It was so worth it!"

Yet no one heard but her.

 **Info about the tarantulas in Animal Crossing can be found in the respected wiki sites, which is where I got my data about their behaviors.**

 **The bug infestation that occurred can only happen when the player is gone for more than a few weeks, not from house neglect. And it only produces up to 2 cockroaches a room.**

 **If you've ever gotten to the final battle of Sonic's story in** ** _Sonic Adventure_** **, you'll recognize Roll's battle cry.**

 **That also includes the** ** _Lilo & Stitch _****reference too.**

 **2014 was also the year the summer solstice event and Bug off were on the same day.**

 **Well I hoped you enjoyed this story arc. Here's the preview for the next one:**

 **Island Trip: After Isabelle overworks herself, Roll drags her into a week's vacation to Kappa Island and Isabelle is not happy to go. Could Roll's decision put a strain on their friendship? Meanwhile at the island, Marshal and Rosie go on a date and Bunnie is all but happy for them, Is it just jealousy or is there another reason why Bunnie is so bothered with it?**

 **This will be my first double plot story arc. So stay tuned till next time.**


	29. The Island Part 1

The Island part 1

It was the beginning of July and somewhere in a special garden in the heart of the Animal part of the world stood a young man with brown hair and rimmed glasses, fully dressed in a tuxedo. Standing before him was the love of his life, a reddish fur dog with black patches on her fur, wearing a sleeveless cake dress with a wedding veil to boot. Between them was a mouse with blonde hair and her pink ears made to look like she was wearing a giant pink bow in her hair the size of her body. She was dressed in a professional suit with a Bible on hand that had some notes inside of it. She was certified in marrying people. The two had just finished a rather teary confessional of their love to each other in which poor Cherry had started sobbing.

"Sorry Penelope," said Cherry as she calmed down, "please continue." Penelope giggled. While she tried to stay professional, she was a peppy villager at heart. She was enjoying the whole romantic moment.

"No worries, it's you day, you should be allowed to cry, oh bow," she replied. Cherry giggled but also snorted.

"I haven't cried this much since the proposal," said Cherry and everyone laughed, especially Roll, who was sitting in the front Row of Cherry's side of the procession in a pink strapless dress with a red waist best with her hair on a pony tail and heart hair clip. Isabelle was also with her, wearing a melon gingham plaid knee length dress with a matching bow tied into her trademark bell ribbon. Cherry's Uchi friends were also giggling to each other since they were her bridesmaids and one of Cherry's biological sisters was the maid of honor. Cherry had found her family and they had been more than welcoming of seeing Cherry again and very supportive of her marriage to Bacon. Cherry had a right to feel overwhelmed as Bacon gently used a spare cloth to help Cherry dry her tears. His best man was a guy by the name of Shenran. Roll didn't know him but Sakura, who was also at the wedding and donning a dollhouse dress, knew both Bacon and Shenran rather well. Penelope quickly got the wedding back on track.

"So Bacon, do you take Cherry to be your lawfully wedded wife, oh bow?" she asked. Bacon smiled as he gazed into her eyes.

"I do," he replied gently and Cherry couldn't resist a giggle.

"Cherry, do you take Bacon to be your lawfully wedding husband, oh bow?" Penelope asked. Cherry's eyes sparked.

"I do," she replied in such a sweet tone that even her Uchi friends were gushing and crying happy tears. Roll was glad that Cherry was getting such a happy ending. Despite the rough beginning, she and Cherry had become very good friends and she was more than excited to attend the wedding once it had been announced.

"By the power invested in me, oh bow," said Penelope once the ring exchange was gone, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!" Cherry wasted no time plunging her lips into Bacon's and kissing him passionately as those in sitting gave her a standing ovation. Cherry was very happy as the man of her life held her close and then guided her towards a large trellis where they began to take a few pictures with friends and family. Roll just waited patiently for her turn while the rest of Cherry's and Bacon's friends went to take pictures with the new wedding couple. Since Roll wanted to be respectful, she had worn a pair of pink mary janes to the event but was more than eager to take them off. She had just slipped her left foot out and examined it when...

"BOO!"

"EEK!" Roll jumped, right out of her left shoe and turned to see Sakura laughing.

"Ugh, you scared the daylights out of me!" said Roll annoyed and Sakura giggled to herself.

"Well I didn't know you were only wearing one shoe to this wedding," Sakura remarked. Roll then noticed her missing shoe and just snorted.

"I was just giving my toes a wiggle when you decided to scare the daylights out of me," said Roll annoyed as she found her discarded shoe and put it back on.

"Anyway," said Sakura, "I wanted to introduce you to a couple of close friends of mine." Roll perked up a bit as a light brown haired man appeared with a hairstyle that was a bit long in the back appeared with another brown haired girl whose hair tied up into an upper bun. The man was wearing a nice shirt with a tie and grey pants while the girl had a blue party dress with a blue ribbon. Roll knew the dress because Sakura showed her one and it was a GracieGrace dress.

"Roll," said Sakura once Roll had her shoe back on, "The guy is named Shenran and the girl is named Anemone, but you can just called her the lemon fairy." Roll just gave them both a young curtsey.

"Hello," she said timidly with a wave, "My name is Roll and I'm eleven years old." Sakura's new friends just laughed.

"Well my name is Shenran and I'm eighteen years old," said the young man.

"He's also married," said Sakura.

"Jealous?" he asked.

"Smacks you with my foot," said Sakura as she gave him a good kick in the rear with her back heel, making Anemone giggle.

"My name is Anemone and I'm twelve years old, hug and pokes," the brown haired girl replied.

"Hugs and pokes?" Roll asked.

"It's her "thing", Sakura explained.

"Oh...ok..." said Roll wearily.

"I'm also single cause I'm not really looking for a boyfriend," Anemone added.

"Why?" Roll asked.

"All the men I've meet are crazy," said Anemone, "just look at Shenran!" Shenran rolled his eyes and Sakura buried her face into Anemone's shoulder as she cracked up with laughter.

"Where is your waifu anyway?" Anemone asked him.

"Waifu?" Roll asked puzzled.

"It's Japanese for wife," said Shenran, "she's around somewhere...oh! Ankha! There you are!" A yellow cat wearing an Egyptian headset with a palatial tank dress approached them regally.

"For such fine church garden, the bathrooms here are absolutely atrocious, me meow," she retorted snootily.

"What happened honey?" Shenran asked curiously.

"It's so...public...," Ankha cringed, "A proper princess shouldn't have to resort to using a public bathroom to take care of her business." Anemone and Sakura giggled while Roll just rolled her eyes at the cat's snooty nature.

"I'll see what I can do," said Shenran, clearly just wanting her to calm down, "Honey, this is Roll, a friend of Sakura."

"I see," said Ankha with a snobbish look on her face as Roll approached her.

"Your majesty," said Roll, wanting to get on her good side, "My name is Roll. It is an honor to meet you." Ankha looked at her blankly and then smiled.

"Now _this_ girl knows how to treat a princess!" said Ankha impressed, "Honey, why can't your other friends be this proper and refined as this young lady here?" Shenran just rolled his eyes at her and Anemone and Sakura just gave Ankha a raspberry.

"Are you really a princess?" Roll asked curiously. Ankha just sighed to herself.

"Let's just say that I come from a long line of royal Egyptian cats that date all the way back to the times of the Great Ramses the First!" said Ankha proudly.

"Impressive your majesty," said Roll and then looked about, "Umm...if I may ask your highness, have you seen a yellow shi-tzu anywhere? I thought she was with me."

"Actually Roll," said Anemone, "I didn't see anyone come with you when we got here, but I think I did see that very dog sitting alone near the chairs in the courtyard."

"I see," said Roll, wondering why Isabelle stayed behind, "well it was pleasure meeting all of you, your majesty." Roll gave Ankha another curtsey and then excused herself to go find Isabelle. They just watched her leave.

"I like her," said Ankha.

"What was that?" Sakura asked her.

"Nothing..." the cat remarked and Sakura just rolled her eyes at her. Waifu or not, Ankha had a bit of an ego that got on Sakura's nerves.

Roll headed back towards the area where the wedding had taken place. She found that the said shi-tzu was still sitting at the reception hall. She wondered why Isabelle had stayed behind until she heard her talking to herself.

"Now if we negotiate the contract sub-form and then compose and file a section 56-D..."

Roll just grunted loudly as she stomped her way towards the yellow shi-tzu. Now she was angry with her as she made her way to the front of the chairs.

"Ahem," she said sternly with her hands on her hips. Isabelle was busy working on something and using her stylus to do the work. Sadly is wasn't her video game handheld either.

"Hold on, can't you I'm working here!" Isabelle snapped, unaware she had just incriminated herself.

"I see," said a voice and Isabelle just lifted her head to see who was speaking to her.

"AH!" she yelped as she saw Roll's fierce glare and left foot tapping the ground in an irritated fashion. Isabelle just looked at her sheepishly.

"Got the forms that came in today complete," she remarked but Roll just continued to glare. Isabelle just chuckled nervously and then just sighed and handed her the handheld. Roll took it and was tempted to destroy it, but she knew such a device was expensive and it had Isabelle's data on it so she tucked it into her pocket.

"I thought you were going to take the day off and enjoy the ceremony!" she asked sternly. Isabelle then just whimpered a bit before she snorted.

"Those documents had to get done!" said Isabelle, "it was driving me crazy just leaving them there. Mom always said that tomorrow never comes and to never put off till tomorrow what you can do today!" Roll just sighed to herself. It wasn't the first time Isabelle had used her mother as an excuse to do extra work and she was beginning to doubt whether or not Isabelle was just trying to get her to concede or make _her_ feel guilty. Either way, Roll was getting more and more worried about her doing that.

"You still need to take breaks," said Roll, "The town won't go belly up if you don't do work for one day so please Isabelle just leave it alone and try to enjoy this special occasion. This is my first time being at a wedding and wearing these shoes is really suffocating my feet!" Isabelle giggled at that remark. Roll almost took offense but Isabelle's giggling made her smile too.

"Now will you promise to just have fun okay?" said Roll gently, "You need to have some time to relax and enjoy yourself. Plus you're wearing such a cute dress and nobody can admire it if your here all alone!" Isabelle just listened and then just sighed to herself.

"Oh alright fine," said Isabelle as she stood up and ironed out the skirt of her dress, "Sorry." There a hint of annoyance in her tone, but Roll was just happy that Isabelle was going to take her advice and grabbed her hand so they could go see if it was there turn to take a picture with Cherry. They had arrived back at the trellis when Cherry walked up to them.

"Hey, I was wondering what happened to you, what-what," said Cherry, "Don't you want a picture with me and my new hubby?"

"Of course," said Roll, "Sorry...my secretary got lost..." Roll gave her a glance and Isabelle just blushed since the blonde girl was literally covering for her and just nodded.

"Well no worries, what-what," said Cherry, "Come on. Oh! And Roll can you do me a favor!"

"What is it?" Roll asked curiously.

"Lose the shoes," said Cherry, "I know the dress code was formal but if you hadn't noticed, not even my hubby wore any shoe to the wedding...neither did I actually..." Cherry looked at her feet and laughed. Roll laughed as well as she removed her shoes and happily wiggled her toes. Isabelle just rolled her eyes at the blonde girl before Cherry led them towards the camera. They took several pictures together, but yet in each one you could see that Isabelle's smile was not just fake, but also irritated.

Later that night, Marshal, Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie were sitting at a nearby table together while Roll and Isabelle were trying have fun at the dance floor since Cherry had successfully booked DJ KK to host the music. They had just finished a rather nice dinner when Rosie just watched the new married couple dance together on the dance floor. Bunnie and Rosie had each picked a pink party dress while Margie had a dogtooth sleeveless dress.

"Cherry is so lucky silly," said Rosie in a dreamy tone, "She found her prince charming and now he'll carry her away on a lovely white horse."

"Actually it will be in a limousine, sulky," said Marshal, donning a nice sports coat with black undershirt, "but hey...that's still high class in my book!"

"How would you know, tootie?" Margie asked curiously.

"When we used to have fun events at the city," said Marshal, "Charlotte rented out a limousine so me and Bunnie could ride with her in style!"

"That is so cool!" said Rosie and turned to Bunnie, "Why didn't you tell me you rode a limousine, silly?" Bunnie just blew bubbles into her soda drink as if she wasn't really paying attention to anything that was being said.

"Guess it just slipped my mind," said Bunnie. While she was telling the truth, it was her tone that made Rosie assume she wasn't. Rosie took offense.

"Don't be too hard on her Rosie," said Margie as Bunnie took a long sip, "when you get to a certain age, you're memory is usually the first to go." While Margie was just giving an innocent fact of life, Bunnie took offense as she went agape, causing what soda had been in her mouth to treacle back into her glass.

"Just what do you mean _by that!?_ " Bunnie asked rather angrily.

"It's just a fact of life," said Margie, "even I'm living proof that "elephants never forget" is just an old wife's tale! Twice today I forget where I put my house key!"

"On the table, sulky," said Marshal and Margie just chuckled bashfully before putting them back into her dress pockets. Bunnie just rolled her eyes before going back to her drink.

"So Marshal," said Rosie, "do you have any love interests recently?" Bunnie did another agape face, causing her to leak out her drink into her cup again.

"Not really sulky," said Marshal.

"Why not Marshal?" Margie asked curiously.

"Just not really looking for anybody," said Marshal, "I never really thought I was anyone's type honestly."

"Marshal, just because you've got a frowny face doesn't mean that girls are going to be turned off by you, silly," said Rosie.

"I agree tootie," said Margie as Bunnie went back to her drink, "Any girl would be lucky to have you. Right sis?"

"Sure," said Bunnie bluntly as she continued to blow bubbles into her drink.

"Say Marshal, how come you and Bunnie never got together?" Margie asked next. Bunnie went agape for the third time that evening. Before Marshal could answer, Shenran called everyone to attention.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the time had come for bride and groom to throw the traditional wedding bouquet and garner!" he announced excitedly, "all you single girls and boys better line up to see if your love luck is really high today!" Rosie squealed with glee before dragging Bunnie with her. Margie followed calmed close behind while Marshal just stayed behind.

"Come on Marshal!" said Margie with a gesture with her hand. Marshal just sighed before he followed her. Since Margie was tall she stood towards the back while Rosie and Bunnie were elbowing each other in the middle of the other single girls.

"Here we go!" said Cherry excitedly. She bent down a bit and then tossed the bouquet high into the air. Bunnie used her natural ability to hop to jump high into the air and reached for the incoming bouquet. Just as her hands closed, she realized that all she grabbed was air. Apparently she was late in grabbing it and it passed right through her hands and into Rosie's.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" the blue cat squealed with delight, "I CAUGHT THE BOUQUET!" She jumped up and down with glee as Bunnie just look dumbfounded and pouted quietly to herself.

"That was mine, tee hee," she muttered under her breath but no one heard her since Rosie was too excited and the other girls were cheering her for being so lucky.

"Get behind me boys, I only get one shot at this!" said Bacon as he turned his back and went to shoot the garner into the air. Marshal didn't really think he really had a chance of getting it since he was the shortest person there and decided to just stand a couple of feet away from the group of boys gunning for it. Bacon made his shot...but he fired a little too strongly and the garner overshot the entire group...and right into Marshal's hands.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed at the garner came flying straight at him and he caught it. The rest of the boys were bummed out while the other girls just gasped. Marshal just chuckled sheepishly at all the attention.

"Yeah, pretty funny huh," Marshal chuckled aloud, "Mr. Grump gets the garner huh? Guess life is just cruel sometimes isn't it, sulky?" He chuckled again, but those who knew him understood just how sarcastic and upset he felt at being stared at.

"Marshal stop," said Rosie, not finding his attempt to laugh what happened off funny, "Just because you have a frown on your face doesn't mean that you don't deserve to be happy silly! You catching that garner wasn't a joke. It means you're lucky...and special."

"Well who would marry someone with a face like this?" he snapped. Rosie glared at him.

"Any girl would be lucky to have you as the love of their life," said Rosie and then added without thinking, "I know I would..." Marshal's eyes shrunk and Rosie soon realized what she had said and blushed as well. She hid her face behind the bouquet and Marshal just felt rather uncomfortable at all the staring before Margie gently nudged Marshal. She gestured for Marshal to say or do something. Marshal just nodded before he walked up to her.

"May I have this dance?" he asked her softly. Rosie slowly moved the flowers away from her face and just nodded with a shy smile before handing Bunnie the bouquet. They moved to more discreet part of the dance floor as Bunnie and Margie watched them.

"How cute!" Margie gushed with delight. Bunnie just rolled her eyes at them and roughly tossed the flower bouquet into Rosie's spot at the table. The orange rabbit couldn't help but feel some resentment building up against her "sister".

A few days later Animal Town had become rather busy. At least in the paperwork department and Isabelle seemed to be busier and then ever. Roll did her best to make sure that Isabelle wasn't trying to overwork herself. She was always checking in on the shi-tzu everyday to make sure that Isabelle was taking her breaks. From Roll's perspective, it seemed like Isabelle was always swamping herself with work. Roll could never tell if Isabelle really had to do so much paper work or if Isabelle was just taking on too much at once, especially since Roll didn't understand half of the forms that Isabelle was working on. In fact, Roll had to wonder if it was her most recent public works project request that had brought on all the paperwork. The blonde girl never thought that the procedure for a bridge was this complicated. She knew it wasn't that complicated. Regardless, Isabelle looked more and more worn out as the days went on.

A week had passed since the wedding and today marked the completion of the red brick bridge and Purrl, Lolly, Margie, and Benjamin had come to participate in the ceremony. Isabelle was just checking over some things in her own clipboard. At least that was what Roll, wearing a strapless dress in blue with a yellow waist best and her sunhat, had hoped was the case. But she could tell that Isabelle was looking a bit zoned out.

"Isabelle?" she asked with a light nudge to the shoulder with her hands. Isabelle lifted her head and blinked a few times before coming to her senses.

"Huh? Oh...Oh! Right, sorry Mayor," said Isabelle, "just been a busy week is all!" Roll just crossed her arms and with a concerned look on her face as the shi-tzu cleared her throat and walked into the bridge.

"Welcome everyone and we all thank you for coming to the dedication for the completion of this new brick bridge," said Isabelle clearly, "I'm Isabelle and I'll be your host today!" Everyone gave her a warm applause...except for Roll, her applause was more out of respect rather than happiness.

"Thank you, thank you, you're too kind," said Isabelle as she blushed at all the attention and then suddenly Isabelle just stood in place for a few seconds before she blinked once more.

"Oh right, sorry," said Isabelle, "And now let's hear a very short speech from our own mayor. Take it away, Mayor Roll!"

"Isabelle is something wrong?" Roll asked. Isabelle just blinked in shock as everyone just looked at her with some worry.

"That's not one of the three speeches I gave you!" she whispered loudly in annoyance.

"Just answer the question!" Roll snapped. Isabelle just grunted as she had been doing recently.

"Okay...never mind the speech," said Isabelle, "Guess Roll still has issues with _speaking to people!_ " There was a good degree of attitude in her tone and glared at her, showing that the blonde girl was indeed hurt by that comment but Isabelle chose to ignore her. Isabelle was suddenly just standing there but this time several seconds had passed and nothing was happening. The other villagers began to murmur to each other, wondering what was going on. Roll suddenly felt a bit insecure and also embarrassed at all the attention Isabelle was causing with spacing out and her attitude.

"Isabelle!" Roll snapped in a loud whispered. Isabelle flinched.

"What?" she snapped.

"The ceremony?" Roll retorted. Isabelle then noticed the villagers close by and then went to doing damage control.

"Oh right, right!" said Isabelle, "sorry everyone, I had misplaced my popper for a second...heh...you know how forgetful I can get..." Isabelle chuckled lightly but the rest of the villagers were not convinced that everything was alright, but they still had things to do so they got out their own poppers and Roll did the same.

"Alright, for the completion of this project and for everyone making this project possible..." said Isabelle, "Ready. Set. POP!" Roll the launched her popper first as tradition called and then Isabelle and the others did the same and clapped.

"Thank you all for joining us," said Isabelle, "sorry for all the hiccups but nobody is perfect! See you!" Isabelle then dashed away without another word or before Roll could interrogate her. Roll saw her take off, but before she could pick up speed she tripped and fell. Margie and the other villagers gasped as they saw her fall. Roll just began to cry as she buried her face into the grass. Margie said she would help Roll, but Lolly ended up helping Roll to her feet first and Benjamin handed her back the fallen sunhat. Purrl handed her a spare cloth to dry her tears.

"Now, now, dear no need to cry, we all have tripping days, kitten," said Purrl gently since Roll was still crying constantly.

"It's not the tripping and falling why I'm crying," said Roll, "I'm a big girl after all."

"Then what is it, bonbon?" Lolly asked curiously.

"It's Isabelle," said Roll, "Despite all my efforts, she's really working herself ragged and its stressing me out. I'm afraid Isabelle is gonna hurt herself if she keeps this up! I need her!" Roll continued to cry as Margie pulled her into a hug.

"There, there, sweetie," said Margie, "It's gonna be okay, tootie. Big sister has got you. Big Sister has got you." Roll whimpered a bit as she continued to cry. Lolly just gave her a supportive rub on the back and then lightly kissed her cheek to help her feel better. Benjamin then gave her a hug. All the love and support quickly calmed her down.

"Maybe what you need is a deputation," said Benjamin.

"What is a dep-u-tation?" Roll asked.

"It's sort of like an intervention, alrighty," said Benjamin, "just only a few would confront Isabelle on behalf of the entire town." Roll wiped her eyes and then smiled as she understood what he was saying.

"I get it," said Roll, "She obviously won't admit to a problem with just me, maybe if I can get a few others to join me with an intervention, we can speak to her about this and find out what is going on before she gets hurt."

"That's a good idea, Benjamin," said Purrl, "I always knew you were smart when you actually used your head, kitten!"

"Thanks, alrighty...I think..." said Benjamin as he scratched his head. Now that Roll was feeling better, she began to head back to town hall and figure out a way to getting Isabelle towards a location where such a...deputation...could take place. She was just about to pass her house when she saw Marshal just busy fishing near the edge of the river. At least he was until he hooked a large fish but it got away.

"Aw...dang it, sulky!" Marshal groaned as he tossed his fishing rod away from him. Roll decided to see what was going on.

"What's up handsome?" she asked her gently. Marshal perked up when she heard Roll's voice.

"Oh, nothing much beautiful," he replied with sigh, "Just have alot on my mind." Roll just smiled.

"I can understand that," said Roll as she sat next to him at the edge of the river and crossed her ankles.

"What's on your mind, sulky?" he asked.

"You tell me your mind first," said Roll, "I need a cuddle session."

"Go ahead," said Marshal as casted his line back into the water, "there's plenty of room in the back, sulky." Roll just smiled as she crawled around behind him and snaked her arms around his stomach before resting her head in his own. She hummed contently as she nuzzled the fur on his head with her cheek.

"No matter how upset I feel," said Roll, "just cuddling you always makes me feel better." Marshal chuckled as he pulled his line back in and set his net back down next to him.

"Glad I can be useful," said Marshal with a hint of sadness on his tone.

"Talk to me handsome," said Roll, "What's bothering you?"

"Rosie," said Marshal.

"Rosie?" Roll repeated in surprise.

"Rosie," Marshal repeated back before continuing, "ever since Cherry's wedding I feel like she's been avoiding me." Roll just huffed.

"That doesn't make any sense," said Roll, "She seemed really happy dancing with you at the wedding. You guys seem really happy doing that slow dance too."

"Exactly sulky," said Marshal, "but she hasn't really spoken to me since. I'm beginning to think maybe she was just trying to be nice. I was actually convinced she might _like_ me." Roll just chuckled to herself.

"Take my advice Marshal since I'm a girl too," said Roll, "well not an experienced girl since I've never dated but...well...maybe I don't have much wisdom to offer after all..."

"Stop it, sulky," Marshal retorted, "Now tell me. What did you want to say?" Roll just smiled. It was nice to know people valued her opinions even though she knew she was still young and inexperienced.

"Just give Rosie her space," said Roll, "She knows better than to lead anybody on, especially someone like you. I mean...would you date her if she wanted to open that door?"

"Why not?" said Marshal, "Rosie is a great girl...and she obviously likes me to some extent since I opened up. She's always said that even if we gave it try and it was a bust that we would stay friends forever."

"Then I'd say you've got nothing to lose," said Roll.

"Except for Bunnie," said Marshal, "I tried to talking to her about it and the next thing I know she excuses herself and dashes away."

"Is she seriously gonna play the jealous card?" Roll asked, pinching her nose.

"She gets that way every time people ask her about our past," said Marshal, "by the past, they keep implying that we could have been a couple or are a couple and not admitting it. Ugh! I wish people would stop asking but I wish Bunnie would kind of answer the question!"

"Well...to put the issue to rest...are you?" said Roll, "you can tell me."

"No...but Bunnie was always so closed minded about it," said Marshal bitterly, "This whole jealousy doesn't make any sense to me, sulky! Bunnie, you've told me for years that you don't see me that way and you never will! Yet your acting like this? This is telling me that you've been lying to me this whole time and that...really just...dents my self-confidence. I'm trying to heal Bunnie...and you're not helping by acting like this..." Marshal just sighed to himself as Roll gave him a comforting squeeze and kissed his cheek.

"I'm sure everything will be okay in good time," said Roll, "I'll try to see if I can get Bunnie to talk if that helps okay Handsome?"

"Thanks Beautiful," said Marshal, "I'm glad you're my best friend."

"Same here," said Roll, "in fact, it's because of you I'm wearing this handmade dress." Roll did a slow twirling showing that her strapless dress showed the her upper back and her shoulder blades. Marshal whistled at her.

"I'm gonna have to put boy repellent on you to keep them at bay," Marshal teased and Roll snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Very funny," she remarked and they both laughed as Marshal rose to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Do you really think...boys would find me...attractive?" Roll asked insecurely, her cheeks slightly pinker than normal when she asked that as she played with her left pigtail.

"Roll you are a very beautiful young lady," said Marshal, "it's kind of why our friendship means so much to me."

"Really?" said Roll.

"Yeah, sulky," said Marshal, "never thought someone as beautiful as you would ever pay attention to me." Roll giggled.

"Because I know behind that frown of yours is an absolute sweetheart," said Roll, "and I can confide stuff with him too."

"Sure about that, sulky?" said Marshal, "I still don't know what's been bothering you. You look like you were crying recently." Roll just sighed to herself as she approached him and held him again.

"It's Isabelle," said Roll after holding him for about ten seconds, "She's working herself to death and every time I try to help her relax and get some rest she's been getting very snippy with me. Today we were doing the dedication ceremony for the new bridge near the waterfall and Isabelle kept zoning out. I finally asked her to tell me what is going on and she told me off. Then she ran off before I could ask her why she was being so rude. I know she's overworking herself and she just brushing me off. It's like she doesn't even care that seeing her so tired is worrying me sick! The way she's pushing me away...just...reminds me of my mom..." Roll's eyes began to leak new tears that splashed into Marshal's head as she held him. Marshal just listened attentively before pulling away. He kissed her cheek and wiped away her tears with his small thumb, making her giggle as she tried to calm down.

"Don't cry Beautiful," said Marshal gently, "Everything is going to be okay. We've all noticed that Isabelle had been rather fussy lately. I don't think she's intentionally trying to ignore your advice and concerns, sulky. There might be something else bothering her."

"Maybe, but it's getting harder and harder to be sympathetic when she snapping at me all the time," said Roll, "I'm tired of all the attitude. It hurts me...alot." Marshal nodded in understanding.

"I understand, sulky," said Marshal, "but it will be okay. Isabelle obviously is just getting restless and its affecting her mood so don't take it too personally okay." Roll just nodded.

"Okay, thanks for hearing me out Marshal," said Roll, "I always feel better talking to you Handsome."

"Glad to be of service Beautiful," said Marshal, "You helped me feel better too. Guess just time will tell what Rosie wants to do."

"Hey Marshal," said a voice. Roll and Marshal turned to see the blue cat standing nearby. Unlike other times, she seemed...timid...quiet...which was way out of her character. She even looked insecure...

"Rosie are...you...okay?" Roll asked worried. The blue cat just rubbed her shoulder and bounced a little on her feet.

"Yeah...can...can I talk to Marshal alone please, silly?" Rosie asked quietly. Roll just blinked for a moment and then just gave her a smile and went on her way.

"Roll, wait a minute!" Rosie called out as the blonde skidded to a stop and turned to face her.

"What's up?" said Roll.

"Purrl and Benjamin told me about the deputation," said Rosie, "Bunnie and I are ready to help you make sure Isabelle gets her rest, silly." Rosie gave her a soft smile and a wink. Roll smiled, grateful for her best friends support before she continued on her way to the Town Hall. Rosie watched Roll disappear until she turned to face the white squirrel.

"Hey, silly," she said softly.

"Hey, sulky," said Marshal in the same shy tone. He couldn't help but feel really shy around Rosie ever since that dance. He wasn't sure of what to say next since every time he thought of something he couldn't help but feel a little stupid.

"What'cha doing?" Rosie asked with a cute smile.

"I..uhh...I was just...fishing..." said Marshal, "then Roll needed to vent so I was...helping her..." Marshal wanted to jump into a pitfall at this very second, but Rosie just giggled to herself.

"You're such a good friend, silly," said Rosie, "Anyways...I wanted to apologize to you..."

"For...for what, sulky?" Marshal asked surprised.

"Marshal, you can stop acting so modest, silly," Rosie snorted, "You know I've been avoiding you so you can stop acting like it hasn't been bothering you!" Marshal just blinked in surprise. He had never seen Rosie that upfront with him and he suddenly felt a even more shy than he did now.

"Sorry...guess I just thought it was something I did," said Marshal quietly. Rosie softened hearing that. Since his confrontation with Bunnie, the blue cat had learned just how timid the white squirrel really was. In fact, she had learned just how badly Marshal's confidence had been shaken to due the fallout with Charlotte. Rosie had even confronted Bunnie, wondering if all those years of her shunning him could have something to do with it. This explains why Bunnie had been so blunt and irritable during the wedding. Like Marshal had explained earlier, Bunnie didn't answer or comment on Rosie's question. Just walked off. Rosie would worry about Bunnie's attitude later, for now she wanted to help Marshal learn to believe in himself a little more. And to answer the big question, she did like Marshal...alot. Since learning about him, she had grown rather attracted to the white squirrel.

But for her sake, she asks that nobody tell him that...at least not yet.

Rosie just looked at her feet and played with her dazed dress for a moment before looking back up at Marshal, who was just looking very shy and insecure.

"Marshal?"

"Yeah, Rosie?" Marshal asked, now fully alert and giving her eye contact.

"Can I...just hang out with you, silly?" said Rosie, "Bunnie is having a bad day and I'm...lonely." Marshal just blinked for a bit and then smiled.

"Sure," said Marshal, "What do you wanna do, sulky?"

"We can fish together if you want, silly," Rosie suggested.

"Alright," said Marshal as he grabbed his fishing rod and waited for Rosie to take a seat next to him. While she sat a few inches away, Marshal was glad for her company. Rosie had to admit she felt happier sitting next to him. She was tempted to rest her head next to his rather small shoulder but decided against it.

 _One step at a time girl,_ Rosie told herself, _One step at a time._

At the moment inside the walls of town hall, Isabelle could feel herself becoming more and more drowsy as she continued to do her work. She was trying to read through another procedure document when she could feel her eye grow heavy. She quickly patted her cheeks a bit firmly and shook her head to wake up.

"Keep it together Isabelle," she told herself, "You need to do this...it's for Animal Town...it's for Roll...she'll thank me for this later..." That seem to be the broken record that played over and over through her head whenever she felt drowsy and she seemed to play it again and again whenever she wanted to just take a break or a nap or just plain rest. She just kept pushing herself to keep moving forward. She wasn't completely zoned out yet, she was well aware of how rude and snappy she had been getting with Roll. Yet she didn't feel sorry about it, she felt she was doing Roll a better favor, which was just another clear sign that her exhaustion was now clouding her sense of judgment as well. She was still grumbling to herself when a grey furred shi-tzu wearing a HHA tee in light blue with some black track shorts entered the town hall.

 _Now why is he here?!_ Isabelle thought annoyed. Normally she would have been overjoyed to see Digby but today she was rather annoyed at seeing him as he came up to her with a warm smile.

"Hey Izzy! Lovely day outside!" he told her cheerfully. Isabelle just looked at him with a irritated glare.

"I thought you were working at the HHA showcase today _little brother_ ," she asked with the little bother part was said with some spite in her tone. That wiped the grin off of Digby's face as he glared at her.

"Don't you mean _twin_ brother, _little_ sister?" he retorted indignantly. Believe it or not, Isabelle and Digby were very special twins. According their mother, when it came time to give birth, they both came out at the same time! Neither one could brag they were older than the other. They even did the research and the exact same time of birth was printed on their birth certificates. While they often speculated that their mother was just pulling both their legs or possibly faked a time just to keep peace, she stuck to the story and never deterred from it. Despite the facts showing otherwise, they still teased each other about being older than the other. However, Digby could tell that Isabelle wasn't teasing.

"Geez, what's eating you Sis?" Digby asked, "Looks like someone woke on the wrong side of the doggie bed this morning."

"I did NOT!" Isabelle snapped, "I'm trying to get this work done if you don't _mind_ , I would like to get it done before the I'm old and grey!" Isabelle slammed her fist on her desk and then continued her work. Digby just looked hurt.

"Seesh, I just wanted to say hi," he muttered, "I hardly see you anymore..." Digby then walked sadly away and was just about the grab the door when.

"Sorry," said Isabelle. It sounded slightly forced but there was some sincerity in it, which Digby's ears caught as he decided to turn around and headed back to her desk.

"Sis, seriously, what's bugging you?" he asked with concern, "I mean come on, we're siblings. We've always confided in each other about stuff."

"Not anymore," said Isabelle as a matter of fact. Digby just looked at her sadly.

"Well all I know is...my door has always been open," he told her, "You know I would drop everything if you needed me." Isabelle felt like she was burst out in tears but quickly recomposed herself. However Digby was no fool. He saw her nearly lose her composure and was now more concerned that ever.

"Please tell me Sis," said Digby gently, "What is bugging you?" Isabelle just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Roll"

"Roll?"

"Roll," Isabelle repeated bluntly, "Roll is the problem." Digby blinked in surprise.

"But I thought Roll was doing such a good job," said Digby, "Animal Town looks better than ever and even the citizen satisfaction reports are all praises..."

"Well she is just a big pain in the butt!" Isabelle yelled, "Always checking up on me and nagging me to get my rest and to eat and to spread my work out and UGH! Why can't that little brat just leave me alone! I'm an adult, not a child and I wish she would respect that and stop acting like she's my mother all the time!"

"Izzy," said Digby firmly, "Roll is just worried about you and so am I! You do tend to overwork yourself. Someone needs to make sure you don't wear yourself out!"

"Whose side are you on!" Isabelle barked.

"Nobody!" Digby snapped, "but I do know for a fact that you are a very persistent worker and sometimes you get a little too wrapped up in your work! Roll isn't the only one whose worried you're gonna work yourself to death!"

"I know how to take care of myself!" Isabelle yelled.

"No you don't!"

"YES I DO!" Isabelle screamed, standing up from her seat. Digby took a few steps back in fright. Isabelle had her share of character flaws, and he wasn't bashing her cause he knew he had flaws too, but a short temper wasn't one of them. He couldn't remember the last time Isabelle had ever yelled at him. Even when she was little and they had their little fights, she would snap, whine, even cry, but she never exploded like she did now. Isabelle just huffed as she took a seat to keep working. It was just then that Roll entered Town Hall before Digby could answer.

"Oh speak of the devil," Isabelle muttered under her breath and while Digby glared, she chose to ignore it.

"Hi Isabelle," said Roll kindly, "Hey Digby. Nice outfit."

"Thanks Roll," said Digby.

"What brings you here?" Roll asked the male shi-tzu.

"I just wanted to see my sister, cause I love her so much, oh yes I do! Oh yes I do!" Digby then ruffled the hairs under the yellow shi-tzu's top knot where here bell ribbon was in place. Isabelle was using all her will not to try and bite his hand off, when Roll giggled at his little horseplay.

"So how are you doing today Isabelle?" Roll asked cheerfully. Isabelle was taken aback by her cheery tone and just blinked a bit before answering.

"O-kay I guess..." was her only reply, rather than her usually cheerful and usual greeting.

"How's the work coming along?" Roll asked her curiously. Isabelle growled inwardly.

 _Just what is she trying to pull?_ Isabelle thought but answered simply. "It's going just fine. See for yourself!" Isabelle then pointed towards two containers. One had papers that needed to be worked on and the other had papers that were filled out and needed to be filed and sorted. The later stack was also a good two feet tall. While Isabelle usually did the sorting, Roll did do it every now and then and today seemed like just as a good day as any to do so.

"Great, I'll get those filed," said Roll as she picked up the papers and went to sort them out into a nearby cabinet drawer between her desk and Isabelle's. As Roll went to file each completed document, she noticed something that made her hum with concern. In addition, she also noticed a few particular items near Isabelle's desk.

"Digby..." she mouthed. The grey shi-tzu quietly walked behind Isabelle's desk.

"What's up?" he whispered as quietly as he could. Roll then showed him the documents. Digby gasped and the narrowed his brow in anger.

"I knew it!" he snapped in a whispering tone. He noticed several of the time stamps on the documents Isabelle had completed. They weren't due for several weeks, some were even as far away as next October. They even found a document for the regulations necessary allowing Franklin to host a dinner at the event plaza...in November! And that was a good four months. Isabelle was never behind on any work, she was working ahead and do it at the expense of her own health and well-being too. Roll just took the large stack of documents and just dropped them back into the bin with a loud crinkle of papers, some of them even falling out of the pile and onto the floor, which startled Isabelle from her work.

"Hey! I thought you were going to put those papers away!" She asked shocked. Roll glared sternly at her. Isabelle knew what was coming.

 _Oh great!_ Isabelle thought.

"Didn't I tell you not to work so far ahead like this!" Roll scolded angrily, "I keep telling you to just do what needs to be done today and nothing more! There is no need for you to jump ahead like this!"

"Hey! If it's getting done than isn't that was it important!"

"Isabelle..." Roll rumbled as she felt her temper slip, "You're impossible! Do you think I don't have sense to see what you're doing behind my back!"

"What do you mean?" Isabelle demanded.

"She means this!" said Digby as he pulled out a drawer that Isabelle was using a waste bin. Inside was a collection of discarded candy wrappers and coffee cups. Isabelle wasn't just overworking herself but she was neglecting her health too by using junk food to give her energy to work. This time it was Digby who chose to speak.

"Izzy, when was the last time you went home for a good night's sleep or even just ate a nice _healthy_ meal?" he asked her. Isabelle just felt put on the spot and went on the defense.

"Well I do have a sleeping bag stored away in the cabinet over there..."

"Izzy..." Digby warned.

"And I've taken a few naps here and there..."

"Izzy" Digby repeated losing his patience.

"...and there's just work to be done and there's no time for me..."

"ISABELLE!" Digby yelled, "You are working yourself ragged and then you wonder why Roll is so worried sick about you! I've been worried sick about you!"

"How can you be so careless Isabelle?" Roll added angrily, "You know better than this and I told you that you need to make sure to take care of yourself first and your work later..."

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH HOLE!" Isabelle yelled fiercely at Roll and making her step back, "Believe it or not, your wisdom gets old and annoying sometimes. How about you just do me favor, just shut up and BUD OUT OF MY LIFE!" Isabelle grunted moodily as she glanced at her brother who just glared but tilted away from her.

"What?" she asked bluntly and looked back at Roll and then gasped. Poor Roll looked completely heartbroken as her lips quivered as a few sobs escaped her mouth and tears were streaming down her face. It didn't take long before Isabelle realized just how hurtful her words were to the blonde girl. Poor Roll was breaking down.

"Oh Roll, I'm so sorry! I...I don't know what came over me," said Isabelle in a very weak, but ashamed defense, "but it won't happen again...as soon as I finish this document. I'll take the rest of the day off...I promise." Isabelle gave her a warm smile. Roll just sniffled a bit as she wiped her eyes and nodded, hoping the shi-tzu meant her words as Digby handed the crying girl a cloth.

"Sorry..." Roll whimpered, still deeply hurt.

"It's okay Roll," said Digby, "It doesn't take a genius to know Isabelle hit a..."

THUD!

That sickening sound made both of them tilt their heads towards Isabelle's desk. What they saw made both their faces pale and their breathing stop. The poor shi-tzu was now laying unconscious, face first, on the floor behind her desk.

 **For the sake of this story, I find eighteen to be the appropriate age for marriage. I don't want to be discussing marriage "fun" cause this is a family rated story.**

 **The scene of Bunnie with the soda was based off of a clip from** ** _Sailor Moon Super S_** **. Ironically it was when they are discussing the chance of a possible boyfriend for Rini (Chibi-usa).**

 **And FYI to my closest followers: I DO NOT EXIST! (not planning to) and Rosie needs a love interest so there! Plus I try not to do fourth wall comments unless they fit, and there was one moment where it did.**

 **Digby's outfit is based on his casual outfit from ACHHD just the bottoms are shorts instead of pants.**

 **And don't worry about Isabelle...she'll be fine.**

 **See you next time!**


	30. The Island Part 2

The Island part 2

Isabelle groaned for a moment before she slowly began to stir from her bed.

"Uhh...what happened?" she asked herself. It was a few moments before her thoughts came back to her. Her first memory was of her yelling at Roll, making the blonde girl cry, then saying she would take the day off and...well the rest of her memory was just a blank. Isabelle sat up and immediately felt quite dizzy, she also noticed that her vision was really fuzzy to as she tried to get her equilibrium back. Fortunately she was able to slowly recover from the dizziness. It was just then that Digby, now in his HHA uniform arrived into the room to check on her.

"Hey, you're awake!" he exclaimed softly as he walked over to his sister and gave her a rather tight hug, "I was so worried about you sis!" Isabelle just looked at him drearily, despite the fuzzy vision. She knew this wasn't her bed or her bedroom and then noticed that she wasn't in her summer work outfit but in a soft pink blank tee and some pajama shorts in the same color.

"Who changed my clothes?" she asked.

"Roll gave you some of her pajamas since you two are the same size," said Digby, "She changed your clothes since I'm a boy..." Isabelle just looked at him blankly and then just looked slightly away.

"Oh," said Isabelle quietly and then just fingered her blanket.

"How are you feeling?" Digby asked gently as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know..." said Isabelle, "Dizzy, my vision is fuzzy, woozy, stupid..."

"Hey none of that Izzy," said Digby, "but the dizziness and wooziness is expected. You've been asleep for three and a half days."

"Three and a half days?!" Isabelle exclaimed and then regretted it as her head started throbbing from shouting. Isabelle groaned as she held her head from the self-induced headache.

"Hey, take it easy Izzy," said Digby.

"I can't take it easy!" Isabelle exclaimed, "I've been asleep for three and a half days and I doubt that Roll had been taking care of the paper work!"

"She...actually has," said Digby, "I have as well..."

"WHAT?!" Isabelle shrieked, clearly showing she doubted Digby's organization skills, "I gotta get to work!" Isabelle then threw the covers off and went to stand up. As soon as she tried though, her legs gave way and she tumbled into the floor.

"Isabelle!" Digby exclaimed.

"Ok...that hurt..." she groaned as she lay on the floor face first and tried to get to her feet, but to her horror, she couldn't get stable. Her legs were shaking the entire time she tried to stand upright. Isabelle was fighting for her life to stay and stand up, but her legs kept wobbling.

"Oh...Oh...AAHHH!" Isabelle yelped as she was about to fall over again when Digby caught her as she tumbled. Isabelle fought hard to stand using Digby for support, but her legs just could hold her up.

"Hey, hey, hey! Settle down Sis," said Digby as he picked her up and sat her on the edge of the bed. Isabelle was panting rather heavily since she was worn out from trying to stand up as she rubbed her legs.

"What...what happened to me?" said Isabelle, "I can't stand up anymore and my vision is all fuzzy! How am I supposed to get to work? How will the town run? I need to..." Isabelle was then hushed as Digby placed a finger over her mouth.

"Settle down Sis," said Digby firmly, "Long story short...you depleted all your energy and you collapsed while you were at the office three days ago. While you've been sleeping to recharge your batteries, you're still weak because you've been in bed and you haven't eaten anything during the time you were asleep. As for your fuzzy vision, didn't you forget that you wear contacts?"

"Oh...yeah..." said Isabelle, inwardly kicking herself for forgetting something to obvious. She went to touch her eyes but found nothing there.

"Where..."

"I was able to take them out," said Digby, "and I'll admit it. I forgot you were wearing them so by the time I was able to take them out, they tore when I removed them."

"Oh great..." Isabelle groaned since that pair was her last set and hadn't had the time to order more.

"Relax, I paid for a new set of them and got free air shipping," said Digby, "Pete delivered them yesterday to my house. I'll bring them over later. For now you can wear these." Digby reached for a case and opened it to reveal Isabelle's blank rimmed glasses.

"Ugh, I hate wearing these when I'm not at my own home," she grumbled, "I look like a dork!" Digby chuckled.

"No you don't sis," said Digby, "Plus if want to be able to see clearly you're going to have to wear them." Isabelle quietly conceded as she put the glasses on and brushed a hand through her thick blonde bangs. That was when she noticed that her bangs were hanging slightly over her forehead.

"Where's my..."

"It's on the table Sis," said Digby, now annoyed, "will you quit acting like I don't know how to take care of your stuff! I'm replacing the destroyed contacts with _my_ bells! I found someone to get you into pajamas and to take care of you. I removed your bell ribbon for circulation. I wouldn't just tear it off and throw it somewhere. I know it means alot to you because it was from Mom."

"Oh..." said Isabelle as her vision cleared but only for a second before tears just streamed down her face and she began to cry.

"Hey, it's okay Sis," said Digby as he pulled her into a gentle hug.

"I'm such a goof up," Isabelle sobbed, "a stupid goof up..."

"Stop it Sis," said Digby, "Now just calm down. I know you say you're too old for this, but...he did help you feel better when you are upset and you're never too old for one." Digby reached into a pocket and pulled out an old teddy bear. Isabelle had had the bear since her days as a child. She hated to admit it, but cuddling it again really did help her feet better as she continued to cry for another minute. Once she calmed down, Digby had returned from getting Isabelle a glass of water and a small plate with some apple slices and peanut butter. Isabelle didn't realize just how hungry she was until she started eating one of the apple slices and dipped it into the creamy peanut butter, which was also a favorite of hers as well. Plus the glass of water slowly quenched her throat, which was already dry before she had even started crying. Digby just quietly watched as Isabelle ate most of her snack and drank her water before taking her hand gently. Isabelle noticed that her brother was just watching her with a serious look on his face.

"Guess I worried you because of what happened didn't I?" she asked. Digby said nothing as his eyes watered and tears began to stream down his face. Isabelle was taken aback as the grey shi-tzu just began to cry.

"Digby..."

"You know I love you right?" Digby sobbed as he interrupted her, "You're not just my sister, but my best friend?" The way he was asking her made Isabelle's heart hurt. If she wasn't feeling guilty already, she certainly was now. It was pretty obvious that what happened really hurt him. Isabelle nodded but couldn't look at him.

"Digby, I'm so sorry," said Isabelle quietly, "I...I didn't mean to hurt you like that."

"Well Sis...you did," Digby croaked, "not just by neglecting yourself but also the way you treated me as well as Roll. How dare you call Roll a pest of all things? She's not just the mayor of this town. She's family. She's my friend too and she told me how you were overworking yourself. How dare you talk to her like that!" Isabelle just looked at him sadly.

"I never meant to say that," said Isabelle quietly, too ashamed to say anything else as Digby tried to calm himself down.

"It's not me that you owe an apology," said Digby. Isabelle just looked at him sadly and sighed to herself.

"Well...where is she?" said Isabelle, "I'm assuming that this is her house I'm sleeping in."

"Let me find out," said Digby, "wait here okay."

"Like I have a choice!" Isabelle remarked annoyed.

"I mean I don't want to you getting off the bed," said Digby, "I'm not that stupid!" Isabelle blinked and then just looked at him sadly.

"I...never meant to say that you were," said Isabelle, "Still frustrated I guess..." Digby then kissed her forehead and gave her a smile before he went to go find Roll. It was about ten minutes later before he came back to the room.

"Come on Sis," said Digby, "They're waiting for you in the living room."

"We?" Isabelle asked but Digby didn't explain any further. He just scooped her into his arms and carried her into the living room. Once they entered, Isabelle discovered that Roll wasn't the only person there but also Whitney, Purrl, Lolly, and Margie. They each were sitting around the ranch tea table as Roll, wearing a sleeveless star dress with her hair in a ponytail and matching hairpin, had Digby set Isabelle on the empty sofa where Roll sat next to her and gave her a loving hug.

"I'm glad you're okay," said Roll, "after the second day, I was fearing the worst."

"I'm sorry," said Isabelle. Yet she couldn't help but feel a bit trapped. Since she couldn't walk at the moment, she knew she was forced to stay put. Roll just smiled as she sat next to her with one leg tucked under her dress.

"Isabelle, I just wanted to apologize to you," said Roll, making the shi-tzu blink in surprise, "I didn't meant to get to overly motherly or stern with you all the time...I was just worried cause I could see you were wearing yourself out. And it's not just this week either."

"She's right, snappy," Whitney added, "we've all seen a change in you over the past few weeks and that change hasn't been for the better."

"You're less cheery than you used to be, bon-bon," Lolly added, "and whenever we try to talk to you, you're very cold and rude to all of us."

"I understand what it's like to want to always give your best and to want to do so much within a day, tootie," Margie added, "but if you're hurting people in order to do so...then is it really worth it?"

"I...I hurt you?" Isabelle asked quietly.

"We're all hurt," said Purrl, "by your recent attitude, by how you're treating Roll, and by how you've been treating all of us, kitten. We saw how you were acting yesterday dear. Did you really think we were stupid enough to see that you were shutting down?" Isabelle just looked at her sadly, unsure of what to say. She knew she had hurt Roll...and her brother...but she didn't know she had hurt the entire town.

"I just wanted to make things easier," said Isabelle weakly, "I just wanted to make Roll's job easier."

"If you have to overwork yourself to do that, snappy," said Whitney, "then we'd rather have you just leave Roll the extra work."

"If you showed me what the forms meant, I could take care of some of that paper work," said Roll, "Unless you really do think I'm too stupid to understand what needs to be done..."

"No!" said Isabelle sadly, "I never meant to..."

"Well you did!" Roll snapped gently, "especially over the past week...I don't need you reminding me that I'm a dumb blonde!"

"She's right, kitten," said Purrl.

"Purrl!" Roll bellowed.

"I mean the way she's been treating you, kitten," said Purrl, "we know you're a very smart girl so no more of this dumb blonde stuff!" Roll just sighed and nodded before Digby continued.

"We've all seen you condescend her," said Digby, "You know Roll is a very smart girl. She's at the same education level as you were at her age. Yet you keep treating her like she stupid! We want to Roll to believe in how smart she is and you're doing the exact opposite. You're supposed to be helping her and instead you used your own issues to tear her apart instead." Isabelle had nothing to say. It was all true. Just saying sorry didn't seem good enough. Roll could tell Isabelle felt ashamed and turned to Digby.

"Does anyone know when the last time Isabelle took a vacation?" Roll asked the entire group. All the villagers just looked at each other.

"We...never seen her take a vacation...ever, snappy," said Whitney quietly.

"I've never seen Isabelle outside of the town hall for anything other than a fast coffee break or locating the next public works project, bonbon," Lolly added.

"Digby?" Roll asked, wondering if he might know. Digby had a very serious glare on his face.

"I don't think she's had a vacation since she graduated from the university...and I mean after earning her 15th degree!" Digby answered.

"15th degree?!" Roll exclaimed.

"Isabelle has degrees from over 15 different universities and she said she did it all for fun!" said Digby quietly but bitterly, "but what she didn't tell you was how she almost killed herself doing it! And now she's doing it again!" Hot tears were streaming down his face. He was obviously aware that Isabelle apparently had a habit of overworking herself and it upset him dearly.

"Let's face facts Isabelle," Digby croaked, "you're a workaholic!"

"I'm not!" Isabelle protested. Digby then rose to his feet and got into her face so quickly that it unnerved.

"You have a problem my dear sister," he said under his breath.

"I don't have a problem," Isabelle answered back and then Digby grabbed her by the arm.

"Don't have a problem?!" he yelled, "The last time you collapsed the family couldn't get you out of bed for a week! I thought you weren't going to make it. You promised me that you were going to learn to spread out your workload and take breaks and take responsibility for your physical well-being like an adult and you broke that promise to me! You collapsed because you didn't have the common sense to just stop and take a break!"

"We would have fallen behind..."

"I DON'T CARE!" Digby exploded, "I DON'T WANNA LOSE MY SISTER! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?"

"Digby!" Lolly and Margie grabbed him and pulled him off of the yellow shi-tzu. He wasn't hurting her. He never would, but he was clearly worried sick and now he was starting to unravel.

"I know work keep us apart," Digby sobbed in a broken tone, "I know we've drifted apart...but...I don't want her to...I love my sister...I know I could be a better brother...I've never...I don't...WHAT DID I DO TO MAKE HER DO THIS? WHAT! WHAT?" Digby's mind was running ragged, trying to make some sense as to why Isabelle was doing this and wondering if he was to blame as he began to weep. While Margie and Lolly did their best to help Digby calm down, Roll had seen enough.

"Isabelle," said Roll softly, "As mayor of this town, you need to remember that I rank above you in the organizational ladder of things. I am the mayor and you, Isabelle, are my secretary. While I try to treat you as if we are equal to each other out of respect, this situation forces me to have to use my authority for the greater good. And I hate having to step over you, but this is absolutely necessary." Isabelle looked worried as Roll paused for a few moments.

"What...are you gonna do?" she asked.

"When you've recovered your strength Isabelle," said Roll gently but in a stern tone, "I'm closing down Town Hall."

"WHAT?!" Isabelle exclaimed in shock with a light shriek.

"Not forever," said Roll with her hands on her hips, "Just until you've recovered and have had a chance to take a proper vacation. I would say two weeks at the least."

"Two weeks?!" said Isabelle, "what am I supposed to do for the next two weeks?"

"Well you're gonna recover and get your strength back," said Roll, "you can stay here and do that. I have no problem with you staying here. I could have Digby take you home and take care of you, but that would mean he would have to help you to the bath and use the potty." Isabelle blushed and despite still crying, Digby did the same.

"He maybe my brother," said Isabelle, "but I'd rather not resort to _that_ unless nobody else will...help me..." Roll nodded in understanding.

"That's why I offered," said Roll, "At least we're girls and I'm strong enough to carry you!"

"Sure about that?" Isabelle asked and got a death glare from the blonde girl.

"I said that because I'm kind of heavy," said Isabelle in her defense, also fearfully since Roll's glared startled her a bit.

"No you're not Sis," said Digby as he calmed down, "Marshal is heavier and he's smaller than you!"

"I've picked up Marshal easily," said Roll, "watch." Roll stood up and with ease, scooped up Isabelle into her arms and snorted.

"Isabelle if this is heavy, then I am alot stronger than I thought," Roll retorted, "You're lighter than a feather girl!" Isabelle just blushed at that remark and Roll set he back down.

"Roll..."

"Yes Isabelle?" Roll answered.

"I get it, I'm on...vacation...now, but..." Isabelle just looked at her pajamas, while comfortable, she felt discontent in them, "...can I at least get dressed?" Roll nodded as she carried Isabelle up to her bedroom so she could take a nice bath and wash up. Fortunately, Roll had planned ahead and showed Isabelle her suitcase loaded with some spare outfits for her to wear.

"Any outfit you prefer?" she asked. Isabelle just sighed as she fingered the clothes inside the suitcase.

"I'll let you pick," said Isabelle, wanting to show that she did trust Roll to some extent. Roll smiled and after a minute found a cute mini sleeved blouse with lacing along the neck and sleeves with some demin pedal pushers. Isabelle smiled as she saw the outfit.

"Okay," she replied before Roll carried her into the bathroom to wash and then got dressed into the outfit Roll had picked out for her. To pass time, Roll decided to have Isabelle teach her how to play chess. Once Isabelle showed her how to play, they spent the rest of the day just playing a game. They were more than halfway through the game when Roll got an idea as Isabelle was contemplating her next move.

"Isabelle?" said Roll.

"Yeah Roll," Isabelle asked as she continued to be deep in thought.

"I have an idea for your vacation," Roll continued, "if you're willing to hear me out." Isabelle almost was going to decline, but considering Roll was giving her a choice made her change her mind.

"I'm listening," said Isabelle...quietly.

"I've always wanted to take a trip to the Island and just stay there for a few days," said Roll, "with everything that's been happening over the past few weeks I think we both could use a vacation. Would you like to come with me to Kappa Island once you're strong enough to walk again?" Isabelle just looked at her knees and then at Roll. It didn't seem like such a bad idea, but she still wasn't fully into this whole "vacation" idea.

"I don't know..." said Isabelle after a few seconds.

"Isabelle..."

"Okay...okay...I'll go!" said Isabelle in exasperation, "I'll...go..." Roll just smiled and gave her a warm hug.

"You'll have a good time," Roll replied, "I promise." Isabelle just sighed and gave her a smile before moving her bishop into place. Roll just smirked and placed her queen right next to her king.

"And that...is checkmate..." said Roll and Isabelle's jaw dropped as the blonde girl giggled.

"Lucky move," said Isabelle, slightly annoyed but still smirked, "Guess I'm still fatigued mentally." They both chuckled as Roll cleaned up the board game.

"Well that was fun," said Roll, "How are you feeling Isabelle? Need anything?"

"Not right now," said Isabelle, shaking her head, "Well...got any good books?" Roll pondered to herself.

"I can check my bookshelf to see what I have," said Roll, "anything specific?"

"Just bring what you have and I'll make a choice," Isabelle answered. Roll smiled browsed her book shelf while Isabelle just let herself recline onto the sofa with a loud sigh. She wanted to be excited about the vacation, but she just couldn't. She felt more like she had let everyone down.

As Isabelle tried to rest and recover her strength, Marshal had invited Rosie and Bunnie to his house for some hand-made barista drinks that evening. Both girls had been rather upset since Isabelle had collapsed and their worry hadn't settled since Roll had yet to contact them about any updates to Isabelle's condition. Marshal hoped that by whipping up some lattes that he hoped could help the two girls feel better. However, Marshal knew that there had also been some tension between the two ever since the wedding. They hadn't been able to have a conversation without fighting with each other. Because of that, Rosie had been spending more time with Marshal just to avoid fighting with Bunnie. However, the whole incident with Isabelle seemed to brought them back together to some degree. While they were able to stay in the same room together without fighting, they were unusually quiet with one another. Neither side was willing to speak...until now.

"Bunnie?" Rosie asked. The burnt orange rabbit just looked at her quietly.

"I don't wanna fight with you anymore, silly," said Rosie, "I just don't understand why you don't trust me." Bunnie blinked in surprise.

"I do trust you, tee hee," said Bunnie quietly, "I trust you with my life."

"Then why don't you wanna talk to me about this situation with Marshal?" said Rosie, being upfront.

"Rosie..." Bunnie retorted in an exasperated tone.

"Don't Rosie me, silly," said Rosie firmly and calmly, "I don't understand why you're so defensive about this. You settled things with Marshal and you're supposed to be moving on from all of this drama with Charlotte. Yet you still act distant to him. Are you 100% sure that there was nothing between you...?"

"Yes!" Bunnie snapped angrily, "I don't have feelings for him! I never did and I don't think I EVER will, tee hee. So please just...drop it!" Rosie just glared at her.

"I believe you," said Rosie calmly, not wanting to fight with her. Bunnie sighed.

"Thank you," said Bunnie with her hands in the air, "I'm so sick of people asking if there is something between the two of us! We're not a couple!" Rosie nodded with a hum.

"I guess what I want to know is if you hate or despise him?" Rosie asked. Bunnie blinked in surprise as she looked at her stunned.

"I..don't hate or despise him..." said Bunnie slowly, "what brought that on?"

"You are just so apprehensive about the question...and the way you answer just makes me wonder..."

"I was just tired of being asked the stupid question over and over again, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I...I didn't mean to make Marshal feel bad."

"Isn't he good enough for you?" Rosie asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Bunnie asked, raising her defense again.

"I just mean in general, silly," said Rosie, "Doesn't he deserve your love and friendship too?"

"Of...course he does..." said Bunnie, "Why does he think that I hate him, tee hee?"

"Roll told me that he feels like you are still blaming him over Charlotte, silly," said Rosie, "I hope that isn't true..."

"I'm...not...blaming him," said Bunnie, "Charlotte made her own choice...Marshal had nothing to do with it..."

"Then why are you so cold to him?" said Rosie, "what did he do to make you so mad at him? That's all he wants to know."

"Nothing!" Bunnie snapped, "Look this isn't about Marshal okay...it's just...I can't find the right words to explain it yet alright...if I promise to be nicer to him can we just shelf it? Please..." Bunnie couldn't help but plead a little at Rosie since she clearly was still not willing to open up completely about what was bothering her. In all honestly, there was only one issue Rosie wanted to push further and conceded.

"Aright, but you'll come to me once you've got your thoughts together right, silly? Promise?" Rosie answered.

"Sure..." Bunnie answered softly, but she only said it to end the topic. Rosie just smiled and embraced her.

"I love you Sis," said Rosie.

"I love you too Sis," said Bunnie. The hug was probably the best thing Rosie could have given her since it made the rabbit feel much better. It was just then that Marshal entered the room with a tray carrying some freshly made coffee and some chocolate chip cookies. Marshal handed Bunnie her cup first.

"Thanks," said Bunnie quietly, "and Marshal..."

"What's up Bunnie?" Marshal asked. Bunnie just set her coffee cup down on the table and went to give him a tight hug.

"I love you Marshal," said Bunnie, "and you mean alot to me too...I've just been dealing with alot and I'm not ready to talk about it. But just know that I don't hate or despite you, or I'm not angry with you. I'm sorry if it looked that way."

"It's alright, sulky," said Marshal, "I love you too Bunnie. I know we're just best friends."

"Thank you!" Bunnie answered with much appreciation.

"But I have to ask the question..." Marshal added and Bunnie grunted annoyingly.

"Hey, none of that sulky," said Marshal, "I just wanna know if you've got any interest..."

"I don't Marshal," Bunnie answered in an irritated.

"Bunnie I'm asking because you seem to repulsed at the idea rather than just not into me, sulky," said Marshal seriously, "and...you seem really annoyed that I've been hanging out with Rosie and if you don't see me at all romantically, then it shouldn't bother you. You'll always be my best friend and I love you very much Bunnie. Yet you act very jealous when Rosie and I seem to consider the idea of dating each other."

"I'm not jealous!" Bunnie retorted.

"Then you don't mind if Rosie and I date then, sulky," said Marshal. Bunnie just glared and let out a loud huff.

"Why do you need my permission about that, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"Because we care about your feelings, my _sister_ ," said Rosie firmly, "if the two of us dating bugs you, we wanna know...because we love and care about you." Bunnie just took a nice long sip of her cup of coffee. She had to admit the coffee was very good, but she really couldn't enjoy it with Rosie and Marshal staring her down.

"Just do what you want, tee hee," said Bunnie simply, "I don't care." Marshal just glared at her and Rosie did the same.

"Fine, sulky," said Marshal, "but do me a favor from now on Bunnie?"

"What?" she asked bluntly.

"If you won't be honest with us," said Marshal, "then we're not going to care if it bugs you. If we wanna date, get together and even get married if it's meant to be...we're not gonna hold back for you sake, sulky. I've been looking for love for a long time and if this is door I've been waiting for, I'm for sure going to take it. Who knows if anyone will ever like me the way Rosie does..." Rosie couldn't help but blush a little at his little speech. She was touched.

"The question is my dear best friend," said Bunnie in the same tone, "do you like her back?" Marshal just looked at Rosie and smiled.

"Since spending extra time with her," said Marshal, "what can I say...I'm smitten..." Rosie giggled and Bunnie just rolled her eyes at her.

"Do what you want I guess," said Bunnie apathetically. While Rosie took offense to her attitude, she decided to turn it to her advantage and hugged her from the side.

"Oh thank you sis, you're the best, silly," said Rosie, "and who knows...maybe if you learn to smile again...you can be the maid of honor at the wedding instead of just the disguised statue spying on us!"

"Very funny, tee hee," said Bunnie.

 _That might not be a bad idea,_ Bunnie thought, _I could steal him away from her when they ask..._

 _Now wait just a minute there Bunnie Lillian Rabbit! Why on earth would you wanna steal him from Rosie?_

 _I don't! I don't even know why that even came into my head._

 _You're sure? I mean you did say he was your marshmallow squirrel._

"Oh SHUT UP!" Bunnie bellowed out of the blue. Marshal and Rosie just looked puzzled at her.

"What's your deal, sis?" Rosie asked.

"We didn't say anything, sulky," Marshal added. Bunnie just panted a bit until she realized her unexpected outburst and just blushed.

"Heh...just...got a little flustered in the head...sorry, tee hee," Bunnie chuckled a bit timidly before she looked away and just drank her coffee quietly as she snatched a cookie from the table. The rest of their snack was rather quiet but despite the decision for them to wanna date they didn't make any plans in front of her. While Bunnie appreciated the thought, she didn't really show it as she sipped the last of her coffee without another word. The group had just finished their coffees and cookies when there was a knock on the door.

"I wonder who that is, sulky?" said Marshal as he went to open the door and found Roll excitedly standing before her with a warm smile.

"Hey there Beautiful," said Marshal with a smile. Bunnie snorted.

"Aren't you dating Rosie now?" she asked skeptically until Rosie lightly shoved her. The blue cat meant it playfully but Bunnie looked offended.

"Aw, I have no problem with it silly," said Rosie, "We can think of new nicknames for each other right cutie?" Rosie gave him a wink as Marshal just chuckled shyly and winked back. Roll giggled excitedly.

"So you and Rosie are making it official?" Roll was eagerly.

"Down girl," said Bunnie, slightly annoyed, "There barely going to go on their first date, tee hee." Roll just ignored her attitude and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well I'm happy for my two best friends," said Roll, "Besides, if you two are gonna date, I know the perfect place for you guys to do so."

"Where is that, sulky?" Marshal asked curiously.

"When Isabelle is well enough," Roll explained, "I wanna go spend the week at the Island for a vacation. Tortimer told me that there's more than just one island that we can spend time on. The one we've been going to is just the gateway to a chain of islands where all the Island tours are held and also where Tortimer has his Island home. He's got a beach house out there that he never uses so we can stay there."

"So...we're all invited, tee hee," Bunnie asked curiously. Roll nodded.

"That's why I came here, you guys," Roll replied excitedly, "I want to take Isabelle to the Island for a week's vacation and I want my best friends to come with me."

"Is Margie coming too, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"Sadly, she said she need to visit her mom so I guess not," Roll answered.

"Oh," said Rosie quietly. She had hoped to ask the elephant for dating advice.

"Bummer," said Bunnie, yet she didn't seem to be as disappointed.

"What about Sable, silly?" Rosie suggested, "She needs a vacation just as much as Isabelle, if not more!" Roll gave a loud hum.

"I can try," said Roll, "but as much as Mabel and Labelle try to get her to take breaks and not overwork herself, Sable might not want to close up shop."

"Well...if money is the issue," said Marshal, "Maybe we can compensate..."

"What do you mean cutie?" Rosie asked, making Marshal blush and made Bunnie roll her eyes.

"Well we know how much their items sell," said Marshal, "couldn't we...cover their costs for their trip?" Roll caught on with what Marshal was talking about.

"You mean pay in advance for what they need for the week?" said Roll, "I think we can do that. In fact, if we go for a bug catching spree at the Island tonight we can get them the money they need and more!"

"Sounds like a plan, silly!" said Rosie, "Let's go ask and find out if they would do it, silly!" Roll nodded excitedly as the group got to head to the Able sisters shop. Well everyone except Bunnie, who kind of lagged behind. She was obviously troubled with the idea of Rosie and Marshal getting together. She didn't want to feel jealous, yet that was the only way she could describe her feelings at the moment. She didn't have much time to think about it as they arrived at the shop.

"Hi Momma!" said Roll cheerfully.

"Hello sweetheart," said Sable, "What do you want?" Roll blinked in surprise.

"What makes you think..."

"A mother knows when her child wants something," said Sable with a smirk, "I've got plenty of experience with Mabel so I can tell."

"Oh leave me out of this!" Mabel remarked indignantly but Sable ignored her.

"Now...what do you want?" Sable asked gently. Roll just rubbed her bare feet together before speaking up.

"Momma...we're gonna take a week vacation at the island," said Roll, "I wanted to know if..."

"No"

"I wasn't done!" Roll protested.

"The answer is no..." Sable, "I'm way too busy for a vacation and I can't leave the shop. Our family is barely making ends as it is..."

"Oh give me a break!" Mable muttered, who was listening to the conversation.

"What if we compensate you?" said Roll. Sable blinked...

"Are you actually trying to bribe your mother?" she asked shocked.

"No Momma," said Roll, "I mean...how much do you expect to make for a week's worth of clothes and accessories. If you can give me a ballpark number, I can raise the money and match it."

"No!" said Sable.

"Hey then you won't have loss on the business!" said Roll, "Please Momma I want to spend my vacation with you!"

"I said no!" said Sable, this time more firmly. Roll just gave her a teary eyes and Sable just snorted.

"You can cry a river all you want, young lady, but you're not gonna get what you want!" Sable scolded, "My decision is final and I would like you to respect that!" Roll just continued to cry and then walked away. She didn't know if she was hurt or guilty or a mix of both. Rosie and Bunnie just gave Sable a raspberry before they escorted her out.

"Good luck making your revenues without us then!" Bunnie snapped angrily before they slammed the door. Mabel just shook her head before she approached her sister angrily.

"That was harsh!" she remarked.

"Mabel, stay out of this!" Sable demanded.

"You are way over due for a vacation you know..." said Mabel sternly, "You've _never_ had a vacation..."

"ENOUGH!" Sable yelled, wanting to subject dropped. Mabel just glared.

"Well have fun handling the shop alone then," said Mabel darkly, "and if you ever yell at me like that again. You're on your own!" That made Sable stop her working as she looked up at her steaming little sister.

"Excuse me?" she asked as Mabel ignored her and headed into the accessories section. Sable just assumed Mabel was just talking back and would return. Mabel did, but with Labelle and they just headed for the exit.

"Where are you two going?" Sable demanded but they ignored her and left the shop. Sable just blinked a bit before what Mabel had said processed into her head. Sable just stood there for a second before she went to follow after them. Once she was outside the door, she practically ran after them.

"Hey, don't leave me alone!" she complained, "Get back here you guys! Come on! This isn't funny!" She could only wish this was just a joke they were playing on her, but she knew better. By the time she had caught up with the two sisters, they were chatting excitedly with Roll and her friends when Sable caught up. She paused for a moment to catch your breath.

"Just where do you two think you're going?" Sable demanded with her hands on her hips. Mabel and Labelle just looked at each other.

"We're going on vacation to the island!" they giggled with glee. Sable just looked dumbfounded before she gave them a stern look.

"You two aren't going anywhere!" Sable protested.

"Yes we are!" they retorted.

"No you're not!" Sable argued back.

"Yes they are!" the two sisters with everyone else behind them said at once now.

"No...they are not!" Sable retorted despite being outnumbered now, "and don't you gang up on me!"

"They're not Momma," said Roll, "they are your sisters, not your children. If they want to go, you can't stop them. If you want to stay here and work, then you can stay. Like you said Momma, everyone has a choice and you just need to respect that." Sable just opened and closed her mouth a few times before she grunted angrily to herself. Roll has literally used her own words against her. Sable just rolled her eyes and grunted loudly.

"Alright, Alright, I'll go on vacation! Just don't leave me alone with the shop okay!" Sable conceded angrily. Everyone cheered as Sable just rolled her eyes at them.

"I hate confrontations," said Sable to herself, but no one heard her.

It was exactly three days later when Isabelle had recovered enough strength to be able to move around the house before the group was ready to embark on their voyage to the Tortimer's island. Since Tortimer wasn't going to be ready for them until later at night, they were going to spend most of their first day at the Kappa Island playing at the beach. So it made sense that everyone was dressed into their bathing suits with plenty of summery clothes and outfits that were packed in large suitcases. Since they were gonna hang out at the beach, the group was going to ride Kapp'n's boat in their bathing suits. Rosie, Mabel, and Bunnie each had a two piece that included a tank that showed some stomach and a tutu bathing skirt in their favorite colors, light green for Rosie, light pink for Bunnie, and surprisingly cyan for Mabel. Isabelle's and Roll's two pieces both had a midriff bearing tube top with a similar bathing skirt, which were in multiple shades of green and blue respectively. Labelle and Sable each had a leotard. Labelle's was zebra patterned, and Sable's was lemon-gingham. Lastly, Marshal just had a pair of tropical patterned swim trunks with a pair of sunglasses. The others had at least one accessory as well. Labelle had a black floppy hat with Gracie shades, Sable had wore her straw hat, Mabel had pilot shades, Rosie and Bunnie had a yellow hibiscus flower on their hair, Isabelle had some sporty shades on while Roll just had her hair up in a ponytail with a red hibiscus flow and red round sunglasses. Everyone was excited to get going...except for Isabelle who was just staring into the horizon.

"What 's on your mind Isabelle?" Roll asked. While Roll had noticed that Isabelle had been rather quiet the past couple of days, she had made sure to give the shi-tzu some extra space so she didn't have to risk pushing her into speaking up and to keep from setting her off again. Yet despite all her efforts, Isabelle hadn't really spoken that much to her about what was making her so sad. Roll could tell Isabelle still looked a bit depressed and she hoped having fun in the sun would help her feel better.

"I just can't stop worrying about the town," said Isabelle worriedly. Roll just smiled and chuckled lightly to herself. She should have known being away from her work would worry her to some extent.

"Don't worry, things will be okay," said Roll as she held the shi-tzu's hand, "Digby is going to watch over things while we're away. And he said if he feels over his head that he'll be sure to ask for help when he needs it."

"Okay..." said Isabelle quietly.

"Please cheer up Isabelle," said Roll, "I've really been looking forward to spending this vacation with you! Now we can take those walks at the beach and collect seashells. You've always wanted to do that." Isabelle just looked at her and smiled meekly. Roll smiled back as Isabelle just sighed and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Why did I agree to wear this thing?" Isabelle asked annoyed.

"Because you're a beautiful puppy and we had agreed to enjoy the beach once we got to the Island," said Roll, "Besides, I'm the one who should feel sub-conscious...I'm the fat one here..."

"Stop it young lady," said Sable firmly, "I did not come on this vacation to watch you put yourself down. Besides...I'm the one who should feel subconscious about herself."

"Oh shut up, Mom," said Roll.

"Excuse me?" Sable asked, clearly offended.

"I don't like it when my Momma puts herself down either," said Roll quietly, "Plus it means alot to me you're coming with us. Remember, I never got to have vacations with my Mom before. Now I'll finally get to make that dream come true." Sable just stared before giving her a warm smile and the two shared a loving hug with each other. Isabelle just looked at the two but just sighed quietly to herself. It wasn't much longer before Kapp'n arrived in his boat. Since there were eight people taking this trip. Kapp'n was more than ready to make two trips. Roll handed him the bells and took a seat in the front.

"Shotgun!" she called out excitedly and laughed. Isabelle just giggled lightly before taking a seat next to her. Sable climbed in next and surprisingly Bunnie sat next to her instead of Labelle or Mabel.

"Bunnie, aren't you going to sit with Rosie?" Roll asked surprised. All eyes were on her before Bunnie just adjusted her hibiscus.

"No" she answered plainly. Roll and Isabelle just blinked at each other as Sable just gave Bunnie a skeptic look.

"Uhh...I guess I should explain..."

"No need," said Sable, "I know a jealous face when I see one." Bunnie just gave her a raspberry and looked away. Sable glared at her as Kapp'n stepped in.

"Yar...ye all be ready to set sail with ya crew lass?" Kapp'n asked Roll, "at least before these two sink me boat." Roll giggled to herself.

"Yar captain!" Roll replied, trying her own hand at his dialect.

"Aye-ye, me lass," said Kapp'n, "hope you ladies all got your sea legs!" Kapp'n then revved up the engine and soon they were on their way. Everyone smiled as Kapp'n began to sing another one of his shanties.

 _Me wife says she don't like me goin' to sea.  
She says that she misses me,  
but I ain't so sure! _

_When I come home from me trips,  
She's eaten o' me chips.  
All me cakes and snack packs!  
Guess me junk food is really just fer her?_

The girls all giggled to each other.

"I tell you a tale..." he began before...

 _Pffffffffffft_

"Argh...somewhere in ye southern hemisphere..." he ended in embarrassment and Roll and Sable laughed heartily. Isabelle just rolled her eyes and Bunnie made a face.

"EWW!" she groaned as she waved her hand over her nose since she caught whiff of it and Roll and Sable just laughed harder. Even Isabelle was giggling to herself, but Bunnie just groaned.

 _When yer in love, sometimes ya miss some simple cues.  
When I first took me wife out, I forgot shoes!  
I forgot shoes!_

"Why is that bad?" Roll asked and lifted her bare feet as high as she could, "Being barefoot rocks! When I have my first date, I gonna be barefoot and he better accept it or get lost!"

"Yar lassie!" Kapp'n called out in agreement and they both laughed. The others just chuckled to each other. They knew being barefoot was just the way Roll was.

Once they had arrived at the island, Kapp'n immediately took off to go pick up Rosie, Marshal, Labelle, and Mabel back at the dock. Roll led the rest of the group into the main hut. She took notice that Bunnie still looked irritated despite chuckling after the second half of the shanty.

"Bunnie, are you okay?" Roll asked concerned. The burnt orange rabbit just glared and then shook her head. Roll gave her a hug.

"Hey, cheer up Bunnie," said Roll, "Remember that he did that to me a couple of times too. It's not intentional. Just try to forget about it and we'll have fun on this vacation okay." Bunnie just stared before she gave the blonde girl a smile and returned her hug.

"Roll, Roll!" said a squeaky voice. They pulled away just as a tiny pigtailed kappa came rushing over to Roll.

"Hey Leila," said Roll as she knelt down and scooped her up into her arms. The little kappa hugged her tightly and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm so glad you're here!" said Leila, "are you really gonna be here for your vac-way-son?" Roll giggled. The little kappa had gotten better at talking but she still had trouble with some longer words.

"If you mean vacation, then yes, I'll be around here and Tortimer Island for the entire week," said Roll, "I also brought my friends with me. You remember Bunnie don't you?" Leila just looked over to the rabbit who just smiled and waved hello.

"I do," said Leila, "but...I don't recognize...those two over there!" Leila pointed toward Isabelle, who was sitting on a chair, and Sable, who was just talking to Leilani at the moment. Isabelle had perked up when she saw the little kappa pointing at her.

"You...don't remember me?" said Isabelle as she approached her. Leila suddenly became rather shy and tried to hide her face from the shi-tzu. Isabelle looked hurt.

"Leila...I was there when you were born," said Isabelle, "I even grabbed your hand too and said hello." Isabelle should have known that Leila wouldn't remember her since she was just a newborn the last time she saw her, yet the little kappa just looked at her nervously.

"Leila," said Roll as she had the kappa look at her, "Isabelle's a friend of your Mommy and Daddy. She's been helping your big sister become the best mayor she can be at Animal Town. Leila just looked at Isabelle shyly as the shi-tzu just waved hello.

"Oh...well, nice to meet you," said Leila quietly but still felt rather shy. Isabelle just sighed but gave her a warm smile. Roll then offered Isabelle to take her.

"No...no...she obviously...oh...um...ok..." Before Isabelle could protest, Roll had handed Leila into the shi-tzu's arms. Whether Leila was frightened or didn't want to leave Roll's arms, she began to cry. Sable and Leilani stopped chatting when they heard the young kappa's cries.

"Oh no! Please don't cry Leila," said Isabelle, "I didn't mean to scare you. It's okay. It's okay." Isabelle began to lightly bounce her and just nuzzled the side of her head to try and calm her down. While Leila began to settle, she was still whimpering a bit as she turned to face her.

"Why are you so sad?" she asked Isabelle. Isabelle blinked in surprise.

"What...what make you think I'm sad?" Isabelle asked. Leila just sniffled a bit and looked at her sadly.

"I can tell," Leila replied quietly, "it made me want to cry." Isabelle just looked baffled until Leilani took her out of Isabelle's arms.

"Yar, me daughter has quite a special gift she do," Leilani explained as Leila got comfortable in her mother's arms, "she can sense a troubled heart from a mile away. Yar...in time she learn how to help people with it, but truth it be...she got a heart a big as the sea. Now what might be bringing ye a case of the blues Isabelle?" Isabelle just looked stunned, opened and closed her mouth like a fish a few times before she dashed out of the hut and towards the beach. Grams, who had been sitting near the souvenir just shook her head.

"tsk, tsk, tsk," said Grams, "a troubled heart she bear. Aye that lass will need to understand she can't contain it for long. Feelings are the fuel to the cannon they be, eventually they reach their limit...and THAR SHE BLOWS!" It was that moment that Kapp'n arrived with the remainder of the group and Kapp'n jumped in surprise as Grams yelled.

"By gar Grams!" he exclaimed, "Aye know for sure me kept the poop deck in order this time!" Bunnie just rolled her eyes while Sable and Roll snickered. Leilani shook her head.

"Argh! Don't tell me yer poop deck went a tootin' again dear!" Leilani asked in annoyance.

"Ye knows it happens with cookin' as good as yours may be," said Kapp'n with a wink. Leila giggled, which lightened the mood as the couple exchanged a quick hug and kiss with the toddler sandwiched between them. Marshal and Rosie giggled as they held hands with each other.

"So tell me, silly," said Rosie, "when exactly is going to be our first date?" Marshal smiled and leaned forward a little bit.

"Hop on and we can head to the beach for it, sulky!" he replied. Rosie clapped excitedly as she climbed into his shoulders and he straightened up a bit.

"I'm sorry if I'm a little heavy, silly," said Rosie.

"Told you not to overdo it on the carbo cookies, tee hee," said Bunnie, getting glares for her remark but the rabbit ignored them.

"Honestly, sulky," said Marshal, "I can hardly tell you're even up there. Bunnie is heavier...but that's like saying a feather is heavier than a piece of lint." That last part was purely for damage control, but Bunnie was still offended as Marshal carried Rosie out of the hut and towards for beach for what would be their first date together.

"Aren't they cute together?" Roll gushed and Bunnie just gave them both a raspberry.

"I see that jealousy is rearing its ugly head," Sable remarked.

"Yar, the green eyed monster arise from the deepest reaches of the sea!" Leilani added before they both laughed. Bunnie groaned and then just sighed in defeat.

"Never mind Bunnie," said Roll, "having a boyfriend is overrated. Come on...I could use your help with Isabelle." Bunnie had preferred to be left alone, but spending time with Roll and away from the new couple sounded like a good idea. She needed something to take her mind off of them and her own problem.

"Alright, tee hee," said Bunnie, "lead the way!" Roll just smiled and dragged her out of the hut and they headed towards the beach. It wasn't much longer before they came to a stop where a certain puppy was just sitting in the sand watching the waves come on and out. Roll slowly made her way towards her and took a seat next to her with her legs extended.

"Hey," Roll said softly. The shi-tzu...just looked at her quietly before turning away.

"Hey," she replied in a dreary tone.

"You're still worried about town hall aren't you?" Roll asked her gently. Isabelle just looked at her quietly and just shrugged her shoulders.

"This feels so weird to me," said Isabelle quietly, "not having anything to do...any work to do...or at least not being able to do any work. I just feel so...restless..." Roll just smiled.

"Well I have some ideas on how we could remedy that," said Roll, "if...you'll let me help you..." Isabelle just looked at her curiously and then just sighed.

"Well, you seem to be the expert on how to relax," said Isabelle. Roll just smiled hugged her from the side.

"Trust me Isabelle," said Roll, "there's plenty to do around here. You won't have to be worried about being bored or not having anything to do. You're gonna have a great time here. I promise you."

"Yeah, tee hee," said Bunnie, "This trip will be something you'll never forget!"

"If you say so Bunnie," said Isabelle, but deep down. She couldn't help but question why she had even agreed to come in the first place.

 **Isabelle's casual outfit is exactly like her attire from her amiibo card, except the bottoms are at the knee instead of being at the ankle. Also I'm well aware that dogs shouldn't eat peanut butter, but Isabelle and Digby aren't your average doggies. Plus I can see Isabelle being a peanut-butter type of girl.**

 **The Animal Crossing Anime has the best idea of the type of bathing suits that Bunnie and Rosie are wearing. If you remember Lilo's hula top, that's the same type Roll and Isabelle are wearing but with a tutu style bathing skirt.**

 **Kappas are supposed to be known for magical abilities. Whether you agree or not, Leila's ability to sense distress or trouble is a special talent regardless. Even Kapp'n sings that she very smart for her age, as well as perceptive.**

 **Carbo cookies are from** ** _Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars._** **Animal Crossing has alot of references to other Nintendo franchises, including items. This story was overdue for such a reference.**

 **Things are gonna get dramatic from here on out, I was tempted to name this arc "Total Drama Island" but it sounded so cliché (and copyrighted) so I went against it.**

 **From paradise, see you next time!**


	31. The Island Part 3

The Island part 3

The sun began to rise into the air as a rather sleepy blonde girl began to stir from her bed. Roll and her friends had already settled into Tortimer's beach house, which was located along the peninsula of the largest island. Actually Tortimer's island homeland was a chain of islands. Tortimer's mansion was located on the heart the largest island. He welcomed Roll and her friends warmly before handing her the key to the beach house. Roll was rather surprised that Tortimer was so trusting of her, but was still grateful nevertheless.

The beach house was actually a two story house with five bedrooms and four baths. Three of those bathrooms were on the second floor and one more was on the ground floor. The main floor held the kitchen, a dining room, and a very large living room with a cappuccino bar, which made a certain white squirrel very excited and was more than eager to try it out. Lastly there was a backyard that lead straight to the ocean with their own private beach. Roll wondered just how Tortimer could have acquired such nice piece of property. Then again...she had earned millions in just a few months.

"Guess that answers my question," Roll giggled to herself.

"What question?" Isabelle asked in a monotone. Roll just looked at the young shi-tzu, who was already dressed. The young puppy was wearing a tropical tank with a denim skirt and a fresh hibiscus tied to her bell ribbon. She was sitting in a longue chair near the balcony outside their bedroom reading a book.

"How Tortimer could afford such a nice beach house and the giant mansion here," said Roll, "Guess this is what is feels like to live in luxury."

"Eh," said Isabelle, not really seeing the excitement at all. Roll just climbed out of bed and walked over to her with her hands behind her back.

"What are you reading?" Roll asked.

"War and Peace," said Isabelle, "It was from Tortimer's book shelf downstairs." Roll just made a face.

"What?" Isabelle asked in response to Roll's disgusted look.

"I...read that for school," said Roll, "It kind of put me to sleep..." Isabelle just looked at her with a bored expression and continued to read.

"Not everyone's cup of tea I guess," said Isabelle, "so...what's the game plan for today?" Roll placed two of her fingers on her chin and began to ponder for a moment while tapping her toes on the carpet on their bedroom floor. Then an idea came to her.

"There's a nature trail just west from here that circles the entire island," said Roll, "We could go take a walk through it. Just make sure you've got your bathing suit underneath for a swim since it will probably get hot."

"Well I already equipped my suit," said Isabelle, "and as for the walk...I'm not sure."

"Well are you going to just read your book all day?" Roll asked her indignantly, "we're in paradise Isabelle! Why would you want to stay inside all day?"

"Maybe I just want to!" Isabelle snapped. Roll just sighed.

"Fine," said Roll, "but keep this with you!" Roll handed her a smart phone.

"What's this?" Isabelle asked rudely.

"I bought you one so we can keep in touch even if we're apart," Roll explained, "Also in case of an emergency if we need to contract each other. And...if you change your mind." Roll then headed into the bathroom to change her clothes. With her bathing suit under her clothes she picked out a yellow and white tube top with a pair of green plaid shorts. Roll was busy brushing her hair when she saw that Isabelle had stopped reading her book and was just...crying. Roll walked over to her and gave her a gentle hug, which helped Isabelle calmed down a bit.

"Thanks," said Isabelle as they pulled away.

"Want to talk about it?" Roll asked.

"No..." said Isabelle. Roll wanted to press further but decided against it.

"Alright," said Roll, "I'll see you later then..." Usually Roll would wear a hat whenever she wore her hair in pigtails, but this time, she decided to just tie a hibiscus flower into each of her hair ties. before heading downstairs where Bunnie was just having a drink of some sort by herself.

"Hi Bunnie," said Roll.

"Hey, tee hee," said Bunnie in a dreary tone as she slurped her drink.

"What is that anyway?" Roll asked.

"Strawberry Banana smoothie," said Bunnie bluntly just did another slurp, "there's more in the refrigerator if you want some."

"Thanks Bunnie," said Roll, grabbed a spare cup and poured herself a glass of the mixture and took a long sip with a spare straw.

"Yummy!" said Roll, "I didn't know you made smoothies, Bunnie!"

"I didn't," Bunnie replied, "Marshal made it before he and Rosie took off for another date."

"Already? A third date?" Roll asked surprised.

"It's probably the same date," said Bunnie in an irritated tone, "I think they slept together."

"Bunnie Lillian Rabbit, get your head out of the gutter!" Roll scolded.

"Oh leave me alone, you're not my mother, tee hee!" Bunnie snapped.

"I thought I was your best friend...and your sister?" Roll asked, clearly hurt. Bunnie took no notice.

"Whatever," said Bunnie as she kept slurping her own smoothie. Roll quietly finished her glass before putting it into the sink. She then collected some bottles of water into a picnic basket and made a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch when she got hungry. She figured there was enough fruit for the picking on the island and Tortimer said any wild tropical fruit were free to collect, eat, and even sell if they desired. Roll then got an idea just as she was about the leave the house.

"I am going for a nature walk," Roll told the sulking rabbit, "Wanna come? It might help you feel better than just sitting here alone." Bunnie just ignored her.

"Just asking," said Roll sadly as she left the house through the back door heading into the beach. She noticed a figure in the distance. She ventured further and found a familiar brown hedgehog wearing two piece pink heart polka dot bathing suit with her straw hat sitting alone in the sand. Roll softly approached her.

"Momma?" she asked softly.

"Oh hi, sweetheart," said Sable gently, "Lovely day isn't it?" Roll just hummed.

"I guess," said Roll quietly. Sable just smiled and patted the sand next to her. Roll just conceded before setting her basket down and sitting next to her.

"What's up?" Sable asked as the blonde girl pulled her knees into her chest.

"Isabelle and Bunnie," said Roll.

"Still being grumpy pants?" Sable asked. Roll nodded.

"They left me to take a nature hike alone," said Roll, "I thought it would be fun if they went since fresh air really does help when you're feeling sour or sad."

"Well you are right about that," said Sable, "I was feeling a little antsy cause I can't do any work today, but just sitting here listening to the waves and breathing this fresh tropical sea air really is quite relaxing."

"And to think you didn't even want to come," Roll remarked with a smirk.

"Bleh!" said Sable, sticking her tongue out at her. Roll returned the gesture and they just giggled.

"So...you still looking for someone to go with you in your walk?" she asked.

"Wanna come with me?" Roll asked. Sable then pulled out a pair of demin shorts and put them on with a fresh tank.

"I'm ready!" said Sable. Roll smiled and embraced her happily before she grabbed her basket and they went on their way. As they entered the forest, Sable surprised Roll again by pulling out a smart phone.

"You finally figured out how to use it Momma," Roll asked excitedly.

"Are you kidding me?" said Sable, "I still press the wrong button on this thing! However, I did figure out how to use the camera!" Roll smiled excitedly. She had forgotten their smart phone could take pictures. As they continued their walk, they made sure to make plenty of pit stops along the way to take pictures. Some of them were just nature related but alot of them ended up being selfies of themselves.

"I never knew you liked taking pictures so much Momma!" said Roll as they took another selfie. Sable then gave her a glare.

"I better not see any of these pictures on your social media websites!" she warned. Roll looked at her sadly.

"At least one mother/daughter picture?" she asked, "Remember, I don't have one to show and be proud of!" Sable just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Fine, but I get to chose which one, deal?" she offered. Roll smiled and kissed her cheek, making her giggle as they continued their way down the path.

Back at the mansion, Bunnie was just sitting on a longue chair in the backyard patio with a pair of pilot shades and her own bathing suit as she just tried to get a suntan, still grumbling to herself.

"People think that just cause I'm burnt orange that I don't need a suntan," she fumed to herself, "well maybe I want to be a little more _well done_! What do you think of that, tee hee?!" Bunnie couldn't help but yell that last part and panted a bit before she stopped and just felt rather sad.

"What is wrong with me?" she asked herself. It was just then that Isabelle appeared, now wearing her own bathing suit but kept her tee and jean skirt in her pockets for safe keeping as she just began to try and get a tan of her own.

"Sometimes I wish people would just back off and stop asking me how I feel all the time," Isabelle said aloud.

"Yeah, tee hee," Bunnie added, "I'm sick of people always getting my face just cause I'm not happy! You can't be happy all the time you know!"

"Yeah, we're "human" too you know!" put in Isabelle, "if we've got something on our minds, we're entitled to our own privacy and secrets. We don't have to tell _everyone_ our problems so just shut up and back off already."

"Yeah, sometimes I just wanna scream, tee hee!" Bunnie added.

"Just shut up and leave me alone!" they bellowed together and then grunted angrily. Two seconds later they both sat up and looked at each other in surprise.

"Seems like you and me have the same problem," said Isabelle.

"It appears that way, tee hee," Bunnie added, "what's eating you, Isabelle?"

"I'm tired of people budding into my life!" Isabelle snapped, "Ok, so I had a little fall, but I'm fine! No long term damage here! Then Digby has to blubber about like a big baby and convince everyone that I need a vacation! It's ridiculous. They act like I can't take care of myself when I know I can. I knew what I was doing. If I hadn't just neglected my sleep, then I would have been just fine. But what does Roll do? Shut down town hall and drag me out here!" Isabelle grunted angrily as she just reclined on her chair.

"I get what you mean," said Bunnie, "I mean. Rosie...I know you like Marshal and all but...why did you have to open your big mouth about getting into relationships and dating and all that stupid junk! We have a nice, happy trio of BFFs between us three and you have to go and start talking about romance! Why couldn't you just shut your mouth for once in your life! You're gonna ruin everything that we have and I am sick of you two making goo-goo eyes in front of me!"

"People just don't get us!" Isabelle fronted, "All they care about is themselves! Forget our feelings! It's always about them."

"Yeah, then they act like you're the one with the problem, tee hee!" Bunnie yelled.

"Who needs them?" Isabelle added.

"Jerks!" Bunnie retorted.

"Idiots!" Isabelle added.

"Good for nothings!" they said together. They stayed quiet for a moment before looking at each other.

"Thanks," said Bunnie.

"Thank you...for actually listening instead of giving advice," said Isabelle, "You're a real friend." Bunnie smiled and Isabelle smiled back.

"We should stick together," said Bunnie, "so nobody bothers us anymore!"

"Right on," said Isabelle as they shared a fist bump together. They both felt a little better now...seeing that they had an ally and stayed together sun tanning for a bit longer before a rather happy blue cat, wearing a pink and white knee length muumuu dress with a orchid on her left ear appeared with Marshal, who was wearing a gelato tank and straw boater. Bunnie just pretended to ignore them as they walked in.

"Hey Isabelle," said Rosie as she held Marshal's right arm.

"Hey you guys," said Isabelle casually, "where were you?"

"Marshal took me this discreet location on the island to watch the sunrise," said Rosie, "It was very romantic."

"Sunrise?" said Bunnie, unintentionally getting herself into the conversation, "It's already the afternoon!"

"We...had a lot to talk about, sulky," said Marshal, "and I shared my past with her a little more and she shared some thing about herself to me. So we...got to know each other on a deeper level."

"Yeah...it turns out that we have alot more in common than we thought," Rosie added, "I feel closer to him now." Rosie leaned her head against his, making him smile. Bunnie just glared and turned away. It was only two seconds later when she felt someone nudge her side.

"What?" she asked sternly and was surprised to see Marshal glaring at her.

"I don't know what your problem is, sulky," said Marshal sternly, "but Rosie is really making me very, very happy Bunnie. I haven't felt this happy in such a long time, except it's even better because the girl I like actually likes me back. That means the world to me. This is what I had once wanted with Charlotte, but she ended up breaking my heart as well as yours. I've known you longer than anybody here. I was hoping you would have been the most supportive about all of this." Bunnie just said nothing, but could feel her eyes water a bit. She really didn't want to cry over all of this, but what Marshal was saying was making her feel guilty and she hated it. Marshal took offense to her silence.

"Bunnie?"

"Just go!" Bunnie snapped.

"Why can't you just..." Marshal began.

"LEAVE!" Bunnie screamed, fighting harder not to start crying. Marshal, however, didn't fight back his own tears.

"Fine, sulky," said Marshal, voice cracking, "Thanks for letting me know the truth now!"

"What truth?" Bunnie snapped angrily, now turning around.

"That you never loved or cared about me at all!" Marshal try to yell, but ended up just sobbing, "that trying to be your best friend was the biggest mistake I ever made in my life!" Marshal then dashed into the house.

"Marshal, wait!" Rosie called out, but still glared at Bunnie before rushing into the house to find her sobbing squirrel. Bunnie just panted heavily before grabbing a pillow and stuffed it into her face. She started just grunting and then let out a long loud scream into it before collapsing into her lounge chair, making her legs bounce into the air. Isabelle waited for Bunnie to calm down.

"I can see why you can't stand them," the shi-tzu remarked as Bunnie threw the pillow away from herself, "they really did try to turn your problem against you."

"I know right, tee hee?" Bunnie asked, finally feeling like she had gotten her composure back. Isabelle then rose to her feet.

"Come on," said Isabelle.

"Where are we going, tee hee?" Bunnie asked curiously and also annoyed.

"Do you wanna be here when Roll and Sable get home?" said Isabelle.

"Good point," said Bunnie, "Lead the way. I really need to get away from this place." Isabelle nodded as she grabbed the rabbit's hand and they headed towards the island north of Tortimer's where the commercial area was located. Neither of them seemed to care that they were still just wearing their bathing suits. Actually Isabelle still had her regular clothes and she was willing to buy Bunnie a new dress so she could cover up as soon as they found something pretty for her to wear.

It was late that night when Roll and Sable had arrived back from their nature hike. They entered the kitchen to the sound of a pair of gasps. They turned their heads together to see both Labelle and Mabel, wearing leopard and mint gingham tanks and matching skirts respectively, just starting at them with their faces hanging out.

"What's...with the stares?" Roll asked.

"Have you both looked at yourselves?" Labelle asked her curiously. Roll and Sable had both come home covered in dried mud, even their bare feet were soiled. They just looked at their soiled clothes and each other before they started to laugh.

"We took a nature hike today and well..." Roll began sheepishly.

"She tried to play a trick on me and push me into this huge mud wallow near the water fall north of the island," said Sable, "I surprised her and sent her tumbling into it instead."

"But when she was laughing at me," said Roll, "I pulled her in. The rest was just a mud war between the two of us." Mabel and Labelle just blinked at each other and looked at Sable in disbelief.

"What?" Sable asked annoyed, "I can't participate in a mud war?" The two girls just looked at each other.

"You have no idea how foreign it sounds hearing "you" and "mud war" in the same sentence," said Labelle. Sable just snorted.

"Well excuse me for having some good clean fun," said Sable, "you guys said that I should relax and enjoy myself. So...today Roll and I decided to have a mud war with each other. Tomorrow we'll do something else as cool and maybe even extreme, like bungee jumping, cliff diving, or maybe even hula dancing!" Sable then walked away, humming to herself and swaying from side to side to prove her point. Labelle and Mabel just looked at each other again before turning to Roll.

"Great lovely bunch of coconuts, what did you do to her?" Mabel asked Roll. Roll just giggled to herself.

"I had the best day of my life with _my_ momma!" said Roll and skipped upstairs to wash herself up. The two sisters were just left dumbfounded before they snickered to each other.

"Good to see that Sable is learning to unwind and have fun," said Mabel, "Bringing Roll into the family was a brilliant idea. I am a genius!"

"Hey genius," Labelle retorted, "it was my idea!"

"No mine!" The rest of the night was spent with them going back and forth about the issue until Sable arrived, clocked their heads together to make them shut up and went back to her room without another word. Once she returned to her bedroom, Sable was just brushing her hair after a nice cool shower to wash off all that mud and grime. As she sat in her pajamas, which was just a white tee with some pastel shorts in pink, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," said Sable, "The door is unlocked." Roll giggled as she let herself in and then just let herself tumble into the bed in a fit of giggles.

"What are you so giggly about silly girl?" Sable asked curiously.

"I got one of my dreams to come true," said Roll, "I got to spend the day with my Momma having fun. I didn't think I would ever have that. And we got to play in mud too! That was a long shot miracle in of itself."

"Well...miracles do happen," said Sable, "and I see you really enjoy the lacy summer pajamas I made for you." The top was similar to the other tank Sable had made for her, but the bottoms were shorts that had a lace pattern on the bottoms and the inseam was about 3 inches. Sable didn't mind going shorter on the length for pajamas. Roll chuckled as she hugged herself and rubbed her bare shoulders. She had also left her hair down, which had grown a bit and was now just an inch short of her waist.

"I love them!" said Roll, "the material is soft and silky and the best part is they were made with love." Sable smiled as she continued to brush her hair. There was some silence before Roll spoke again.

"Thank you Momma," said Roll, "I know getting muddy and dirty is not your most favorite thing, but...I really appreciate that you were a good sport about it." Now it was Sable's turn to chuckle.

"Hey, it wasn't as bad as I thought," said Sable, "I had alot of fun...and uhh...I hope I wasn't too over the top earlier with Labelle and Mabel. I mean come on. They wanted me to relax and have a good time. They want me to step out of my comfort zone too. Yet I finally do so and they look at me like I'm crazy! They don't want change! They just want consistency!" Roll laughed.

"Aw, give them time," said Roll, "They'll get used to the more outgoing you. I was hoping you would really consider the hula dancing." Sable just sighed but there was smile on her face.

"Alright fine," said Sable, "I'm not wearing no coconut shells!" Roll blinked a bit before they burst into loud laughter and Sable soon joined her. Then they were interrupted by someone else knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" Sable called out. Their laughter was quickly extinguished when they heard the sound of someone sniffling behind the door. Sable wasted no time rushing over to open it and found Marshal just standing there with red eyes and tear stained cheeks.

"What happened?" Sable asked.

"Can...can we talk?" Marshal asked. Sable was rather surprised that he would go to her of all people for help, but still welcomed him warmly.

"Come on in, sweetie, and make yourself comfortable," she answered, "Hope you don't mind if Roll is here."

"Not a bit, sulky," he replied, his tone still cracking a bit, "If there's anyone I can just...you know." He made circular motion over his face and Sable understood. Roll wasted no time scooping up the white squirrel and giving him a tight hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Easy with those sulky," said Marshal after Roll's finished her cheek kiss.

"Hey, Rosie knows its sister to brother," said Roll.

"Oh...ok," said Marshal, "Just want to remain faithful to my girl."

"So you guys are official now I see?" Sable remarked as Marshal used a spare cloth to wipe his face.

"We're officially dating," said Marshal, "but we haven't really said we wanna make it...steady."

"What's preventing you?" Roll asked.

"Nothing, sulky," said Marshal, "Can we just take our time and let the love grow?" Sable smiled.

"Yes you can," said Sable, "Good relationships are the ones that allow those feelings to grow so they remain strong for years to come."

"But you do love Rosie don't you?" Roll asked and Marshal smiled.

"Yes I do," said Marshal, "the fact we love each other as best friends now makes saying it to each other less awkward." Sable giggled and then realized something.

"Then...why were you crying?" Roll asked him curiously. Marshal just let out a long depressed sigh.

"Bunnie," said Marshal calmly, "She really hurt me today."

"How?" Roll asked with concern.

"It's her attitude towards us dating, sulky," said Marshal, "and whenever we try to confront her, she closes up and yells at us. She's been crabby ever since we started getting closer to each other and she won't tell us what's bothering her. I tried to confront her and she screamed at me. If she had any feelings for me, why didn't she just speak up instead of shunning me like I betrayed her or hurt her?"

"Well let me ask this," said Sable as she took a seat next to her, "If Bunnie had spoken up, would you have given it shot?"

"Yeah," said Marshal, "She's very beautiful and I loved her alot too. I never tried because I was too shy and after Charlotte I was convinced she didn't want anything to do with me. She's still distant with me despite settling things between me and her. Plus every time people try to consider us a couple she always has a snarky or hurtful comment to say. Those comments...really hurt..." Marshal could feel his eyes water again and he just wiped them to avoid crying again. Roll just looked at him sadly.

"I'm sorry Bunnie is being so difficult," said Roll, "Isabelle has been giving me a hard time too."

"Still?" said Marshal, "Seesh...one would think after dropping on your face and losing your ability to walk for three days would have put an end to that, sulky!"

"She's either just stubborn," said Roll, "or something more specific is bothering her. I just wish she would just tell me instead of giving me snarky or bad attitude. I've been giving her space and not pushing the issue, but she doesn't seem to be getting any better."

"I've done the same with Bunnie," said Marshal, "but she's just getting more and more unhappier. I'm worried about her you know."

"Same here," Roll added, "I feel so helpless."

"At least you know Isabelle still wants to be your friend," said Marshal, "I don't think Bunnie ever loved or cared about me..."

"Oh Marshal," said Roll as she held him close as he started to cry again.

"Well...why does she hate me so much?" Marshal cried, "Rosie and I even told her that if it bothered her with us dating to speak up and she chose not to. We were willing to put her feelings first and she slammed the door in our face!" Marshal began to sob once more as Sable scooted onto the bed and hugged him.

"I know this is frustrating Marshal," said Sable, "but the only thing you can really do is just give her some space."

"But if that hasn't worked with Isabelle," Roll retorted as she sat Indian style, "How will it do Marshal any good?"

"You two just need to be patient," said Sable, "everything will come to light in due time."

"How...how do you know?" Marshal asked quietly and even Roll looked at the brown hedgehog too for answer. Sable just smiled.

"I eventually spoke up didn't I?" said Sable, "and as I recall...so did the both of you...when you were ready." Marshal and Roll blushed as they exchanged looks at each other.

"Boy talking about getting the other side of the coin, sulky," said Marshal.

"Yeah, here we are complaining about Bunnie and Isabelle not talking to us," said Roll, "when we closed off to them with our problems." Marshal and Roll just looked at their feet sadly as Sable looked at them both sympathetically.

"Don't be too hard on yourselves," said Sable, "you two just have very caring hearts. It's why you're so concerned. We all felt the same way when you were boxing yourselves up."

"Even me?" Marshal asked. He knew Sable had cared about Roll's problems, but he had never considered that Sable would be concerned about him.

"Of course Marshal," said Sable, "You are a part of this family you know." Marshal was still stunned before he lightly coughed to recompose himself.

"I...I guess I never really thought that you...at least...maybe I never noticed...I mean...(sigh)," Marshal wasn't sure of what to say as Sable gave him a gentle squeeze.

"It's ok," said Sable, "I guess until recently, I haven't really told anybody that I cared. Now you know. Plus I also know what it's like to have a problem with people. Constantly being asked if you're okay or what's on your mind doesn't help, even if the intention is pure. Just let them be and in time they will speak to you."

"I hope so," said Roll, "I'd hate to see Isabelle miserable for the entire trip."

"Or see Rosie's and Bunnie's sisterhood fall apart," said Marshal, "I really don't want to have to end the friendship because of Bunnie's sour attitude."

"Just let them be and the rest will take care of itself," said Sable, "They know you're here for them and when they are ready. They will come to you."

"Okay," said Roll and Marshal together. Then Marshal's tank began to vibrate as he pulled out his own smart phone.

"Hello?" Marshal asked quietly and then his eyes bugged out, "Really? That's...that's great! Thank you so much sir! Thank you! I'll be there right now!" Marshal had a large smile on his face as he ended the call. Roll looked at him curiously.

"What's got you so excited, Handsome?" Roll asked as she pulled her right knee into her chest to rest her head on it.

"Tortimer got me reservations for Rosie and I to the Dolphin Escape restaurant on the island just north from here, sulky!" Marshal replied excitedly.

"The Dolphin Escape?!" Sable exclaimed in amazement, "That is the fanciest restaurant in this island! How can you afford that? And don't you think you're spoiling Rosie?" Marshal chuckled.

"Hey why do think I've been so busy at Kappa island collecting bugs and such?" said Marshal, "Rosie and I have been wanting to have dinner there and now we've got the chance. Now if you ladies will excuse me. I've got a reservation to collect before it gets too late."

"Want some company?" Roll asked.

"Excuse me, you're in your pajamas young lady!" Sable reminded her. As a reminder, the shorts Roll wear's usually have an inseam that it at least 4 to 5 inches. Her pajamas shorts were around 3. Roll looked at her attire and huffed to herself. The reality was they were on a tropical island, it was dark outside, and her bathing skirt was actually shorter in length then her pajama shorts.

"I'm wearing a tank and the shorts aren't that much shorter than my regular ones, Momma," said Roll, "Plus it's dark outside! Or would you rather I wore my bathing suit?" Sable just smirked and lightly shoved her.

"Just go!" said Sable with a chuckle and the two went on their way. Sable just smiled as she shook her head at the two.

"For a girl whose not biologically my daughter," said Sable to herself, "She sure got Mom's sarcastic side." She then just shrugged the thought off and went back to brushing her hair. By the time, Marshal and Roll had returned, Sable was Mabel and Labelle, who had finally settled their earlier conflict when Sable reminded them that Roll had been the one to ask about joining their family.

"We're back Momma!" said Roll as she just allowed herself in. She had tied her hair up when they had gone outside, but she was now gently untying it so her long locks didn't get tangled up.

"Thank you telling me," said Sable, "Did everything go okay?"

"What went okay?" Labelle asked since she was sitting on the bed in a nightshirt.

"Marshal got reservations to the Dolphin Escape thanks to Tortimer," said Roll, "He's going to tell Rosie..."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"...right about now." Roll ended her statement with a groan as she held her head to stop the ringing in her ears.

"CAN THE WOMAN WHO HAS A BOYFRIEND PUT A SOCK IN IT SO THE REST OF US NORMAL PEOPLE CAN SLEEP?" Bunnie bellowed.

"YEAH, WE DON'T NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT HE SPOILS YOU!" That last remark was from Isabelle as the two girl slammed their doors hard. Roll flinched as the door slammed shut and just sighed in defeat.

"Momma..."

"Remember what I told you sweetie," said Sable.

"I was actually gonna ask if I can sleep in here tonight," said Roll, "I don't wanna be in the same room with the grumpy yellow shi-tzu."

"FINE BY ME!" Isabelle screamed and re-slammed the door. Roll groaned since she wasn't trying to insult or talk bad about her. Sable could see how distressed she was and pulled her into the room and closed the door.

"Make yourself at home," said Sable. Roll smiled excitedly as she jumped into the bed and surprised the brown hedgehog by pinning her down on the bed and cuddling up to her.

"Roll, we can't sleep in the same bed!" Sable exclaimed.

"Why not?" said Roll, "You're my momma!"

"It's not an official adoption," said Sable, "at least by a legal standpoint. Besides, villagers talk and it might give off the wrong idea." Roll sighed in defeat.

"Okay," said Roll as she sat up to sit loosely Indian style, "I know what you mean, but...it's not wrong for a daughter to sleep with her mother. I'm only eleven. That's still young enough. If...I can get Isabelle to legalize the adoption, would that help put any...controversies to rest about this?" Sable just chuckled.

"I would feel better if you did," said Sable, "but just know we don't need it in the general sense. You are my baby girl and nobody can say otherwise." Roll smiled and gave her a hug and kiss before she knelt down on the floor.

"Get up here!" said Sable, "No daughter of mine is sleeping on the floor!"

"But aren't Mabel and Labelle..."

"Roll, we've got our own bedroom," Labelle replied, "We're just here cause we wanna hang out with big sis."

"Right," said Mabel, "Once you're ready to sleep, we'll get off this bed so you can sleep here."

"Okay," said Roll, "So...what do you guys wanna do?" The three sisters pondered before Sable walked up to Mabel with a devious look on her face.

"Sable..."

"PILLOW FIGHT!" Sable called out and smacked a pillow square in Mabel's face. It wasn't long before Roll and Labelle joined. They laughed themselves silly long into the night as they wore themselves out hitting each other with pillows.

The next morning, everyone minus Isabelle and Bunnie were fast asleep. This was a good thing cause Isabelle and Bunnie quietly dressed into some green and pink hibiscus floral dresses with red hibiscus flowers in their hair. Bunnie was about to grab something from the fridge when Isabelle stopped her.

"Don't bother!" Isabelle called out quietly.

"Don't we need to eat?" Bunnie asked.

"Yeah, but the longer we stay here, the higher are chances of us getting a lecture from someone for making Marshal cry the other day," said Isabelle, "I just want to get out of here!"

"Good point, but we still gotta eat, tee hee!" Bunnie pointed out, "We can't let them stop us from eating our share of the food around here."

"Bunnie, we've got bells from selling bugs from Kappa Island last night!" said Isabelle, "Why can't we just go eat somewhere?" Bunnie hummed before she conceded to the idea as she closed the door.

"Any recommendations?" she asked.

"I hear there's this good pancake house on the southern island," said Isabelle, "It's the first island Kapp'n used to shuttle villagers too way back in the day."

"I remember that Island," said Bunnie, "they do have some nice little shops and the town is very small and quiet. Let's go!" Isabelle nodded as they quietly made their way out of the house. They had just boarded the fairy to the south island when everyone at the house began to wake up for the day. Rosie and Marshal were the first to head downstairs. Since Marshal got to the bottom of the staircase first, he happily scooped up Rosie, who was two steps above her wearing a white polka-dot dress and a white headband, and placed her gently on the floor. Rosie couldn't help laughing as Marshal picked up her and set her down.

"I was only two steps away, silly," said Rosie with a giggle.

"I know," said Marshal, "but...it just felt right." Rosie smiled.

"Well I'm just glad you're feeling better," said Rosie, "I don't want Bunnie ruining our dinner date tonight, especially since you made Tortimer go through all that trouble getting us that reservation."

"Well...I just thought this once..." said Marshal bashfully, "I'd take you somewhere luxurious." Rosie giggled.

"Well, just know that I...like...I mean..." Rosie wanted to say it but was hesitant.

"Rosie, I love you," said Marshal, "If it's not romantic yet, then all in good time, sulky. We're still best friends so we can say it...right?" Rosie smiled, feeling much better.

"Then I'll say what I wanted to say, silly," said Rosie, "Marshal I love you. Because you're the sweetest person I've ever met and not because you spoiling me tonight." Marshal smiled as they shared an embrace with each other that lasted a few minutes before they pulled away.

"Well, then I best be..." said Rosie, "actually, why don't you come with me, silly?"

"Come with you where?" Marshal asked curiously.

"I need to find a cute outfit for tonight," said Rosie, "and I want you to help me pick out."

"You...really trust me to pick out your outfit, sulky?" Marshal asked surprised.

"Yes I do, silly," said Rosie, "Since you're treating dinner, how about I treat us to breakfast?"

"I can pay..."

"No...I pay for breakfast and that is that, cutie," said Rosie with her hands on her hips, "okay?" Marshal just looked at her for a moment and then conceded.

"If that's what you want, sulky," said Marshal, "Let's go!" Rosie smiled as she pulled him right out of the mansion...and towards the southern island.

By now, Bunnie and Isabelle were already seated and enjoying their breakfast, or at least trying until Isabelle started looking a bit restless.

"What's up, tee hee?" Bunnie asked with her mouth stuffed with macadamia pancakes.

"I need to do some work!" said Isabelle, "I can't stand not knowing if Digby is getting things taken care of or if the town is burning to the ground!"

"Where's your phone?" Bunnie asked plainly, "Why not just call Digby?"

"I forgot it!" said Isabelle frantically, "I didn't want Roll calling me all day wondering where I am and if I'm okay and UGH!" Isabelle then faceplanted the table, nearly smacking her face into her own share of pancakes. Bunnie just sighed at her.

"Would you feel better if I let you use mine?" Bunnie asked as she pulled it out of her pocket.

"Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme!" Isabelle begged with a classic puppy dog pout.

"Alright, just chill out will ya?" Bunnie retorted as she handed the phone to her, "Let's act civilized about this!" Isabelle ignored her, grabbed the phone out of Bunnie's hand, and dialed Digby's number. After a few rings, he finally answered.

"Hello, Animal Town's town hall. Digby speaking," he replied.

"Digby, it's me," said Isabelle professionally.

"Oh hey, sis," said Digby cheerfully, "how the vacation in paradise?"

"Peachy," said Isabelle quickly before getting to the point, "Digby I need a status report on the town ASAP!" Digby blinked at her directness and then snorted before telling her only one word.

"Fine" Isabelle just looked stunned for a second before she answered him.

"Fine?" she asked, "just...fine?"

"Yes my sister that I love so dear," said Digby, "everything is fine." Isabelle opened and closed her mouth twice before she growled.

"Get serious Digby!" she snapped, "I need details. How's citizen satisfaction? Are all the villagers alright? Is the paper work getting done and on schedule? And have there been any new Public Works Project requests that need to be processed?" There was a long silence before she heard a sigh.

"Everything is alright," said Digby. Isabelle just felt her body shake and her eyes watered.

"PLEASE I BEG OF YOU!" Isabelle pleaded desperately, "I'M GOING CRAZY! I NEED DETAILS AND I WANT THEM NOW!" Isabelle began to pant heavily for a few seconds to calm herself down. Bunnie was just trying to hide her face from the attention Isabelle was freaking out. Digby just huffed, which the yellow shi-tzu heard loud and clear.

"You know what Isabelle?" said Digby after a long silence.

"What?" she asked timidly.

"You have a problem," said Digby.

"Excuse me?" Isabelle asked offended.

"I'm gonna have to speak to Roll about putting you on a longer leave, or at least seek some professional help," said Digby, "You need to relax and I'm gonna see that you get that one way or another. Good bye!" Digby ended the call, leaving Isabelle dumbfounded to the point she dropped the phone. Bunnie gasped as she rushed to grab it before it hit the floor.

"Watch it, don't go breaking my phone, tee hee!" Bunnie snapped and then softened when she saw Isabelle's face scrunching up.

"Isabelle..." Bunnie began to Isabelle cried out and faceplanted herself into her pancakes. Bunnie just shook her head in annoyance.

"Oh boy..." she muttered as she turned away and then gasped as she quickly ducked behind the table. Marshal and Rosie had arrived to eat at the same restaurant and they had just walked by Bunnie and Isabelle's table. Bunnie peaked out from her table with a bitter look on her face.

"What are they doing here?" she asked.

"Wuh?" Isabelle lifted her head and a spare pancake was pasted on her face. Bunnie roughly pulled it off.

"OUCH!" Isabelle bellowed.

"If you're done trying to drown yourself in maple syrup," Bunnie retorted, "take a look over there!" Isabelle looked from side to side and then behind her. That was when she saw the two and then saw the envious look on Bunnie's face.

"So...are we gonna ignore them or spy on them?" she asked. Bunnie continued to glare at Rosie and Marshal. Isabelle just blew one of her thick bangs.

"At least it's something to do," Isabelle conceded as Bunnie didn't answer and continued to glare at the couple. Despite finishing their meal first, they remained in their seats until the waiter asked them to leave and then they kept themselves as incognito as they could to follow the couple about the small town. A few times they almost got caught by the couple, but they just missed being seen. They continued to follow Rosie and Marshal until they headed back to the pier and then they waited a while before heading back to the mansion themselves.

"So...based on what we've seen," said Isabelle, glad she could put the analytical side of her brain to work again, "They came here for breakfast, went shopping for clothes and jewelry for Rosie, which Marshal paid for everything."

"That dirty little...rat!" said Bunnie, "it's bad enough you've seduced him! But now you're making him pay out of pocket for you! What's next? Servitude?"

"Too late," said Isabelle, "I heard Marshal say something about fanning her with a giant palm leaf and rubbing her feet!" Bunnie snarled.

"What could be worse?" said Bunnie, "An expensive dinner date?"

"Did you forget that he was taking her to the Dolphin Escape?" said a voice and they both jumped in surprise to see both Mabel and Labelle standing before them. The former in some jean pedal pushers with a tropical tee and the latter in a white lace skirt with a Gracie tank and shades. Bunnie recomposed herself and was shocked.

"Why no I...I mean...is that why Rosie was shrieking..." Bunnie then balled her fists, "that...does it! Rosie thinks she can go have dinner with Marshal to a fancy restaurant and not invite me huh? Well I'll show her! I'll show her!" Bunnie just began to pace back and forth angrily as Isabelle just watched for a moment.

"So...what's your plan?" Isabelle asked her.

"We're gonna get into the restaurant and I'm gonna tell Rosie what I think of Marshal spoiling her rotten!" Bunnie replied with much determination.

"Okay," said Mable, "just one major hurdle here, Bunnie. How on earth are you going to get into that restaurant? It's reservation only!"

"I have a way," said Labelle and Mabel just looked at her stunned.

"You are not encouraging this!" Mabel retorted.

"Oh quit being like Sable," said Labelle, "Besides, I haven't had a good chance for a snooping since my days with Gracie!" Bunnie was just stunned that the two sisters were going to tag along.

"Well if you're up for it, I'm up for it," said Mabel, "Just don't tell Sable!"

"Alright, let's get going!" said Labelle, "we're gonna need some fancy outfits for tonight." Bunnie and Isabelle nodded with a smirk. However Bunnie's smirk was more devious since she planned to purchase a new outfit...and she knew the number of Marshal's shopping card.

The Dolphin Escape was as fancy as one could imagine. Built along a pier on the west side of the island north of Tortimer's, this restaurant was famous for its romantic sunsets and oceanic views. It was also composed of one large open dining room, which made it privacy almost difficult, but Bunnie saw that as her biggest advantage tonight. Many might be wondering how she and her friends got into the restaurant. It was rather simple. The minute Labelle showed that she was associated with Gracie and handed him a 10,000 bell bribe. The host had no problem escorting them to a just recently cleared table. Unfortunately it was located near the edge of the dining room. Rosie and Marshal were practically on the other side, but still viewable. Bunnie could see their outfits from here. Marshal had a cream colored sports jacket with a dark brown muscle shirt on. Rosie had a sleeveless pink blouse with ship anchors patterned into it. Her skirt was a longer version of the white lace one and extended a good inch below the knees. She also had on a special pink choker necklace on with a sterling silver flower pendant. Lastly, she had a special dark pink flower pin in her ear that was made out of ribbons. The group had timed their arrival perfectly since Rosie and Marshal hadn't even been served their dinner yet.

"This place is so beautiful, Marshal," said Rosie excitedly, "It's gonna cost us a fortune to eat here!"

"It's no trouble at all, Rosie," said Marshal, "You order anything you like. I've got this check covered."

"Oh wow, silly," said Rosie with glee, "Being with you makes me feel like a real princess!"

"Well it's good practice or future, sulky," said Marshal with a wink. Rosie giggled as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. She hadn't really thought that far into their relationship yet, especially on the topic of marriage. This was their third...wait, it was their fifth date! Mabel and Labelle just enjoyed watching them, the former wearing a blue polka dot dress and the latter in a butterfly dress with a floppy hat.

"I heard that Marshal had great tastes but he certainly knows how to treat a girl by bringing Rosie here," said Labelle.

"Yeah but I hope something would happen already," said Mabel, "Marshal is certainly taking his sweet time making his move."

"I thought you hated mushy stuff?" Isabelle retorted, wearing her green and white gingham dress and ribbon. Mabel opened and closed her mouth before snorting.

"Well I'm bored," said Mabel as her only defense as Bunnie just glared at them bitterly, wearing a pink party dress and even a flashy hairpin.

"What a little brat!" Bunnie snarled under breath, "Here we are at the fanciest restaurant in paradise and _she_ gets to have dinner with _my_ hunkster, tee hee!"

"What did you call Marshal?" Isabelle asked since despite hearing Bunnie's remark loud and clear.

"I...I...oh just get off my case!" Bunnie snapped. Isabelle snorted as their waiter arrived.

"Hello ladies," he greeted politely, "What may I get for..."

"JUST ICE WATER PLEASE!" Bunnie, Isabelle, and Mabel rather sternly and leaving the waiter baffled.

"And I'll have some freshly squeezed strawberry lemonade with a mint leaf please," said Labelle as if she wasn't even involved in the conversation. Or at least show off her classy side.

"We'll never be able to hear what going on if we sit in the bleachers' section!" Isabelle pointed out as she and Bunnie glared at the dating couple together.

"And can you add a sliced lemon please and thank you," Labelle chuckled cutely. Mabel just rolled her eyes at her.

"You are so full of it," said Mabel, but Labelle just gave her a raspberry. Back with the couple, Marshal and Rosie were enjoying their entree quietly for a moment before Marshal decided to talk.

"I don't how much longer you will enjoy having me as your dinner date..." Marshal began in a modest fashion.

"Oh you'll always be my favorite dinner date, silly," said Rosie with a cute smile. Marshal chuckled to himself.

"I'm glad, sulky," said Marshal, "We've been on quite a few dates and as far as I'm concerned, if you ever wanted to take our relationship to the next level I would totally be down with it."

"What do you mean the next level, silly?" Rosie asked as she chewed her food.

"We...start calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend," said Marshal and Rosie nearly choked on her food as she was rather surprised at his requested. Sure, they had been on four dates already in the last three days, but did that mean they were ready to...go steady. Marshal could see that Rosie looked a little hesitant.

"If you don't want to..."

"No, no, no, silly," said Rosie, "I would love to make you my boyfriend...it's just..." Rosie wasn't sure of what to say. She wanted to be honest but the idea of breaking Marshal's heart because she didn't say her words correctly terrified her dearly. He had been through enough pain in his short life.

"I would like to Marshal," said Rosie, "I really would. Just...well..." Suddenly, a baby grand piano, a flower pot, and a statue mysteriously scooted their way towards the side of the table. Well it wasn't that mysterious. It was Mabel, Bunnie, and Isabelle, who were tired of not hearing the conversation and wanted to know what was going on. In addition, Rosie and Marshal were not clueless fools. They knew the group was spying on them. They knew Bunnie and Isabelle had been following them all day. While Marshal tried to ignore them, Rosie felt even more flustered at seeing the "props" around their table...and also very angry.

"Sweetie-pie?" Rosie asked with her head down.

"Yes, cutie," Marshal answered calmly.

"I get this distinct feeling that someone is spying on us," said Rosie with a blunt tone and irritated face, "In fact, I know we're being spied on and they are not doing a very good job at it...GIRLS!" The last part came as a shout but Mabel, Bunnie, and Isabelle just posed behind their props as if they hadn't got caught. It was just then their waiter had returned to the table.

"Three ice waters to go?" he groaned.

"And a strawberry lemonade with a slice of lemon on top," Labelle added with a innocent smile. The waiter just groaned to himself. It was five minutes later before the manager roughly escorted the four girls out of the restaurant. Labelle took offense.

"Hey what's the big idea!" she yelled angrily, "We're paying customers!"

"Maybe so," said the manager snootily, "But you're credit is no good here!"

"I'm good friends with Gracie giraffe!" Labelle snorted, "here's my proof!" The manager looked unimpressed at the certification.

"Maybe so, Madame," he replied, "but I was informed that your work with her was terminated a few years ago. So...next time you want to dine here, make a proper reservation!" With that he slammed the door on them. Labelle grunted in rage.

"Just when the conversation was getting good," said Bunnie angrily.

"Yeah, Rosie was gonna tell Marshal they were going steady!" Isabelle added.

"I wanna know what stupid stool pigeon told that fool I didn't work for Gracie anymore!" Labelle snarled.

"Ahem!" The four girls all turned around and there before them was Sable, looking furious at them.

"I should have known!" Mabel snapped, "you are the world's biggest killjoy you know that!"

"Yeah!" Bunnie and Isabelle added and Sable glared fiercely at them.

"Don't act so self-righteous," Sable retorted at the rabbit and shi-tzu, "I'm not the one whose really angrily with you."

"GRR!" someone snarled. Bunnie and Isabelle yelped when they saw Roll. To say she was angry at the two was just an understatement just by the way she looked at them. They knew they were in deep trouble now.

"Aw crud," was all Bunnie and Isabelle could say.

 **Also, Isabelle reading** ** _War and Peace_** **is a tease on Snoopy and the fact that he loves to read the same book.**

 **The whole restaurant scene is taken almost directly from Sailor Moon Super S. There a clip of the scene still on Youtube.**

 **Plus Rosie's outfit is based on a plush doll someone made for me a while ago.**

 **I apologize if I've made Bunnie a bit of a jerk, but when someone is jealous or envious of someone it can make you act and do things you normally wouldn't. Why else would Bunnie be acting so out of character? There's a reason for Bunnie's recent attitude and you'll find out.**

 **Next time.**


	32. The Island Part 4

The Island part 4

Bunnie and Isabelle just continued to pout bitterly on the sofa as Roll angrily paced back and forth across the floor a few times. She was wearing a cyan blue tube top that had a aquamarine broach on the chest with some light denim pedal pushers that were cuffed at the leg bottoms with her hair tied in a ponytail with a blue ribbon on the side of her head. She wasn't sure where to begin with this. It was bad enough the two were having bad attitudes for the past couple of weeks, but the fact they were snooping on two of her friends who wanted to take their friendship to the next level. Roll was done with it and wasn't going to let them grumble a day longer. Sable, wearing the same outfit as Roll but her tube top was magenta with a ruby broach on the chest, had been angry with Mabel and Labelle too until she found that their intent on spying on Rosie and Marshal was just for fun and not to intentionally hurt the couple. So the tension between them had been settled for the most part by now, but Bunnie and Isabelle didn't seem apologetic at all and that was what Roll feel so angry. After what felt like an hour of painful anticipation, she finally looked sternly at the two as she stood before them.

"You know I've really, really tried to be sympathetic and respectful to the two of you," Roll began slowly, but her patience was faltering quickly, "But when you go so far as to spy and ruin someone else's love life, especially a date that is at one of the most romantic places in paradise. That is going to far!"

"Oh go blow it out your ear!" Isabelle snapped bitterly. Roll froze and gave her a death glare.

"What did you say to me?" Roll asked darkly.

"You heard me Blondie," Isabelle retorted, "Go. Blow. It. Out. Your. Ear!" Roll balled her fists and shuttered angrily.

"That's... _it!_ " Roll said hollowly and then exploded as she got into Isabelle's face, "I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU AND YOUR ATTITUDE YOUNG LADY! YOU EITHER PUT A LID ON IT RIGHT NOW OR I AM GOING TO PUT MY FOOT DOWN!"

"Oh quit your bluffing!" said Isabelle and roughly pushed Roll out of her face, "You might be the mayor of our town, but I'm still the adult here! I'll do whatever I want if _you_ don't like it than that is your own problem! So quit telling me what to do all the time! I didn't want your help with anything and I didn't want to come here to this _stupid_ island or your _stupid_ vacation! I'll make my own decisions so don't you dare scold me! You have no right to!" Isabelle and Roll glared at each other fiercely for a few seconds before Isabelle walked away with a huff. Bunnie was left a little unnerved, she was angry too, but not at the extent Isabelle was. Okay, she was tempted to get into Rosie's face if the blue cat provoked her, but...even then...she didn't feel the right to attack. Roll just looked at Isabelle before she said two of the most dreaded words Isabelle could ever hear.

"You're fired." Isabelle froze on her tracks and slowly turned around. The look on her face made it clear that she was a powder keg waiting for explode.

"What did you say to me?" Isabelle asked in a hollow tone.

"I am not gonna let you treat me like this anymore," said Roll sternly, "I'm not gonna let you disrespect me and abuse me just because you're too stubborn to take care of yourself. I am not gonna watch you destroy yourself either. If you won't do your job properly, then Isabelle... _you're fired!_ " Roll was just inches from Isabelle's raging face before Isabelle finally snapped.

"YAH!" Isabelle then dove into Roll and slammed her into the floor. She tried to pin the blonde girl down, but they ended up rolling across the floor a few times before Isabelle used her arms and legs to throw Roll across the room. Luckily she landed on the sofa, but it was upside down.

"OMPH! Okay...that's it!" Roll raged and charged at Isabelle, "You're gonna respect me even if I have to..."

SMACK!

Isabelle didn't want to listen to Roll or let her finish before she gave her right hook in the face. Roll was sent back a few steps before she noticed that Isabelle was in full rage and ready to fight. Roll then realized that fighting her wouldn't do anything good. She decided to change tactics and just took a step forward and then knelt in front of her.

"What are you.."

"This is stupid!" Roll said sadly, "If you hate me so much, just do what you're gonna do and get it over with!" Isabelle was stunned and snarled at her, showing her teeth at Roll. Sable had slowly managed to approach to she could pin down Isabelle before the shi-tzu could strike.

"Get up and fight me!" Isabelle demanded.

"No!"

"Why, too weak to fight me?!" Isabelle retorted

"I don't wanna fight you!" Roll yelled back, tears streaming down her face, "You obviously are angry at me for some reason otherwise why would be treating me like this? I don't want you angry with me anymore! Just release your anger on me so we can go back to being best friends again!" Isabelle just looked at her.

"No...no...you're not gonna deceive me again!" said Isabelle as hot tears streamed down her face, "You're...you're trying to trick me...make me lower my defenses!"

"Is loving you really such a crime Isabelle?" Roll sobbed, "I'm tired of you hating me! If you need to get your anger out then just do it! What are you waiting for? JUST HIT ME ALREADY!" Isabelle just slowly began to crumble and soon her vision was soon blinded by tears she could no longer hold back.

"I HATE YOU!" Isabelle shouted as he voice broke and she ran upstairs in heavy sobs. Roll just watched her leave and continued to cry as she rose to her feet and went after Isabelle. Bunnie had just watched the event, trying hard not to lose her own composure. However, her efforts were futile as Rosie approached her and knelt in front of her.

"No...No...no!" Bunnie pleaded but Rosie balled her fists.

"Well you obviously have a bone to pit with me to, Bunnie!" Rosie yelled, "In fact, Marshal and I broke up!"

"What?!" Bunnie asked in a broken tone.

"What's so good about pursuing a relationship if you're gonna hate me and Marshal for it!" said Rosie in a broken tone, "you obviously have an issue with it otherwise why else would you be acting like this, silly! You're my sister and my best friend! As much as I want to have a relationship with Marshal...knowing you hate me for it just..." Rosie began to cry as Marshal walked up to her.

"But...but...what about..."

"I agree with Rosie," said Marshal, "unless you never loved her either!"

"You both think I never did?!" Bunnie exclaimed in anguish.

"No...we don't...at least I don't think you ever did," said Marshal shakily, "my heart was always open to you Bunnie. If you had given the word, I would have given us a try. I wanted to! I loved you enough to keep the door open because we were so close, but I guess I was the only one with the hope that we were good enough to fall in love! I kind of liked the idea of us being married! And Rosie knows this cause I'm honest! She still wanted to give us a try nevertheless...that's real love...unlike you..." Bunnie was slowly breaking down. Rather than enter rage, her anger was breaking her down as tears streamed rapidly down her face.

"I can't take this anymore!" Rosie sobbed, "if you are that angry that I wanted to date him then just do what you need to do. Just promise me you'll send my body to my family okay!" Bunnie's heart broke.

"WAH-AHAHAHAHAHA!" Bunnie wailed loudly as she began to cry heavily. Rosie and Marshal just looked at her sympathetically as Bunnie just wailed loudly. The combination of the anger and her behavior just bubbled over and she broke down. Rosie slowly approached Bunnie to give her a hug when Bunnie shoved her away. Rosie looked offended until Bunnie looked at her with lifeless.

"Why would wanna hug this piece of trash?" the poor rabbit asked in a broken tone. Marshal and Rosie both started crying at the same time.

"Don't say that, sulky," said Marshal, "Even if Rosie and I do get together, I'll always love you."

"Same here, silly," Rosie sobbed, "You're very special to us."

"Not really!" Bunnie snapped in a cracked tone, "Once you two make it official, I'll be all alone, tee hee!" Rosie looked stunned as Marshal made an O with his mouth and wiped his tears.

"So that's what's going on," said Marshal, "Now all the jealousy and resentment make a whole lot of sense now."

"What do you mean honey...I mean Marshal," said Rosie, feeling bad for her innocent slip of the tongue. However, this time, Bunnie didn't take offense and just continued to sobbed but more quietly.

"Remember what happened with Charlotte, sulky," Marshal explained, "Poor Bunnie got told to her face by Charlotte that she was done with her and she didn't want to be Bunnie's friend anymore." That was when Rosie finally understood why Bunnie was acting like this.

"You silly rabbit," said Rosie with her hands on her hips, "Just because Marshal and I were gonna date doesn't mean that you were going to be rejected and forgotten! How could you think we would do that to you?"

"Ever since the wedding," Bunnie sobbed, "Love and dating has been all you two have been talking about and the fact is...I...I felt left out. That was why I was jealous, tee hee."

"So it wasn't because it was Marshal?" Rosie asked her, wanting an answer this time. Bunnie sniffled.

"No...and yes," said Bunnie, "No in the sense I wasn't jealous that you were dating Marshal instead of me. Jealous that you found your soulmate and I hadn't. I felt left out because I didn't have someone. It was a blow to my self-confidence."

"I see," said Marshal, "but what I don't understand is why you seemed so adamant about it being you and me? Honestly, what is wrong about you and me being a couple? Is it me?" Bunnie sobbed again and shook her head.

"This might be a surprise to you Marshal," said Bunnie sadly, "but I honestly think you're a great guy. A true sweetheart. I would be a lucky girl to get married to you if I can be honest. The problem wasn't even you. I...I just didn't feel good enough for you, tee hee."

"Really?!" Marshal and Rosie exclaimed.

"Yeah," Bunnie answered quietly and her voice broke again, "plus I was scared to take a chance. I already got hurt. It might not have been romantic, but to be told that I was no longer worth it...really damaged my self-confidence, tee hee."

"But...you've never show it, silly!" said Rosie.

"Well who ever heard of a depressed peppy villager, tee hee!" Bunnie retorted as she started to cry again, "I already got hurt. If I had taken the chance and it didn't work...my heart couldn't take the heartbreak! I was rejected once! I don't wanna be rejected again! It just makes me wanna die!" Bunnie wailed once more and Rosie broke down in sobs. Marshal and Rosie began to cry with her since hearing that made their hearts break. While all this was happening, Sable was just watching as her own tears streamed down her face.

"Hey, why are you crying big sis?" Labelle asked gently. Sable just sobbed and looked at her sadly.

"You all know that is exactly how I feel," Sable croaked, "and why I haven't spoken to Tom yet..." Labelle and Mabel gave her a sympathetic look as they held her tightly as she just cried. The two sisters were in the verge of their own tears since the three near the sofa were still sobbing heavily in a group hug.

A few minutes earlier, Roll had arrived upstairs to where she and Isabelle had been sharing as their bedroom and tried to open the door. She wasn't surprised to find that the door was locked. Roll just took a deep breath and lightly knocked on the door.

"Isabelle please open the door!" Roll asked gently.

"I DON'T WANNA BEAT YOU UP! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Isabelle screamed and sobbed heavily. Roll just listen to the shi-tzu's sobs quietly before she began to sob with her head against the door, which wasn't such a good idea because Isabelle heard Roll's sobs and opened the door, causing Roll to tumble into the floor and land face first. Isabelle hadn't stopped crying, but knelt beside her to help her up, but Roll didn't want to move.

"Roll please get your face off of the floor!" Isabelle snapped in a cracked tone.

"Why?" she sobbed, "you won't talk to me and your treating me the way my Mom used to. I don't know what I did to make you treat me like this when all I ever wanted to do was help you and be your friend!" Roll continued to cry as Isabelle just looked at her with tears streaming from her own eyes as she lifted Roll to her knees and sat on her own.

"Please, I just want you to be happy," said Roll, "I don't want you sad and angry anymore! You won't talk to me. What other way are you gonna get that anger out of your system? Please just hit me. A few bruises and black eye is worth it if it means you'll stop treating me like trash!" Roll's words really got to Isabelle before she just crawled over and just started bawling into Roll's bare shoulder. The anguish and heaviness of her sobs let Roll know that Isabelle was finally getting her anger of out her system. Roll just held her tightly as Isabelle cried herself out and even cried with her as she held her tightly to let the shi-tzu know she was there. It was a good ten minutes later before Isabelle had calmed down, but her throat was dry and raspy from crying so hard and Roll could see that Isabelle looked drained.

"I'm gonna get us some water okay," said Roll, "Promise me you'll just sit here and wait until I get back. Don't try to get up!" Isabelle tried to do so but her legs were wobbly and she collapsed to her knees. She winced at landing on her knees before just tumbling to her side and lay on the floor in defeat. She just nodded meekly to concede to Roll's request. Roll just looked at her sadly before getting up to get water. As she arrived, she noticed that Bunnie, Rosie, and Marshal were just sitting together quietly from what had been a rather emotional and teary discussion.

"Is...everything okay?" she asked gently. There were a few sniffles before Bunnie smiled at her.

"Yeah, tee hee," she replied softly, "everything is okay."

"Can I...ask what..." Roll stuttered gently. Bunnie rose to her feet and gave Roll a very gentle and loving hug.

"Basically I was afraid that if Rosie and Marshal got together that I was gonna get left out in the cold," Bunnie explained, "I didn't want to become just the third wheel and rejected as they got closer and I was going to get pushed away."

"I see," said Roll, "and the hurtful words to Marshal?" Bunnie just sighed to herself.

"I like him, but I don't feel good enough for him, tee hee," Bunnie answered sadly.

"You didn't feel good enough for him?" said Roll surprised.

"I was having the same insecurities you were about having a boyfriend," said Bunnie, "Plus after what happened with Charlotte...I was too afraid to take a chance and get my heartbroken. I know Marshal never would try to hurt me like that, but just the possibility that it wouldn't work out and ruin our friendship...my heart just couldn't take it."

"So...the jealousy...was because Rosie was willing to try when you couldn't?" she asked. Bunnie nodded.

"I'm still not sure if it could have worked out between us and Marshal," said Bunnie, "or if there is any feelings there, but...Marshal is a wonderful guy. He might be small, but he has a heart bigger than any guy Rosie and I have ever met. The girl who does marry him is gonna be the luckiest girl in the world."

"She sure will," said Roll, "so are things settled between you guys now?"

"Almost," said Bunnie, "I just have one more thing to say, tee hee." Bunnie walked up to both Rosie and Marshal.

"You guys, I am really sorry for my behavior," said Bunnie, "Just because I was insecure and struggling to take a chance on love doesn't mean that I could take that out of you guys. It's so not fair for me to stop the two of you if you guys feel connection with each other. If you guys want to get together, all I ask is this...don't forget about me okay, tee hee?"

"Of course we won't, silly," said Rosie as she hugged Bunnie, "We're still a trio. If Marshal and I get together, that is not going to change that."

"Plus we'll keep the mushy stuff to a minimal too," said Marshal, "It was only because you were being so rude why we acted like we didn't care if it bothered you, sulky. That wasn't right on our part."

"Yeah, silly," said Rosie, "we really didn't mean to rub it in your face. In all honestly, if it's going to come between us then..."

"No!" said Bunnie, "I would never forgive myself if I knew you were staying apart because of me, tee hee! If you guys want to be together, then by all means. Go for it. And Marshal, promise me no matter how things end up that you won't break my sister's heart."

"I promise, sulky," said Marshal.

"I wouldn't worry about Marshal hurting me, silly," said Rosie, "he's more afraid of rejection than the both of us combined." Bunnie just looked at him sadly.

"Marshal, let's get one thing straight," said Bunnie, "I have and never will reject you. I only pushed away cause someone hurt me and I was afraid to get close to someone only for the person to hurt me again. I hope I'm not the reason you feel like you're not worth anybody's time." Marshal stayed quiet for a moment before giving her a smile.

"It's not," said Marshal, "it was because other's rejected me why I lost my confidence. I mean you did hurt me by not being there for me, but...at least you cared enough to apologize, even if it took a while." Bunnie just chuckled sheepishly but also appreciated how forgiving Marshal was of her.

"I really don't deserve a friend like you, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I haven't been a very good friend to you at all."

"Well, I know it's because you were hurting," said Marshal, "but I hope from now on, when you've got a problem. You can come to me or Rosie about it, sulky. Even if me and Rosie do get together Bunnie, I'll always be your marshmallow squirrel." Bunnie began to cry again, but this time it was happy tears as she pulled him into a tight hug and kissed his cheek before holding him lovely.

"I love being cuddled, sulky," said Marshal in a strained voice, "but I _really_ can't breathe right now!" Rosie and Roll laughed until Roll's cut her laughter short and had a very worried look on her face.

"What's wrong Roll?" Rosie asked as she saw the distressed face.

"Isabelle had a meltdown in the bedroom," said Roll sadly, "while she was able to cry out her anger and frustration rather than hit me. The look in her eyes...(sniff)...it's like she's giving up...and it scares me..." Roll tried her best not to cry but her worry and fear had multiplied when she realized she had almost forgotten the water. She quickly rushed over and grabbed a picture and filled it with some fresh water to drink when her three friends stopped her.

"Guys move!" said Roll, "I gotta hurry before Isabelle does something to hurt herself!"

"She won't," said Bunnie, "Just because she has the look, maybe even the thoughts too, she won't go that far. I'll go check on her while you bring up some water for her okay." Roll just felt a pair of tears leave her eyes before she conceded with a nod. Yet when she turned around. Marshal had filled a pitcher with ice cold water and had grabbed half a dozen glasses.

"Why so many..." Roll was about to ask.

"Did you think you would have to help Isabelle alone?" said Rosie, "we're still your friends, even with the chance of relationship occurring between Marshal and I. We've got your back!" Roll smiled as she wiped her eyes and helped Marshal take the water upstairs. It was there they found Bunnie holding Isabelle. Poor Isabelle just looked limp and her hair was down. Roll then felt a something bump her pinky toe and jingle. She looked down to find Isabelle's bell ribbon tossed into a corner and picked it up. Roll knelt beside her and sat near her on her knees and placed the bell ribbon in front of her.

"Isabelle," said Roll gently, "my friends and I brought you some water." Isabelle gave Roll a lifeless glare but she looked more drained rather than angry. She feebly lifted an arm for a glass as Roll stood up to get one. Marshal was already one step ahead of her and handed a full glass To Isabelle. Isabelle enjoyed the cool water against her dry throat as Roll just sat next to her and quietly let her finish it.. The rest of the group got their share since they were a little dehydrated from their own crying session. Isabelle was about halfway done when she just held the glass in both her hands and stared into it. It was only a few seconds later before Isabelle began to cry again, but this time tearlessly.

"Isabelle?" Roll asked.

"Why do you even want to be my friends?" Isabelle snapped, "I'm just a failure, a loser, a flop!"

"No you're not!" said Bunnie, "You are very special friend to all of us! I know how you feel right now, tee hee!"

"No you don't!" Isabelle yelled.

"You don't wish you were dead right now?!" Bunnie asked her sadly. Isabelle realized that Bunnie did understand how she felt. Rosie and Roll both looked devastated hearing that and Isabelle took notice.

"Roll..."

"How stupid do you think I am?" she yelled, "You don't think I knew? Did you not think I couldn't tell you felt this way? Isabelle...you were the one who helped me learn that I wasn't worthless. Now you want to give up?! If you give up...why shouldn't I have done the same?"

"Roll stop it!" Rosie scolded, "This talk about giving up is going to end right now, silly! There is an easy solution to all of this and Bunnie, being the smart and beautiful sister she is, figured that out. You're the smartest person in this group Isabelle. If you want to feel better, you know what you have to do. We all love you. There is no reason for you to keep this inside your heart! It's poisoning you and it's turning you into something you're clearly not!"

"She's right, tee hee," Bunnie added, "It scares me just how cruel I was acting. That's not me! That's not who Bunnie Lillian Rabbit is. I'm not a cruel person and I hated just how much I was insulting my best friends just because I was the one with the problem."

"But you said that..." Isabelle tried to retort.

"I was in denial, Isabelle!" Bunnie interrupted, "they are not the ones with the problem. We are! We're the jerks here! They tried to give us all the love and support we needed but we shoved it back into their faces!"

"There is a fine line between being strong and independent," said a voice, "and just being completely ridiculous. Trying to seek help isn't weakness...keeping it to yourself is." The group all turned to see Sable. Her eyes were red from crying as she took a seat next to Roll.

"Mommy?" Roll asked worried.

"I'm okay sweetie," said Sable as Roll scooted closer to her to rest her head on the hedgehog's shoulder as the brown hedgehog sat down, "I speak from experience since I've done what you two did for a long time. I was afraid of feeling weak and burdening others with my problems. I wanted to fight my own battles, but by keeping it to myself. I found my self-confidence disappear and I felt like nobody would understand or care."

"Is that why you always keep to yourself at your sewing machine, tee hee?" Bunnie asked and Sable nodded. Isabelle sniffled a bit.

"Ever since I was a puppy," Isabelle began, "I used to be the girl who always had her head in the clouds. People often wondered if...if I would ever amount to anything. I was bullied alot because I was more of the bookworm, the geek, the nerd. I had all the traits. Super smart, but little to no charisma, always forgetful and quite clumsy too. I don't know if Digby mentioned this before, but there was a stage where I was quite a troublemaker and I stopped trying to be the smartest girl and tried to be more popular. I almost didn't pass middle school because of it and people started saying that I was hopeless. I finally straightened up and went back to being a bookworm, but this time I was more reclusive and even anti-social. Well...mostly in high school but I was involved in alot of community service and even got my first job as a freshman so I could get work experience. I finished valedictorian of my senior class. I knew my family was proud of me, but those voices that teased me all those years made me feel like I still had something to prove, especially since I was teased even more in high school and I was the butt end of the senior prank. That was why I attended so many universities and why I work so hard."

"So you're just an overachiever by nature, sulky?" Marshal asked.

"No...it always felt like..." said Isabelle quietly, "...like it...wasn't good enough...no matter how much I tried...no matter how much I accomplished."

"Wasn't good enough?" Rosie asked surprised.

"It just wasn't good enough," said Isabelle, "It won't make the voices stop. I feel like I have to work harder, push myself further! I feel like I can't get any satisfaction with myself."

"So...you have voices," said Roll gently, "voices that tell you that everything you're doing isn't good enough and that people won't accept you?" Isabelle just looked at her sadly.

"More like people won't ever take me seriously," said Isabelle, "or that I can be a real success."

"Do...you feel limited just being my secretary?" Roll asked, "If you wanted a promotion, I could have done that if you had just asked."

"Oh no Roll, that's not what I meant," said Isabelle, "more I feel like...like I keep letting people down when I can't do more."

"I see," said Sable, "you made people think you were just a dreamer, a girl with your head in the clouds who would keep dreaming but never make a successful life for yourself?"

"Yeah," said Isabelle, "those words really left a mark on my self-esteem. It left me angry. I wanted to prove myself but they always laughed at me, even my own parents."

"Did...Digby laugh at you?" Bunnie asked her curiously.

"Yeah he did," said Isabelle, "He was part of the teasing. In fact, he lead the teasing sometimes, especially with the family."

"I never knew Digby was...so mean to you," said Roll, feeling angry herself. Isabelle noticed Roll's anger.

"Roll don't be mad at him!" Isabelle protested.

"He's the reason you feel like this and then he acts like he's afraid to lose you!" Roll retorted.

"He apologized," said Isabelle, "and it was when I graduated valedictorian too and not after I passed out from trying to get my fifteen degrees. I scared him deeply when I collapsed the first time because I was in a coma for seven days! Mom said he never left my side, even sleep next to my bed and cried more times than I could count. I owe _him_ an apology because I put him through that again and didn't even care about his feelings."

"Oh...ok," said Roll, softening as Isabelle explained everything.

"He's not a mean brother," said Isabelle, "far from it. He's my best friend and despite my quirky nature, he's always been there for me. I just...never took advantage of his compassion and let him help me like I should have. I've been such a horrible sister. Now I'm the one insulting him and talking to him like he's useless!"

"I'm sure he doesn't hold a grudge against you," said Roll, "I think he's just afraid you'll work yourself to death."

"I couldn't even if I tried," said Isabelle, "my own body won't let me. I can't even deny the fact that I have a problem either. I can't even stand on my feet anymore!" Isabelle buried her face into her hands and sobbed tearlessly once again as Roll gently rubbed Isabelle's back.

"It's because what's hurting you is dragging you down," said Roll, "Don't let those mean people from the past tell you that you are not successful. You are a very successful young lady."

"How?" Isabelle asked sadly.

"What about me?" Roll asked, "You took a worthless piece of disposed trash and made her think she was special and important." Sable couldn't resist glaring at Roll for such a crude self-description of herself.

"You helped make the town such a calm and peaceful place," Marshal added, "I remember when I first came here and my self-esteem was so bad that I didn't even think I would be welcomed to move here. You welcomed me with a warm smile and helped me secure myself a piece of land so I could build the very house I live in today."

"You were there for us when Tortimer retired too," said Rosie, "I remember how in disarray we all were because we had lost the leader of our town. You helped us to continue moving forward and you became the unofficial leader of the town. The glue that held the town together."

"And you can stop trying to keep this a secret, tee hee," said Bunnie, "we all knew Roll was never meant to be mayor."

"Hey!" Roll remarked hurt.

"She means that we all knew you didn't come here with the full intention of becoming mayor," said Sable, "Isabelle took a chance on you and put her faith in you. that is true isn't it?" Roll just looked at Isabelle and the shi-tzu looked back at her before they both sighed in defeat.

"I didn't want to be critized and ridiculed for choosing someone so young," said Isabelle, "plus I knew I was just trusting my gut with the decision. I was...rather surprised at how much the town trusted me until I saw how welcoming you all were of her. That was why I worked so hard, so Roll's job was as easy as possible and she could focus on the most important things, like the town and your happiness and satisfaction. I didn't want her to fail. Because if she failed, then that means I failed too."

"That is good and all," said Roll, "and I really appreciate it Isabelle, but I don't want you to overwork yourself either. If the workload was the problem, then I would consider hiring you a second hand, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that you tried to get too much done ahead of time."

"I didn't think it was a bad thing to work ahead," said Isabelle.

"In a general sense, no," said Sable, "but Roll said you were doing work that wasn't due for six months from now. I mean seriously. Do you need to approve Franklin's permit to cook dinner for us this early in the year? Or look into preparation for the Bright Lights Festival?" Isabelle blinked as her cheeks turned a little pink.

"Okay point taken..." said Isabelle, "Maybe I did go overboard...way overboard with my work. I guess I didn't have to work that hard, but that doesn't excuse how awful I was to everybody, especially Roll."

"Don't worry about it, Isabelle," said Roll quietly, not wanting Isabelle to feel bad.

"Don't try to act so brave Roll!" Isabelle said sternly, "You know as well as I do that what I said really hurt you deeply. I know the way I treated you was probably pretty close to how your biological mother treated you wasn't it?" Roll didn't want to answer but Isabelle's glared made Roll concede with a small and very sad nod.

"And you still think you deserve to be treated that way huh?" Isabelle asked.

"No," said Roll meekly, "I hated the way you treated me. I don't want people treating me that when all I wanted to give was my compassion and love to them. It hurt to have my own mother reject that. It hurt more having someone who said that they saw something worthwhile in me and then turn around and hate me!"

"I don't hate you Roll!" said Isabelle, "I was just...I didn't think you would have understood. I thought you had enough on your plate to help me."

"Isabelle listen to me," said Roll, "I am a messed up girl whose still trying to learn how to believe in herself and even feel beautiful. I've still got alot of growing to do. But when I friend needs me, I'm there for them. They don't always have to return the favor to me. Remember when Sylvia almost drowned, I had every right to let her die beneath those waves, but I didn't. I saved her and gave her a place to recover. She may have never said thank you, but she did stop terrorizing the town and hasn't bothered us since."

"You're point being?" Isabelle asked, not understand why Roll was telling her this.

"My point Isabelle," said Roll, "is that despite the hurtful words you said to me, I still care about you and love you. I really don't want to fire you Isabelle. I still need you, but I just want you to just take a step back and realize that what you are doing to help me isn't good for you. I don't want you helping me at your own expense okay." Isabelle just let out a long sigh.

"Okay," said Isabelle, "I guess I've just been so used to working so hard that when I found myself nothing to do. I felt like I had failed."

"You didn't fail me or anybody here," said Roll, "You just made a mistake and now you learn from it and move forward."

"Assuming I can find a new job," said Isabelle. Roll let out a huff.

"Tell you what," said Roll, "Digby told me how worried and stressed out you were and suggested I make the vacation stay a little longer. If you are willing to have me add another week, then you can keep your job."

"Are you sure two and a half weeks isn't too long of a vacation," said Isabelle.

"I should go longer," said Roll, "but I doubt even Sable could handle being away from her business longer than that. I'm not even sure..."

"I'll do it," said Sable, "I'm willing to concede that I'm due for a longer vacation. Let's just make a full three weeks. I'm down with that." Roll smiled and Isabelle just smiled too.

"Okay," said Isabelle, "I haven't really had a vacation at all before and I haven't even really taken advantage of our time here, especially after all the trouble you went into getting us this beach house. I've been very ungrateful to you all, especially Roll. Also...it's lonely sleeping in this big bedroom without my roommate." Roll laughed and hugged her tightly.

"Well if you don't unlock the door, I'll stay here tonight," said Roll.

"Sorry," said Isabelle, "guess I don't know how to be a good friend."

"You do," said Roll, "but you need to remember this Isabelle. You are surrounded by people who love you. Don't keep what hurts you inside. Talk to us, even if we can't help, but we give you our ears to listen so you can vent and open up about it. You'll feel alot better about it too." The others nodded in agreement and Isabelle smiled.

"I will," said Isabelle, "and thank you for hearing me out. Again, I'm really sorry for being so awful to you all."

"Same here, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I know I was really cold to you too Roll and I didn't mean that either. I really hope for the best between Rosie and Marshal. If they make each other happy, then they have my support." Rosie clapped happily before kissing Bunnie on the side of her head and hugged her. Marshal soon joined the hug. Roll then crawled over and gave Isabelle a hug.

"I love you Isabelle," said Roll.

"I love you too," said Isabelle, "Thank you for letting me vent." Once they pulled away, Roll rose to her feet and offered the shi-tzu a hand. Isabelle wasn't sure until Roll gave her a smile.

"Will you just trust me?" she asked gently. Isabelle smiled back and took her hand. Instantly, Isabelle rose to her feet as if she had never had any trouble standing up.

"Don't let the past hold you down," said Roll, "trust in those who love you and you'll always have the strength to overcome anything."

"You remember that too when you're feeling low," Isabelle replied and Roll glared.

"Cut me some slack, I'm working on it," she retorted and they both laughed as did the rest of the group before they shared a group hug together. Once they pulled away, Roll held both of Isabelle's hands.

"All I want is for you to be happy Isabelle," said Roll, "if you're not happy being here, we can head back home or go somewhere else for the vacation. It's up to you." Isabelle just stared before a soft smile appeared on her face.

"To think I thought my feelings didn't matter," said Isabelle, "like I said before, I wasn't trying to relax. I wanna stay here at the islands. I enjoyed collecting seashells the first time here and Bunnie and I had a great time shopping at the north island mall."

"GASP!" Rosie gasped as she looked at Bunnie, "You went shopping without me, silly?!" Bunnie gave her a look. Rosie looked puzzled until she remembered that she and Marshal had gone shopping together and had left her behind. While the blue cat had a reason for not asking her, she soon realized why Bunnie did the same to her.

"Touche," said Rosie with a resignation look on her face before Bunnie gave her a hug.

"It's cool," said Bunnie, "I didn't exactly buy anything anyway..."

"Well...did you guys wanna go shopping?" Roll asked and all the girls were up for it. Isabelle smiled too as a sign that she wanted to go as well. Marshal just watched the girls for a moment.

"Should I just..."

"No you're coming." said Bunnie as she grabbed his right arm.

"Yeah, silly," said Rosie with a sly smirk, "someone needs to carry the bags."

"Exactly, tee hee," Bunnie added and Marshal just groaned to himself. Isabelle and Roll giggled to each other.

"Hey, we need a man to look out for us girls Handsome," said Roll with a cute smile with a wink. Sable just looked at her shocked.

"You're getting flirty," she remarked and Roll's eyes shrunk and her cheeks darkened.

"I'm not!" said Roll, "I mean that innocently. He does to me so we do it to each other! Hmph!" Roll began to pout as Bunnie and Rosie giggled.

"No need to be embarassed," said Isabelle, "If we're ready to go, we can all head to the northern island now." The rest of the group agreed.

"Just one more thing!" said Sable as she got up from sitting on the other bed and grabbed a discarded bell ribbon, which Isabelle had forgotten to pick up. She handed it to Isabelle who just took it and looked at it sadly. Sable knew what she was thinking.

"We all make mistakes," said Sable, "but that doesn't mean you can't still wear this proudly." Isabelle's eyes had replenished so new tears began to stream from her eyes as she held it in her hand.

"I know you're mother is very proud of you and loves you very much," said Sable.

"How do you know?" Isabelle asked as more tears streamed down her face.

"I'm a mother myself now remember," said Sable and Roll smiled.

"And it's not just with Roll, " said a voice as Mabel and Labelle walked into the room. Sable had already caught them for snooping but they had still stayed outside the room so they wouldn't interrupt the conversation with Isabelle.

"Sable has been a mother to Mabel and I as well," said Labelle.

"Sable is the glue that holds our family together," said Mabel, "she's the unconditional love that we need to work hard and always do our best." Sable beamed as her eyes watered before she embraced them both warmly.

"I know we have our differences Sable," said Mabel, "but we love you very much."

"You're very special to us," Labelle added, "and as you said to us. Even if its just family, it's more than enough." Sable nodded in agreement as Roll snaked her arms around her.

"Did you guys want to come with us?" Roll asked curiously.

"Shopping?" Mabel asked and just looked at Labelle, who just smirked.

"Can we? Can we? Can we?" they pleaded with Sable, who just rolled her eyes at them.

"Of course you can come," said Sable, "but must you two always act like children?" Mabel and Labelle snorted.

"It's called being young at heart," said Labelle, "and just being happy and not caring what people think."

"Isn't that what you and Roll did when you played in the mud and did the hula dancing together?" Mabel added to prove their point. Sable just rolled her eyes as Bunnie looked dumbfounded.

"Miss neat freak played in the mud and did hula dancing?" Bunnie remarked stunned, "Man I must have been pretty upset if I missed out seeing that."

"And she wore the coconut shells," Labelle whispered loudly.

"I did not!" Sable retorted indignantly. Her top had been just a simple tank that covered her stomach with her bathing skirt underneath the grass one. The girls just laughed.

"The point is that you're learning to unwind and just have fun," said Mabel, "there's no reason to feel childish or ridiculous about it." Sable just shook her head with a smirk on her face.

"Fair enough," said Sable, "now Isabelle let's tie your bells in and let's get going. It's almost lunch time."

"Oh good idea Sable," said Bunnie, "Isabelle and I found this really good restaurant there for lunch. I don't know about the Able Sisters, but the rest of us like good fresh fish n chips."

"Oh man, I haven't had fresh fish n chips in years," said Mabel. Labelle looked less than enthusiastic.

"Do they have just...grilled...broiled fish maybe?" she asked sheepishly. Sable snorted.

"Labelle, you can eat fried fish once and be okay," the brown hedgehog replied, "besides with all the walking, swimming, and other activities around here. It's not gonna be hard to burn off whatever we eat. Now let's get going. I'm hungry." Labelle still felt hesitant but conceded as the group finally left the house. Isabelle had allowed Roll to tie up her hair with her bell ribbon and Roll added a blue hibiscus flower into it as well since Isabelle was wearing a island tank with her dry denim skirt.

While Isabelle, Bunnie, Labelle, and Mabel had been to the northern island, they gave the other time to marvel as they entered the main plaza. The shopping center _was_ the entire island and that is pretty big considering the island was just slightly smaller than Tortimer own island. For the more precise, Tortimer's Island is about the size of 8 normal sized towns. The north island was about six and yet the shopping district expanded the entire island. Any girl who was a diehard shopaholic would be lost forever in the vast collection of shopping stores that ranged from potpourri and nick-knacks to high end fashion boutiques. Same could be said for eating places, which had everything from quick snack and fast foods to high end restaurants such as the Dolphin Escape. Roll, Rosie, Marshal, and Sable were very impressed.

"You can spend the entire day here," said Roll in amazement.

"Not really," said Bunnie, "Isabelle and I barely covered about half the island the last time we were here, tee hee." Sable whistled.

"Well...I hope you guys remember where that fish and chips place is," said Sable.

"Yeah if we don't hurry, Sable will eat the whole restaurant," Mabel added. Sable glared as the others giggled to each other.

"Just follow us," said Bunnie and the group followed the pier to the restaurant. Despite the place being crowded, they were seated and served rather quickly. Labelle was glad she had decided to try the fried fish. She enjoyed it so much that she was stealing from her sisters own plates cause she wanted more. The way Sable and Mabel had to swat her hands off their plates constantly left the group laughing themselves silly.

Once the group had finished their lunch, they split up to explore as much of the mall as they could. The Able Sisters decided to drag Sable to some clothing stores where they felt Sable could "improve" her self esteem about how beautiful she looked. Bunnie was taken by surprised when Rosie and Marshal had decided to invite her into their group.

"What about you guys being together?" Bunnie asked curiously. Rosie and Marshal just looked at each other and exchanged smiles with one another.

"We're honestly still thinking about it, silly," said Rosie.

"Since you heard the conversation yesterday," said Marshal and Bunnie's blush made it clear she had, "Rosie isn't ready to take that step yet."

"I still want to date and get to know him more before we decide to make the relationship official," said Rosie, "besides...we haven't even shared a real kiss yet."

"Why not?" Bunnie asked surprised but looked at Marshal.

"I don't believe in kissing on the first few dates," said Marshal, "I want the kiss to be special, sulky." Bunnie just sighed. She knew Marshal was no jerk.

"You know Marshal," said Bunnie, "While I always knew you were very sweet, I never realized how sweet you really are. You have integrity...and the way you love and care about Rosie and me is very sincere. I promise you from now on, nobody is gonna judge you by that frown on your face anymore. Because the frown is just the outer wall of who you are, behind it one of the loving and caring friends I could ever have. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to truly show my appreciation of you." Marshal just smiled as he embraced Bunnie lovingly. Rosie rubbed her back to give her sister her own support.

"Bunnie, if you want to..."

"No, it's okay, tee hee," said Bunnie, "We don't need to date to love each other right Marshal?"

"Of course not, sulky," said Marshal, "I love you."

"I love you, too," said Bunnie, "You're more ready to take the chance than I am. I'm not ready. So...keep dating and see where things go. I've got your back...like a best friend would."

"No...like a sister would, silly," said Rosie and they hugged each other once more, "tomorrow we'll date, but today, we hang out like the trio of best friends that we are."

"Okay, now let's get shopping, silly," said Rosie as she and Bunnie held hands, "and Marshal?"

"Yeah, sulky?" he asked.

"We were just kidding about making you carry all the bags," said Rosie, "We just like having you around...and having a man whose so honest and sincere helps us when we try on clothes." Marshal just smiled as Rosie and Bunnie linked their arms with his and they went on their merry way.

Meanwhile Roll and Isabelle were having a great time storming through every clothing store they could find, trying on outfits and then talking selfies together in the outfits they tried on. this even included accessories and headgear as well. Isabelle might be an adult but she had no problem playing dress up with Roll. The shopkeepers didn't seem to mind their antics until they made a mess of one of the displays that had a bunch of different hats on it. Isabelle and Roll did not only apologize, but helped clean up the mess and paid for a hat each. Ironically, they both chose the same hat, which was a cream colored floppy hat with light brown ribbon. (Roll changed her hair to a downward ponytail to wear it). As the sun began to set, the two girl just marveled at the sun along the edge of the pier eating some ice cream cones. Isabelle had just finished her ice cream cone when she turned to Roll, who had already finished hers was just staring into the horizon.

"Thank you," said Isabelle softly as she tossed her napkin into the nearby trash bin. Roll looked at her a bit surprised.

"For what?" she asked.

"For being such a good friend," said Isabelle "for sticking by me even when I was so difficult. No matter how much I pushed you away, you never stopped caring. You never abandoned me." Roll just listened carefully before giving her warm smile.

"Well, just because I have an easy time making friends doesn't mean that I want to lose the friends I already have," said Roll, "You were my first friend and you believed in me. We're not just mayor and secretary. We're best friends and together, we'll make Animal Town a very cool place to live. But we have all the time we need to do that. For now, we're gonna have fun like two best friends should...if you want to." Isabelle just looked surprised by the last statement but then remembered all the times she said she wished Roll would leave her alone.

"Roll, just understand I was just angry when I said those mean things," said Isabelle, "angry at myself. I don't want you to go away and if I have to go on a vacation to paradise I want it to be with you. You're alot of fun to hang out with...and...I guess I never thought I would have a friend to have fun at a mall like this. Digby might have tried...but let's face it, he's a boy...I can't play dress up like we did with him!" Roll laughed and Isabelle soon followed.

"So anyway," said Isabelle, "thanks for such a fun time today. I'm finally beginning to feel better about everything. And I promise I'll make 400% sure that I will try not to overwork myself."

"Good," said Roll, "In fact, may I make a proposal to you?"

"Um...okay," said Isabelle, a bit worried.

"How about we make you a timetable, that way you can follow it and make sure that you don't miss or skip those important breaks and know when to call it a day?" said Roll. Isabelle looked a bit skeptical as she pondered.

"Isabelle, we'll create it together," said Roll, "Trust me. I only went over your head because you collapsed and didn't organize your time. I don't like doing that at all. It was only cause I love you and I saw you running yourself ragged. If you've got a better idea..."

"The time table would be a great idea," said Isabelle, "and you can stop worrying about budding in too much. You were right. I was so focused on trying to worker harder and thought I was doing it for you when I was only thinking about myself. I guess the truth is...I've gotten so used to the idea that my whole life is working and nothing else. Let's face it Roll. I'm just a nerd with zero social life." Roll looked at her sympathetically.

"But today, you reminded me that there are alot of activities, fun activities, that I've been wanting to do but I thought would never have the time to do so," said Isabelle, "Now I can finally do those fun activities!"

"And you'll have friends to do those activities with," said Roll.

"Yeah," said Isabelle as she hugged her from the side and Roll turned the embrace, "You're a very good friend indeed Roll. And always will be." The two just quietly watched the sunset together.

Isabelle was finally ready for enjoy her vacation.

 **If you're all wondering, "Lillian" is actually Bunnie's Japanese name but is used as her middle name here. Rosie's is "Bouquet", and Marshal's is "Jun", etc.**

 **It doesn't feel right to end the tropical fun here so...here's another story arc at the island.**

 **Double Trouble: KK Slider has come to perform at the island, along with his rising stars "the polka dot" sisters! The problem is: they have clashing personalities that could force KK Slider to cancel the show and leave Isabelle, his biggest fan, heartbroken. Can Roll and her friends make sure the show goes on?**

 **See you next time...in paradise.**


	33. Double Trouble Part 1

Double Trouble Part 1

Three days later, a storm hit the island, leading to heavy rain that had already awakened the rest of the household staying currently at Tortimer's Island. Since the rain was so heavy, ferry transports from one island to the next had been closed off due to rough waters so the group was confined to the house. Yet that didn't mean that they were stuck with nothing to do. Since the second floor had some whirlpool baths, Bunnie, Mabel, Labelle, Roll, and Rosie had decided to have a spa day together upstairs and were enjoying themselves upstairs. Marshal was just reading up on some new coffee recipes and was trying them out at the cappuccino bar downstairs. As for Sable, she was sitting on the floor in the living room, using a spare zen cushion to be comfortable as she played solitaire alone. However, Sable just couldn't get comfortable and was fuming to herself. But it wasn't because of her solitaire game. It was because of a certain incident last night.

 _Flashback_

 _Sable had just finished washing to dishes from dinner with Isabelle's help when she noticed Mabel, Labelle, and Marshal sitting at the coffee table in the living room. As she approached, she could hear the conversation going on._

 _"Okay Roll," Labelle explained, "I know the game has alot of parts to it, but I promise you that we'll help you out every step of the way."_

 _"What's up?" said Sable as she walked into the living room._

 _"Oh we found the board game Life in Tortimer's cabinet," said Mabel. Sable gasped._

 _"We haven't played that game in years," said Sable, "not...since Mom was alive." Sable couldn't help but feel choked up a bit but quickly composed herself._

 _"Well, we thought we'd play for old time's sake," said Labelle, "Marshal and Isabelle know how to play and Roll is gonna play for the first time. Care to join us?" Sable just smiled._

 _"Count me in," said Sable._

 _"Sure," said Mabel as she grabbed a plastic, "First we put a pink peg for you, then a blue for Tom Nook..."_

 _"Mabel..." she grunted._

 _"And then a bunch more for the babies..."_

 _"Give me that!" said Sable as she snatched the car from the blue hedgehog, "I'm not gonna play if you're gonna tease me about Tom."_

 _"Like you don't dream about that," Mabel remarked. Sable, wanting to drop the conversation, just smirked._

 _"Tell you what," said Sable, "how about a little wager?" Now everyone was quiet. Mabel just glared before smirking back._

 _"Fine," said Mabel, "but old wager rules apply." Those rules were simple. Loser does one favor for the winner and such favors could only last for one day._

 _"You're on!" said Sable. Sable was the champion when it came to the game of Life. No matter how sour her luck would get in the game, she always managed to come back and win. Mabel knew this but still conceded to the bet._

 _"Just to make the bet more clear," said Labelle, "even if neither of you wins the game, whoever places higher than the other wins this bet deal?" Sable and Mabel smirked._

 _"Deal," they said together. Between helping Roll with the ins and outs of the game, the board was rather focused on these two hedgehogs. Sable seemed to remain calm while Mabel was rather focused and quiet. Once everyone had finished, they totaled how much they had earned. Roll had enjoyed the game even thought she had already lost since after the count Marshal was in the lead with $2,230K._

 _"So what is your amount Sable?" Labelle asked. Sable chuckled confidently._

 _"$4,570K," said Sable and everyone "oohed" since that was quite an impressive amount as Mabel just sighed in defeat._

 _"Told you she was too good Mabel," said Labelle, "But let's see how close, or far, you were from her." Mabel looked at everyone sadly and smirked._

 _"6,895K," said Mabel proudly._

 _"WHAT!?" Sable shrieked and started recounting everything herself. She counted twice before tossing the cash and cards across the board. Labelle just giggled at her oldest sister's pouting._

 _"Now, now be a good sport," said Labelle, "Mabel what does Sable have to do." Mabel pondered innocently for a moment before she got an idea._

 _"Do you remember a certain "tank" we bought her and she said she would wear it all day at least once?" Mabel asked rhetorically and Sable's jaw hit the floor._

 _"No...no...NO!" Sable begged._

 _"That's the deal," said Mabel, "it's your honor if you follow through or not."_

 _End Flashback_

"It's your honor if you follow through or not," Sable mouthed bitterly as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She wasn't cold. Her issue was that it was visible. The tank Mabel was talking about was a magenta one that showed her midriff, along with a pair of tropical shorts she and Roll had gotten at Kappa island yesterday. Mabel and Labelle had told her she would look cute wearing it and Sable had refused until their begging made her concede. Until she had lost that game, she never planned to wear it. Now she was stuck wearing it all day and she was not feeling comfortable in it. Marshal watched her grumble for a little longer before walking over with a salted caramel mocha frappuccino he had made himself and placed it at the table for her. Sable looked up and saw him give her a warm smile.

"Thought maybe this would make you feel better, sulky," he offered warmly. Sable just huffed before taking a small sip.

"It's good," she said roughly, "thanks." Marshal wasn't satisfied as he took a seat next to her.

"If you're so uncomfortable," Marshal began.

"I have to honor the bet," said Sable sternly.

"Well you look so miserable," said Marshal, "I can see you tearing yourself apart inside, sulky. You can't hide it!" Sable just looked at him sadly.

"Well look at me," said Sable, "this body was not meant for this top! Can you seriously look at me and say that this is beautiful?"

"Yes I do," said Marshal and another voice. Sable turned to see Roll with her hair down in some jinbai girl's shorts, hair down with matching headband, and...a blue midriff bearing tube top?!

"What are you wearing?" she asked in her motherly tone. Roll just smiled and took a seat next to her on her knees.

"I noticed that you looked uncomfortable wearing that tank," said Roll, "I thought you would feel better if I wore a similar top with you. It's actually one of my bathing suit tops." Sable was rather stunned but also touched. Yet her motherly side wasn't going to stand down just yet.

"You're still too young to be showing you stomach like that," said Sable.

"We're not leaving the house," said Roll quietly as she looked at her bellybutton and then at Sable, "I thought it would be okay. I'm no dirty girl. Besides, I wearing it so you won't have to wear yours all by yourself. I just...wanted to be beautiful like you." Sable was almost going to tell her to stop kissing up to her, but her heart immediately yelled at her mind to shut her mouth and Sable did. Roll was just being sweet, like she always was. Roll never would just say such things if she didn't mean it from the bottom of her heart.

"Are you really okay wearing that?" said Sable. Roll just sighed to herself and rubbed her shoulder blades insecurely.

"Not really," said Roll quietly, "but...I'm willing to wear this for you."

"Roll if you're not comfortable you shouldn't..."

"I love you Momma!" Roll continued, raising her voice, "You're the most beautiful person I've ever met. I hope I'll be as beautiful as you someday. I'm willing to be uncomfortable for a day so you don't have to be!" Sable's heart just melted at Roll's words as a soft smile appeared on her face. Yet the words just touched Sable's heart...to the point she began to unravel.

"You...you think too highly of me," said Sable as her voice cracked and tears appeared in her eyes.

"Don't cry Momma," said Roll as she crawled into her lap and Sable just held her, hoping that hugging her would help her regain her composure. Instead, it just made her lose her grip on her tears. Roll could feel Sable fighting not to cry and pulled away a bit, even noticing that Sable didn't want her to pull away.

"Momma, you've always been my strength," said Roll gently, "You've been there for me when I felt weak. Now it's my turn. Let me be your strength...and just let go." Sable didn't want to, but she quickly conceded and began to cry freely. She didn't sob too loudly but Roll could tell she wasn't holding back anymore and smiled.

"There we go," said Roll sweetly, "Just let your tears fall Momma. I love you." Sable could only sob to reply as she held Roll for dear life. But the brown hedgehog did notice one thing. Unlike the past when she couldn't fight back crying, she didn't feel ridiculous or stupid about it. Maybe because she let go with Roll or was learning there was no shame in feeling vulnerable...she couldn't be sure, but all she knew was that she had never felt so safe and content crying in her life. Sable was still crying when Mabel and Labelle entered the living room. While they hated doing this too often, they decided to wear a the same pop bloom dress with a white headband. They sighed when they saw Sable crying.

"Sable, there's no need to cry," said Mabel, "I made you wear that tank cause I knew you could pull it off. It's no different than if we had gone to the beach and headed straight to an outdoor mall or fast food joint you know."

"It's not the tank...mostly," Sable croaked as she continued to hold Roll, "Roll just...made my day when I was feeling...low...and I just...just need to cry." Sable continued to do so as Mabel knelt beside her.

"Please don't be sad Sable," said Mabel, "You are very beautiful." Sable gave her a smile as she let the last of her tears fall before she calmed down and pulled away from Roll, whose hair had gotten frizzy from being held to tightly.

"Sorry," said Sable sheepishly. as she saw Roll's messy hair.

"Don't worry about it," said Roll as she fingered it, "it's a small price to pay to help my Momma feel better." Sable giggled before pulled her back into another hug.

"I love this girl so much!" Sable shouted with glee and the two sisters laughed as Isabelle entered the room wearing a pastel stripe dress with a pink ribbon attached to her bell ribbon.

"Hey you guys," said Isabelle as she jingled up the group, "what's...going on?" Sable just smiled.

"Roll was just giving me a little love," said Sable, "like a good daughter does for her mother." Roll smiled back as Isabelle giggled. Then she shi-tzu remembered something.

"Well I spoke to Digby again," said Isabelle, "he said he completed the adoption." Roll and Sable gasped in amazement.

"Did you hear that Momma?" said Roll, "You're officially my Momma now! That means I can sleep with you tonight!" Sable just giggled.

"We'll see," said Sable, noticing that Isabelle, Mabel, Labelle, Rosie, and Bunnie had makeup on their faces and even their finger nails were colored, "So how did the spa go?"

"It was fun," said Isabelle, "but we missed not having you there."

"Sorry," said Sable, "Just feeling...insecure about yourself.

"Maybe we should form a club," said Isabelle as she knelt beside Roll and Sable.

"What kind of club Isabelle?" Sable asked curiously.

"A club for girls who are supposed to be beautiful and yet don't feel that way at all," said Isabelle.

"Why would you feel that way Isabelle?" Roll asked her curiously. Isabelle gave her a look.

"I'm a nerd!" said Isabelle.

"So?" said Rosie indignantly, "this girl in the manga I like to read was a nerd with an IQ of 300 and she was very beautiful."

"But that's a comic," said Isabelle, "No boy is gonna find a nerd like me attractive, especially with these on her face." It was an overlooked fact that Isabelle was wearing her glasses yet she had put on eyeliner on despite that her glasses hid her eyes a bit.

"Don't count yourself short Isabelle, you're very pretty," said Roll and lifted her hair, "Just look at me! I'm the hopeless cause here!"

"Roll, you're only eleven, tee hee," said Bunnie, "You're already beautiful and your beauty is only gonna grow as you get older."

"I hope so," said Roll, as she stopped playing with her hair.

"Plus the hair is nothing a good brush will fix," said Sable as she started combing Roll's hair with her fingers. Roll just let her gently brush her hair, which helped take the frizz out of it, when she suddenly heard the phone ring.

"I'll get it," said Roll as she rose to her feet and picked up the nearby phone.

"Hello?" she asked politely.

"Good afternoon Miss Roll," said Tortimer, "Lovely day for the ducks wouldn't you say?"

"Quack, quack!" Roll replied with a few giggle and Tortimer chuckled.

"Well all jokes aside dear," said Tortimer, "I have a very big favor to ask of you Miss Roll."

"After everything you've given me and my friends," said Roll eagerly, "Just name it sir!" There was a sudden silence when Roll realized Tortimer had spaced out.

"What was I talking about again?" he asked.

"Something about a favor, sir?" Roll answered with chuckle.

"It was...oh yes, yes!" Tortimer replied, "I wanted to inform you that KK Slider is going to perform at the islands next week."

"KK Slider is here?!" Roll gasped and those who heard her gasped in excitement.

"Indeed Miss Roll," said Tortimer, "I hope you don't mind if Mr. KK crashes at the beach house. He needs a place to rest while he prepares what is appearing to be an upcoming concert at the island south from here."

"Mind?!" said Roll excitedly, "Not at all. When should we expect him?" The others gasped again excitedly.

"He will be arriving tomorrow at Kappa Island," said Tortimer, "I would appreciate if you would welcome him..since I've got some...previous engagements..." Roll just chuckled they all knew Tortimer really had nothing to do but she knew he had done this kind of stuff for years.

"I'll be there," said Roll, "I just need the time of arrival and I'll be there to escort him to the beach house." The other's were fighting harder and harder not to squeal with excitement. The idea of KK Slider staying at the beach house with them was a dream come true, especially for a certain shi-tzu, who had a serious crush on the now known music super star. Roll found a slip of paper and quickly jotted down the time from Tortimer. It was easier than she thought to write it correctly since Tortimer kept repeating it several times over.

"I got it, sir," said Roll, after the umpteenth time he repeated it, "I'll make sure to be there early so we can escort him home as soon as possible."

"Good," said Tortimer, "and again, thank you very much for your help Miss Roll. Stay dry and safe in this weather."

"Yes sir," said Roll, "Good bye." With that she hung up the phone and examined the paper before looking up and seeing everyone looking like bottles waiting to explode, even Sable.

"You can let go now," said Roll as she covered her ears and all the girls minus Marshal squealed and jumped up and down with glee and excitement. Roll just let them have their moment.

"Alright, settle down you guys," said Roll, "KK Slider is gonna need a place to rest. He's already bombarded by fans on a regular basis. He needs a place to get away from that and I don't need you guys fangirling around him all the time." The girls just let out a slow sigh.

"You're right," said Bunnie, "But can you blame us?"

"KK Slider, is so handsome, silly," said Rosie and then blinked, "but...not as hot as Marshal." Marshal just smirked at her and shook his head. They had decided to just stay best friends cause they wanted to make sure that Bunnie got a fair share of the love, but Marshal couldn't help but feel a little jealous of all the gushing over KK Slider. He was popular with the group in his own right, but not popular enough for them to gush over him.

"Oh he is so handsome and dreamy," Isabelle gushed with a lovesick smile on her face. The other's giggled to each other.

"If I didn't know better," said Roll, "I'd say you have one serious crush on KK Slider, Isabelle." Isabelle just looked at her with deep pink coloring around the muzzle on her face.

"Guilty as charged," said Isabelle quietly, "but we all know it's just foolish thinking. He's an international superstar. I'm just the unnoticeable dweeb."

"Not you're not," said Roll, "and since he's coming here. You can try to be his friend."

"Are you kidding me?" said Isabelle, "he's probably too important to even notice the likes of me."

"Oh he'll notice you alright," said Roll, "I'm supposed to go pick him up from Kappa Island tomorrow and I'll need my "secretary" to assist me." Isabelle gasped and then hugged Roll tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Isabelle repeated excitedly.

"You're...welcome..." said Roll in a strained tone as the other's laughed.

"Just make sure to cover your stomach when you do!" Sable remarked in a teasing tone.

"MOM!" Roll bellowed as Sable and then others laughed harder until Marshal remembered something.

"Wait a minute, sulky," said Marshal, "do we even have room for him?"

"Surprisingly yes," said Roll, "There is actually one more extra room with its own bathroom in it. Must have missed it when we were exploring the house."

"Then we are good to go," said Sable, "otherwise I would have suggested Roll stay with me...since she's legally my daughter now."

"What about me?" Isabelle asked, feeling left out.

"You could've stayed in the room with us," said Roll, "I'd just share the bed with Sable."

"Aw, mother-daughter snuggled together in a bed," Mabel cooed and the other chuckled as Sable rolled her eyes, even thought she found the idea kind of sweet herself.

The next morning, Roll had picked a knee high blue muumuu style dress with a pink hibiscus hairpin with her hair in a pony tail. Isabelle had a worn a sailor tee with a navy blue sailor skirt and a star hairpin attached to her bell ribbon in her top knot. They were waiting patiently for the famous singing dog to arrive. At least Roll was waiting patiently, Isabelle was fiddling with her hair and skirt continuously until Roll grabbed her hands.

"Relax, take a deep breath," said Roll gently. Together, her and Isabelle did some slow breathing exercises together for a minute or so before Isabelle gave her a soft smile.

"Sorry, it's just...KK Slider," said Isabelle, "sure...I've done business and such with him before...just...well..." Isabelle started feeling rather awkward again but Roll just smiled as she escorted Isabelle to have a seat. That was when Leila walked up to her.

"Isabelle, are you feeling better?" she asked. The young kappa didn't feel the sadness she felt from the shi-tzu like last time, but she could tell that Isabelle looked rather troubled.

"I am feeling better," said Isabelle, "Just...insecure."

"In-sec-oar?" Leila asked.

"Insecure," Roll corrected as she pulled the little kappa into her lap, "it means that Isabelle has trouble believing she's beautiful and special."

"Why would you feel that way Isabelle?" said Leila, "You're very bootiful!" Isabelle smiled as she picked up the little kappa and hugged her warmly. Unlike last time, little Leila just giggled as she hugged the shi-tzu warmly. It was then the male kappa made his way into the hut.

"Yar, the captain has arrived!" he announced but was greeted with a long silence.

"Gar...what does me need to do to get a little love around here?" he retorted indignantly. Leilani chuckled as she walked up and kissed his cheek.

"Welcome back ya sea-biscuit," she replied, "So how's the passenger? Hope there be calm waters in the southern hemisphere."

"Yar, calm as the waters we travelled my dear," said Kapp'n, "Where be that young mayor and her friend?"

"Right over there, mate," Leilani replied as Isabelle set down Leila, who dashed into her father's arms for a hug as Roll and the shi-tzu rose to their feet.

"Allow me to introduce to you ladies," said Kapp'n, "The most handsome, dynamic, intelligent..."

"Oh quit ya gloating and bring in KK ya barnacle!" Grams bellowed. Kapp'n grumbled under his breath a bit before stepping aside as a white dog entered the hut. He was wearing his DJ black glasses and was donning a horizontal tank with a newspaper cap on his head.

"Greetings KK Slider," Roll replied politely, "I'm Roll and I'll be escorting you to Tortimer mansion." KK smiled.

"Cool with me, kitten," he replied, "Hope you cool cats don't mind I brought two of my rising stars along with me."

"Oh new talent KK?" Isabelle asked, wanting to get into the conversation, "Who are they?" KK looked behind him and there before them appeared a blue polka dot rabbit, wearing sports shades and a dark polka tee. She looked about in a very snobbish fashion.

"Boy I heard this place was rustic, karat," said the blue rabbit, "but I didn't think it was this bad. We're much too good for this old shack." Roll just rolled her eyes discreetly as her snobbish comment as another rabbit appeared that looked almost similar to the other but her fur was pink polka dots instead blue.

"It's looks pretty homey to me, sparkles," the pink rabbit replied. The blue rabbit snorted.

"You'd sleep in box and be happy, karat," she snorted. The pink rabbit just rolled her eyes.

"Ladies, ladies, please," said KK, "This is just boating dock. Miss Roll here is going to escort us to the beach house will be staying in." The blue and pink polka dot rabbit turned to see a blonde girl, who just gave them a polite smile.

"I'm Roll," she answered with a polite curtsey, "I'm the mayor of Animal Town. My friends and I are honored to welcome you to the beach house we will be sharing together." Both rabbits blinked and then looked at KK Slider.

"I thought you said we would have peace and quiet, karat?" the blue rabbit protested.

"Tortimer was lending out the beach house to some friends," KK explained, "but there is enough room there for the three of us to rest up before the concert next week." The blue rabbit looked annoyed while the pink rabbit was rather excited.

"I like to make new friends, sparkles," said the pink rabbit as she stepped forward to offer a handshake to Roll and Isabelle.

"My name is Chrissy," said the pink rabbit to the two girls, "And this is my sister, Francine. We are very glad to meet you Roll." Roll smiled as she returned the handshake.

"Thanks Chrissy," said Roll, "this is my best friend and secretary, Isabelle." Chrissy smiled and shook her hand as well.

"If I might ask, karat," said Francine, "who names their child "Roll" of all things?"

"Francine?" said Chrissy angrily.

"What?" said Francine innocently, "Just asking. It's not a usual name for a girl, karat!" Chrissy angrily glared at her.

"It's okay Chrissy," said Roll, not wanting to see a fight start up between the two, "It's not a usual name for a girl, but it's all I've got. I'm a freak. It's just who I am." Roll pointed at her feet and the two rabbits noticed she was barefoot. Chrissy just looked at her with concern while Francine just smirked.

"Well then, karat," she replied after a moment of silence, "I can respect a girl who not afraid to admit she's unique. Now may we please get going to the house? It's been a long and tiring trip." Chrissy snorted.

"You weren't the one who had to carry the bags, sparkles," she muttered with her hands on her hips. Roll walked behind her.

"I can help out with that," said Roll as she grabbed both their suitcases with ease. Chrissy smiled as Isabelle led the group back to the house. It didn't take long before they arrived back at the beach house. KK just smiled.

"Groovy man, groovy," was his way of saying that he approved of the house. Chrissy nodded in agreement as Francine was looking about with a critical look on her face.

"Better," said Francine as she inspected the outside, "Hope your friends aren't gonna bombard us with autographs, karat."

"I can make no such promise," said Roll bluntly at her critical tone. Chrissy intervened.

"Don't let me sister get to you, sparkles," she replied, "It's just how she is. Guess all our fame has kind of gone to her head a bit."

"I heard that!" Francine snapped.

"Good! You were supposed to!" Chrissy shouted back as the blue bunny rolled her eyes and went to open the door and saw the Able Sisters, Rosie, Bunnie, and Marshal just standing before her grinning excitedly at her...until they saw that it wasn't KK Slider.

"Who are you?" Mabel asked and the Rosie shrieked, making the two polka dot bunnies, Isabelle, and Roll cover their ears.

"OMG! It's Francine!" said Rosie, "One of the polka dot sisters!" Bunnie grinned widely.

"You mean the rabbit that sings your favorite tune, Bubblegum KK?" Bunnie added with glee, "You're right. It is _the_ Francine!"

"In the flesh," the blue rabbit replied regally. Chrissy just rolled her eyes and shook her head as Rosie slid towards Francine on her knees and bowed down to her.

"I live to serve you!" said Rosie.

"Finally, service," said Francine, "Will you take our bags to the bedroom please, karat?"

"Yes maim," said Rosie as she grabbed the bags right out of Roll's hands and took them upstairs. Sable tried to stop her but Rosie just dashed right past the brown hedgehog before she could speak.

"Umm I mean no disrespect Miss Francine," said Sable, "but we were only preparing _one_ room for KK Slider."

"What?!" Francine explained indignantly and offended.

"It's alright, Sable," said KK, surprising everyone in the house including Roll, "I can just share a room if that's possible."

"Oh pick me! Please Me! Me! Me!" Labelle, Mabel, Bunnie, and even Isabelle were volunteering their bedroom with their hands in the air.

"He's saying with me!" said Marshal, "We men gotta stick together, sulky!" The other girls just glared as KK approached the white squirrel.

"Right on, little dude!" said KK, "Give me skins and show me to the room, my main squirrel!" Marshal smiled, seeing KK was appreciative of his offer and gave him his high five and guided him upstairs. Sable watched them leave before giving the other girls a motherly glare.

"Where's your integrity?" she asked annoyed, "behave yourselves." Roll looked offended since Sable appeared to be glaring at her too.

"Don't drag me into the this," said Roll indignantly, "I was just as annoyed as you were! KK...in _my_ bedroom?! No thank you!" Roll made a face and Chrissy just giggled.

"How old are you, sparkles?" Chrissy asked.

"Eleven and a half...almost," said Roll.

"Are you into boys?"

"I am, but not ready for a boyfriend," said Roll, "Don't get me wrong. KK is a nice looking gentlemen, but...not seeing the reason for all the gushing he gets."

"Just wait a few years, tee hee," said Bunnie, "You'll find that boy that will give you kawaii overload. Just you wait!" Roll just groaned as the others giggled to each other.

"It will come in good time, sparkles," said Chrissy, "Now would anybody be interested in hanging out with me at the beach once I unpack? My sister might wanna just have her space, but I want to make some new friends!" The girls were excited, including Roll, who was eager to make a new friend as she guided Chrissy upstairs to her room as the rest of the group changed into their bathing suits for the beach.

Within an hour, the group was all dressed and ready to go. Even KK donned some tropical shorts, pilot shades, and brought his guitar so he could tune it up outside. Marshal and Bunnie had to convince Rosie that she wasn't Francine's servant before she let the blue bunny be. Ironically, Chrissy has a light blue polka dot leotard while Francine had a pink one with the exact same design. While Francine had demanded that Roll carry their lounge chairs, Chrissy asked more politely. It was the only reason why Roll had conceded and even set them up to.

"All set," said Roll as Francine took a seat and put on a pair of heart shades and grabbed a metal visor to hold.

"Thanks for the help, sparkles," said Chrissy and then lightly kicked Francine's chair, making her stumble a bit as she nearly fell out. She glared at Chrissy before just giving a loud huff.

"Thank you for the help, karat," said Francine bluntly. Roll just put on a brave smile before walking away to join Sable. Chrissy then got comfortable on her chair for a few seconds. Francine wanted peace and quiet but Chrissy wanted to talk.

"Hey, Sis?" the pink rabbit asked out of the blue.

"What, karat," Francine asked, slightly annoyed.

"This island is so beautiful," said Chrissy, "Think one day we'll be successful enough to have our own tropical island, sparkles?"

"Someday, sis," said Francine, "How let's just relax okay, karat?"

"But I don't want to just sit here and bake all day, sparkles," said Chrissy, "Let's do something fun!"

"I'm already doing what I call fun," said Francine.

"Yeah, well I'm bored," Chrissy pouted. It was just then Mabel came up holding a surf board.

"Would you guys be up for a surfing lesson?" she asked.

"Is the instructor hot, sparkles?" Chrissy gushed while Francine rolled her eyes at her.

"Totally!" Mabel added, "he's got spare boards so you don't have to worry about that!"

"Count us out!" said Francine and Chrissy glared.

"I can make my own decisions, _Sister_ ," said Chrissy, "I'd like to join the surfing lesson!"

"You can barely swim, karat!" Francine protested.

"Well maybe he can help me learn, sparkles," said Chrissy indignantly, "rather than just complain to me about it!" With that, Chrissy left Francine alone to join Mabel as the two girls headed down the beach. Francine just watched her leave before balling her fists.

"If you drown, I'm not gonna save you, karat!" she shouted, but Chrissy didn't hear. She was too far away. Francine just sighed quietly to herself.

"You never want to hang out with me," Francine said quietly before she readjusted her pair of sunglasses and just went to recline...but not for long...

"I'll hang out with you," said a voice. Francine lowered her shades to see a certain blonde girl wearing her two piece, but in shades of pink instead of blue with a straw hat and hair in pigtails. Francine just looked at her for a moment before just shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess..." she conceded in a quiet tone. Roll just smiled before putting on a pair of pilot shades and took a seat. Roll crossed her legs as she reclined and just looked at the blue rabbit.

"Must be nice to be so successful," she stated, wanting to open the conversation. Francine figured she wouldn't get any quiet time and just huffed in defeat.

"It is," she replied bluntly.

"I know I must be not mean anything to you," said Roll, "but I hope we can be friends..." Now Francine was left a little baffled. Sure she had talked down to people before, but to hear someone talk down to themselves. That just didn't go well for the blue rabbit.

"Hey, hey, hey, karat," said Francine, "Don't go talking down to yourself in front of me. Let me do it!" Roll just chuckled at her joke and sighed.

"Sorry, but I did tell you I was a freak," said Roll.

"Why, cause you have a unique name? Cause you like being barefoot?" Francine responded, "wouldn't you say that those things are what make you who you are?"

"Yeah," said Roll, "they do. I like being barefoot, but for the longest time I hated my name. It was given to me cause...cause my mom didn't even want to name me and when they found me starving I gobbled down a cinnamon _roll_." Francine blinked for a moment before she laughed.

"So...they named you Roll cause you liked cinnamon rolls, karat," said Francine with a chuckled.

"Yeah, plus it doesn't help that my last name is Koritsa, which is Russian for cinnamon," said Roll. She didn't seem to mind that Francine was laughing at her name's origin.

"I didn't know you were Russian, karat," said Francine.

"I'm actually Russian and Italian," said Roll, "but the Russian part of me is mostly in the physical features."

"You're blue eyes and hair I presume, karat?" Francine asked and Roll nodded.

"Yeah, but I can speak Russian," said Roll, "and Italian." Francine smiled impressively.

"Nu togda, kak vam nravitsya svoye vremya zdes?" Francine asked Roll. **[Well, then how are you enjoying your time here?]** Roll smiled.

"Preuspevayet, spasibo, Francine," Roll replied, "YA deystvitel'no nadeyus', vam ponravitsya vashe prebyvaniye zdes' so mnoy i moimi druz'yami." **[Doing well, thank you Francine. I really hope you enjoy your stay here with me and friends.]** Francine laughed happily as Roll joined her.

"So...would you mind if we just got a tan together," said Francine, "I'm feeling a bit pale."

"Sure," said Roll, "I just came back from a swim and I could use a break." Francine smiled as she reclined quietly with the blonde girl for a moment before she turned to face her.

"Thanks," said Francine. Roll was taken back a bit but then smiled.

"You're welcome," said Roll, "Thanks for being my friend." Francine returned the smile.

"Well, it's nice to have someone just talk to me like a normal rabbit and not like I'm a celebrity, karat," said Francine.

"Then why the snobbish act?" Roll asked her curiously.

"Hey, I've got a reputation, karat," said Francine as a matter of fact.

"Okay, but still," said Roll, "you make more friends when you act like yourself and not like a superstar. Just to put that out there." Francine just sighed.

"True, karat," said Francine, "but...I don't want to open up to just anybody you know." Roll then smiled.

"I get it," said Roll, "You want to see who can see past your snooty nature and want to get to know the real you."

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Want to know the real me?" said Francine, "and not just the superstar me, karat?" Roll just smirked.

"I don't think I would be here if I was just interested in _only_ your super stardom," Roll answered and Francine smiled.

"Then Roll, there's no need for me to be snobbish around you is there," Francine replied and Roll chuckled.

"I just hope that will extend to my other friends," said Roll. Francine chuckled.

"If they act like they wanna be my friend and not my servants or fan girls," said Francine, "that was the only reason I treated that blue cat that way, karat."

"Well, cut her some slack," said Roll, "Rosie is your biggest fan. She listens to Bubblegum KK like it's her lifeline."

"Nice to know people love our song," said Francine with a sigh. Roll took notice.

"Something up Francine?" Roll asked and the blue bunny just smiled.

"Nothing that is needed to know," said Francine, "I just want to rest my mind for a bit." Roll knew that something was up but decided to not to push the matter.

"Alright," said Roll, "but just so you know, one of my best strengths according to my friends is that I have a big heart."

"Ah, I see, karat," said Francine, "Good at confiding in and keeping secrets huh?" Roll nodded.

"Well, when I'm ready we can talk," said Francine, "We've just met so I hope we don't need to reveal everything about each other, karat."

"Well, I'm willing to talk about whatever you want to know about me," said Roll, "But if you need more time, then I'll understand." Francine liked her answer.

"Thank you, karat," she answered, "Now shall we tan?"

"Sure," said Roll and the two just stayed quiet for the rest of the afternoon. Yet in the back of her head, she couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

Later that night, KK Slider was busy just strumming on his guitar in the room he was sharing with Marshal when Isabelle allowed herself into the room. Marshal was with Rosie and Bunnie on a special group hang out that night. They were going to take walk along the beach at night to stargaze as a trio, which left KK Slider alone for the rest of the night. Now was Isabelle's chance to try and talk to the white dog alone. She was a bit nervous, especially since she was already in her pajamas, which was just a baggy white tee shirt that came just above her knees. She usually left her hair in her topknot and bells until right before going to bed, but she had had a headband with a white bow in her hair to keep her bangs out of her face. Her nervousness spiked when she saw KK Slider just strumming like she hadn't even entered. She looked back twice, thinking of just turning back and leaving before he noticed her.

"What brings you here, kitten?" he asked casually. Isabelle's froze in her tracks and just tried to recompose herself. There was no offense taken by the "kitten" comment. She knew he was just being smooth...and it's what she liked the most about him.

"I...I just...well...I wanted to know if you were...okay...heh," said Isabelle sheepishly, but she just wanted to run away.

"Doing just fine, kitten," said KK, "Pop up a chair, Claire." Isabelle was a little stunned for a moment before she took a seat on the floor in front of him on her knees since she was wearing a short nightshirt. She just smiled as KK just did a few guitar routines. After twenty minutes of strumming, he noticed she was just smiling at him.

"So...what did you think...Isabelle?" he asked, "be honest now." The fact he said her name made it even harder for Isabelle to not go fan girl on him, but she just let out a slow sigh.

"Your playing was beautiful," said Isabelle, "At least...I felt like you were in tune the entire time."

"You think so?" he asked her gently, "I felt I was a tad flat."

"Really?" said Isabelle, "Well...maybe at the beginning but once you...I think the word is...tuned? It sounded much better." KK just nodded and did another adjustment before doing a couple of more strums.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah...much...sweeter?" she replied uneasily, especially since she knew "sweeter" wasn't a proper music term. KK chuckled.

"Good," said KK, "So tell me, Isabelle, what brings you here to my little abode?" Isabelle felt nervous all over again.

"Just...wondering if you wanted some company," said Isabelle, "if you needed a friend." KK just hummed a bit. He was aware that Isabelle was quite fond of him. He had performed once at her birthday party a few years ago. He appreciated that she was trying to be friendly and not gushing about him like she had. He didn't mind the fangirling, but it was nice to just have a regular conversation with the girl. The fact Isabelle was doing that...he wanted to be her friend.

"Well I'm doing just fine, kitten," said KK, "and I appreciate the company while I tune my guitar. I just got a groovy idea! Come have a seat next to me Isabelle." Isabelle literally had to swallow a squeal as she slowly rose to her feet and adjusted her nightshirt before taking a seat. She had actually sat a couple of inches away, but then KK scooted a bit closer to her, making her blush. To her shock, he placed his guitar into her lap.

"Are...are you sure about this?" Isabelle asked uneasily as she held it a bit firmly, "I'm...I'm a huge klutz KK. I'd never forgive myself if your guitar got damaged should I lose my grip on it." KK chuckled.

"Looks like I got more faith in you than you do in yourself," said KK.

"I think you're right," she replied sadly as she firmly gripped the guitar.

"Just ease off the grip and try to relax," said KK as he adjusted Isabelle's fingers along the neck of the guitar, "Now place each finger, here, then here, and not there and hold them firmly but gently in place." Isabelle didn't know what made her feel more nervous, the fact she was holding KK Sliders' prized guitar or the fact he was holding and moving her arms and fingers. His touch was electrifying in her opinion.

"Now curve your hand like this," said KK as he adjusted her fingers once more, "and gently move your fingers against the strings like so." KK performed a demonstration. The tune was so sweet to Isabelle's ears.

"Give it try," he told her. Isabelle looked at the guitar nervously before trying. She was so nervous that her first try hardly hit the strings.

"Don't be shy," said KK, "just trust the guitar and let the music flow through you." Isabelle nodded and tried again. This time, her strum produced a very soft but pretty tune. She felt rather proud of herself as KK gave her a smile.

"That's it, kitten," said KK, "How would you like to learn a chord or two?" Isabelle just smiled to show her answer and the next hour was spent with KK showing her showing her how to play. After a few tries KK took the guitar back.

"You've got some musical talents there, Isabelle," said KK impressively. Isabelle just blushed lightly.

"Thanks, but...I'll never be as good as you," said Isabelle.

"I'd say you can do whatever you set your mind to," said KK. Isabelle just giggled and rubbed her feet together shyly.

"Say, do you know of the nature trail that circles this island?" he asked her curiously.

"I do, but I've yet to explore it," said Isabelle quietly, still feeling a bit guilty for turning Roll down for a chance of exploring it the other day.

"Well then kitten," said KK as he set his guitar down, "How about you and me check it out?"

"Really?" Isabelle exclaimed, "Why...why of course. I would love to take a nature walk with you." Isabelle couldn't resist using the word "love" in that sentence and her cheeks gave that away. KK just chuckled.

"Well then, kitten," said KK, "it's a date." Isabelle felt her heart melt when he said that to her.

 _It's a date...he said we're...on a date! I'm on a date with KK Slider!_

It took all her strength not to squeal and attempt a cartwheel as she just smiled bashfully at him.

"It's a date...handsome," said Isabelle and the realized what slipped out of her mouth and tried to redirect the conversation, "but...uhh...yeah...did you need anything before I head to bed KK? Water? Snack? Something like that?" KK just chuckled.

"I'm cool, Isabelle," said KK, "but if that changes I'll let you know."

"Alright, good night KK," said Isabelle shyly.

"Good night, Isabelle," said KK, "I'll see you tomorrow." Isabelle let out a smile and a light squeak before shutting the door and let out a long, happy sigh. It appeared just trying to be friendly had paid off. She now had a date and was eager to tell Roll about it as she headed towards their bedroom. She was surprised to see that Roll wasn't there.

"I wonder where...Sable!" said Isabelle and her intuition was spot on as she entered the room and found a pair of pajamas on the bed and a discarded dress on the floor...followed my laughing inside of Sable's bathroom.

"Are you guys in there?" Isabelle asked from behind the door.

"Yes we're in here," said Sable, "one of Roll's dreams was for her new Mom to give her a bubble bath. I'm only in here cause she asked me to stay...though she is old enough to take this bath alone."

"I know that Momma," said Roll, "but I...I never got to when I was younger. You've heard all those stories about children who got to hang out with their Moms while taking a bath. I know they're much younger than me, but...I really appreciate that you're here." Sable just chuckled and did Isabelle. The shi-tzu knew how much the adoption meant to Roll and wasn't surprised she would ask Sable to do something like this.

"Anyway, we're just about done here," said Sable, "Is something up?" Isabelle blinked and them remembered what she had wanted to say.

"Oh yeah!" said Isabelle, "I wanted to tell you something! But...I can wait til your finished." Sable was about to answer when Roll blew some bubbles at Sable's face, annoying her but the blonde girl just laughed.

"She's done," said Sable as she splashed her, "we'll be out soon." Isabelle giggled to herself as she waited on the vacant bed for them to come out. She didn't have to wait too long before Sable came out, already in her pajamas and Roll was wearing a knee length white bathrobe and had a spa headband to keep her long, but still wet, hair from sticking all over her face. Sable just took a seat on her bed while Roll climbed up and just wrapped her own arms around the brown hedgehog.

"Get dressed young lady and then I'll snuggle with you," Sable remarked. Roll just giggled as she grabbed her pajamas and went behind a nearby cabana screen to change.

"So what's up Isabelle?" Roll from behind the screen, "I can still listen while I change." Isabelle just took a deep breath.

"I went to talk to KK Slider earlier," said Isabelle, "you know...try to be his friend and all."

"Oh did you?" said Sable, craving more details, "what happened?"

"He...invited me to listen to his guitar tuning," Isabelle answered quietly, "then he...let me play his guitar?"

"You played his guitar?!" Sable replied, gushing like a teenager when she felt a pair of arms snake around her. Sable rolled her eyes.

"May I help you?" she asked bluntly, but then was surprised when she heard sniffling. "hey, lighten up I was teasing!" Roll was still smiling but tears were streaming down her face.

"I can't help it!" she said lightly in a cracked voice, "Someone actually wants me for a daughter. I still can't believe it real. If I'm dreaming, don't wake up...if you love me don't wake me up..." Sable then understood why she was being so childish and was kicking herself for missing the obvious. Digby had made their adoption official. From now on, Roll was her daughter. It was no longer just by word of mouth, they could now prove it legally. While she had been doing her best to fill that motherly void, the adoption showed that Sable really wanted to be her mother, and not just a mentor. Potential parents had rejected her for adoption in the past and now someone finally said they wanted her. Sable saw that Roll's tears were out of joy and not sadness as a warm smile plastered her face and the blonde girl just cried freely.

"I love you so much Mommy," Roll croaked, "the tears just have to fall..." Sable chuckled lightly and embraced her warmly. Roll hadn't stopped crying but had pulled away sooner than Sable had expected.

"Sorry Isabelle," said Roll, "I can cry while you talk. I'm just really happy." Isabelle just smiled and embraced her too.

"It's okay, just settle down and then I'll continue," said Isabelle, "I guess even I didn't know just how much Sable and the rest of us mean to you."

"You guys are my family," said Roll softly as her tears slowed down, "I don't have any other family outside of the village. You, Rosie, Bunnie, Margie are my closest sisters. Sable is my Momma. Marshal is my cuddle brother." Sable and Isabelle giggled together.

"Hey, don't tease me about Marshal," Roll pouted, "He feels just as worthless as I do sometimes! He also thinks no one would ever want to have the likes of him as a soulmate. Like he, he doesn't think he's that attractive."

"You still feel that way?" Sable asked stunned. Roll suddenly felt a bit insecure as she rubbed her bare upper arm.

"Can...can we focus on Isabelle now?" she asked, "We can discuss my issues after." Isabelle just looked to Sable. The brown hedgehog just smirked as a clue she would get the answers out of Roll later and then waved her hand for the shi-tzu to continue.

"Well, after he let me play his guitar," Isabelle continued slowly, "he asked if I wanted to join him for a walk around Tortimer's island."

"You mean...?" Roll and Sable exclaimed.

"Yes!" Isabelle squealed, "KK Slider asked me out on a date! He even said: it's a date!" The three girls just squealed with excitement.

"I have a date with KK Slider!" Isabelle repeated excitedly and then her excitement turned into dread, "OMG...I have a date with KK Slider! What do I do? What do I do!"

"Calm down Isabelle," said Sable, "Just do what you did tonight and you'll be okay. Just be yourself."

"You mean a klutzy geek who trips over her own words?" Isabelle asked and got a slap to her side by the hedgehog.

"No, I mean just be sweet and open with him," said Sable, "Ask him the questions and the conversation will take care of itself. Don't be afraid to be honest either okay."

"Okay," said Isabelle, "All is left is what to wear?"

"Try a pair of shorts and your favorite tee or tank," said Roll.

"That's not nice enough for a date!" Isabelle retorted.

"Isabelle, reminder," Roll remarked, "You're going on a nature walk, where there is alot of mud and dirt and such! You don't wear a cute dress to do something like that!"

"Right, sorry," said Isabelle, "Guess I'm a little nervous. I mean...alot of girls dream of this opportunity you know. I actually get to hang out with him one on one. I just want things to work out you know." Sable just smiled and gave Isabelle a warm hug.

"Just takes things one step at a time and don't try to rush anything," said Sable.

"Yes, Sable," said Isabelle, "I'll try to see if I can get some sleep. Are you staying here for the night Roll?" Sable sighed loudly since she could see the pleading grin on Roll's face.

"Do you have to ask?" Sable told the shi-tzu. After Roll kissed her cheek, she said good night to Isabelle. Once the shi-tzu left, Roll returned to Sable's bed and sat Indian style as the brown hedgehog just watched her finger her toes. Roll tried to ignore her but after a few minutes, but the staring was starting to annoy her after a while.

"What's up?" Roll asked as Sable just kept staring. Roll sighed, "If you don't want me to stay I can leave. Sorry."

"It's not that, sweetie," said Sable, "it's what you said earlier...about not feeling beautiful or attractive." Roll just sighed as she brushed some stands of long hair behind her ear.

"I'm not getting any degrading voices anymore," said Roll quietly, "It's just...whenever I look into the mirror. I just don't...think I'm beautiful. I still feel kind of...damaged."

"Damaged?" said Sable.

"Yeah, I still see the scars," said Roll, "I still feel really hurt inside. What boy wants a messed up girl? I'm sure you understand that Momma. Why else are you taking your time talking to Tom?" Sable just nodded in understand as Roll just sighed to herself.

"I guess healing really does take time...lots of it..." she replied as Sable just gave her a smile and pulled her into her lap.

"It does," said Sable, "but just remember, you don't have to heal all alone. You have your family to help you."

"I know," said Roll with a smile, "I also have a momma who actually loves me. That's a big help." Sable smiled as she kissed the back of her head and then gently set her down so she was still holding her as they lay down on her bed. Roll just rested comfortably when she remembered something.

"Momma..." Roll asked, feeling very sleepy.

"Yes sweetie?" Sable asked.

"Do you get this feelings of tension between Chrissy and Francine?" Roll asked, "I can't help but feel like there something troubling the both of them...like...they can't standing being in the same room with each other." Sable pondered.

"I actually have," said Sable, "Hopefully its nothing serious...we've had enough drama in this beach house haven't we?" Sable waited for a reply but found no answer. She sat up a bit and noticed that Roll had fallen asleep. Sable smiled as she lightly kissed her cheek and lightly scooted her closer to her.

"You really are a tired little girl," said Sable, "Sweet dreams Roll." With that Sable went to sleep, while she slept happily, what Roll said still had her a bit worried.

She knew her intuition was never wrong. She knew it when she first saw the bunny sisters.

She could sense trouble.

 **KK's outfit is based off of his alternate outfit from his amiibo card and figurine.**

 **Seems like things are going well, but there is some tension between the polka dot sisters. Plus Isabelle is gonna get the dream date of lifetime! How will it turn out?**

 **Find out...next time!**


	34. Double Trouble Part 2

Double Trouble Part 2

It was high noon three days later. Roll and Francine had decided to work together to prepare lunch for everyone. At first Francine was skeptical, thinking that the best thing an eleven year old girl would make was possibly a nicely decorated plate of tea sandwiches. That actually wasn't an insult since the blue bunny loved a good tea sandwich. Yet she was surprised when Roll told her she was gonna make spaghetti with meatballs. Francine found it even easier letting Roll tell her what to do and went to work with what she needed done. Together they made a rather extravagant Italian lunch and Francine was rather impressed at Roll's skill at deciding which flavors and spices went together for both the pasta and the sauce. They were just about ready to serve when she walked up Roll as she finished blending in the spices to the spaghetti.

"Roll, tell me, karat," she asked, "How is it a girl with this kind of cooking talent not think she's special?" Roll just sighed as she set the straining spoon down and wiped her hands on her black apron so she didn't get her strapless light blue dress dirty.

"I was degraded when I was younger," said Roll, "It's taken me this long to really show my talents."

"I see," said Francine, "who degraded you? Was it jerk boys who have no brains?" Roll chuckled a little at that remark. She wished it was that simple, but she was willing to be honest with her.

"It was my mother," said Roll simply. Francine was left speechless as Roll left the kitchen.

"LUNCH IS READY!" she shouted since everyone else was outside the house playing, everyone minus KK Slider and Isabelle, who had packed a picnic basket and taken off for their nature walk and date a few hours ago. So that had left the Able Sisters, Rosie, Bunnie, Marshal, and Chrissy were playing some beach volleyball. Chrissy had just nailed a spike when they heard Roll's voice.

"Alright, I'm starving, tee hee!" Bunnie shouted.

"Me too, silly!" Rosie added as she pursued her rabbit-sister. The rest of the group followed. They all grew excited when they saw what was on the menu.

"Oh this is, like, my favorite food of all time, sparkles," said Chrissy excitedly, "how did you know?"

"Roll just told me that she wanted to make spaghetti and meatballs, karat," said Francine, "I'll admit...I was skeptical..."

"I'll bet," said Chrissy rudely.

"Well I know that it's your favorite and I wanted her to do a good job," said Francine indignantly, "I'd hate to see you eat your favorite dish if it was mediocre." Chrissy just sighed to herself. She didn't even know why she got so snippy with her. She hadn't even said nothing snooty or snobbish.

"Sorry, sis," said Chrissy, "I don't know what came over me." Francine understood. Even she had been feeling somewhat snippy whenever Chrissy was around too.

"It's okay," said Francine, "anyway, shall I serve you?"

"Yes please," said Chrissy, "and don't go skimpy either. I know I'm getting fat. I'll live with it, sparkles." Chrissy made that to be a joke. Yet the joke felt hallow as Francine just gave her a smile, but even Roll could tell it looked fake. Deep down, Francine felt like Chrissy had used one of her snobbish comments against her...and she hated when she did that. The blue rabbit had also forgotten that she had wanted to ask Roll further about the situation regarding her mother.

Lunch itself was a rousing success as everyone enjoyed Roll's meal. They all had more than one helping. Chrissy loved the food so much that she had three servings before setting down her fork and patting her stomach contently.

"That was the yummiest spaghetti and meatballs I have ever tasted, sparkles!" said Chrissy, "my complements to the chief!" Roll just smiled.

"She is one of the best chiefs in our town," said Mable, "Guess her mother taught her well!" Sable giggled to herself.

"I can't take any credit for this meal," said Sable, "Roll just has the natural ability to cook good food. No training was done here!"

"That's just blows my mind, karat," said Francine, "You've never had culinary training and you cook this well?!" Francine's exclamation was out of pure admiration but Chrissy thought she was just being sarcastic and gave her a discreet glare before giving Roll a warm smile.

"Wow!" said Chrissy, "You are one talented girl, sparkles!" Roll was just blushing and smiling the entire time, finding it rather difficult to eat her own share of the food.

"Aw, come on you guys, you're embarrassing me!" said Roll and everyone laughed as Sable gave her a hug and kiss from the side. Once everyone had calmed down, Rosie was taking a long sip of the freshly squeezed lemonade before jumping into the conversation.

"So tell me, Chrissy and Francine," said Rosie, "how did KK Slider discover you?"

"It's a not really a tale worth telling..." Francine began.

"It all started when my sister and I, young and struggling musicians, sparkles," Chrissy began dramatically. Francine looked indignant, especially about Chrissy making it sound like it had been a _long_ time since they were first discovered. It wasn't that long ago...it was a few years ago if she remembered the year correctly. Plus it didn't help that she was the older sister.

"It wasn't that long ago," said Francine.

"Oh sorry, I forgot you hated being reminded of your age, sparkles," said Chrissy.

"You are worse than a child! You know that, karat?" Francine retorted.

"Am not!" said Chrissy standing up.

"Are too!" Francine retorted stand up to the pink rabbit.

"Am not!" Chrissy repeated but getting into the blue rabbit's face.

"Are too!" Francine shot back, getting into the pink rabbit's face.

"Hey, hey calm down you guys!" said Roll, stand up a bit but not completely from her chair, "The point is that you two were young musicians pursuing your dreams when KK Slider found you, correct?" Chrissy and Francine stopped fighting and just exchanged glares with each other before sitting back down.

"Well, moving along," said Chrissy, "Francine and I were just two young singers looking for a chance to pursue our dream."

"You talk like we were just two poor beings trying to make ends meet," Francine remarked.

"Well we did strike out on our own and were struggling to make ends meet you know!" said Chrissy.

"Fine, point taken," said Francine, rolling her eyes, "aside from that struggling lifestyle. We heard of KK Slider and that he was looking for new music."

"He wanted to find a new song to perform, sparkles," Chrissy joined in, "So we put our heads together and came up with a new song."

"Unfortunately, we couldn't agree on any good ideas, karat," Francine pointed out.

"Well you didn't like any of my ideas, sparkles!" Chrissy retorted.

"Well you didn't like any of mine, karat!" Francine added just as angrily.

"We get it, you guys fought over what to write," said Roll, wanting to quell the start of another fight.

"Bud out!" they both retorted and growled at each other.

"Ugh, I just can't be around you, karat," said Francine and as she got up to leave.

"Well I can stand being around you either, sparkles!" Chrissy retorted angrily as she left and headed in the opposite direction. The rest of the group was just left a little stunned by their sudden explosion at each other. Everyone that is except for Roll and Sable, who just exchanged sad looks at each other and sighed to themselves.

"Why do I get the feeling that you and Sable are more in the know about what is going on here than the rest of us?" said Mabel in a tone that showed that she wasn't at all surprised.

"We can both sense tension between people," said Roll, "it's a talent that we share." Mabel just smirked while Labelle just looked stunned.

"That's just scary," said Labelle, "They way you too are so alike I mean."

"Well, we freaks gotta stick together you know," said Roll.

"You're not a freak Roll so stop saying that, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Fine," said Roll, "but this isn't about me and Momma, it's about two polka dot sisters who have alot of tension between them. We've been able to tell in the way they interact with each other. There has to be a way we can get to the bottom of this! Sisters shouldn't be so cold and indifferent to each other. Sisters should be friends, the best of friends."

"That is true, silly," said Rosie, holding Bunnie's hand, "No matter what misunderstandings or quarrels occur." Bunnie just smiled and squeezed her hand back.

"Maybe we can help more," said Labelle, "After all, we've had our own share of conflicts between each other. Conflicts that have taken years to reconcile because we didn't want to settle things on our own."

"Yeah," said Sable, "when issues have been left unsettled for years, which seems to be the case here, it gets alot harder to really open up. I wouldn't be surprised if they both felt like opening up and being honest with each other wasn't even possible anymore."

"Well, what can we do to help," said Roll, "Francine and Chrissy are my friends and I want to help them. Nothing is more painful than feeling like you're gonna lost your sister forever." Sable nodded in understanding as Bunnie just gasped and noticed that Rosie nodded as well.

"Did I really make you think..." Rosie looked at her with sad smile and nodded. Bunnie thought she was gonna cry before leaning her head on her sister's shoulder. She still felt bad for being so crude a few days ago and knowing that Rosie feared losing her sister to anger and jealousy made Bunnie feel worse. The burnt orange rabbit didn't have much time to think about it before Sable rose to her feet.

"Well then, let's get this table cleaned up and then we can figure out a plan to help the two of them," said Sable.

"Sound like a plan, sis," said Mabel and Labelle nodded in agreement as the rest of the group got to work cleaning up the mess from lunch. Once they had finished, Sable decided to send off two people to try and talk to each of the polka dot sisters, who had clearly split up. Marshal had been sent to scout for the two sisters' whereabouts while everyone else was cleaning up. They had just decided the groups when Marshal arrived.

"Boy these girls didn't want to be found, sulky," he said, clearly hot and bothered.

"Well, you did your part Handsome," said Roll as she offered him a iced mocha. He took a small sip and sighed contently.

"This is good," said Marshal, "who made it?"

"Me," said Roll simply, "Now where are Chrissy and Francine?" Marshal took a few more sips quietly before speaking again. He wanted to ask how Roll got so good at making coffee drinks but knew she was waiting for his recon information.

"Chrissy is at the beach, kicking up some sand," Marshal answered calmly, "Francine is at the gazebo area. Apparently there's a Jacuzzi there. Man, we need a full day to explore this place. I found so many interesting places to hang out and chill outside this house."

"That is for another day," said Roll, "Labelle and I are going to talk to Francine. Rosie and Bunnie are going to speak to Chrissy. Guess we better get into our bathing suits so we can get comfortable talking with them too."

"What about the rest of us, sulky?" Marshal asked.

"You did your part Handsome," said Roll, "Sable and Mabel are gonna keep a lookout for Isabelle and KK Slider. If love has sparked, there's no need to spoil their date over something like this."

"You can be the man of the house and look after these two," Labelle added. Marshal just chuckled sheepishly as Mabel and Sable glared at her.

"They don't need me, sulky," said Marshal, "They're both strong and independent women." That softened their irritation and they each wrapped an arm around his own.

"True," said Mabel, "but it's nice that you care enough to be there for us." Sable nodded in agreement and kissed his ear.

"Are you into him too?" she teased. Sable slapped her side.

"Ease off, he's the only boy in the group," said Sable, "He needs some love too." The others nodded as Marshal blushed deep red, wishing he could hide his face into his tail. The group just giggled at his embarrassment before splitting up once they had gotten into their bathing suits.

It didn't take long before Roll and Labelle found Francine in the garden area where there was a jacuzzi inside the heart of a rather large gazebo structure. She was just sitting quietly with her shades on just soaking quietly as Roll and Labelle approached her.

"Hi Francine," said Roll gently as she knelt beside her along the edge of the jacuzzi. Francine stopped staring into space and noticed the blonde girl smiling at her.

"Mind if we keep you company?" she asked. Francine just looked at them, her emotions or feelings regarding them kept hidden behind her shades.

"Is Chrissy with you?" she asked. Roll and Labelle exchanged a look before shaking their heads together.

"No," Roll answered afterward. Francine just sighed.

"Come on in then, karat," said Francine quietly. Roll and Labelle smiled as they gently climbed in and sighed contently. The water was the perfect temperature so one could easily feel their muscles relax as they began to enjoy the bubbly water. Francine hadn't said much as they were getting comfortable or the fact they both had sat next to her either. She was just minding her own business.

"Francine?" Roll said gently.

"Yes Roll?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"I'm worried about you," the blonde girl replied quietly. That lowered Francine's defenses a bit before she glared.

"Do you always have to guilt trip me, karat?" she asked annoyed, "Geez, you're no better than Chrissy!"

"She's not Francine," said Labelle, "She's just a very loving and caring person. You can act as smug or defensive as you want, but she knows something is bothering you!"

"Well maybe I don't want to talk about it, karat!" Francine yelled, "It's none of her business!" Labelle just glared at her sternly.

"Well we can see that you and Chrissy have a problem and its bothering everyone at the house," said Labelle, "We're not here to take sides, but you know your closer to us than the rest of the group. We had hoped you would at least confide in us. So stop acting like we're here to make your life a public affair!"

"When my friends hurt, I make it my mission to help them out!" Roll added, feeling left out of the conversation and now shedding a couple of tears, "Whether you accept or reject it is your choice, but I'm just saying that I care enough about you to listen." Francine slowly let their words soak in a bit before she removed her shades and just sank a little into the water. Labelle and Roll softened their expressions when they saw tear stains on her cheeks. Francine felt embarrassed showing that she had been crying and sank further under the water a bit and blew bubbles. Roll moved her arm under the water and interlocked her fingers with Francine's.

"You can tell me anything," said Roll, "I wanna hear what's on your mind...because I care." Francine just slowly lifted herself a bit so the water was only up to her shoulders, let out a long sigh, and then looked at her sadly.

"Since we were children," Francine said slowly, "Chrissy and I were inseparable. Unlike other siblings, even being older than her. I never felt like our parents loved one more than the other. I never felt like she had come to replace me. We were instant friends. When she cried, I was always the one who was able to make her stop and smile again. We were as close as best friends could be. We did everything together...and no one could tear us apart."

"And what has changed since then?" Labelle asked. Francine sighed.

"We've just been drifting apart since we became adults, karat," said Francine, "As we got older, we just seem to have less and less in common."

"How is that Francine?" Labelle asked her curiously.

"I don't even know where to start, karat," said Francine in exasperation, "It's just in everything. Like for example, she likes her eggs scrambled instead of sunny side up. She likes bacon with her food while I like a slice of ham! I like to just sit and relax while she like to do more active activities on vacations. I like romance movies and she enjoys action/adventures. I like to read non-fiction books and she still enjoys comic books and manga! I like to shop for higher end products and she likes flea market brands. I prefer salads to keep my figure and she still enjoys pigging out on candy and burgers! We can't agree on anything anymore! I feel like I don't even know who she is!" Francine splashed the water in front of her hard in frustration as Roll and Labelle just let her calm down.

"To make matters worse," said Francine, "Chrissy is just so...immature! She always acts like life is just this huge bed of flowers and that life is always gonna be so bright and happy! Get your head out of the clouds Chrissy. You've been in this music business just as long as I have yet here you are still thinking life is so happy, happy, but it's not. Life is not always a bed of roses you know and if she keeps thinking that way, she is gonna get hurt! And...(sniff)...I don't want her to get hurt. Life is cruel...you know and...she's gotta be realistic about life, karat. If something every happens...and she gets hurt...I'll...never forgive myself." Francine fought hard not to cry, but her eyes just kept watering as she spoke. She angry flat palmed the water, unintentionally splashing both Labelle and Roll.

"Hey!" they exclaimed.

"I hate this!" said Francine angrily, "I hate it so much!"

"Calm down Francine," said Roll. Francine just splashed angrily before glaring at Roll. The blue rabbit's tears hadn't stopped falling.

"I'm an adult!" she yelled, "Adults don't cry! I hate crying! Crying is for weaklings and I'm not a weakling, karat! I'M NOT!" Roll and Labelle just looked at her sympathetically before Roll swam in front of the steaming rabbit.

"Francine, let me tell you something that I've learned from my own friends," said Roll gently, "Crying isn't a weakness."

"Oh yeah right, karat," said Francine angrily.

"No it isn't," said Roll sternly, "If you claim to be an adult, then stop yelling at me and listen to what I'm trying to tell you!" Francine just sniffled bitterly, she hated the fact that Roll, a child in her eyes, was telling her what to do, but still obeyed as she continued to cry.

"Like I said before," said Roll, "Crying isn't weakness. You only look weak when you try to hold your feelings in and don't try to be honest with people, especially your sister."

"Whose side are you on?" she bellowed.

"Nobody's! Now stop yelling at me!" Roll yelled back, "I'm saying you don't need to feel stupid or ridiculous just cause your crying. It's called being "human". You have feelings. You're hurting inside. If you gotta shed tears, then let them go. We're your friends. Not stupid fans who wanna record you sobbing so we can post it in social media!"

"Then why is Labelle holding her smart phone?" Francine asked defensively.

"I got a txt," said Labelle, "Sable just asked if everything was okay since we said we were gonna talk with you. Calm down okay." It should be noted their smart phones were waterproof, but that wasn't too important at the moment. Their biggest concern was the blue rabbit, who was now crying rather heavily as Roll embraced her gently. Francine, like many snooty villagers, didn't like to hug, but she welcomed the blonde girl's gestured warmly and just let herself cry her tears out.

"I hate you Chrissy!" she sobbed loudly as she held the blonde girl for dear life.

Back at the beach, Rosie and Bunnie were searching around the beach where Marshal had told them that a certain pink bunny was fuming about. They had to search for a bit before they found Chrissy trying to make a sandcastle and then started kicking it in anger. Bunnie and Rosie just looked at her with concern.

"Chrissy, if you're gonna stomp a castle to smithereens, tee hee," Bunnie called out to her, "Don't you want to fully built the castle first?" Chrissy just snorted before giving her already ruined castle another hard kick, which just caused the sand to splash into the air before her and then catch the wind a bit before settling back with the billions of grains along the beach. Bunnie just sighed as Rosie just shook her head. While they were just being sympathetic, Chrissy thought they were annoyed by how she was acting.

"Just go away, sparkles!" she yelled before turning away to pout. Bunnie and Rosie sighed together.

"We'd rather not, silly," said Rosie, "We've noticed that you seemed rather stressed out, especially when you are around Francine." Chrissy huffed as she lightly scrapped her foot against the sand in a preoccupied fashion. She didn't want to talk about it, but the two best friends/sisters weren't going to back down.

"Will you please just go away?" Chrissy asked rather sternly as she continued to just stare at the sand.

"Chrissy, aren't we your friends?" Bunnie asked straight up. The pink rabbit just looked at the two best friends and sighed.

"Of course we are," said Chrissy, "I just...I don't want to talk about it okay, sparkles!"

"But why, silly?" said Rosie, "Why don't you want our help?"

"Because I don't need anyone's help, sparkles," said Chrissy, "I'm not a stupid child who needs to be babied twenty-four seven!" Chrissy couldn't resist raising her voice as Bunnie and Rosie just looked at her sadly.

"Wanting help doesn't make you a baby, silly," said Rosie, "if you really want to be treated like adult, you need to just accept the truth."

"What truth, sparkles?" Chrissy asked indignantly.

"You have a problem, tee hee," said Bunnie firmly but calmly, "and it doesn't have anything to do with us...but your sister Francine." Chrissy just looked at them, feeling her large black eyes water before she whimpered loudly as she plopped herself into the sand and then hand slapping the sand again in frustration. Bunnie and Rosie exchanged a nod with each other before taking a seat next to the pink rabbit. Chrissy wasn't sure of what to do as she gazed at their smiling faces.

"You...really care about me, don't you?" she replied softly. Bunnie and Rosie smiled.

"I know we kind of came off as fan girls the other day," said Rosie gently, "But I just really love that song you guys did. I really do want to be your friend, silly. We both do."

"The three of us have alot in common, tee hee," said Bunnie, "we peppy villagers got to stick together." Chrissy giggled to herself as she gave Bunnie and Rosie a warm hug from the side.

"Thanks you two," said Chrissy, "I guess I have been feeling a bit frustrated lately."

"Well, if you want to talk about it, we will listen to you, silly," said Rosie. Chrissy took a long deep breath.

"Since we were children, sparkles," Francine said slowly, "Francine and I have been very, very close. Unlike other siblings, even though I was younger than her. I never wanted to take away the love our parents had for her. I just wanted to share. I want to say that I never tried to be a spoiled brat cause I was the youngest, but...that's another story. The point is that we were instant friends. Whenever, I was sad or hurt, she was always the one to comfort me and make me smile again. We were as close as best friends could be. We did everything together...and no one could tear us apart." Chrissy could feel her eyes water and snorted before wiping them away.

"So...what has changed, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"We've just been drifting apart since we became adults, sparkles," said Chrissy, "As we got older, we just seem to have less and less in common."

"How so, silly?" Rosie asked curiously.

"I don't even know where to start, sparkles," said Chrissy, "It's just in everything. Like for example, I like my eggs scrambled while she likes them sunny side up! The idea of eating a runny egg yolk grosses me out! I prefer bacon while she likes ham steak with my food. She thinks it's improper for a lady to crunch her food. Well, excuse me! I like a crunch to balance the stuff I have to chew! When I go places like the beach or a vacation spot, I like to stay active and do things. The idea of just sitting and cooking out in a hot sun bores me! I like a good action movie, but she would rather watch two people suck each other's faces only to break up and cheat on each other. How does that make a good movie? Don't even get me started on how she looks down on me cause I like to still read comic books and manga while _she_ likes those stupid boring _non fictional_ books! Excuse me, but what's the difference between a comic book and your stupid gossip magazines! Plus she's such a hypocrite, she tells me all the time: don't spend money we don't have yet looks down at me for buying flea market clothes and products. Yet there she is wanting to spend 80,000 bells on just a stupid handbag! A belt or a dress! Newsflash sis, there's nothing wrong with liking and eating candy and hamburgers cause unlike you I get off my sorry butt and actually work it off! You're the one whose gonna get fat long before I ever will!" Chrissy soon was panting heavily after that long vent and hot tears were streaming down her face.

"We just can't agree on anything anymore!" Chrissy began to sob, "I feel like I don't even know who she is!" Chrissy just grunted angrily as she continued to cry. Bunnie and Rosie just listened attentively and held her hands for moral support.

"Lastly, she still treats me like a child, sparkles," Chrissy continued angrily, "she acts like I'm some stupid fool with her head in the clouds. She always has to knock me down these days...and she makes me feel so stupid! What wrong with being optimistic all the time? How else are we supposed to have any hope? You don't think I know just how tough our life has been pursuing our music career together? Sometimes has to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If I don't do it...neither one of us will stand a chance!" Chrissy was almost screaming when Rosie finally decided to step in.

"Alright, silly," said Rosie gently, "we know you're frustrated here and you're getting the anger out of your system, but you don't need to shout okay." Chrissy just sniffled as she continued to cry.

"She thinks I'm a crybaby cause I'm not afraid to shed tears," Chrissy continued in a broken tone, "crying isn't weakness or it is something that only children do. I'm a sentimental person and care deeply about people, but I'm not stupid either. I shed tears because I care...unlike her..." Chrissy could speak further as her voice broke and she could only cry. Bunnie and Rosie hugged her together.

"I hate you Francine!" she screamed before she started to cry harder.

It was a few hours later before either of the two rabbits had settled down. Sable was just sitting with her sisters drinking a latte that Marshal had made himself. She and Mabel had been playing a few games of checkers in order to pass the time. Mabel, for some strange reason, was feeling a bit of tension from Sable.

"Sable," she asked softly, playing with her demin skirt, which she had on a matching lacy tank on. Sable, who had worn a sunflower tee with the pep-squad skirt in pastel yellow, was just drinking her coffee quietly.

"Yes?" she asked plainly.

"I can't help but feel like you're mad at me," said Mabel, "Even thought you won the last five games of checkers against me." Sable blinked in surprise.

"I'm not mad at you," said Sable, "Just worried about how things are going with Chrissy and Francine. Our groups have been gone for while now."

"Must have alot to talk about," said Mabel, feeling better, "I mean...we sure had alot to talk about when we first invited Roll to our home."

"That was true," said Sable, "Now tell me. Why did you think I would be angry with you?" Mabel just sighed.

"I guess I still feel guilty for making you wear that midriff tank a few days ago," said Mabel, "I was only trying to help you..."

"Feel more confident in my beauty?" Sable finished for her, "Think I had the body figure to pull off that kind of top?" Mabel nodded. Sable crawled over to her despite her skirt and embraced her.

"I understand," said Sable, "and I know your heart was in the right place. You were probably right in the fact I could wear tanks like that, but...it's just not me."

"Well just because you're the oldest sister doesn't mean you can't wear youthful clothes," said Mabel, "I really like your outfit." Sable giggled.

"Well your top and skirt show off your cute n girly side," said Sable. They two sister laughed when they noticed a familiar white dog with a even more familiar yellow shi-tzu clinging to his right arm. They watched quietly as they saw what appeared to be some more talking and then they gasped excitedly when they saw KK lean forward and give her a long kiss on the cheek. Isabelle just blushed deep red as a wide smile appeared on her face. Sable and Mabel could obviously tell that Isabelle was on cloud nine.

"Looks like the date went rather well," said Mabel as KK entered the house.

"Afternoon ladies," said KK casually as he made his way towards his room. Isabelle, showing that she had worn a pair of girls explorer shorts along with a starry tank and had a pink, not hibiscus, but an orchid in her hair, just watched him leave with a cute smile on her face. She just walked slowly over to the two sisters and took a seat on the side where Sable was sitting. Marshal approached.

"Want something to drink Isabelle?" Marshal asked, trying to be a gentlemen.

"Lemonade please," said Isabelle in loved dazed sigh. Marshal chuckled as he headed back to the barista.

"So...Isabelle," Mabel opened, wanting to get details about what happened between her and KK, "how was the date?" Isabelle just giggled to herself as she turned to face them, her cheeks still bright pink and her smile still plastered on her face.

"It was wonderful," said Isabelle happily as Marshal gave her the lemonade, "at first I was feeling rather shy, even afraid to talk to him. I didn't know what to say. So...I took Sable's advice..."

"GASP...she took Sable's advice!" Mabel gasped melodramatically. Sable looked indignant and shoved Mabel onto her back playfully.

"And it worked!" said Isabelle excitedly, "I was just myself and let him do the talking. Soon I was able to open up and talk to him just like friends do. I didn't even have to say anything complementary or flirting. KK slider...he started complementing me."

"He did?" said Sable excitedly.

"What did he say to you?" Mabel asked with anticipation.

"He just started talking about how smart and beautiful I look," said Isabelle, "See this orchid. He picked it for me and tucked it into my hair himself. His touch was so gentle...I get goose pimples just remembering it!" Mabel let out a light squeal of excitement along with a short clap as Sable just smiled.

"He is such a gentlemen," said Isabelle, "he was so considerate of my feelings and opinions about different topics and such. Then my clumsiness caught up with me and I nearly tripped. He caught me before I could fall. I was so embarrassed and was about to cry. Then I looked up and saw that he was just smiling at me. No words needed to be said. I knew it just by looking into his eyes that everything was going to be okay as I stood back on my own feet. Then...I just wrapped my arms around him and...he hugged me back."

"You hugged KK Slider?!" Mabel and Sable exclaimed in shock. Isabelle giggled and nodded.

"It was the warmest and softest hug I had ever gotten in my entire life," said Isabelle, "and he let me just hold him for a good minute or two before we pulled away. After that, we spent the rest of the walk just holding hands and talking. Nothing too important, but we still had a great time." Mabel and Sable giggled to each other.

"Well we are glad you enjoyed your date with KK," said Sable.

"And that's not even the best part!" said Isabelle.

"There's more?" Mabel asked curiously.

"Uh-huh," said Isabelle, "Just before we came inside, KK asked me out on a second date!"

"REALLY!?" Sable and Mabel exclaimed and gasped excitedly as Isabelle pulled out a rectangular piece of plastic out of her short's pockets.

"KK gave me a backstage pass," said Isabelle, "I'm gonna be his special guest and I'll get to watch him perform from behind the stage!" The three girls squealed with excitement. There was just no way they could not have fan girl overload about something like this. They were just settling down when two rabbits entered the mansion. Francine went straight through the house towards the door where the front yard was and slammed it as she left. Chrissy walked upstairs to where their bedroom was and slammed that door.

"I get the feeling that things didn't go well," said Mabel.

"What do you mean?" Isabelle asked, "and what's up with Chrissy and Francine?" Sable sighed before standing up, helped Mabel to her feet, and they headed outside to find the rest of the group, leaving Isabelle a bit puzzled as Marshal soon went after them.

"What's going on?" Isabelle asked, feeling more confused than ever.

"Just follow me, sulky," said Marshal, "It will be easier if you just come along." Isabelle was more curious than ever now as she let Marshal grab her hand and pulled her towards the back door so they could catch up with Mabel and Sable. Fortunately Isabelle and Marshal didn't have to wait long to catch up to them as she found the two hedgehogs surrounded by the rest of the group. Isabelle grew worried as she noticed that they were looking glum.

"Is anyone going to tell me what is going on here?" Isabelle asked with her hands on her hips. There was a quiet silence for a moment before Roll stepped forward.

"It's Chrissy and Francine," said Roll, "They've been...having some issues."

"What kind of issues?" Isabelle asked with much concern.

"They seem to have closed off from each other," Labelle continued, "and its making them become very...polarized to one another."

"Polarized?" Isabelle asked puzzled.

"They can't stand being near each other," said Mabel, "Too much unsaid feelings between the two I guess."

"That is the truth, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Chrissy said that she and Francine seem to have different likes in just about everything!"

"Francine said that too," said Labelle, "Francine feels like that Chrissy act too innocent to the cruelties of the world. She's worried to death that Chrissy is gonna get herself into trouble cause she trusted the wrong person."

"Really tee hee?" Bunnie replied in surprise.

"Chrissy feels like Francine tries to tear her spirits down, silly," Rosie added, "She feels like it's her responsibility to be the optimist and the hope for their family. If she stops, then she feels like their whole morale would disappear."

"I get that feeling more than anyone here," said Mabel quietly and Sable hugged her.

"In the end, they both have feelings that have been left unsaid for far too long," said Roll, "We had hoped by meeting up together that they would take the initiative to talk things out, especially since we did get them to vent and unload their problems to us. I know Francine did it in tears."

"Chrissy did the same, tee hee," said Rosie, "She even said she hated her sister."

"Francine did that too," said Roll sadly. Isabelle looked very worried.

"I just hope...they can put their issues aside for the concert," said Isabelle, "My date with KK went very well and he asked me out again to be his date to the show." Isabelle couldn't help but feel a little selfish but the door had opened for her to date her dream crush and she didn't want the two sisters ruining this for her. Roll just walked up to her with a gentle smile.

"Don't worry Isabelle," said Roll, "We'll get to the bottom of this. My heart aches for those two! They are holding onto years of resentment and they don't have to be. I want them to reconcile for your sake just as much for each other. Plus I don't think KK Slider would cancel the show over the two of them.

"I'm not so sure of that," said a voice. They all turned to see a rather distressed KK right behind them. He had heard everything.

"What do you mean KK?" said Roll, "as I recall, you're the true star of this show."

"Maybe," said KK, "but they want the stardom far more than I do. I just like jamming for people who really appreciate good music, like Isabelle here." Isabelle blushed and giggled. KK smiled for a moment before his facial expression turned serious once again.

"Their attitude has been sour since I invited them to join me for this concert," KK continued with concern, "It's been giving me alot of negative vibes. If this keeps up, I'm not sure if I want to perform with them..."

"NO!" said Isabelle aloud and with much despair in her tone. KK could see that his sadness was breaking her heart and Isabelle was fighting back tears.

"I really hope you can help them," said KK, "I don't want to let my fans down, nor my date for the evening." Isabelle sniffled but gave him a warm smile. Roll gave him a determined smile.

"Don't you worry," said Roll, "We will do all that we can. Thought I might ask this, why not just cancel their part of the show and sing solo like you always do?" KK just sighed.

"I've considered it," said KK, "but I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news just before a show. I could end our contract, since its word of mouth, but it's hard to perform with that on my conscience. Even if it is the better alternative." Roll just nodded in understanding. She had come close to firing Isabelle for being unreasonable and it had hurt her heart dearly to even attempt it.

"Well we still have a few days before the concert," said Roll to KK, "So let us try to see if we can settle things between them okay?" KK nodded and gave Roll a warm smile.

"Knowing you're on the case puts my mind at ease," said KK, "I better practice myself if I'm going to be ready for the concert. Care to join me, kitten? I can give you another lesson." Isabelle giggled as her cheeks turned pink once again as she all but ran towards KK Slider and took his hand. The two just walked back inside of the house as the rest of the group just chuckled to each other.

"They are so cute together, silly," said Rosie.

"I know right, tee hee," Bunnie added.

"True, but if Isabelle is gonna have her concert date, we need to do all we can to find a way for Chrissy and Francine to reconcile with each other," said Roll as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot in thought. Sable just rested a hand on her daughter's bare shoulder since she, like Labelle, Bunnie, and Rosie, were still in their bathing suits.

"Try to clear your mind for now," said Sable, "I know you want to help them, but dwelling and over thinking about the issue isn't going to help. Now come on. Let's get you back into your cute dress and then we can do something fun. I'm sure Marshal can make us some fruity drinks while we try to relax and enjoy ourselves."

"Sure thing sulky," said Marshal, "Just call me your little barista."

"Just go easy on the booze!" Mabel whispered.

"Mabel!" Sable exclaimed.

"Just kidding," said Mabel, "I know Marshal doesn't make drinks like that." Marshal nodded in agreement as the others just laughed as they headed inside.

Later that evening, Francine and Chrissy were in their bedroom. Neither of them wanted to really speak to each other so they were just busy doing separate things despite being in the same room. All was quiet until Francine snorted and tossed her gossip magazine on the floor in disgust.

"What's the matter, sparkles?" Chrissy asked indignantly, "not enough _non-fiction_ content for you?" Francine just grunted angrily as she lay on her stomach facing away from her sister's bed. Chrissy just rolled her eyes before she closed the latest comic book she had received by mail.

"Had enough fun in lollipop land, karat?" Francine asked indignantly. Chrissy mouthed her question soundlessly as she went to put her comic book away in the dresser drawer. A note of interest was that the bottom drawer was a bit on the sticky side, which meant that it often got stuck even when it was only half full. It didn't happen all the time, but right now couldn't have been a worse time for it to get stuck. Chrissy angry shook the drawer to un-stick it, causing all the bottles that had Francine's make up to topple over as the pink rabbit slammed the drawer shut.

"You better pick those up," Francine warned.

"Oh shut up," said Chrissy bitterly and walked away, leaving the mess behind. Francine balled her fists and angry punched her pillow and threw it away from herself.

"You are such a pain you know that!" Francine said angrily at Chrissy. Now it was Chrissy's turn to ball her fists.

"I can't be around you anymore!" said Chrissy, "Stupid spoiled brat!"

"Then just get out of here," Francine barked, "Stupid idiot..." The last words came under the blue rabbit's breath, but Chrissy heard them clearly. She balled her fists and gritted her teeth at her.

"No, you get out!" Chrissy snapped, pointing a finger at her.

"No you out!" Francine yelled back.

"No you!"

"You!"

"YOU!"

"Fine," said Chrissy smugly, realizing leaving would mean she wouldn't have to put up with her attitude anymore, "I will!" Doing a mock curtsey, she left the room and made her way out of the house. In her smug nature, she hadn't even realized all her things were still unpacked. Francine took offense, feeling that Chrissy was trying to trick her.

"Oh no you don't, karat!" said Francine, "I'm leaving! Not you!" Francine went after her as Chrissy continued to ignore her and run away. Yet Chrissy had heard Francine come after as she started her descend down the stairs.

"I'm leaving first, sparkles! I'm leaving first!" Chrissy called out.

"No me I'm first, karat!" Francine, now shoving her out of the way and Chrissy fighting back, "I'm first! I'M FIRST!"

"Now what's going on with those two?" Roll asked in exasperation. She and the rest of the group had been looking at an island tour brochure and enjoying tropical juices in the living room when the two rabbit brought their squabble downstairs.

"GET BACK HERE,KARAT!" Francine yelled.

"Well you're always first, sparkles!" Chrissy yelled angrily.

"Okay, you wanna be first," said Francine, noticing a small closet room and then shoved Chrissy inside, "You can go on here first!"

"HEY!" Chrissy shouted as she tumbled inside and Francine slammed the door and leaned on it

"Enjoying being first?" Francine taunted.

"Open this door and let me out of here!" Chrissy shouted and banged the door loudly.

"Who's there?" she asked in mock tone.

"Francine, open the door," Roll asked, very annoyed at her and Chrissy's childish behavior as she now stood a few inches away. Francine rolled her eyes at the blonde girl.

"Oh fine, karat," she answered before opening the door, causing Chrissy to tumble out of the closet. Chrissy then snarled as she tried to charge at Francine with full intention of clobbering her. But Francine kept evading her so they were literally running circles around Roll.

"What do I look like, a flag pole?" she asked, "Time out!" Francine and Chrissy stopped moving instantly and Roll moved out of the way so they were in eye sight of each other. She could read the aggression on both of their faces.

"Neither of you move a muscle!" she warned as the two narrowed their eyes and growled at each other. Roll then walked back to the rest of the group, who were just watching and enjoying their juices. Roll was a little baffled at their silence.

"A little help here?!" she asked annoyed.

"You're doing just fine," said Sable, "You got them to stop coming at each other. I'm right here to step in if necessary."

"Alright," said Roll with much worry in her tone.

"Leave me alone!" Francine whined behind Roll as the blonde girl turned to see what was happening now.

"I'm not bothering you!" Chrissy retorted annoyingly. Chrissy was just leaning a finger so it was just an inch short of tapping Francine's upper shoulder blade and it was driving Francine crazy.

"She's touching me. She's touching me," Francine complained.

"I'm not touching you," Chrissy said in an overly sweet tone, knowing she was irritating her sister by keeping her finger in place.

"AUGH! YOU'RE TOUCHING ME!" Francine bellowed and pointed at the arm in front of her.

"Not touching you," Chrissy replied calmly with a smug smirk on her face.

"TOUCHING ME?!" Francine repeated, making a gesture for the group to support her claim.

"It's called free air," Chrissy replied arrogantly. Francine then growled at her and then took the squabble to a new low. Francine extended her tongue and gave Chrissy a very wet lick across the arm.

"EWW!" Chrissy squealed and then she lunged herself right at Francine and they began to wrestle each other across the floor.

"Will you knock it off you two!" Roll shouted angrily as she approached them, "You two are supposed to be sisters...best friends...(TWACK)...ow!" Roll had gotten too close of their fight as Chrissy and Francine had began to wrestle with one another, even slapping each other's faces and pulling one another's ears. Roll had leaned forward when Chrissy was attempting to put Francine in a headlock and the blue bunny had kicked upward to break free. Her kick had nailed Roll in the chin, making the blonde girl tumble backwards. Roll wasn't hurt, just stunned, but she was really getting annoyed with their fighting as she roughly pulled them apart with a single arm per rabbit.

"What is wrong with you guys!" Roll scolded angrily, "You two are behaving like kindergarten children!"

"Because she ruins my life, sparkles!" Chrissy yelled.

"Yeah well you ruin mine, karat!" Francine shouted back, "now you're dead meat!" Francine broke free from Roll's grip and tackled Chrissy once more.

"You're dead meat!" she snarled as they tried to wrestle. Roll did her best to try to keep them from tearing each other apart, but they kept wiggling out of her gasp trying to get around her and at each other. Sable could tell that poor Roll was getting overwhelmed and stood up to help her daughter when...

"ENOUGH!" someone yelled angrily. Chrissy, Francine, and Roll stopped wrestling about and looked up. There before them was KK Slider, with Isabelle right behind him. They took extra notice of one particular fact about the white dog. He looked furious.

"I've tried to be very tolerant with the both of you," said KK sternly, "but you two have been at each other's throat since I invited you to this concert. Your bad attitudes are really upsetting me and its making it very difficult for me to play my music. I brought you guys here out of the kindness of my heart and Roll welcomed you here with the same kindness, even extending it to try and help you guys with your issues. Yet you've treated her the same way you've treated me! You've taken advantage of my kindness as well as hers! I really didn't want to do this, but if you two cant' get along, then you will not be performing with me at the concert." Chrissy and Francine gasped.

"And as for staying here, that is up to Roll and her friends," said KK as he took out a sheet of paper, "but as for our agreement, we're finished." He tore their contract in several pieces and dumped them on the floor. With that KK just went upstairs, Isabelle just followed until KK stopped and faced her.

"Isabelle, please," he asked as a clue he wanted to be alone. Isabelle looked at him sternly, but with watery eyes.

"I'm not leaving you alone like this," said Isabelle and then added bravely, "I love you." KK just looked at her sadly.

"You love me only cause I'm a singer," said KK quietly but the anger in his tone was present, "because I'm a...celebrity."

"You're wrong," said Isabelle, as a pair of tears left her eyes, "I had crush on KK Slider, but the dog I love and is my friend goes by the name of...Totakeke. And I'll never abandon him." KK softened considerably, grateful that Isabelle truly did care about him. He slowly walked up to her and hugged her gently.

"Please don't use that name in public, kitten," said KK, "Keep that between us."

"I will," said Isabelle as she held him, "I will." While Isabelle was doing a good job helping KK Slider feel better, the tension was still in the air between Chrissy and Francine. Roll had managed to untangle herself from the two rabbits. They were still giving each other death glares. Roll just dusted herself off and adjusted her dress before facing the two of them.

"I should throw you both out of this house," said Roll, "but luckily for you, I care enough about you not to throw you both out in the cold. Now get upstairs and make up like two loving sisters!" Chrissy and Francine just looked at each other bitterly.

"You ruin everything!" they said at each other.

"Get moving," said Roll sternly. Chrissy and Francine hated being disciplined by someone so young but they were smart enough to know getting any more on her bad side could leave them homeless on the island with no place to go. But as they head Roll heard them exchange few more harsh words with each other.

"You're dead to me, sparkles!" Chrissy darkly under her breath.

"You're dead to me too, karat!" Francine shot back in the same tone as they headed upstairs. Roll just watched them disappear before just huffing and began to retie her ponytail since her hair had gotten messed up in the tussle as she walked over to Sable. The brown hedgehog could tell that Roll looked a bit distressed.

"Sweetie?"

"I hope I never have to see the three of you act like that!" Roll warned the three sisters, "I get it! You have a rough pasts and you've had reasons to hate each other, but I really hope you have all made peace about it! I'm sick of all the hate I've had to put up with lately..." Roll was on the verge of tears as Sable stood up and embraced her gently as Roll let a few tears stream down her face.

"I hate being the peacekeeper of this house," Roll whimpered, "Why do I have to care so much?"

"You just have a big heart, sweetie," said Sable, "and you care deeply about people. It's both a blessing and a curse." Roll just sniffled and buried her face into Sable's shoulder and continued to cry.

For the moment, it certainly felt like a curse.

 **Bubblegum KK was actually introduced when New Leaf was released.**

 **Chrissy and Francine's fight scene is based slightly off a comedic scene from** ** _Lilo & Stitch 2. _**

**_Totakeke_** **is actually KK Slider's Japanese name.**

 **How will the polka dot sisters handle their anger towards each other now?**

 **Stay tuned.**


	35. Double Trouble Part 3

Double Trouble Part 3

Despite all the tension from Chrissy and Francine's fight last night, things had settled down for the most part at the beach house. The group was aware one stayed in the bedroom and the other sister just slept alone in the hallway until Sable offered her the spare bed in her bedroom. Even KK Slider felt better with Isabelle's company. They even shared a kiss (cheek kisses to be exact) goodnight before separating for bed. Roll had been the most upset and had taken a while to stop crying last night. Plus what she had said towards Sable, Labelle, and Mabel struck a chord with them. If Roll was this upset seeing two sisters, whom she barely knew, unravel and fight with each other because of the past. Just how painful was it for her to watch the three of them fight over their own issues?

It hadn't set well with any of them. In fact, the sun was barely rising when Sable had taken a seat on the sand of the beach, already dressed. Surprisingly she had picked the tank that showed her stomach with the girl's tropical shorts as she sat slightly curled up into a ball with her knees tucked into her chest. The dark circles under her eyes showed that she hadn't slept very well. It didn't help that she was worried about her daughter. Roll was till still feeling very distressed and miserable when she saw her this morning. For Sable to see Roll so sad had worried the brown hedgehog deeply and she still didn't know how to help her. She could feel her eyes water when she heard the sound of some footsteps in the sand. She turned around to find Labelle and Mabel standing before her. Labelle had on a sailor tee with a sailors mini skirt in golden yellow with a matching ribbon in her hair. Mabel had picked a strapless yellow gingham knee high dress with a star hairpin.

"Hey," said Sable quietly as she wiped her eyes, "What's up?" Labelle and Mabel just quietly took a seat next to her. Labelle tucked her legs in as she sat down and Mabel just extended her legs and crossed her ankles.

"I wanted to ask...wait...are you wearing that tank again?" Mabel asked in surprise. Sable just nodded with a small smile on her face.

"I'm sick of not feeling confident in my own beauty," said Sable, "and unless we leave the island. I can wear it. I know you two wouldn't buy it if you didn't think I was pretty enough to wear it." Labelle and Mabel smiled.

"Well you are very beautiful," said Mabel, "but we came here because...well..."

"Are we gonna be okay?" said Labelle, "I know we've opened up about alot of things with each other and settled alot of issues too. I guess I want to know if there's anything else regarding me or Mabel that needs to be discussed?" Sable just looked at them and gave them both a smile.

"No, at least nothing I can't think of at the moment," said Sable, "I have nothing against any of you anymore. I just want us to be best friends again."

"We are Sable," said Labelle, "but I do know what Roll said bothered you to some extent."

"It bothered the rest of us," said Mabel, "Labelle and I have been thinking hard all night wondering is there anything between the three of us that we should get out in the open."

"Well, other than just struggling to feel beautiful," said Sable, "and how I can be a good mother to Roll. That's all that's really troubling me."

"You'll be a great Mom," said Labelle, "and as for feeling beautiful, you're not the only one who has that issue Sable..."

"Wuh?" Sable gasped.

"Why do you think I wear makeup all the time?" said Labelle, "I didn't think my natural beauty was good enough..so I use make up to help me feel beautiful." Sable blinked in surprise.

"And I know I'm a bit of a tomboy," said Mabel, "But the reason I wear jeans and tees all the time off work is cause...I don't feel beautiful in anything else."

"Seriously?!" Sable and Labelle exclaimed as Mabel shook her head.

"I am just as girly as anyone when it comes to clothes," said Mabel, "I like dresses and skirts, cute tops too, even ribbons, headbands and accessories. I just never feel good enough to wear them. It's why I just go comfortable rather than fashionable." Sable and Labelle just looked at her surprised.

"Well at least we can be honest with each other," said Sable, "if only Chrissy and Francine could do the same."

"Why does their feud bother you so much?" Mabel asked, "Besides that we're sisters too who had issues."

"It just...brings back bad memories," said Sable, "the time when Labelle ran away, all those times we had fights where you wanted to leave...the idea of losing my sisters forever..." Sable then began to cry. Labelle and Mabel scooted closer to her.

"That's what made me finally came home," said Labelle, "the thought of losing you hurt too much."

"That's why I never left," said Mabel, "I was afraid you...you would...people who are depressed sometimes..." Mabel wasn't sure what made her cry, the fact her sister was crying too or the fact she feared losing Sable to depression. Regardless, it wasn't long before Labelle joined the group hug and cried too.

In the end, they decided to spend the day together as a threesome. While Sable was worried about leaving Roll due to the fact the blonde girl has cried herself to sleep last night, Bunnie and Rosie said that they would look out for her as the Able sisters headed towards the north island for bonding time. KK Slider had taken Isabelle with him to check out the stage that was already being set up for the concert, which was in about three days. Roll, Rosie, and Bunnie had decided to take a walk around the mansion grounds again since Tortimer said they could explore whenever they wanted to.

"Should we invite the squabble sisters, tee hee?" Bunnie asked, getting a glare from Roll, who was wearing a gelato tank with girl's khaki shorts and hair in a ponytail with a red ribbon on the side.

"Okay," said Bunnie with her hands in the air. Roll headed towards the two sisters who were just quietly eating breakfast. Roll noticed them both try to grab the last piece of toast, growl at each other before Chrissy just moved the plate towards Francine, suggesting she just take it. Francine just looked at it before pushing the plate back towards Chrissy, making it clear neither of them wanted it.

"When you're finished eating, we're gonna go explore the mansion ground to see what other cool stuff there is to do around here," said Roll, "I want both of you to join us." Chrissy and Francine just looked at each other and sighed simultaneously.

"Ok" "Ok" they replied. Roll smiled. While she knew things weren't settled between the two, she was glad they were at least tolerating each other...mostly.

As for the infamous marshmallow squirrel, Marshal had gone for a walk by himself and had found that Alfonso and Benjamin were on the island. They were also making a mess since there were holes all over the eastern end of Tortimer's property. Marshal just shook his head as Benjamin and Alfonso continued to dig about.

"Find it, alrighty?" Benjamin asked.

"No, it'sa me!" Alfonso replied as Benjamin sighed to himself, placed his right hand on the right side of his hip before looking for another place to dig. Marshal had just caught up the group.

"Look at this mess, sulky!" he exclaimed, "Are you guys recreating the surface of the moon or something? And does Tortimer know you're digging up his property?"

"We asked if we could look for fossils around here, it'sa me," said Alfonso.

"Yeah, but so far we haven't found what we are looking for yet," said Benjamin, "We gotta keep looking, alrighty." Benjamin began to walk about and then began to dig once more. Marshal just shook his head at the both of them and was about to leave when he felt a light rumble underneath his feet.

"Uh...you guys..." Marshal tried to warn but Benjamin and Alfonso weren't listening.

"Oh fossil friend, come out and play," Benjamin sang as he dug his next hole. Then...

CLANG

"Hey Al! I think I found something, alrighty!" Benjamin called out.

"For real, it'sa me?!" Alfonso replied happily as hoped out of his hole and dashed towards his best friend. Marshal came up to them.

"Guys!" he called out, but Benjamin and Alfonso just chuckled to each other and peered into the hole...

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYY YOOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Only to see a very angry mole rise from the mountain of dirt.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Benjamin, Alfonso, and Marshal screamed as Mr. Resetti appeared before them. They took great notice of the giant lump that had appeared on the side of his head.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!" he shouted angrily, shaking his axe at them, "LEAVE EXCESSIVE DIGGING TO THE PROFESSIONALS!" He settled down a bit, but his anger was still vivid on his face.

"It has come to my attention that you boys have been on a little digging spree," said Mr. Resetti, "and it's not only damaging Tortimer's property but it's costing me part of my tunnel network! Honestly, little kiddies out and about playing with their shovels, ain't that cute! What's _not_ cute is the tunnels around here are literally crumbling around my ears! Don't tell me that was the idea?"

"Of...of course not, alrighty!" said Benjamin nervously.

"Not at all, it'sa me," said Alfonso sadly. Marshal just had a blank expression on his face. He wasn't going to let Resetti blame him for this mess. Resetti must have already known Marshal wasn't at fault cause he didn't call Marshal out and went back to venting at the other two boys.

"I would hope not," said Resetti sternly, "Cause you have no idea how sorry I'd make you otherwise! Look going after fossils is fine and all..." Benjamin began to back away as soon as he saw Resetti shut his eyes, grabbing Alfonso's tail.

"Run away," he whispered to the alligator, who just looked at him uncertain as Marshal backed away as well. The look on his face showed that he didn't want to listen anymore to Resetti either.

"...but there is a better way to do things...," Resetti continued with his eyes shut in deep thought, "You gotta be patient and only dig when you...hey... _hey_...HEEEEEYYY!" Resetti had opened his eyes to see the Benjamin, Alfonso, and Marshal had all taken off.

"Mr. Resetti, we're sorry!" Benjamin shouted.

"Sorry, it'sa me!" Alfonso shouted as well as the three boys ran as fast as they could away from the mole.

"GET BACK HERE!" Resetti shouted then saw what appeared to be a geyser of water nearby, "Gah! A leak next to a cave in! That ain't good!" Resetti then dived back underground with his axe above his head. As for the three boys, they breathed a sigh of relief once they realized that Resetti wasn't going to pursue them. Marshal was about to suggest that they go fill up the holes they left behind, but since Resetti was there, he decided against it. To make matters worse, the two boys had persuaded Marshal to join them in searching for their fossil. If Marshal's face could look any grumpier, he would be tripping over his lips.

Meanwhile, Roll and the other's had just finished exploring the Tortimer's garden, which was loaded with lots of tropical flowers of multiple colors. They had all planted one in their left ear as an accessory as they exited the garden.

"Well that was alot of fun," said Roll, looking at Chrissy and Francine.

"Yeah...it was, sparkles," said Chrissy, but still not making the effort to look at Francine.

"Thanks...for the...flowers, karat," said Francine quietly as she adjusted hers a bit. Roll just sighed as she looked at them.

"Why do you guys hate each other so much?" she asked them with concern. She had been grateful that they hadn't tried to fight to get physical with each other, but she was hoping some time out together might reduce the tension.

"It's complicated," said Chrissy and then looked at Francine. She didn't want to offend Francine at all and hoped that was the right words. Francine could tell and even looked back at her plainly.

"Yeah...it's complicated," said Francine quietly. That was when Roll noticed that it wasn't even tension that was making them so quiet with each other.

 _So that's why they are so quiet_ , Roll thought, _They are aware of how much they hurt each other, but they are so afraid to speak up cause every time they've tried its resulted in a fight_. The hurt could be seen in their faces as they exchanged uncomfortable glances at each other. Roll opened her mouth to ask a question when she noticed the sound of shoveling nearby.

"Did you find it, alrighty?" Benjamin asked in the distance. The five girls all turned toward the direction Benjamin was speaking from.

"No, sulky," said Marshal, "it's just another gyroid. The third one we've found so far." Alfonso and Benjamin just sighed quietly as they continued to scout around for another spot to dig. Since Marshal had joined them, he made sure that they plugged up the holes so they would not have Resetti on their tails again. Roll and the others had reached the top of a hill where they found the three boys just digging rather quietly about. Roll just put her hands on her hips with a slightly annoyed look on her face.

"Come to make a mess digging up holes," she remarked, "and they got Marshal into it too. Oh brother." Bunnie, Chrissy and Francine all nodded in agreement as they turned to leave. Rosie, however, was rather curious of what they were looking for.

"Hey, what are you guys up to, silly?" Rosie called out as they rest of the girls looked back. Alfonso was busy digging as he looked up with his tired eyes and saw the blue cat.

"Oh, hey there you guys!" Alfonso replied.

"I got it!" said Benjamin excitedly as he showed the fossil to the alligator, "It's the rare ammonite fossil and we've finally got it!"

"It took everything we had but at last our collection was complete, it'sa me!" said Alfonso with glee. Then Benjamin and Alfonso started dancing and Marshal just pretended he didn't notice as he plugged up the holes they had left behind.

"Here we got it, here we got it, how we got it, hoi!" they sang and danced together, "A new old fossil fishy and now we've got it hoi! Ammonite, that's right! That's what we've have alright!

"Here we hold it!"

"Showing it!"

"Now we got it, HOI!" The two boys just continued to dance as Marshal finished plugging up the hole and quietly joined the group. Roll just closed her eyes and put her hands back on her hips again in annoyance.

"Man oh man those boys," she remarked in exasperation as Bunnie, Chrissy, and Francine nodded in agreement.

"That's so cute, silly," said Rosie cheerfully, "Being so excited over a tiny little thing like that, if only I were so simple!"

"You mean you're not?" Bunnie asked in mock shock. Rosie glared as Bunnie just gave her a giggle as a clue she was just kidding. Rosie just rolled her eyes at the burnt orange rabbit when she suddenly remembered something.

"You know I think I remember seeing a bunch of these fossil over in the caves south of here," Rosie added in thought. Benjamin heard her and stopped dancing and looked at her with a wide smile on his face.

"Really?" said Benjamin as he rushed towards her and grabbed her by the shoulder, pushing her backwards as he spoke, "I wanna go there! Can you take us, pretty please? Let's go now! Let's go quick! Let's go together! Alright, alright, alrighty?"

"Al- _right_ , silly!" Rosie snapped as she roughly shoved him back and made the dog let go of her shoulders. She glared at him with her hands on her hips, "Stop pushing me around and I'll take you, silly!" Benjamin just gave her a toothy grin. Alfonso was still dancing.

"...It's what we have, alright!" Alfonso continued, "Heaving it, blowing it, showing...huh?" That was when he noticed that he was the only one dancing now. It didn't take too long before Alfonso was filled in about the nearby cave and was more and eager to join the adventure. Apparently both the boys had somehow gotten their own boat. Roll was rather surprised.

"I hope you didn't take that from Kapp'n," she asked wearily.

"Yes and no, it'sa me," said Alfonso, "yes we took it from Kapp'n, but it's not his regular boat...not anymore."

"This boat has no engine in it," Benjamin explained, "but I found a current that will lead the boat directly towards the cave Rosie was talking about so we can just ride the waves. Are the rest of you girls coming with us, alrighty?" Roll turned around to face the three rabbits. Bunnie just sighed.

"Wherever sis goes, I go to, tee hee," said Bunnie with a smile, "what about you guys?"

"Might as well," said Francine, "We've got nothing else to do, karat."

"No place to go either, sparkles," Chrissy added in the same tone. Roll was still worried but just smiled at them before facing the white squirrel.

"What about you Marshal?" she asked.

"I don't think there's enough room for all eight of us in this boat," said Marshal.

"How about Marshal and I stay behind?" Bunnie suggested, "In case something happens, you can contact us?" Rosie felt her jaw drop in shock.

"What happened to "wherever I go, you go", silly?" Rosie asked indignantly. Bunnie just looked at Rosie and the blue cat softened. She didn't need long to see that the burnt orange rabbit was seeking one on one time with the white squirrel.

"Alright, fair enough, sis," said Rosie, "I did have alot of one on one time with him in the recent past. So let's get going already."

"Just one more thing," said Benjamin as he and Alfonso exchanged excited smiles with each other.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Roll to herself. Soon her worries were soon justified, as she saw Benjamin donned a pirate's coat and hat while Alfonso had changed into a red bar tank with a red bandana over his head.

"Man oh man those boys," said Roll wearily as she, Rosie, Chrissy, and Francine climbed into the boat. Benjamin was standing at the front with a lantern attached to the front tip. Roll and Rosie were behind him, sitting on the bottom of the boat rather than on the plank where they would usually sit with Chrissy and Francine right behind her. Alfonso was standing on the back end, holding the steering mechanism to keep the boat on course.

"Yar, scallywags! Onward to the treasure, yo-ho!" Benjamin shouted excitedly with a wooden sword pointed to the sky.

"Argh!" Alfonso replied, trying to sound like a pirate.

"Argh..." said the rest of the girls with no excitement in their voices.

"Brace yourselves, we are heading into the cave of secrets, alrighty!" he added as they headed towards the entrance of the cove.

"Yar, heading into the cave of secrets, it'sa me!" Alfonso replied.

"Man oh man these boys," the four girls replied in annoyance. Soon they entered the cave and Benjamin lit up the lantern so they could see. The lamp was rather bright since it lit up what would have been a very dark cavern. Inside was mostly just calm, flowing water, a few thin rock pillars. The group began to scan about looking for the fossils that Rosie said were inside. Francine then noticed something and giggled to herself.

"What's up, sparkles?" Chrissy asked curiously. Francine just smiled as she faced her.

"That statue over there, karat," Francine pointed out, "it looks like Tom Nook doesn't it?" Chrissy looked towards Francine's side of the boat, saw the statue and smiled.

"More like him if he went on a diet," said Chrissy and they both laughed. That was then they realized that they were speaking to each other and looked at each other with wide eyes before chuckling again, but this time more nervously at each other.

"Yeah...heh, good one," said Francine nervously.

"Heh...yeah...thanks," said Chrissy timidly. They exchanged a nervous glance at each other before going back to looking about separately. Roll had seen everything and a small smile had appeared on her face. She was glad they were finally starting to break the ice with one another, but her train of thought was derailed as she felt a chill along her bare arms and rubbed them.

"It's 100 degrees outside and yet it feel like a refrigerator in here," said Roll to herself and then turned to Rosie.

"Rosie?"

"Huh?" Rosie asked, looking at her.

"Are you sure there are fossils in a place like this?" Roll asked curiously.

"I...I think so," said Rosie with a great deal of uncertainty in her voice and in the smile she gave the blonde girl.

"You...think so?" said Roll skeptically.

"To be honest," Rosie replied sheepishly, "It was such a long time ago." Roll just sighed to herself and rolled her eyes at her. She was praying inwardly that Rosie hadn't just led them into a wild goose chase. As much as she wanted Chrissy and Francine to make up, she didn't want to put their lives at risk in order to do so. She couldn't ponder much longer about the matter when the boat arrived at a nearby junction and Alfonso was able to skillfully bring the boat to a stop.

"Hmm, which path should we take?" Benjamin asked aloud as he looked down both paths and then turned to the group, "what are your thoughts, swabbie Rosie?"

"Who are you calling a swabbie?!" Rosie exclaimed offended until Roll nudged her to remind the blue cat that Benjamin was just playing pirates. Rosie then recomposed herself as she looked down both paths nervously.

"Uhh...the right!" Rosie said with a confident smile.

"Right it is, alrighty!" said Benjamin as Alfonso turned the boat so it would continue its path. Roll and the others just looked about nervously, each hoping that Rosie had chosen the right path. All seemed quiet for a moment as the cave seemed to darken. Then Roll's ear caught sight of a sound.

"What is that?" said Roll anxiously as she then noticed the sound of what appeared to be running water.

"Oh no..." said Chrissy and Francine said together fearfully as they noticed the rushing water ahead of them.

"Uhh...waterfall!" Benjamin cried out. Everyone screamed as the boat entered the rushing water and picked up speed. The four girls soon held each other for dear life so they didn't fall out. Benjamin held the front of the boat tightly when he grip slipped and he dropped the lantern into the rush water. The water became choppy very quickly and the boat was sent airborne for a few seconds, making everyone scream louder.

"Sorry! I mean the left, silly!" Rosie shrieked.

"It won't help now, it'sa me!" Alfonso shouted from behind since the water was so rough, he couldn't steer the boat anymore as everyone screamed again. Soon the water began to settle for a bit and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Glad that was a false alarm, sparkles," said Chrissy.

"Same here, karat," said Francine, holding a hand over her heart since it was beating out of her chest.

"Don't celebrate so soon," said Benjamin, "Look!" Roll and the other's looked forward. Despite the darkness, they could see a light in the distance as well as what appeared to be a dreaded drop off of the water into what appeared to be a bottomless pit. Everyone screamed.

"Turn us around! Turn us around!" Roll called out.

"I can't it'sa me," said Alfonso, "We're stuck in the current!" Roll looked about, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness so she could find something that could be used to stop the boat. Unfortunately, the walls were too far away and Alfonso had no control of the boat. Roll gave everyone a fearful look. Rosie, Chrissy, and Francine looked at her, their faces showing their fright and worry.

"Looks like we have no choice," she said shakily, "We're going over..." Chrissy just lowered her head.

"Well...that's it, sparkles," said Chrissy, "This is how it ends...for us..." The "us" part was a bit of an afterthought, but it was Chrissy's tone that made Francine's heart break.

"Chrissy...don't...don't go there," Francine replied shakily, "we...we can't just give up...we...we just gotta..."

"WAKE UP WOMAN!" Chrissy screamed, "There's nothing positive about this! We are gonna go over those falls and we won't come out of it alive. This is it Francine! We're gonna die!"

"Stop saying that, karat!" Francine pleaded as tears began to stream down her faces.

"Why not?!" said Chrissy as her voice broke, "We have no jobs! No future! And we hate each other! We have nothing to live for! I can't keep doing this anymore! I can't keep seeing the light at the end of the tunnel anymore! I just can't..." Chrissy began to cry. Francine's body began to shake.

"No, karat!" she croaked, "Chrissy please don't give up! I've never given up on you! And I don't hate you! We'll figure something out! We'll get through this! Please...don't lose hope!"

"I thought you hated that about me, sparkles!" Chrissy cried out.

"I hated it because I was jealous," Francine sobbed, "You're always to happy all the time I just...life really dampened my spirits. I wanna be happy too, but I'm just not as good as being optimistic like you can! I'm sorry!" Chrissy cried harder.

"I'm sorry too," Chrissy added, sobbing as well, "I only got so defensive because you always acted like you were the mother hen of the group. I didn't want you to be a mom. I wanted my sister and my best friend. I pushed you away because you always had to act to grown up all the time! I didn't feel like you wanted to be my friend anymore. That is why I acted so difficult and tuned you out most of the time. I never realized that it was...because you loved me why you felt like you had to look out for me. I took it as being bossy and not cause you cared. I felt like you thought I was stupid and treated me like a child. You even said that too..."

"I never meant it!" Francine retorted, "I was just worried someone would take advantage of your kindness and hurt you. I never meant to drive you away..."

"Same...HEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

SPLASH

The time had run out for the two sisters to reconcile as the boat went over the falls and tumbled a good 150 feet into the water below. As they tumbled into the water, and to everyone's surprise the boat didn't break or sink into the water. Instead, it made a hard splash on the water below and floated across what was a very small and shallow lake before coming to a complete stop on the opposite side of the lake. There was a few seconds of silence before Rosie popped out of the boat with an excited look on her face.

"I'm not dead!" she exclaimed excitedly, "Raise your hand if you're not dead!"

"I know I'm not," said Chrissy wearily with a feeble hand in the air.

"I'm still thinking about it," said Francine shakily, surprised she was alive as she raised a hand herself.

"Is everyone okay?" Roll asked everyone gently.

"I'm okay, silly," Rosie repeated more calmly.

"I'm alive at least, it'sa me!" said Alfonso wearily.

"Where are we?" said Benjamin.

"Great, we're lost, karat," said Francine.

"At least we won't freeze to death, sparkles," said Chrissy, "it's alot warmer down here."

"That is true," said Roll, "it's almost stuffy down here and its lighter too." Francine just hummed quietly to herself as she stayed curled into a little ball. Chrissy noticed that Francine was shaking.

"Are you cold?" she asked as she grabbed her hand and found that her sister's hand was shakey.

"Francine?" she asked worried.

"I can't do this anymore!" Francine croaked, "I just can't be strong anymore...I tried..I tried so hard to be tough but I just...can't..." Francine began to cry as she buried her face into her chest. Now it was her turn to feel defeated as Chrissy just pulled her close.

"I'm so sorry Chrissy," Francine sobbed, "Being the older sister, I just felt like I had to be the caretaker and make sure that no matter how bleak things got that you were at least happy and taken care of. The whole snooty attitude was cause I didn't want people to know that I struggled to be strong. I wanted to be your strength so you wouldn't lose your hope. I said otherwise cause I got jealous. I promised Mom that I would take care of you and I failed. I made you hate me by being overbearing and not trying to reach out to you like we used to! You've grown up...you're not a child anymore. Yet I treated you otherwise because I was insecure about myself. Why else do you think I wear makeup? Look at this face! This isn't beauty! You're the beautiful one! Always will be..." Francine just broke down, not caring that Roll and the others were listening. Chrissy just held her close and began to weep as well.

"I...had no idea I had invited two sisters who had just been in a fight, alrighty," said Benjamin quietly, "why didn't you tell me Roll? I wouldn't have..."

"No, no, it's my fault," said Roll sadly, "I had hoped having a little adventure would help them get past their anger and bring them together, not make them fall apart."

"Well we can't give up yet," said Benjamin, "the fact there's light in here means that we're not that far underground as we originally thought. There might be more than one way out of here! And I'm gonna find it!"

"Benjamin wait!" Roll called out.

"Don't worry," said Benjamin, "Alfonso and I are trained professionals!"

"Benjamin, I don't think playing hours of excavation video games counts, silly!" Rosie pointed out.

"Rosie, Alfonso and I have explored caves, coves and the like back at the main land, alrighty," said Benjamin, "Trust me!" Rosie didn't want to, but Roll looked weary and the two polka dot sisters were still crying. Rosie just let out a long sigh.

"Alright," said Rosie as Benjamin took a few sniffs in the air and began to scout about the rocky shoreline and ventured a few yards away from the cave. He noticed a nearby beam of light and headed closer to it as the path lazily went uphill. When he reached the source of the light, he gasped in surprise. There before him was another cavern in which had no ceiling with steep walls that were a good three hundred feet high that contained a small lake that was only a couple of inches deep. In the center of this lake was a small rocky island with an obelisk pillar, covered from top to bottom in ammonite fossils.

"OooooooooooooooooooooHHHH!" Benjamin exclaimed in amazement. In his search for a way out of the cave, he had found what they had come for. The rest of the group had heard him shout and quickly abandoned the boat to go see what had happened.

"It's true!" he exclaimed as he rushed towards the rocky island, "the fossils! The Ammonites!" Alfonso was the first to reach the entrance to the new cove when he saw the pillar and gasped in amazement.

"Amazing, it'sa me!" he shouted out as Benjamin hoped up and down with glee. The girls finally reached the cave and gasped in amazement at the sight.

"See, I told you they were in this cave, silly!" said Rosie excitedly as she rushed over towards the boys.

"Really, karat?" said Francine innocently.

"She was bluffing, sparkles," said Chrissy indignantly, "I'm sure she made us ride over a waterfall cause she _knew_ this was the correct path!" Francine glared back before their eyes both widened in realization.

"You sounded just like me, karat," said Francine quietly.

"You sound just like me too," said Chrissy. They just stared blankly at each other and then smiled.

"Guess we still have things in common with each other after all," said Chrissy.

"Yeah we do," said Francine. They held each other's hands. The instant their hands touched, they felt like they were gonna cry all over again. To others, holding your sister's hand would be no big deal, but for Chrissy and Francine it was sign of hope.

"Maybe..." said Chrissy shakily, "our sisterhood...isn't completely broken."

"I hope so," Francine answered timidly, "I don't want to lose my best friend."

"Same here," said Chrissy, "I really want...to hope...we'll be okay..." Francine grabbed her other hand and held it so they were facing each other.

"We will," said Francine, showing more confidence in her voice, "We'll be okay." Chrissy sniffled a bit, but gave her a smile as her tears began anew.

"Guess I really am a crybaby, sparkles" said Chrissy. Francine chuckled, for she had started to cry again too.

"If you are, then I am too, karat," said Francine, "but you know what?"

"What?" Chrissy croaked.

"There's no shame in it," said Francine with a smile, "I love you Chrissy."

"I love you too Francine," said Chrissy, "Promise we'll never get that distant ever again? I'll try to be more helpful so I'm not a pain to take care of. I'll make sure I carry my weight."

"I promise," said Francine, "and I'll make sure that I won't be so stuck up and too motherly either. I want you to be able to come to me about stuff and I don't want you thinking I'm cold and heartless. As for the motherly nature, that's gonna be hard to back off on, someone's gotta look out for you, karat."

"What if we look out for each other, sparkles?" Chrissy suggested, "We were, and can be, a team again. Someone gotta look out for you to."

"Deal," said Francine and they both laughed as they hugged each other happily.

"Hey, you guys!" said Rosie from the rocky island, "I found the exit from here so come and check this out with us!" Benjamin and Alfonso were already dancing and singing.

"Here we got it, Here we got it, Now we have it, HOI!" they sang, "A fossil fishy mountain and now we have it, Hoi! Ammonites that right! It's what we have alright!" Rosie, Chrissy and Francine just laughed as they jumped up and down as the two boys danced and were having a good time. Roll just smiled, glad that the two boys had found their fossils but also that the two polka dot sisters had settled things. She was glad that things had turned out for the better.

"I guess coming to this cove was a good idea after all," said Roll to herself, "maybe...GASP!" Roll's then noticed something on the wall almost opposite of her position.

"Roll, come and join the fun, silly," said Rosie, waving at her and the polka dot sisters waved at her as well. Roll just ignored them and rushed along the side of the rocky island, splashing across the water until she came to a stop where the water was only up to the top of her bare feet and looked up. Her friends just looked at her worried.

"Roll?" Chrissy asked curiously as Francine stood nearby looking at the blonde girl with concern. Roll said nothing but just continued to stare at a nearby wall where the exit was located. Benjamin and Alfonso had stopped dancing when they noticed the girls all looking at Roll. Apparently what she had found was a rather large fossil. Actually it was entire dinosaur skeleton embedded within the massive three hundred foot wall.

"Wow," said Roll though no sound came out of her mouth. The rest of the group came up to Roll.

"What...what is that, alrighty?" said Benjamin in awe.

"Such a huge discovery, it'sa me," said Alfonso in amazement.

"It's incredible, karat," Francine added.

"You can say that again sis," Chrissy added as Rosie just stared at the skeleton with a wide smile on her face.

"Earth shaking," said Roll.

"It's called earth-shaking?" Chrissy asked.

"That's not its real name," Roll replied, as her brow narrowed as she began to think rather hard, "I think...it was called...sigh...say...sei...seismosaurus!" Her face brightened when she remembered the name.

"A seismosaurus?" Francine asked.

"It's one of the largest dinosaurs the world has ever known," Roll answered with excitement in her tone, "it's said it can eat up to 500kilograms of plants in a day!"

"One of the world's largest," said Benjamin, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Roll, that is so amazing," said Rosie as she bounced up and down in the water, "I never knew you knew so much about fossils, silly!" Chrissy and Francine nodded impressively. Roll just giggled.

"I actually heard that from Blather's the other day I was checking the progress on the fossil exhibit," said Roll, " other than our ammonite fossil. This is the last dinosaur the museum needs in our town. It's Blather's dream to have this dinosaur in the display."

"Well then," said Benjamin as he rushed over to the wall, "Let's make his dream come true, alrighty." Benjamin made a high leap for the wall and tried to start climbing but then he slid off and landed on his rear.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, "Oh playing hard to get huh?" Benjamin made another leap, but when he went to grab the next rock, it broke away, sending him landing even harder back on his rear. Everyone rushed over the dog.

"Benjamin are you alright, it'sa me?" Alfonso asked with worry.

"Darn," was all Benjamin could say as he got to his feet and rubbed his sore bottom.

"Uh-oh," said Francine.

"What's up, sparkles, " Chrissy asked.

"It is just me, karat," the blue rabbit said nervously, "Or do those rocks look like they are starting to crumble?" The rest of the group just looked at the cliff when they heard a faint sound, but then the sound got louder and large cracks began to appear all over the cliff. To make matters worse, the ground around them began to rumble.

"Uh oh!" Benjamin called out as the cliff cracked further, the rumbling grew louder, and suddenly rocks from above them started to fall.

"AAAAAHH!" The girls screamed and then screamed again in fright as they took off the exit just as the rocks falling began to not only increase but also grew larger in size. It wasn't much longer before the boys took off as well, trying not to get hit by the large falling rocks.

"I can see why they didn't call it earth shaking for nothing, it'sa me!" Alfonso shouted as he just missed a large rock from clocking him on the head.

"Are you sure this is the exit?" Roll asked as she and the rest of the girls were running for their lives near her.

"We should be able to get out over there, silly!" Rosie called out.

"Save yourselves ya sea dogs!" Benjamin shouted.

"Argh!" Alfonso chanted as they dashed for the exit as quickly as they could. Benjamin and Alfonso were the first to make it out of the cave. Rosie wasn't that far behind, followed by Chrissy, Roll, then Francine. They were just a ten yard away when Francine tripped and tumbled into her face. Francine was frazzled but quickly noticed everyone taken off and leaving her behind.

"Wait for me!" Francine shrieked as she tried to climb back onto her feet.

"Oh no!" Roll shouted.

"SIS!" Chrissy screamed as she rushed towards her sister. Rosie noticed them turned back and gasped.

"Roll! Chrissy! NO!" she shouted.

"LOOK OUT!" Benjamin shouted as he picked her up from behind and tried to run backwards, causing them to fall over and tumble backwards down a slope from the cavern entrance...just as the rocks sealed the entrance shut. Rosie hadn't left Benjamin's arms when she saw the sealed up cave. Her eyes grew large as well as wet as she feared the worst.

"ROOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!" she screamed, panting heavily as tears ran down her face as she ran back up the slope.

"Don't!" said Alfonso fearfully.

"Rosie, no!" Benjamin protested as he grabbed her arms from behind.

"I GOTTA GET THEM OUT!" Rosie shrieked in panic, "I GOTTA! THEY COULD BE BURIED ALIVE OR WORSE!"

"Rosie," Benjamin protested.

"LET GO OF ME!"

"We will figure something out, alrighty," Benjamin continued, "Don't do anything rash! You'll only make the situation worse."

"NO LET ME GO!" Rosie wailed.

"ROSIE!" Benjamin screamed, turning her around and holding her by the arms. The blue cat flinched as she looked at him angrily.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" she screamed, "IF YOU HADN'T CLIMBED THAT STUPID WALL YOU STUPID DOG! YOU STUPID DOG! You...stupid...stupid..." Rosie began to break down before Benjamin just pulled her into a hug to comfort her as Rosie began to weep. Yet he only held her for a few more seconds before abruptly pulling her away. Rosie stopped crying and looked at him, seeing a very stern but determined look on her face. He said nothing as he let her go and then headed up the hill.

"What are you... _are you crazy_!?" Alfonso exclaimed, "The rocks will bury them for sure of you try digging them out, it'sa me!"

"Not if I find a stable place to dig, alrighty!" Benjamin said sternly and boldly, "I gotta save Roll! And Chrissy and Francine too!" Benjamin began to feel the rocks as he crawled around them carefully, looking for a safe place to dig. He suddenly stopped, tapped a few rocks a couple of times with his knuckles before he started burrowing through them. Rosie and Alfonso just exchanged worried glances before they watched Benjamin disappear.

On the other side of the rocks, Roll, Chrissy, and Francine were all huddled close together as the avalanche of rocks finally came to a stop. They were covered in dirt, had some minor scratches on their arms and legs, and coughing furiously as the dust began to finally settle down. Roll was the first to clear her throat enough to talk.

"Everyone okay," she asked concerned as the two polka dot sisters coughed a little longer as all three felt their eyes adjust to the darkness so they could at least see each other a little bit.

"We're okay, sparkles," said Chrissy as she felt about her arms and legs, "Dirty but nothing's broken...right sis?" Francine just trembled fearfully as she saw the pile of rocks now blocking their way out.

"Sis?" Chrissy asked again.

"We're trapped, karat," said Francine with much dread, "We're gonna die in here!"

"No were not!" said Chrissy retorted, "We'll figure a way out of this!"

"She's right," said Roll, "Rosie, Benjamin, and Alfonso made it out okay. They'll send for help and we'll be out of here in no time." Chrissy smiled in agreement as Francine just sighed in defeat as she plopped herself on the dirt.

"This is all my fault, karat," said Francine, "I'm such a klutz! We're wouldn't be here if I hadn't tripped over my big feet!"

"Stop Francine," said Chrissy, "I know we've had alot of things to regret but we can't let it get us down."

"Yeah well I don't feel really confident in myself anymore, karat," said Francine and added timidly, "I'm scared. You know I've always hated the dark..."

"I know, sparkles," said Chrissy, "and I'm sorry I teased you about that. I'm scared too, but we can't give up. Just like you didn't want me to give up back at the waterfall. I won't let you give up here." Chrissy knelt beside her and held her older sister. Francine just held her back, feeling better being in her sister's arms. Roll just looked at them sadly as she sat on her knees.

"I'm sorry I put you through all of this," said Roll, "It's my fault were in this mess. I just thought..."

"Roll...we came in this adventure with you by choice, karat," interrupted Francine as she let go of Chrissy and stood up.

"We knew this would be a risky adventure when we came along, sparkles," said Chrissy, standing up as well.

"We are actually very grateful for everything you've done for us, karat," said Francine, "you've been a good friend to both of us and not choosing sides."

"You helped us realize that we were both to blame for getting distant with each other, sparkles," said Chrissy.

"Yeah, karat," said Francine, "with everything we've been through, we had forgotten how to be open and honest with each other. How to work as a team instead of trying to just carry our own weight."

"When you love someone, sparkles," said Chrissy, "You don't let the little things or differences pull you apart. You still do your best to work together."

"We build on each other's strengths, karat," Francine concluded, "and look out for each other's weaknesses."

"We had forgotten what is means to be sisters..."

"...and to be a team."

"As you can see," Chrissy pointed out, "we are so close..."

"...that we can finish each other's sentences," Francine finished and they both laughed. Roll chuckled as well.

"Our point is this," said Francine, "even though we've been so difficult lately..."

"...you never gave up on us," Chrissy finished this time, "or threw out of the house."

"So thank you Roll," they said together with a light bow, "You are a real friend." Roll smiled proudly when she suddenly felt the ground start to rubble again. The girls quickly huddled close together again when they saw a several rocks tumble out of the pile of rocks and a familiar dog appeared before them, coughing lightly since he was exhausted.

"Benjamin!" the three girls exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey, alrighty," he said, clearly exhausted, "Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah, just some scrapes and dirty clothes," said Roll, "but nothing is broken. So...you dug to find us?" Benjamin nodded as he crawled out and sat on the floor.

"I had to," said Benjamin, "It's my fault those rock came down and you guys got stuck, alrighty, Poor Rosie was falling apart and worried sick about you. I couldn't take her being to mad at me. I had to try and rescue you myself." Francine and Chrissy hugged him.

"Our hero!" they exclaimed and kissed his cheeks several times. Roll giggled since despite the darkness she could see Benjamin's cheek flush bright pink.

Back outside, Rosie was just holding Alfonso's arm, she had started crying again after Benjamin had disappeared a few minutes ago. Alfonso just held her as she let her tears continued to fall.

"I...I hope Benjamin and the others are okay, silly," said Rosie with worry.

"Me too, it'sa me!" said Alfonso, just as concerned as Rosie, but it didn't show due to his lax face. Then they were both startled when they heard some light rumbling and began to stare at the hole Benjamin had entered. They saw a few rocks pop out of them before Benjamin came out with a smile on his face.

"They're okay, alrighty," he replied in exhaustion as a rather battered and soiled blonde girl came out of the hole first. Alfonso and Rosie gasped in amazement as Benjamin helped Roll to her feet.

"ROLL!" Rosie called out as she ran into her arms and glomped the blonde girl tightly. Roll flinched since she was a bit stiff from the crawl and her eyes were adjusting to the brightness of the late afternoon sun, but returned the hug as Rosie began to cry again.

"I'm so glad you are okay, silly," she sobbed. It was then Benjamin helped Chrissy and Francine climbed out as well. Rosie just sniffled as a soft smile appeared on her face as she approached him.

"You did it Benjamin!" said Rosie excitedly, "You saved them, silly!" Benjamin blushed and just rubbed his feet against the dirt. This stunned Rosie but she didn't think too much about it when she noticed that the two sisters were hugging each other.

"I guess things are okay between the two of you now, silly?" Rosie asked as she dried her eyes.

"Yeah," said Francine, "we're a team."

"And this time we are gonna make sure we stay that way," said Chrissy, "right sis."

"Right sis," said Francine as they smiled at each other. They were suddenly interrupted when they heard someone applauding nearby. They turned to see KK Slider clapping for them with a warm smile on their face. Next to him were Isabelle, Bunnie, and Sable. They had felt the rumbles and had come to see if everyone was alright.

"Now that is harmony," said KK and paused impressively.

"What do you mean, sparkles," Chrissy asked as she and Francine gave him puzzled looks.

"This is what you two were lacking from before," said KK, "You need to not just be in harmony musically, but also with each other."

"I...don't get it," said Chrissy.

"KK's talking about our sisterhood, our friendship, karat," said Francine, "we were working, but not working together." Chrissy blinked for a bit and then smiled.

"Now I get it," said Chrissy, "We had alot of tension and anger between us...and we've made peace with it."

"Precisely," said KK, "Remember, no matter how famous or difficult things become, never forget those you love and cherish the most."

"We won't KK," said the polka dot sister together and smiled at each other.

"Well then," said KK, "you guys clean up, rest, and then meet me by the stage later tonight for rehearsal." KK gave them a wink. Francine and Chrissy gasped and then hopped up and down with glee as they hugged each other. They were gonna perform after all.

Three days later, everyone was backstage with KK and the polka dot sisters as they got themselves ready for the concert. Since they were in the tropics, Chrissy and Francine had each worn a muumuu dress in the colors of their sibling, which meant that Francine was wearing a pink floral muumuu while Chrissy wore a light blue one. This also included a red hibiscus as well. While Isabelle had wanted to just have KK to herself, she decided to invite the others to join her. This also included Benjamin and Alfonso. The biggest shocker was when Benjamin had asked Rosie to be his date for the concert. While Rosie said yes, she was still baffled at the fact Benjamin even saw her that way, but she would worry about it another day. For it was the stroke of 8 o'clock at night, which was the time KK usually started his concert. Everyone in the audience applauded as he made his way to the stage.

"What a groovy summer night," he replied, "my name is KK Slider. I used to play down at the local train station, but now...I've gotten used to performing at Club LOL. Anyway, thanks for welcoming me to your island home. Before I take requests, I have a special surprise for everyone tonight. You've seen them on the album covers of Bubblegum KK. Ladies and gentlemen. I give you...the polka dot sisters." The crowds cheered excitedly as Chrissy and Francine appeared on stage, holding each other's hand.

"Thank you everyone," said Francine, "we are very honored to be here this evening, karat."

"Before we begin, sparkles," Chrissy continued, "we would like to extend a special welcome to a new and very special friend, Roll. She is the mayor of Animal Town and it is thanks to her that we were able to perform for you tonight."

"My sister and I have been having issues lately," Francine explained, "but it is thanks to Roll we were able to settle those differences with each other."

"She reminded us that no matter how rough life gets," Chrissy concluded, "Never forget those who love you. Because they will be the ones who help you get through those hard times."

"It because of Roll was so helpful that we invite her to join us for the song as a triplet," said Francine, "Come on out Roll!" Roll was stunned hearing they wanted her to sing with them. She almost was afraid to move and wondered if she should have picked a different outfit. She had chosen a sky blue dress that was the same style as the red dress Sable had asked her to wear on mother's day, matching headband, but her hair in pigtails. Rosie and Sable both pushed her forward so she began to make her way towards the sisters. The audience began to applaud her, which only made Roll even more shy. Once she was close enough, Francine guided her towards Chrissy and they positioned her in the middle of the silver mike while they stood on each side of her.

"Guys," Roll whispered nervously, "I've never sang before."

"You'll be okay, sparkles," said Chrissy, "just follow our lead and you will be okay."

"Plus I've heard you sing to yourself when you think no one is listening," Francine added, "You can do it." Francine nodded for KK to start playing. Roll was a little timid at first, but her voice got stronger as the song continued. She was perfectly in sync with both sisters and on key too. Everyone was smiling as she sang with the two sisters. Once they had finished, Roll was given a standing ovation. The blonde girl just gave a shy smile and curtsy before following the polka dot sisters off the stage. KK applauded for them as well before taking his position at the center stage.

"I must apologize again," said KK, "Now I would like to do something special...for a very special friend of mine. Isabelle...would you come out please?" Isabelle's entire face began to glow with a shade of red. She, like Roll had to be pushed, onto the stage. She had chosen to wear a pink bud tank with a dry denim skirt and had added a fresh pink orchid that was tied to her bell ribbon. She nervously jingled as she walked up to KK Slider. He offered her a pink wooden stool with a matching cushion to sit on before taking his trademark position on the nearby plain wooden stool.

"Isabelle has a very special place in my heart," said KK, "so here...is a very special song for her." The audience, as well as Roll's group, "awed" as Isabelle blushed shyly as KK began to sing. Her shyness turned into joy when she found that he was singing his "I love you" sing to her. That was a dream come true for Isabelle. Roll and the group couldn't stop smiling as KK sang to her and then let her stay with him as he took song requests. Everyone was very happy, and Roll was the happiest of them all.

She had not only helped to mend a broken sisterhood, but had also helped her best friend make a long time dream come true.

 **The cave scene for the ammonite and seismosaurus from the** ** _Dōbutsu no Mori_** **was just so fitting for an island adventure that I had to base an adventure from it. Hope you enjoyed my twist on it!**

 **Also Roll's remark of Alfonso's and Benjamin's pirate attires is a** ** _Star Wars_** **reference.**

 **Rosie's exclamation sentence was from the** ** _Tinkerbelle_** **movies.**

 **Just cause these animals are "human" doesn't mean that they don't have natural talents like regular animals. How else would Benjamin be experienced in digging and have ultra sensitive smelling abilities? In time, I might unveil other natural abilities of other villagers.**

 **Here's the preview for the next story arc:**

 **The fireworks show: As the fireworks show approaches, Roll and her crew visit Anemone's town to join her friends for the festivities. However, one of her villagers has taken a liking to their town mayor. Can Roll and her friends help this villager woo Anemone? Also known as "the lemon fairy"?**

 **Until then, see you next time!**


	36. The Fireworks Show Part 1

The Fireworks Show Part 1

The month of July was coming to a close and advertisements for the fireworks festival were already in full swing. Everyone was excited that the first fireworks show of the year was coming up, especially for Roll and her friends.

Despite the double drama during their trip to the islands, everyone was able to say that it was a great vacation. Isabelle not only felt refreshed but also was much happier too. This was for two reasons. The first was because Roll had helped her write out a schedule so she knew when to work, to rest, and to take breaks. Roll even had her take Sundays off. Isabelle had asked what if an emergency occurred. Roll's answer was direct and simple.

"If something comes up, then we'll deal with it together. Otherwise, you just rest and don't worry about worst case scenario. We'll prepare ahead of time so we can be ready for anything."

It was the best answer Isabelle could hear and she had to admit, not trying to jump ahead really gave her the opportunity to clear her mind and she didn't feel so bogged down anymore. This brings the second reason she was happier. While she and KK had stayed friends, that didn't mean they had closed the door for any romance. He would often stop by the office several times a day before doing his DJ KK job. Sometimes even practicing his guitar in the town hall while Isabelle did her work. He also continued her guitar lessons, which Roll didn't mind cause despite him being around more often. Isabelle was still finishing her work...ahead of schedule.

Despite it being only a week since she had returned from the island, she was more than eager to accept an invitation from Sakura's friend, Anemone. She had invited Roll and her friends to join her for fireworks festival. Also, while the fireworks show was not for another three days, Anemone had invited her to spend a couple of nights at her house. Roll just figured the twelve year old girl just wanted to get to know her better. She didn't mind that a bit. She was growing to like making new friends. She was looking forward to meeting the girl Sakura not only called her best friend, but also "the lemon fairy". In addition, Anemone had also extended the invitation to the slumber party to Roll's friends as well. Roll had asked Sable, even knowing she probably wouldn't be able to and that was the case. In the end, Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie were more than willing to take the trip with the blonde girl to Flower Town.

So that is where Roll was going today, she had dressed into a pink strapless top that had a white trim on the chest with a creamy pink pep-squad style mini-skirt. She had also left her hair down, which had been cut but was still more than halfway down her back, with her sunhat. She had considered wearing a sandal, but her friends told her to just go barefoot and not worry about what Anemone thought about it. Unlike last time, Roll took their advice but still packed a pair of sandals just in case.

The four friends were now riding the train on route to Flower Town, which was the name of Anemone's town. They were all very excited about the trip, including Roll, even if she did feel a little nervous. Margie had been sketching to pass the time and was sitting right next to Roll on the train. Bunnie and Rosie were sitting across from them, just reading a gossip magazine together. Margie was just looking at Roll as she was fingering something on her top.

"Is your top loose, tootie?" Margie asked curiously.

"Oh, no, no," said Roll with giggle, "I was just playing with my new locket." Roll removed her hand and showed Margie a golden heart pennant that had a gold chain. Bunnie and Rosie had just lowered their magazine and gasped in excitement at seeing the necklace.

"Oh that's so pretty, tee hee," said Bunnie in surprise.

"Where's did you get that, silly?" Rosie asked with just as much curiosity.

"The Able Sister's all pitched in to buy this for me," said Roll as she opened the pendant and show her friends the picture. Inside was a photo taken of the three hedgehogs all hugging Roll tightly.

"They wanted to give me something to remind me that I have a family now who loves me and wants me in their lives," said Roll, "I mean, I know you guys are my family and all but...they were willing to adopt me and...it's nice to know...I was good enough." The three other girls just chuckled to each other.

"We get it, tootie," said Margie, "I mean one of your biggest dreams was to have a mom who loved you. Now you have one."

"Yeah, I do," said Roll, "Thinking about Sable helps me feel a better too since I'm a little nervous. Sakura said Anemone is very, very sweet...and a bit strange, but mostly very sweet. I guess I'll feel better once we start hanging out. She said she was gonna give us a tour of her town once we get settled at her house.

"Is that why you had us come so early in the morning, silly?" Rosie yawned as Bunnie did the same. Their train had left at 7am and it was now approaching 9am as the train continued on its way towards their destination.

"Well I was excited to get to her town and so were the rest of you," said Roll, "I can tell Anemone you guys want a quick nap before we start the tour." Bunnie and Rosie giggled to each other.

"We'll be okay, tee hee," said Bunnie just as they heard a chime.

"Flower Town! Now arriving in Flower Town!" said the conductor.

"Oh! That's our stop!" said Margie, "Make sure you got everything with you!"

"We will Mom!" said Bunnie and Rosie in annoyance. It was such a nuisance to be reminded of the time they had taken a train trip to another town for shopping and had left their shopping bags on the train. They had learned their lesson, but it didn't help they had almost boarded this train and had left their suitcases at the station.

Once the train had come to complete stop, they exited out with suitcases in hand. And as soon as their town pass cards were checked out, they left the station building. As soon as they stepped outside, they found Anemone waiting for them. The instant Roll saw her, she couldn't help but smile. Anemone was wearing a strapless dress that was bright yellow at the top with a pastel yellow skirt that looked like flower petals and also had a waist belt that had a belt buckle that looked like a lemon slice. She also had a stitched lemon slice on the chest as well. Her hair was tied up in the same mini bun she had seen from Cherry's wedding and she also had a pair of yellow colored sandals on her feet in which the buckle had a lemon slice on it. Lastly, in her right hand was a solid gold wand that had a lemon at the top with a pointy star at its tip. Anemone smiled happily when she saw Roll appear.

"ROLL!" she shouted with glee and rushed towards the blonde girl. Before Roll could react, she was being crushed in Anemone's arms.

"You're so cute!" she gushed, "Big Hugs and Pokes!" The poking part came from her tapping the side of her "lemon" shaped wand against her cheek.

"Thanks," said Roll in a strained voice as she tried to catch her breath from her bone crushing hug, "Anemone..."

"Call me Lemon, Roll-chan," said Anemone with a cute smile.

"Oh...okay...Lemon," said Roll, "Where's your mansion?" Lemon giggled to herself.

"Just follow me," said Lemon, "Once you and your friends...oh you didn't tell me who you brought along with you, Roll-chan." Roll blinked before giggling to herself.

"Oh of course," said Roll, "These are my best friends, Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie."

"Very nice to meet you, tootie," said Margie with a polite bow.

"Same here, silly," said Rosie with a wave.

"I love your dress, tee hee," Bunnie added. Anemone giggled.

"Well your friends are very sweet," said Lemon, "come on. I'll take you to my house!"

"Before we go Lemon," said Roll, rubbing her feet together, "do I...well...what I mean is..."

"Roll likes to be barefoot," Rosie cut in, "do you mind, silly?"

"Thanks...Rosie," said Roll begrudgingly.

"Oh Roll can wear whatever she wants," said Lemon, "if being barefoot makes you happy, then it's okay with me. Just be sure to wipe your feet before entering my house okay." Roll smiled.

"Okay," she replied as Anemone guided them towards her house, which was located near the west side of town, close to the cliffside. Roll couldn't help but notice that the exterior of her house looked different.

"How...did you get your house to look like a Japanese mansion?" said Roll, "I recognize the style from Yumi's castle."

"When you check Tom Nook's shop," said Anemone, "You'll see a miniature house model on the right side when you walk in. Once you've built all the rooms that are possible, you can change the shape of your house. I'm assuming you've got the mansion model, which is the default. You can also go with a modern house, Zen palace, and even a fairy tale castle."

"Oh the fairy tale castle would totally be you, silly," said Rosie.

"Or the modern house since you are pretty chic, tee hee," Bunnie added with Margie nodding in agreement.

"I'll have to think about it," said Roll, "I'm pretty sure such an exterior renovation is expensive."

"This one cost me 398,000 bells," said Lemon, "and you have to pay it all upfront. No house loans for this one."

"Oh boy," said Roll wearily.

"Anyway, come on inside," said Lemon, "Just be sure to wipe your feet okay." Roll nodded as Lemon slipped off her sandals and set them against the entrance before opening the door. The inside of her main room was very mansion like but it was also very cozy since she had a pair of comfy white chasse sofas that surrounded a low table. The outer walls were decorated with various sorts of items such as lucky cats, a gold dharma, various rare flowers, a old fashioned music players and a modern wood cabinet to name a few. Her floor was also covered with a very large purple rug that Roll couldn't help but curl her toes into since it was so soft. That was she noticed Lemon was wearing sheep slippers.

"I like sheep, they are so kawaii!" she said giddy and made a pose that cause her entire body to sparkle and her left leg pop up. The rest of the group giggled as they made their way inside.

"What is "kawaii"? Roll asked, not remembering if she had asked that before.

"It's just Japanese for cute," Lemon explained, "it's who I am I like things that are both kawaii and kowai."

"What would "kowai" mean?" Roll asked her again.

"It means scary," said Lemon, "For example, I like a good horror movie as much as the next person."

"That's not the only thing she likes that's scary, silly," said Rosie from the inside the north room.

"Rosie, you know its rude to explore someone's house without asking, tootie," Margie scolded.

"It's alright, Margie," said Lemon, "You can check out the house if you want. I'm gonna go get some black cherry juice."

"Why black cherries, tootie?" Margie asked curiously.

"I feel like I'm drinking blood," said Lemon. Margie's face paled as Lemon giggled to herself.

"Yeah, I think I said too much," said Lemon, "but cherry juice is cherry juice, that's just how I see it. Want some?"

"I'll take a glass, thank you," said Roll. Margie just opened and closed her mouth a bit before recomposing herself.

"Umm..." Margie was still at a loss for words.

"Just get her a glass," said Roll, "Margie loves cherries. Don't you?" Roll gave her a smile and Margie just sighed and nodded timidly before Lemon headed into the west room where her kitchen was located. Margie just sighed as Roll guided her towards one of the sofas, which the elephant plopped onto one of the chasse sofas.

"You know she was just kidding," said Roll, "You know cherry juice can be a dark red when its sweet."

"I know that, tootie," said Margie as she tried to relax, "I just forgot how squeamish I get at the sight of blood. And I mean a large amount of it, scrapes and cuts I can handle."

"I know Margie I know," said Roll, remembering a time Margie was teaching Bunnie how to chop vegetables and the rabbit cut her finger. But what made Margie pass out was when she thought Bunnie had chopped her finger right off until Roll had told her what she thought was Bunnie's finger was just a piece of carrot.

It wasn't much longer before Lemon handed everyone their drinks. Margie seemed the most nervous to take the glass but bravely did so. Yet it wasn't until she had actually taken a drink that she finally started to feel better. Lemon just set the tray down before sitting next to the elephant and folded her hands on her lap.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you Margie," said Lemon, "It's just who I am. I hope you'll still be my friend." Margie just looked at her and then smiled.

"It's okay," said Margie, "I'm just a bit squeamish when it comes to blood, at least in a graphic sense." Lemon nodded.

"I'll try to remember that," said Lemon, "Most people like my kawaii side more than my kowai side anyways. Speaking of Kawaii...I gotta show you guys to your bedrooms!"

"I...hope none of us have to stay in the creepy room over there," Rosie remarked pointing at the north room and getting nudged by Bunnie to hush. Lemon giggled.

"That room is actually my office," said Lemon, "I use it to do my favorite hobbies and such."

"What...are your...umm...hobbies, tee hee?" Bunnie asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

"Stitching stuff animals, sticker collecting, handheld video games, and reading magna," Lemon answered, "especially Japanese magna."

"You can read Japanese, tootie?" Margie asked excitedly as she finished her cherry juice. Lemon nodded.

"Wow, silly," said Rosie, "I guess your bi-lingual too?" Lemon giggled.

"No, I'm can read Japanese, but not speak it," said Lemon, "Is...Roll-chan bilingual?"

"More like tri-lingual," said Rosie, "she can read and speak Italian and Russian, silly."

"Oh Rosie, I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm..."

"That is so cool!" Lemon gushed, "Roll I didn't know you could speak in different languages! So KAWAII!" Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie giggled to each other while Roll just looked annoyed. But directed her annoyance towards the three giggling girls.

"Come on, I'll show you guys to the guest bedroom," said Lemon, "It's in the east room over here. Lemon guided them towards the room and the girls were amazed. Inside the room was a very elegant guest bedroom that had several pieces of rococo furniture inside along with two large rococo beds, a full moon vanity, and even some pieces of light blue and white furniture that Roll didn't recognize.

"Where did you find those?" said Roll, pointing towards the sofa and table near the entrance.

"That's the princess furniture," said Lemon, "Gracie only sells them at her shop during the spring time."

"Gracie sells furniture too?" Roll asked surprised.

"She sells furniture and other items at her shop," said Lemon, "I can take you there later if you wanna go shopping."

"I'll see," said Roll, "Sakura said her wares are a bit expensive."

"They are," said Lemon, "but the items she offers are more than worth it, but first let me show you where you'll be staying Roll-chan."

"Where I'll be staying?" said Roll, "but...I was just gonna share one of the rococo beds..."

"I actually have your own bed up in my room," said Lemon, "if...if that's okay..." Roll was a bit stunned but then smiled.

"Sure," said Roll, "lead the way!" Lemon smiled excitedly before grabbing Roll's hand and pulling her upstairs. Lemon's bedroom was similar to the guest room except the furniture was completely rococo and there were two beds. Roll didn't need long to figure out which bed was hers.

"Can I assume that the bed that isn't covered with lots of plush toys is mine?" Roll asked and Lemon chuckled. Her bed was loaded with what Roll wanted to believe were a few dozen plush toys of all shapes and sizes. She could also tell that several of them were of Japanese origin.

"Yeah," said Lemon, "I just love plushies. I can't get enough of them! Just look at how kawaii they all look together. It's like one big happy family. And the best part is that these plushies won't try to chop your head off in the middle of the night!" Roll squeaked at the thought and Lemon put her hand over her mouth.

"I said too much again," she remarked, "Sorry...I have a weird sense of humor. Not that it means that I would hurt you. You're my friend. At least you know I won't eat your poop...oop! I said too much again...maybe I shouldn't talk anymore..." Lemon just turned away, knowing she was probably making Roll feel uncomfortable. Roll did feel a bit awkward but then she saw that Lemon's brown eyes had gotten a bit glossy, as if she was fighting back tears. Roll just took a deep breath and held the brown haired girl's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"It's okay," said Roll, "Those things are disturbing, but I'll adjust. We all have our quirks. Look at me. I like going barefoot everywhere! And I hate shoes! They make my feet feel like they are gonna suffocate and die!" Lemon giggled.

"Well I'm not that big on being barefoot," said Lemon, "it's why I wear sandals or slippers."

"Just not your comfort zone?" she asked.

"No...well...you see," said Lemon, "I'm kind of clumsy so I would most likely stub my toes or hit my foot on something. I do that even when I wear shoes! It's embarrassing...at least with shoes I can hide the bruises on my toes or draw attention away from where it hurts." Roll giggled.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," said Roll, "it's what makes you who you are. I also noticed that you have a bit of accent."

"I'm from one of those regions where girls are commonly called a "southern belle"," said Lemon, "I am so happy you like my voice. Those back home thought my accent was annoying."

"Do any of the villagers give you a hard time about it?" Roll asked.

"Oh no, they love my voice," said Lemon, "and they are so kawaii in their own special ways! Come on! You can unpack later! I want you to meet my villagers or as I call them, my real family!"

" _Real_ family?" Roll asked, but she would have to wait for an answer as Lemon set her suitcase next to her bed and then pulled her back downstairs. Roll's friends were still unpacking when she entered.

"Come on, I can't wait to show you all my friends!" she said excitedly, "they need their daily dose of hugs and lemon pokes." She waved her gold wand to emphasize her point. Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie couldn't help but giggle as they tried to finish unpacking quickly before Lemon escorted them out of her house, changed from her slippers to her lemon slip on sandals, and then guided them towards the first house just north of her house. Roll and her friends were shocked to see that the house was rather run-down.

"What's with her house, silly?" said Rosie, "Whoever lives here is at risk of the house falling down!"

"That's just the ramshackle exterior and door," said Lemon, "she just likes old and worn down things."

"She?" Bunnie and Rosie asked together as they headed inside. This time Lemon didn't remove her sandals and just walked inside. Inside the house looked polar opposite to the outside of the house. The girl's house had a cobblestone floor with bamboo walls. There was an outdoor bath, spa sink and chair, and even a wash bin.

"This place looks lot like a Japanese bathhouse, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Thanks, me-Wow," said a peppy voice. They turned and jumped in surprise to see a orange and brown stripped cat with a very toothy but also creepy grin on her face.

"Hi, Tabby!" Lemon said in a high pitched tone, "hugs and pokes!" Lemon tapped her wand against her cheek, making the orange cat giggle.

"Hi there Lemon!" said Tabby, "Whose your new friends?"

"This kawaii young lady is Roll," Lemon replied, "and these are her friends, Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie." The orange cat gave them a smile, which looked creepy, but they knew she was being friendly.

"It's really nice to meet you all, me-Wow," said Tabby, "just don't forget your first BFF Lemon!"

"Never!" said Lemon, placing a hand in shock at such a thought, "I would flood the river and drown everyone here if you ever left me Tabby. You were one of my first friend here in Flower Town!" Tabby giggled as they shared a sisterly hug with each other. Roll just smiled.

"Guess you can't always judge a book by its cover huh, silly?" said Rosie quietly.

"Pretty much, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Just cause Tabby has a toothy smile doesn't mean she is any different from you and me. She's still a peppy."

"Exactly," said Tabby since she had heard the both of them. Bunnie and Rosie blushed slightly in embarrassment since they hadn't wanted to be heard. Tabby giggled.

"It's okay," said Tabby, "it's not the first time I've been misjudged cause of my face. I mean I like a good horror picture or anime as much as Lemon here, but I still like a good gossip session and girl talk. I hope we can do manicures again Lemon!"

"Well I was gonna have a slumber party later tonight, Tabby," said Lemon, "wanna join us?" Tabby squealed with glee and bounced on her feet.

"You bet I would like too, me-Wow," said Tabby, "And let's not forget to invite Kiki as well!"

"Oh of course!" said Lemon, "We just wouldn't have a slumber party without Kiki-chan!"

"Is Kiki your other best friend Lemon?" Roll asked curiously.

"She is my kawaii kitty nyan-nyan," said Lemon excitedly, "You're not the only one to have villagers as best friends Roll chan. Tabby and Kiki are mine, at least in terms of girls."

"Oh you have boy best friends too, tootie," said Margie, "Roll here has a boy best friend."

"They make a cute couple too, silly," said Rosie.

"Rosie!" Roll retorted in annoyance, "it's not like that!" Sure she and Marshal were close but they only saw each other as brother and sister and nothing else.

"I get it Roll-chan," said Lemon, "It's okay if you do like him. I bet he's really good to you. Why else would he be your best friend?" Roll smiled and nodded in agreement as Lemon gave her a poke with her lemon wand.

"Now come on," said Lemon, "Tabby is just the first villager. We still gotta meet my other best friend."

"Let them meet Coco, me-Wow," said Tabby, "She another good example of someone who might look creepy but is actually really sweet and friendly."

"Oh Coco, she is so totally kawaii!" said Lemon, "Come on you guys!"

"Can I come too, me-Wow?" Tabby asked.

"Of course," said Lemon, grabbing her hand, "Let's get going!" Once Tabby had remembered and managed to lock her door, the group headed towards the opposite side of town where Coco had her house located. Along the way, they met Mint, a squirrel with light creamy "mint" colored fur that seemed to be a big fan of ice cream. She was even eating a mint ice cream cone when they spoke to one another. She even offered them a cone to eat along their way, which they accepted and they couldn't resist giggling when Lemon got a scoop of lemon sherbet for her flavor. The next was Hazel, who was a professional manga artist who had written several different manuscripts. She had even given Rosie and Bunnie and exclusive copy of one of her earlier works since she was the artist for the moon princess series. They got special handmade copies of issue number one, which they were very grateful to get. Lastly was Filbert, who seemed to be very obsessed with balloons. In fact, he almost floated away when he tied a cyan balloon to his tail. Luckily Lemon used her wand to pop it and bring him back down. She scolded him for being so careless but he seemed too upset at losing his balloon to notice. As they left the sobbing squirrel, they finally reached a rather wooden square house that belonged to Coco. Lemon got in front of the group as they approached the door.

"Just like Tabby said," said Lemon, "Coco's face might be creepy, but she is actually a real sweetheart."

"Just like me, me-Wow," said Tabby excitedly. The group chuckled to themselves as they entered and as they saw the rabbit, they screamed in surprise at seeing someone with large empty black eyes and with a smaller circular mouth. Coco just looked at them for a moment before turning away and started to cry. It wasn't longer before Roll and her friends felt guilty.

"We're sorry," said Roll, trying to do damage control, "we didn't mean to scream."

"Yeah it's not your fault your face is scary, tee hee," said Bunnie. That comment got her death glares from Roll, Rosie, and Margie as the burnt orange rabbit cowered back and Coco cried harder. Roll slowly approached Coco.

"Coco, please turn around," said Roll gently, "Bunnie didn't mean anything by that. So your face is different. That's not a bad thing...it just means your special." Coco stopped crying and turned to face her, cheeks stained with tears.

"I didn't ask for this face you know," said Coco, "I was just born with it. The only thing that might be considered creepy is my decor, but I just like the outdoor furniture, fossils, and gyriods, doyoing. But just cause of my face...people think am I freak!" Coco continued crying until Roll took both her hands in her own.

"You're not a freak!" said Roll, "and if you are, so am I!"

"How is someone as cute and pretty as you be a freak, doyoing?" Coco asked, her voice still cracking. Roll just lifted her left foot and wiggled her toes.

"I'm fetish," said Roll quietly, "and I go everywhere barefoot cause I hate wearing shoes. I'll probably be the only girl walking through the snow barefoot!" Coco just stared and then laughed.

"Being barefoot doesn't make you a freak, doyoing," said Coco, "Look at me! I'm not even pretty! Who could look at me face and say that I'm a beautiful girl?"

"I would," said Roll. Coco blinked and then looked at her angrily.

"Don't, doyoing," she retorted sternly, "Don't do that! Don't just say something like that to me for my sake!"

"I'm not," said Roll sternly, "I meant what I say and I say what I meant and I'll stand by it 100%!" Coco smiled at her with watery eyes.

"That means alot to me, thank you, doyoing," said Coco as she gave Roll a gentle hug. Roll giggled as she hugged her back.

"Anytime," said Roll, "I'm sure Lemon thinks you're pretty too."

"She's beautiful," said Lemon, "and so kawaii. I love her face! It's why I give it lemon pokes!" She tapped Coco cheek a few times, making the rabbit giggle since she was feeling much better.

"So...what brings you guys here anyway, doyoing?" Coco asked curiously.

"I invited some friends to stay for the weekend so they could join me for the fireworks festival on Sunday," Lemon explained, "We were going to have a slumber party later tonight. Did you wanna join us?" Coco pondered.

"Will there be lots of sweets?" Coco asked hopefully. Lemon giggled.

"Uh-huh," said Lemon.

"Count me in!" said Coco as she clapped excitedly and Roll and her friends cheered. Once they bid Coco farewell, they headed on towards Kiki's house. Along the way, they ran into Klaus. While he looked intimidating, he was very polite when he met them. Next was Jeremiah, who Rosie couldn't help but stop talking about how awesome the color blue was until Margie picked her up and carried the cat away. Genji was one of the male villagers that Lemon got kawaii overload about. While he was very similar to Rudy in Roll's perspective, he also had a like for both scary and zen like items, which could be seen by the types of items that were in his house. Once Lemon had calmed down did they finally let Genji do his daily workout and continue on their way towards Kiki's house. They had just crossed the final bridge when Bunnie noticed something.

"Wait a minute here, tee hee!" said Bunnie skeptically, "Kiki was just south of your house!" Bunnie pointed out in the distance where she could see Lemon's zen palace. Roll, Rosie, and Margie blinked in surprise as Lemon, Coco, and Tabby just giggled to each other.

"Well, this way you got to meet some of the other villagers in town," said Lemon, "I just haven't seen the one I really wanted you guys to..."

"Roll? Is that you, hi there?" said a voice. Roll blinked as she turned towards her side to see a rather familiar bear cub with yellowish fur.

"Tammy!" Roll exclaimed as the two embraced each other.

"How are you, hi there?" she asked excitedly.

"I'm great, Tammy," said Roll, "I didn't know you moved here!"

"Flower Town was the best place I could go to fulfill my dream of hosting costume parties, hi there!" said Tammy, "Lemon fairy really embraces that "cute and scary" part of herself really well. Once a month, I get to host a party here in town where we all dress up in costumes and just have a good time with each other. I've hosted two parties already and they've both been rousing successes! Other towns are asking for Lemon to open her gates to they can come!"

"That's great Tammy!" said Roll, "I'm glad things have turned out well for you!"

"It's all thanks to you, hi there," said Tammy, "I still feel indebted to you."

"Tammy, the past is the past and all is forgiven," said Roll and then noticed Lemon fairy smiling next to her, "Uhh...yeah Tammy and I..."

"She told me everything," said Lemon, "We've all made mistakes. Tammy needed a place where she could start her life with a clean slate and I was more than happy to give it to her."

"She's family," said Tabby, "the big sister I always wanted, me-Wow."

"Thanks Tabby," said Tammy, "Well I better get back to my house. I still got some work to do for my yukata for Sunday so I'll see you later, hi there."

"See you!" said Roll and waved her goodbye. She turned to Lemon as they headed towards Kiki's house.

"I'm glad to see Tammy is doing well," said Roll and Lemon nodded in agreement as they reached Kiki's front door. Lemon allowed herself in as the rest of the group followed.

"Kiki-chan?" she called out. The black cat was washing dishes when she heard Lemon's voice.

"Oh hello there dear?" said Kiki sweetly, "What brings you to my humble abode, kitty cat?"

"My new friends have arrived and I wanted them to meet you," said Lemon, "How could I not introduce you, my kawaii kitty nyan-nyan!" Kiki chuckled to herself. Kiki was used to Lemon's kawaii as well as her kowai side.

"Well then, let them come inside then, kitty cat," said Kiki as she waited patiently for Roll and her friends to let themselves in.

"Kiki-chan," said Lemon, "these are my new friends. Roll, the mayor of Animal town, and these are some of the villagers who are her best friends: Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie."

"Hi, silly."

"Glad to meet you, tee hee."

"Hello, tootie."

"It is an honor to meet you," said Roll with a polite curtsey. Kiki just smiled.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you, kitty cat," said Kiki, "I do hope you enjoy your stay and pardon my daughter's random sense of humor."

"Mom!" Lemon exclaimed, blushing in embarrassment. Roll giggled.

"So you're Lemon's momma?" Roll asked the black cat.

"In a sense, kitty cat," Kiki answered, "Lemon was really shy when she first came here and was very insecure with herself. She was looking for a little love after what she had been through."

"Been through?" Roll asked curiously.

"That is a story for another time, Roll-chan," said Lemon, "Come on, We've still got one more villager that I really want you to meet." Roll looked a bit concerned but decided not to press the issue any further.

"Okay, Lemon," said Roll, "Oh! Before we go, Kiki...Lemon..."

"I remember Lemon's little slumber party, kitty cat," said Kiki, "I'll be there."

"YAY!" Lemon squealed, "hugs and lemon pokes Momma!"

"Hugs and pokes sweetie," said Kiki, "Now go on. I'm sure your friends will want to meet Kabuki. He's at his house."

"KABUKI!" Lemon screamed aloud, making everyone cover their ears.

"Indoor voice, kitty cat," said Kiki gently.

"KABUKI!" Lemon squealed again, but not as loudly, "EEEEEEEE!" Lemon then dashed out of the house and ran towards the villagers house. Coco and Tabby looked at each other, each holding a hand over their mouth to avoid bursting into laughter.

"I heard from Sakura that Lemon has these episodes called "kawaii overloads" but I had no idea this is what she was talking about," said Roll. Coco and Tabby were still trying to calm down as a few snickers escaped their mouths.

"Well when it comes to Kabuki, he is definitely one of the villagers that gets her the most excited, me-Wow," Tabby explained. Roll just laughed, but clearly looked a bit exasperated.

"And I thought it was bad when Rosie found a 60% off sale on pink dresses," said Roll. Rosie looked indignant.

"Oh and you're reaction to that shop that had all those Super Mario Brothers plushies wasn't kawaii overload, silly?" she retorted and Roll blushed deep red as Rosie and Bunnie giggled to each other.

"I think you better go find Lemon, kitty cat," said Kiki, "The poor guy must feel like he's being held hostage in his house right now."

"Oh please don't bring that up, doyoing," said Coco, looking a bit distressed, "It took all three of us to drag her out the last time that happened! The claw marks are still on his door posts!"

"Why does she have such a kawaii overload with Kabuki, tootie?" Margie asked, "Does she like him or something?"

"We think she does but yet she says that it's not romantic, me-Wow," said Tabby, "yet the kawaii overloads she has over him kind of say otherwise."

"Tabby, she was telling the truth about that," said Kiki, "She just thinks he's really cute, but its platonic, kitty cat."

"I still think otherwise, but that's just me, me-Wow," said Tabby, "We better go save Kabuki...again." Roll and her friends nodded as they bid Kiki goodbye and then headed towards his house. Surprisingly, he was just south of Lemon's house. Tabby and Coco wasted no time rushing inside but were surprised to see that Lemon was just sitting quietly with a cup of lemon tea in front of her as Kabuki was cooking something.

"Oh hi there," he replied, "what's the emergency, meooo-OH!" Tabby and Coco was rather surprised at how calm Lemon was being around him when the white cat recognized the blonde girl.

"Roll?" he asked curiously, "is that you, meooo-OH?" Roll blinked a bit before her memory caught up with her and she gasped.

"Oh yeah!" said Roll, "You were training with Yumi in Kung Fu when I came by. You were one of the boys who looked out for me while I was there!"

"Really?" said Tabby and Coco in shock. Even Lemon looked stunned and grabbed his arm.

"MY KABUKI! MINE!" she bellowed, "HARD POKES!" Unlike her other pokes, which were with the side of the wand, this poke used the pointy end of the star on top of her lemon wand.

"Ouch!" said Roll since she felt that sharp point of her wand against her cheek and stepped back.

"Easy there, Lemon," said Kabuki, "Roll was learning how to protect herself and while she was clearly a better fighter, I wanted to look out for her. You know...like a good friend does, meooo-OH." Lemon just looked into his yellow eyes and softened.

"Sorry," said Lemon and released his arm, "You're just so cute and I like having you as my kawaii kitty nyan-nyan!" Kabuki chuckled.

"I understand," said Kabuki, "I'm used to your kawaii overloads. Quite flattered you get them over little old me, meooo-OH!"

"Surprised, but you are SO KAWAII!" Lemon gushed. Now it wasn't just Tabby and Coco, but also Rosie and Bunnie who were covering their mouths and trying not to burst out laughing. Margie could tell they were gonna burst.

"Well it's nice to meet you Kabuki," said Margie, "I think I better take these four outside. Will you be okay Roll?" Roll was still stunned at the hard poke but then recomposed herself and nodded. Margie smiled as she escorted the other four girls outside of the house. As the door closed, Lemon put a hand against Roll's cheek. The gesture unnerved the blonde girl a bit before she noticed the sad look on her face.

"I'm sorry for poking you so hard, Roll-chan," said Lemon, "I don't know why I did that. I mean I've gotten kawaii overloads over Kabuki, but I've never gotten possessive of him before. I hope I didn't hurt you." Roll could hear the sadness in her voice and smiled.

"It's okay," said Roll, "You didn't hurt me. Just startled me with the sharp tip. I'm alright Lemon." Lemon just nodded before turning to Kabuki and gave him a quick hug.

"Hugs and pokes, Kabuki," said Lemon, "I'll see you."

"See you later Lemon," said Kabuki as the brown haired girl made her way outside and Roll followed until Kabuki grabbed Roll's arm.

"Kabuki?" Roll asked curiously.

"I wanted to speak to you alone about something, meooo-OH," he replied quietly, "As I remember, you were a good person to confide in about stuff."

"What's up?" Roll asked curiously. Kabuki just looked at her bashfully, unsure of what to say, which was kind of funny since it was quite a contrast. With all the makeup on his face, it tended to make him look rather intimidating.

"Roll, what do you think about Lemon, meooo-OH?" he asked. Roll just blinked, feeling a bit puzzled at his question.

"She's really sweet and friendly," said Roll, "Why?" Kabuki just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as his cheeks suddenly turned deep red. It didn't take much longer before Roll realized what Kabuki was trying to say.

"Kabuki..." Roll said slowly, "Do...do you have a crush on Lemon?" Kabuki just blushed deep red and just looked at the blonde girl shyly before he nodded.

"She's always so happy and excited to see me," Kabuki explained, "Plus she always knows how to make me smile. She's so sweet, kind, caring, not to mention absolutely beautiful, meooo-OH." Roll giggled to herself.

"You really like her," said Roll with a smile on her face, "but...why tell me?" Kabuki chuckled.

"Cause I can trust you not to say anything about it?" said Kabuki, "Nobody needs to know, mew-OH!"

"Why not!?" said Roll surprised, "You should tell Lemon how you feel."

"Are you kidding me, meooo-OH?" Kabuki retorted, "She probably would stop being my friend if I said anything."

"I don't think so," said Roll.

"Well how would you feel if one of your male villagers came up to you and said that they had a crush on you, meooo-OH?" he asked. Roll then just blinked in surprise.

"You are kidding?" Roll asked her curiously, "I'm not worth anyone's love interest in my town." Kabuki snorted.

"You are the strongest fighter I have ever met," said Kabuki, "and you faced the Uchi gang all by yourself! Yet you don't think boys wouldn't be attracted to you?"

"It's not that," Roll retorted, "I just...I'm just not looking for a boyfriend right now. I need stable love in my life and romance just seems too...unstable."

"Well, that's why I don't want to tell Lemon," said Kabuki, "Why ruin a good thing over feelings, me-oh?"

"Yeah, but you shouldn't keep your feelings to yourself," said Roll, "You should be honest with her." Kabuki just sighed to himself.

"Well, it would be nice if I could be her date for the fireworks show," said Kabuki, "That seems like a innocent date opportunity. Just not sure how to ask her."

"I'm sure you can do it," said Roll, "I know I have no right to give any advice..."

"Any advice or tips from a friend would be very useful," said Kabuki, "So please speak freely, meooo-OH."

"Try not to rush anything," said Roll, "Just stay friends even if you ask her on a date. Then just let the feelings come out on their own."

"Sound advice, meooo-OH," Kabuki nodded, "I guess my biggest worry is that my feelings might be one sided."

"Well if you take things slow, then you will be able to at least come to terms with your feelings and Lemon can do the same," said Roll, "Trust me Kabuki, you will either feel something or you _both_ will not. Lemon doesn't seem to be the type of person to break anyone's hearts, especially yours." Kabuki just nodded.

"Point taken," said Kabuki. It was just then Lemon walked in.

"Is everything okay?" Lemon asked curiously. Kabuki then felt like he couldn't speak.

"Roll was...uhh...just sharing me...uhh...good cooking recipe, meooo-OH!" Kabuki stuttered and turned the blonde girl. She had given Kabuki a puzzled look but decided to help him out since he was looking rather nervous with Lemon around. Suddenly it made sense to Roll why Kabuki was so quiet when Lemon was having her kawaii overloads.

"Y-yeah," Roll replied, "Kabuki wanted my recipe for homemade pizza."

"That's right, meooo-OH!" said Kabuki quickly, "Sorry for keeping her here so long Lemon. I'll...uhh...see you later." Kabuki felt his cheeks turn pink again but Lemon didn't seem to notice and just gave him a cute smile. A smile that made Kabuki's knees turn to jello. He loved the way Lemon smiled.

"Okay then, Kabuki," said Lemon, "hugs and pokes! Now come on Roll! We got other things to see and shopping to do before we get ready for the slumber party later tonight." Roll just nodded as she followed the brown haired girl out of the house. Yet as she left, she took notice that Kabuki looked rather sad to see Lemon leave.

Afterward, the topic of Kabuki took a backseat as they continued to enjoy the sights. Roll noticed that while most of the bridges and town hall were fairy tales themed as well as a few lampposts and benches, Lemon also had a couple of zen public works projects as well, but the most amazing thing was that she had an emporium which was the next upgrade that Roll needed for her town.

"I hope Gracie is in today," said Lemon, "I'm sure she would love your outfit!" Roll just chuckled sheepishly as they continued to browse the shop. She really didn't want to meet Gracie and was very nervous once they headed to the third floor where GracieGrace was located. Roll instantly felt a huge wave of relief when she looked around and saw that the fashion icon was nowhere to be seen.

"Thank goodness," said Roll. Lemon looked at her worried.

"Why are you afraid to meet Gracie?" she asked curiously as the rest of the group started browsing the shop.

"Just...still learning to feel...beautiful," said Roll, "I don't need her..."

"There is no way she would not think you're not beautiful, Roll-chan," said Lemon, "If she even dares, I'll give her a hard lemon poke and I won't be sorry for doing it either!" Lemon waved her wand to prove her point as Roll giggled to herself before browsing around. She ended up buying quite a few of the summer clothes, such as the flashy hairpin, black floppy hat, butterfly dress, and she just couldn't resist getting the pink tank and lacy skirt. Once they finished the rest of their shopping, they went to get everything ready for tonight. While Lemon originally wanted to handle the cooking alone, Roll was more than willing to help.

"I normally don't have people help me in the kitchen," said Lemon, "Worried people will chop their fingers off and burn the rest of the house down so that it crushes me and makes me splatter all over the floor...and I said too much again..." Roll just giggled.

"Don't forget Lemon that I am a prodigy when it comes to cooking," said Roll, "I know how to do a perfect risotto. Something even people twice my age spend their lives perfecting and never do!" Lemon giggled and conceded. She was glad that she had. Roll helped her do everything she had wanted to do so they had lots of homemade party foods and snacks to eat. Roll took notice that when it came to sweets that she put a kawaii touch to the cookies and brownies and yet the only kowai treat were some cupcakes that had crumbled cookie on top with a gummy worm sticking out of them.

By the time it was dark, everyone was just enjoying all the sweets and were wearing their pajamas. While Roll had Sable make a pair of her summer pajamas in pastel yellow with a white headband, Lemon had worn a rather cute tee shirt that had the face of a sheep on it with a pair of baggy yellow pajama capris. Unlike Roll, who had stayed barefoot, Lemon had kept her slippers on, even while sitting Indian style next to her. The rest of the group were also in their pajamas as well yet Margie was the only one wearing a tank with baggy capris pants like Lemon's but were light green with cherries on them. Everyone else was in a sleeveless nightgown that was knee length. Lemon gathered everyone into her office, which was also her kowai room and turned off the lights as she told them a good kowai story.

"Long ago," Lemon began, "there was one this doctor who was loved by everyone in the town. He always knew how to make those who were sick and injured not just feel better, but happy as well. Everyone who went in hurt, frightened or scared came out with a smile on their face and the doctor was very happy with his work. Then one day this young boy came into the office. He had come in crying that his ankle was hurting. The doctor took him into his office to examine him. The entire time the young boy wouldn't stop screaming for his life. No matter what the doctor tried to do to examine him, the boy refused to stop his ear-piercing screams. It seemed everything the doctor tried to examine his ankle made the boy screamed louder. Then the boy tried to run away and tumbled into the floor, still crying. That was when his mother came in, found the boy on the floor sobbing. The boy said that the so called doctor had tried to hurt him. The doctor tried to defend himself but the mother wouldn't listen as she angrily took the child away."

"Talk about a brat, tootie," said Margie.

"Indeed," Lemon continued, "From that day on, the doctor found that he no longer could get any patients. He discovered that the angry mother had told everyone that he had hurt the boy. He tried to prove his innocence but nobody trusted him. He soon found that both his office and waiting room were empty. A month had passed and one day he was busy watering the flower outside, trying his best to keep his doctor's office in good shape despite no customers. He saw the boy walking by. The same boy that had ruined his reputation. He just looked at the boy when the boy just looked at him and laughed at him before sticking his tongue out at the doctor and walked away, showing no remorse. That hit a nerve for the doctor. Some might even say that something snapped as he threw his watering can to the ground and stomped inside. That was the last time he was ever seen in public. For he no longer wanted to help others. He wanted...revenge."

"Oh boy," said Roll, now seeing the scary part was coming up.

"The revenge consumed his mind, heart, and soul," Lemon continued, "it was all he ever thought about. He wanted everyone to pay for what they had done to him. He especially wanted that boy to pay and everyone that might have known him. One evening, in his madness, he tried combining medicines together. Figuring he could make some sort of poison. Just as he was finishing mixing some ingredients together, the mixture exploded."

"GASP" Rosie, Bunnie, and Margie exclaimed.

"The explosion was heard all over the town," said Lemon, "they found that the doctor's office and home was now in flames. They assumed the doctor was long gone, but they still tried to find him. Yet what scared them to most was then three of the villages ventured into the brunt building to find the body...they never came out. Those outside described their screams as someone who cried out in terror and were instantly silenced."

There was a long silence before Lemon proceeded.

"The town the doctor lived was soon abandoned and fell into disrepair. The surviving villagers had moved away in fear that staying would cost them their lives and the lives of those they loved. Thirty years would pass before the young boy, now a man, had returned to rebuild the town. Despite everyone's fears and warnings that the town was haunted, he returned to the town he had once called his home. As he examined the hundreds of now dead, fruitless trees and weeds that had now populated the grounds. His feet came towards the old, now abandoned doctor's office. He had plans to destroy the building when he suddenly felt a cold chill brush his fingers and suddenly the door to the doctor's office slowly opened on its own. The man didn't think much of it before he felt a large gust push him inside and the door shut tightly. The man couldn't see anything in the dark but heard the creaks of the aged floorboards beneath his feet."

It was at this point in the story Tabby had started tip-toeing back into the room since she had mysteriously disappeared when nobody was looking. She was slowly making her way towards the group as Lemon continued the story.

"The man suddenly felt very cold," Lemon continued, now lowering her voice, "he could feel an ominous presence moving about the room. The click-click of his shoes tapping slowly against the floor. The man couldn't see where the footsteps were coming from. Then he felt something warm against the back of his neck. He turned around...and his face paled at what was before him..." Lemon flashed a light on Tabby, who was covered, wearing glow in the dark goggles over her eyes and holding a axe that had red paint on the blade of it. Her trademark smile made her presence even scarier.

"Are you ready for your _final_ examination?" she asked in an overly sweet tone as Lemon flicked a piece of tin foil and flickered the light.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Roll, Rosie, Bunnie, Coco, Kiki, and Margie screamed at the top of their lungs as they huddled together in fright. Tabby stared laughing as did Lemon before she turned on the main light. Then Lemon gave a light scream of her own. The group looked at her fearfully.

"Tabby! You got flour all over my nice clean floors!" Lemon scolded angrily, her southern accent heard clearly in her tone.

"Sorry!" Tabby exclaimed as she set the axe on her desk, "Do you think it's easy making flour stick all over my orange fur?" That was when the group suddenly relaxed and just looked annoyed at the orange cat.

"Tabby, you scared the jelly beans out of me, silly!" said Rosie.

"I thought I was gonna jump out of my skin, doyoing!" Coco exclaimed.

"I found myself needing to go to the bathroom during the story, tootie," said Margie, "I don't think I need to anymore!"

"Ewww!" Bunnie exclaimed as she scooted away until realizing that Margie was just bluffing as Lemon just chuckled.

"You'll be okay," said Lemon, "I just wanted to give my guests a good scary story and thanks to Tabby, despite the mess that's driving me crazy right now, I did my job."

"I'm sorry, me-Wow," said Tabby, "Let me help you clean up this mess!"

"First we need you to clean off all the four first," said Lemon, "you're still spilling it all over the floor."

"I'm sorry!" said Tabby sadly.

"Why not try vacuuming it off," said Roll, "and using a cloth so she can wipe off the excess on her face."

"Good idea, Roll-chan!" said Lemon, "Just please stay in here until I can get the vacuum. I don't want anybody walking through all the flour. I kind of did and now I have to walk barefoot on my floors till I can shake the flour off my slippers!"

"What's wrong with being barefoot?" Roll asked lifting left leg and wiggling her toes. Lemon just smiled as the other girls giggled as she went to get the vacuum. Roll then remembered about Kabuki and decided now was a good time to asked the other's about him with Lemon busy.

"Hey, Tabby, Coco, Kiki," Roll asked as she sat Indian style and held her ankles, "can I ask you three a question about Lemon?" The three looked at each other and then gave the blonde girl a warm smile and nodded at the same time.

"Are you guys sure that Lemon doesn't have a crush on Kabuki?" she asked. The three girls looked at each other for a moment and then laughed.

"Roll, you are clearly mistaken, kitty cat," said Kiki, "Lemon doesn't see him that way at all."

"She just thinks he's kawaii, doyoing," said Coco, "she says that she's not into guys honestly. Or love for that matter."

"So...she wouldn't be interested in dating him?" Roll asked and the three shook their heads.

"Of course not," said Tabby and then looked at her curiously, "Who gave you the idea that Lemon would, me-Wow?" Roll didn't want to say it was Kabuki and just looked at her feet and fingers her toes mindlessly.

"Oh...just asking," she said casually, hoping they would believe her. Fortunately they did and she let the subject go once Lemon had returned, slippers now cleaned and the her voice would have been drowned out by the roar of the vacuum gobbling up the flour on the floor and then sucking it off Tabby's fur. Roll was now feeling rather worried for Kabuki.

 _If Lemon has no interest in Kabuki..._ she thought, _or even being in love...then what's gonna happen if he asks her out to the fireworks show?_

 **The sparkly pose that Anemone/Lemon Fairy makes is "Lottie's All Set" emote from Happy Home Designer.**

 **The "moon princess" manga had already been referenced to exist in the Animal World. In fact, readers who have read this story will remember Bunnie and Rosie singing the Sailor Moon theme song.**

 **Plus the sentence Roll says to Coco I believe is from** ** _Dr. Seuss._** **Roll is a very sincere girl.**

 **Also a yukata is just another version of a kimono but is lighter and cooler and more fitting for the summer since most kimonos are long sleeved and near ankle length. At least traditionally since Animal Crossing kimonos are knee length in game.**

 **Plus it is only in City Folk in which Gracie only appears sporadically in her shop. In New Leaf she is actually at her shop every day. Roll will meet Gracie soon enough.**

 **Intros are done and Roll has taken on Kabuki's predicament. How will she help him?**

 **Stay tuned.**


	37. The Fireworks Show Part 2

The Fireworks Show Part 2

The next morning, Roll felt the sunlight on her face as she slowly began to wake up. She smacked her lips a few times as she sat up. Then she brushed her hair a bit since a few stands were in her face despite her headband. She couldn't help but fan herself a bit as well.

"Man and I thought the island was hot and stuffy!" Roll remarked.

"It's pretty bad here," said Lemon, who was apparently wide awake and just hugging a rather large rabbit pillow plushie as she lay on her bed. She had slept outside her blankets last night like Roll did, "I'm just glad they don't have gnats that suck the blood out of you here."

"I thought that was mosquitoes?" said Roll curiously. Lemon just chuckled as she sat up from bed.

"Gnats don't leave massive bites," said Lemon, "but they can make you skin irritate to the point that you wanna scratch and scratch and just tear your skin right off your body." Roll just chuckled, she was already adjusting to Lemon's way of talking about things. At least she wanted to say that she was as the brown haired girl just propped up a knee and got comfortable on her bed. Roll decided to take a seat along the edge with her legs crossed.

"What's up little Roll?" said Lemon noticing the blonde girl sitting on her bed.

"Guess I just wanna know what you are thinking about," said Roll, "you seem rather comfy hugging that pillow plushie." Lemon looked at her rabbit pillow and giggled to herself as she gave it a squeeze

"This rabbit plushie is my favorite," said Lemon, "I've had her since I was six years old. I always sleep better with this plushie in my arms. Besides, if I used her like a pillow, I'd be afraid I'd crush her. But yeah I was just trying to be comfortable. I hope that's okay." Roll just smiled.

"No problem," said Roll, "You don't have to get up right away. I was gonna ask if we could just relax and talk together about stuff."

"Oh! Girl talk with a girl my age!" Lemon gushed as she sat up, "can we do what those anime girls do while we talk?"

"Like?"

"Maybe brush each other's hair and such," said Lemon, "I mean you look so cute with bed hair but I'm sure you could use a brush." Roll just giggled shyly as Lemon sat up and put her rabbit pillow next to her.

"Just don't be too rough, okay?" said Roll, "my hair is a bit sensitive."

"Of course little Roll," said Lemon, "do you have a..."

"Oh yeah, over here!" said Roll as she crawled off the bed and grabbed her hair brush out of the rococo drawer Lemon let her borrow and the climbed back on the bed where Lemon was just sitting on her knees. Roll tried not to show that she was nervous and just let Lemon comb her hair.

"You're hair is so soft and pretty!" Lemon commented, making Roll chuckle as she relaxed as Lemon continued brushing her hair. Then Roll had a thought.

"Lemon, can I ask you something?" Roll spoke after a few minutes of content silence.

"Okay," said Lemon as she continued to stroke Roll's hair.

"Are you interested in dating boys and such?" Roll asked. Lemon said nothing for a second before answering.

"Yeah," said Lemon, "but I'm not really looking into dating or a relationship. Are you?"

"Not really," said Roll, "but I guess my question is. If a guy asked you out would you want to..."

"No thank you," said Lemon, "The last few boys that tried to ask me out were crazy. They acted all like they wanted to flirt with me and asking me if they wanted to go home with them and such. It's was disturbing! All they wanted me for was for their own fun! Sakura said you had the talk so I think you're smart enough to know what I'm talking about!" Roll cringed a bit and made a face before humming.

"I see," said Roll, "Well...not all men are like that."

"Maybe," said Lemon, "but they certainly were in my old town. Those boys were crazy! Yet they said I was the crazy one!"

"Is that why you came to Flower Town?" Roll asked.

"Pretty much," said Lemon, "I felt like a misfit in my home and my family didn't understand me. So I came here where I could be myself and not be judged about it. Why did you move to Animal Town Roll? Did your family not understand you?" Roll just took a long deep breath and sighed to herself.

"Roll?"

"My mother didn't want me," said Roll quietly, "She made it pretty clear when she threw me into a trash can...I was barely three years old. Then ended up in an orphanage where nobody else wanted the little girl in a corner all alone." Lemon stopped brushing her hair.

"Wow...I...I mean...and I thought I only knew the feeling of rejection," said Lemon quietly, "I...I've heard of people who've had it worse but...I'd never thought I'd meet one in my life."

"I said I was freak," Roll remarked.

"You're not a freak Roll so stop saying that!" Lemon scolded, her tone making her southern accent more noticeable, "being rejected doesn't make you a freak!"

"So you don't think being barefoot makes me a freak?" Roll asked curiously. Lemon turned her around despite not being done with her hair.

"I think that it's very cute that you like to be barefoot," said Lemon, "It's what make you who you are and why are you special. If you're mother can't see that then that it her loss! You don't need her! You have plenty of friends who will love and care about you...including me."

"Really?" said Roll.

"Well...if you want me to..." Lemon didn't need to finish before Roll embraced her in a loving hug.

"Hey, I'm suppose to hug and poke you!" said Lemon.

"Well if you're gonna be my big sister, you gotta let me give you hugs and pokes first!" Roll replied and they both laughed as Lemon finished brushing Roll's hair. Roll then grabbed Lemon's brush so she could do her new sister's hair. Roll was rather surprised that despite the ponytail that Lemon's hair was much shorter. Roughly just an inch past her shoulder's.

"Well you're hair shouldn't take too long," said Roll, "it's much shorter than mine. How come you never wear it down?"

"I just like it up," said Lemon, "What about you?"

"I kind of like either pony tails or downward pigtails," said Roll, "I only wear it down once in a while or when I sleep sometimes. Sable is the one who said that my long hair was beautiful so that is why I wear it down yesterday. It just felt right." Lemon hummed in understanding.

"So...is Sable another close friend of yours?" she asked.

"She's my Mom...the Mom that I always wanted," said Roll with a smile on her face. Lemon awed.

"Aww, I'm so glad you found yourself a Momma who loves and cares about you," said Lemon in her giddy tone. Roll wasn't sure if Lemon was gonna kawaii overload again. But Lemon didn't.

"Thanks," said Roll as she continued to comb Lemon's brown locks until she remembered something.

"Lemon, there is something I wanted to ask you," said Lemon, "about...Kabuki!"

"KABUKI!" she squealed and Roll bit her lip to avoid laughing.

"You seem to really like him...alot actually," said Roll, "And I was wondering if..."

"Stop right there, little Roll!" said Lemon, "I do NOT have any romantic interests with Kabuki. He's just really cute with his face paint and the fact that he looks like someone who does actual kabuki performing arts."

"I see," said Roll, "Well he has trained in kung fu, if you recall from yesterday."

"I remember," said Lemon, "He said that he wanted to be able to protect me from any more crazy men. He's so sweet." Lemon giggled to herself as Roll just looked at her surprised.

"So...it's never occurred to you that maybe...just maybe," said Roll slowly, not wanting to be too direct, "he may have done that because he likes you?" Lemon blinked in surprise and then laughed.

"Well I know that I don't see him that way," said Lemon and Roll decided to press the issue further.

"Okay," said Roll, "but just tell me this Lemon. Let's say if...Kabuki did try to woo you...would you really just shut him down?" Lemon was rather stunned by the question and turned to face the blonde girl.

"Why are you asking me this?" she asked in a rather serious tone. Roll just looked at her sadly.

"I just don't see you as the type of girl to break a boy's heart...or be closed off to love," said Roll, "especially if it's by someone who would accept you for who you are..." Lemon just stared and then gave the blonde girl a soft smile.

"Well, I'll admit that I'm not really looking for love, but if someone...even Kabuki...was interested..." Lemon replied, "I...I guess I could keep an open mind about it. As long as they don't try to rush a relationship...or get flirty with me all the time..." Roll smiled and gave Lemon a nod that she would close the subject. Well Roll would close the discussion with her for now. Since Lemon made it clear she wouldn't shut down Kabuki completely, Roll wanted to see if there was any way she could help Kabuki woo Lemon.

"Hey, Roll how about we hang out? Just the two of us?" Lemon asked. This put a roadblock on Roll's plans to help Kabuki but she really did want to spend time with her new sister. She then remembered that her friends would be able to help Kabuki, and she was sure that Lemon's best friends would be able to help out as well. They had to know Kabuki alot better than she did.

"I would love to," said Roll happily, "Your hair is all finished so..."

"Come on," said Lemon, "I have my own spa bathroom in the basement. We can wash and get dressed down there!"

"Isn't that spa a bit...public?" Roll asked. Lemon shook her head.

"I have a special curtain so that when its occupied people don't walk down there and see anything," said Lemon, "Now come on!" Roll just nodded, grateful that it was at least private to some extent. They didn't take too long taking turns in the spa bath and were surprised that they had worn similar outfits. Roll had put on a yellow strapless top with some light colored denim pedal pushers and her sunhat and locket. Lemon had worn a yellow thin strapped tank with darker colored blue denims just like Rolls with her own sun hat with downward pigtails. They just looked at each other's outfits and then laughed at each other before they headed upstairs. Lemon went into the kitchen to make breakfast as the rest of the group, who had already gotten dressed, were just chatting amongst each other. They couldn't help but giggle as they saw Lemon and Roll's matching attires.

"You two look like sisters, silly," said Rosie.

"What's with the matching attires, kitty cat?" Kiki asked next.

"We wanna just hang out one on one and by some random chance, we matched our clothes with each other," Lemon explained as she turned to Roll, "Other than our tops, since Roll's is strapless and mine has thin straps, we look exactly alike."

"Except for the slippers, doyoing," Coco mentioned. Lemon looked down at her feet and sighed sadly.

"I like my slippers," she said quietly.

"It's okay," said Roll, "just because I go barefoot all the time doesn't mean you have to." Lemon just looked at her quietly before removing her slippers and tossed them away from her. Roll just looked dumbfounded and shook her head.

"Lemon, I told this to..."

"I wanna do it," said Lemon, "I might bruise and scratch up my feet to the point I'm spilling blood everywhere I go, but for you...it's worth it. You look so pretty in your outfit barefoot. I wanna be pretty too..." Roll just sighed and gave her a warm smile.

"Oh ok," said Roll, "Can I..."

"You hang out with the group," said Lemon, "I'll fix breakfast. I can do that on my own thank you." Roll wanted to protest but the look in Lemon's eyes showed that this southern girl wasn't gonna back down and just conceded with a nod as Lemon headed into the kitchen. Roll took a seat between Bunnie and Tabby, crossing one leg over the other and letting it bounce a bit before remembering something.

"Hey, you guys," said Roll, "I wanted to ask you a question...about Kabuki." The fact she said his name put everyone in a long, awkward silence as they looked at her with curious eyes.

"Kabuki?" said Rosie, "Why are you asking about him all of a sudden, silly?"

"Because Kabuki has a crush on Lemon, kitty cat," said Kiki.

"Yeah, it's so obvious too, me-Wow," said Tabby and then looked at Roll, "did he really ask you to keep _that_ a secret?" Roll was stunned. She had no idea Lemon's friends already knew.

"Pretty much," said Roll, "He seems like a nice guy and I thought..."

"I see what you're saying, doyoing," Coco interrupted, "and I agree. Kabuki shouldn't feel so shy wanting to ask Lemon out. I think they would make a cute couple."

"Same here," said Roll, "I think it would be nice if Lemon had a boy to love and look out for her you know. Kabuki was always looking out for me when I was training with Yumi. I don't think she knows just how much he wants to be closer to her."

"That is actually very true," said Coco, "We may be her best friends, but it took a while before she actually wanted to open up with us. Plus her past has made her a bit distant with the boys in our town."

"She's mentioned a few things to me," said Roll, "But I know Kabuki would treat her well. So...can you help him woo her? I would do it but..."

"Breakfast is ready!" Lemon shouted, "and yay! I didn't bruise my toes, cut my fingers off, or burn myself this time!" She then turned around and banged her left foot on the side of the doorway.

"Ow!" she yelped and grabbed her foot, "Well...two out of three I guess..." She then limped into the kitchen while the rest of the girls just chuckled at her clumsy nature as they stood up and followed after her to eat. That was when Rosie put a hand on Roll's shoulder.

"You and Lemon go have some fun, silly," said Rosie.

"We're help Kabuki sweep Lemon off her feet, tee hee," said Bunnie with a giggle, "I just love playing match maker."

"Who doesn't, me-Wow?" Tabby added as the three peppy snickered to each other. Roll just nodded, but she was worried just what they would make Kabuki do.

Once breakfast was finished and Roll and Lemon had left for their sister-sister hang out, the six friends headed straight for Kabuki's house. The white cat was just doing some meditating on a lemon patterned zen pillow (Lemon had given it to him on his birthday that year) when he heard a knock on the door.

"Now I wonder who that could be, meooo-OH," he said to himself as he got up to answer. He was surprised to see the six girls just smiling at him.

"Hi Kabuki," said the six girls. Kabuki just looked at their toothy smiles before he huffed in irritation.

"Roll-chan, you failed me!" he yelled angrily.

"No she didn't, tootie," Margie said firmly, "All she asked was what Coco, Tabby, and Kiki thought about you. They answered by saying that they already knew you have a crush on Lemon."

"Did you really think you could hide it from us, kitty cat," said Kiki, "We've known for a long time."

"It's pretty ridiculous that you even asked Roll to keep it a secret, doyoing," said Coco, "but the point is this. She didn't tell us. Your reaction pretty much confirmed that what we're saying is true." Kabuki lowered his defenses but was still rather upset. Not at Roll or at the girls per se, but rather at himself. He felt embarrassed and for a cranky villager, any type of vulnerability was a sign of weakness.

"Just leave me alone! Meooo-OH!" He bellowed and went to shut the door, but Bunnie blocked him.

"Kabuki listen to me, tee hee," Bunnie replied, "I...I know what it's like to have a crush on someone and be afraid of speak up. The fear of rejection isn't something to be ashamed of. You're not the only one who feels that way. Let us help you Kabuki. Master Yumi wouldn't want you keeping to yourself with your problems. She'd expect you get help." That last part Bunnie made up but Kabuki seemed to believe her as he opened the door and let the six girls inside.

"Alright, if you girls claim to be experts about love, then tell me what I need to do," said Kabuki. There was some deep pondering by the entire group before Bunnie got an idea.

"The thing is Kabuki, nobody likes a guy who is, in my words, an easy catch, tee hee," said Bunnie, "You gotta show that you are worth Lemon's time."

"Okay," said Kabuki slowly, "What do I need to do, meooo-OH?"

"Well first off you seriously need a change of clothes, tee hee," said Bunnie as she looked at his attire with a purely unimpressed expression on her face.

"What's wrong with my misty tee?" he asked indignantly.

"It doesn't give you the ideal look that ladies want, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Cuteness can only take you so far. You gotta look cool as well as cute if you get my meaning." Kabuki just looked at his shirt and just sighed.

"Fine," said Kabuki, "but FYI, the red stripes are NOT washable! Those are natural, meooo-OH!" Bunnie just looked at his face and shrugged with a bored look on her face.

"Well work around it, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Now come on! We've got shopping to do!" Before Kabuki could answer, Bunnie pulled him by the arm and dragged him towards Lemon's main street. The other girls just looked at them disappear and rolled their eyes at her.

"Does she really think that is going to work, doyoing?" Coco asked.

"I know right?" Margie added, "You gotta be romantic, tootie!"

"I agree, kitty cat," said Kiki.

"Yeah right!" said Tabby, "He's gotta be manly, me-Wow!"

"Oh yeah, silly!" Rosie added.

"You're crazy!" Kiki retorted.

"No you're crazy!" Rosie shot back.

"You're both crazy!" Coco added, "I know what men like!"

"Sez you!"

"Oh yeah!"

"YEAH!"

As the rest of them argued, Bunnie was busy dressing Kabuki up for his chance to woo Lemon. Kabuki didn't exactly feel comfortable in his new get up, but he really wanted to impress Lemon so he was going to give Bunnie suggestion a try. After a few practicing sessions on how to talk, which in Bunnie's view he _barely_ passed, she had him lean against a palm tree as Lemon and Roll were slowly approaching. They had decided to do some fishing by the beach and Roll figured Lemon would feel more comfortable being barefoot on the sand and letting the waves washing over their feet. At least that had been the plan until Lemon had just stubbed her toe against a giant clam shell.

"Are you sure your toes are okay?" Roll asked since Lemon was limping a bit. Lemon just smiled as she patted her pockets.

"I'll be okay," Lemon replied, "It was my fault. I wanted to show how tough I was by kicking that shell out of the way. Neither of us knew it was a giant clam shell. I just wanted to show that a few bruised toes weren't going to ruin my day."

"But you do know," said Roll, "Trust me, the more you do it. The stronger you feet become and eventually you'll be bumping and hurting them less."

"I don't mind the bruises, scrapes and cuts," Lemon answered, "I'm just not as comfortable walking barefoot around here. I'm not as confident that my feet are pretty." Roll chuckled.

"Oh Lemon, I'm not really that..."

"What's up ladies?" Kabuki asked, trying to use a lower tone of his voice to speak. Lemon and Roll slowly turned their heads to see the white cat and were rather stunned at his appearance. Kabuki was donning a leather black vest that was opened with a white undershirt that was barely noticeable due to his fur. He also had some pilot shades on with a plain black cap. His pose was familiar. At least to Roll since she remembered some of the Uchi gang members making that pose.

"Kabuki is that you?" Lemon asked. Kabuki lowered his shades slightly and made eye contact with her. The stare he gave made Lemon feel rather uncomfortable. The same could be said for Roll as well, who was rather stunned at the way he was smirking at her big sister.

"What's up?" he asked in a smooth tone as he gave her a wink and lifted his shade back over his eyes. Lemon blinked at his question as well as his flirty wink.

"Umm...I'm...doing...okay...I guess," said Lemon rather uneasily.

"Cool," said Kabuki with a very cold and apathetic tone. Lemon just looked at Roll, who just shrugged her shoulders and was unsure of what to think about Kabuki at the moment.

"Kabuki?" Lemon asked slowly.

"What's up?" he said again.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Kabuki just looked at her behind his shades. He was well aware of the fact that Lemon looked a little disturbed but he was told that this would help him win Lemon's interest for dating so he decided to keep on with his new persona.

"Just keeping it real, chilling, that sort of thing, meooo-OH," said Kabuki bluntly, waiting to see if Lemon would keep talking. Lemon did smile, getting his hopes up.

"Oh...okay...if you say so," said Lemon, "See you!" With that Lemon walked away rather quickly with Roll right behind her. Roll couldn't help but give Kabuki a glare before they were out of sight. Kabuki just watched them leave before a long sigh left his mouth. He was clearly disappointed and upset. Bunnie peeked out of her own palm tree. She had seen everything.

"Well you blew it, tee hee," said Bunnie out of the blue. Bunnie immediately bit her tongue when she saw Kabuki steaming at her. He was furious that her advice didn't work. Bunnie just chuckled sheepishly before Kabuki threw the jacket at her face, changed back into his misty tee, and dumped the glasses into the sand before stomping away. He didn't walk too much further before he noticed Rosie and Tabby approach him.

"I take it that Bunnie's "Play it Cool" approach didn't work out too well, me-Wow?" Tabby asked out of the blue.

"Gee... _Ya think!?_ " Kabuki snapped angrily as he kept moving forward before Rosie cut him off and stopped him.

"The trouble with her idea, silly," Rosie explained, "was that she said that you needed to play it cool, but you can't just stand there looking mysterious all the time. It might entice interest but if you just stand there and acting all apathetic there is no way a girl is going to take any long term interest in you!"

"Yeah...I kind of figured that out, doctor," Kabuki retorted sarcastically, "anything else I probably learned that you wanna say, meooo-OH?" Rosie looked indignant at his attitude before Kabuki sighed in defeat.

"Sorry," said Kabuki, "I just feel really stupid right now, meooo-OH!"

"Well, it is one thing to be cool," said Rosie, "but you gotta show Lemon why you be considered cool, silly."

"You gotta show the ladies your manliness, me-Wow," said Tabby, "give girls a reason to give you the light of day. I mean you did train in kung fu correct?"

"Yes I did," said Kabuki, "So...you girls say that Lemon will find me cool enough to date if I show off some of my kung fu moves to her, meooo-OH?"

"Yeah," said Rosie, "and don't be modest about it either, silly!"

"Yeah, push your limits and show her just how tough and manly you can be, me-Wow," Tabby added, "Girls like guys who can show off their muscles and their strength."

"I see, meooo-OH!" said Kabuki and noticed their anime style smiles, "We're going shopping for an outfit again aren't we?" Rosie and Tabby giggled to each other before each grabbing one of his arms and pulling him towards main street once more.

An hour later, Lemon and Roll were busy gathering perfect peaches. Roll had offered to take Lemon back to her town so she could sell them off in order to make a handful of bells. Lemon was guaranteed a good profit since she had over 60 perfect peach trees and Roll got word from Whitney that their Re-tail branch was paying double for the delicious fruits.

"I really appreciate you helping me collect all these fruits Roll," said Lemon as she set down another basket of fruit into her pockets. Roll was sitting on the branch of one tree.

"Heads up!" she called out as she shook the limb to let another batch of peaches fall from the tree to the ground. Lemon reached out her basket to try and catch them only for three peaches to clock her on the head.

"Oh Lemon I'm so sorry," said Roll as she climbed back down quickly to make sure her new sister was okay. Lemon just rubbed the back of her head a bit before she gave the worried blonde girl a warm smile.

"I'm okay," said Lemon, "it's not like I have to worry about my head rolling off and all my guts spilling into the ground." Roll made a face before she laughed and Lemon laughed as well until they saw that while they had been chatting someone had set up a small collection of bricks that had various amounts of wood planks sitting on them.

"MEOOO-OH!" shouted a voice as they leaped from the top of a tree and landed before the two girls. Kabuki had changed into a pair of dragon leggings with a tiger tank. He began to flux before the girls.

"UGH! UGH! MEOOO-OH!" said Kabuki in a macho tone as he posed, "Now I show off my manliness! MEOOO-OH!" Lemon and Roll just looked at him with enlarged eyes, glanced at each other and then at Kabuki. Who was just doing a few punches and kicks as he made his way towards the set of bricks with one wooden plank. He gave a loud grunt and chopped the first plank in half. Lemon and Roll smiled as he proceeded to repeat this, but this time with two wooden planks and then three. Rosie and Tabby appeared next each holding three planks in their hands. Kabuki then successfully jump kicked the boards being held by both girls.

"Wow!" said Lemon and Roll as they applauded Kabuki. He then motioned for them to get five planks each and hold them above their heads. Rosie and Tabby weren't sure of what he was about to do but then surprised them as well as Lemon and Roll with a handstand split kick, smashing them in half.

"MEOOO-OH!" Kabuki cried out and then shouted in his macho tone, "Now...for grand finale! MEOOO-OH!"

"Oh no!" Tabby and Rosie groaned. They had warned Kabuki not to do the last move, but Kabuki was determined to complete the last move to show off his manliness, which was to break ten planks of wood stacked on the final set of bricks. Lemon and Roll stopped smiling when they saw the stack and looked at each other worried as Kabuki acted like he was trying to charge up his inner chi, which is just another name for internal energy.

"Hi-yah-hoi!" Kabuki chanted as he fake chopped with his left.

"Hi-yah-hoi!" Kabuki repeated fake chopping with his right. Then he spread out his arms.

"YAH-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kabuki made everyone cringe when he slammed his head full force into the planks of wood, successfully breaking them all in half.

"MEOOO-OH!" Kabuki shouted loudly, trying to make it seem like he was shouting in victory and not because his head was in serious pain. He then front flipped towards Lemon and Roll, nearly colliding into them since his coordination was off a bit as he began to show off his nun chuck skills. Lemon and Roll just looked at him with concern before Kabuki then clocked himself in the center of his with one nun chuck and topped onto the ground.

"MEOOO-ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He groaned. Lemon and Roll just at each other.

"I...think I may have hit my head a bit too hard..." said Lemon as she put a hand over her forehead and walked away.

"I think we've been in the sun too long..." Roll added in agreement and held her own head as they both walked out of the perfect peach orchard. Tabby and Rosie helped Kabuki to his feet. He still looked quite dazed as Tabby and Rosie looked at him in disappointment.

"You had to go for the final move didn't you, silly?" Rosie asked with her hands on her hips. Kabuki just looked at her with deluded eyes and his body was teetering dangerously.

"I JUST WANT TO BE MARRIED!" he cried out in a dorky macho tone before falling face first to the ground and passed out for real. Tabby just shook her head while Rosie facepalmed herself. Their plan now in ruins and Kabuki was nowhere close to wooing Lemon...and he clearly needed some medical attention. It didn't take a genius to see that rather large purple bruise that had formed on the center of his head.

A couple of hours later, Kabuki let out a long groan as he held a hand over his head. He felt the bandage that was clearly wrapped it now as he looked around and found that he wasn't in his own home.

"They couldn't just take me home and let me be," he muttered until he realized that he was wasn't at Tabby's house like he had originally thought. He found a familiar black kitty cat just busy working at her sink when he sat up as his vision had finally cleared.

"Meooo-oh?" he groaned as Kiki turned around and rushed towards him.

"Oh thank goodness, your alright, kitty cat," she replied, "I was very worried about you! Especially with the size of that bruise that was on your head.

"Ooooh!" Kabuki groaned as he held his head since it was beginning to hurt. Mostly because he now remembered what had happened.

"Easy there Kabuki," said Kiki gently, "I've got some medicine that will cure that right up. I already applied some to your bruise so it should be healed by the end of the day. I also tied the bandage karate style so no one asks you too much about it." Kabuki just looked at her sadly and nodded contently.

"Thanks..." he groaned as Margie handed him some fresh fruit to eat.

"This should also make you feel better, tootie," said Margie. Kabuki nodded as he grabbed the peach and took a huge bite. Despite the headache, he was rather hungry as Kiki appeared and handed him the medicine to take. The minute he took it, the headache he had cleared up for the most part.

"Much better, meooo-OH," said Kabuki as he finished his peach.

"Good to hear, kitty cat," said Kiki.

"Now tell us," Margie asked, getting right to the point, "Why on earth were you breaking planks of wood with your head?" Kabuki groaned again, but this time out of embarrassment.

"I was trying to impress Lemon," he explained slowly, "With...my manliness?"

"Your manliness?" said Margie and then snorted, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard, tootie!"

"Don't remind me," said Kabuki, "I've got the lump to prove it, meooo-OH!"

"Woman these days aren't into men who act manly," said Kiki, "All that proves to a girl is that such men are all brawn and no brains, kitty cat."

"I said I feel stupid about it so don't rub it in, meooo-oh!" Kabuki retorted angrily.

"Alright, I can see that, kitty cat," said Kiki, "now settle down Kabuki. We wanna help!" Kabuki just snorted to himself.

"I don't think I want any more help," said Kabuki.

"Trust me Kabuki," said Margie, "What we have in mind won't cause you any more head injuries. We promise." Kabuki was doubtful but their warm smiles made him concede. Since Kiki and Margie were more mature. Maybe they would have more legit advice. It wasn't long before he was led towards Kiki's ranch sofa as she and Margie sat on the edges with Kabuki in the middle.

"If you want to woo a girl," said Margie, "You need to learn how to be charming and romantic, tootie."

"Precisely, kitty cat," Kiki nodded in agreement, "nothing is more romantic to a girl than a guy who romantically serenades the girl he loves."

"Really?" said Kabuki with much doubt in his voice.

"Just watch this movie with us, tootie," said Margie as she pop in a dvd into the grey box underneath it, "It will give you a good example of how to be romantic!"

"And it's one of our favorite movies!" said Kiki. Kabuki groaned. If there was one type of movie that he hated to sit through more than anything, it was chick flicks. He waited dreadfully for the movie to begin and was surprised to see that it was one of those classic romance movies of the older days. So it was not as painful to sit through. He didn't have to wait long before the male actor began to speak to the female.

"Oh my darling, how I love you so!" the male actor said to a female actor from a bedroom window above him, "you're eye shine brightly like the moonlight! Your beauty could capture the heart and soul of many men...and it has certainly captured mine. I am indebted to you, for you are my one true love..." His serenade continued and he noticed that Margie and Kiki were shedding happy tears, making it clear that they were deeply touched and finding the whole scenario very romantic. Kabuki couldn't help but smile a little.

"I would give anything to make Lemon smile like that," he thought, "I wonder if I could possibly serenade her..." He paid more attention to the movie after that, taking mental notes on what he needed to do. This time he went shopping on his own for an outfit.

By now, the sun was setting as Lemon and Roll arrived back at the house. Lemon was clearly exhausted from the perfect peach exchange as well her feet were now pretty soiled and sore from walking barefoot all day. Roll took notice as she took a seat next to her on one of the chasse sofas.

"Lemon?"

"Yes, little Roll?" she asked tiredly.

"I want you to know that I really appreciate you going barefoot all day," said Roll, "I know your feet weren't used to it but I'm glad you did it for me." Lemon smiled.

"I was glad to do it," said Lemon, "even if it meant me scratching up and deforming my feet so they look like claws of a monster ready to eat your brains." Roll laughed.

"You're feet are just fine," said Roll, "and you only scratched your foot once. The medicine already healed the open wound. You're feet are prettier than mine!"

"Are you serious?" said Lemon as she sat up, "Roll I still have a huge burn on my left foot from when I dropped that frying rice pan on it during lunch!"

"No you don't," said Roll as she lifted Lemon's left foot, "See? It already healed thanks to the medicine packs." Lemon just chuckled, giving her toes a slow wiggle. She was already promising herself to pay back Roll for all the medicine packs she had used on her feet that day when she heard the sound of something "plinking".

"What's that?" Lemon asked curiously as she heard the "plinking" sound again.

"I heard it too," said Roll as she tucked a leg in while sitting sideways on the sofa. She listened quietly and heard the "plink" again.

"It sounds like its coming from upstairs," said Roll as she and Lemon quickly rushed upstairs. As they reached her bedroom, they heard the "plink" again and saw a small stone tap the window towards Lemon's side of the bedroom. Lemon opened the window to see that it was Kabuki just outside, wearing a cavalier's hat and shirt.

"Good evening my darling Lemon," he said in a majestic tone. Roll couldn't help but groan as she covered her face with her left hand.

"Not this train wreck again," she muttered as Lemon shushed her.

"My darling Lemon," said Kabuki, "Oh how beautiful you are to my eyes! You are so sweet as you are sour!" Lemon blinked in shock as Roll slid down the wall, feeling embarassed for him.

"Sour!?"

"I mean," Kabuki stuttered, "Your skin is like the fur of a cat..."

"What?!" Lemon exclaimed, rather offended.

"I...I mean that it is so soft..." Kabuki tried to continued, realizing that he was blowing it big time, "every time my finger strokes it..."

"Kabuki, since when have you ever touched my hair?" she asked, rather sternly. Kabuki just looked nervous and tried to do damage control.

"Never, my darling!" he exclaimed, "but I'm sure that it very soft. Its...looks very soft...meooo-OH!" Kabuki wanted so badly to toss himself over a cliff at this point. He couldn't think of anything else to say. Apparently he should have taken more than just ten minutes rehearsing his words. Lemon just looked at him rather funny.

"Kabuki, you've been acting weird all day today," said Lemon, "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Kabuki just sighed in defeat.

"I'm fine, meooo-OH," said Kabuki quietly, feeling rather defeated. Lemon just smiled and closed her window.

"I'm sorry," said Lemon, "I don't know what has gotten into him today." Roll just nodded, but deep down she knew what he was up to but didn't want to say anything. Yet she did peek out the window and noticed a very sad Kabuki walk away dragging his cavalier hat along the cobblestone path. She also noticed that Lemon looked rather uncomfortable too all of a sudden.

"Are you okay Lemon?" she asked. Lemon blinked a few times and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Lemon said simply. Roll looked concerned for a moment before just smiling back. She figured if there was something else bothering Lemon that her big sister would tell her later.

"Okay then," said Roll, "Hey, why don't we eat at one of the restaurants on main street so you don't have to cook? I think some time away from here might help you relax too."

"Well...okay," said Lemon, "but you mind if put on some shoes. I have these cute lemon flip flops I wanted to show you." Roll giggled.

"As long as you don't mind if I stay barefoot," said Roll. Lemon giggled back as they walked hand in hand out of the house. Once Lemon had slipped on her own sandals, they left for main street to eat. Along the way, they bumped into Coco.

"Hey Coco, hugs and pokes," said Lemon as she tapped the rabbit's cheek with her lemon wand. The rabbit chuckled since the tap tickled a little.

"Hi there Lemon," said Coco, "Where are you guys off to, doyoing?"

"We're just going to eat somewhere for dinner," said Roll.

"Yeah," said Lemon, "it's been a rather long and stressful day."

"Stressful?" said Coco surprised.

"I said too much again," said Lemon quietly, not wanting to say more, but Coco wasn't going to let Lemon go that easily.

"Come on Lemon," said Coco, "we're best friends after all. You can tell me what's bothering you." Lemon just sighed as she looked at her feet.

"Kabuki has been acting really weird lately," Lemon answered, "I don't know what's gotten into him." Coco just looked blankly at her. She was well aware of the fact that Kiki, Tabby, and her new friends were supposed to be helping Kabuki woo Lemon for a date. She was also very irritated that their attempts to help the cat had apparently upset Lemon to some extent.

"Idiots..." Coco muttered under her breath.

"Huh?" Lemon asked since she heard Coco mumble but not what she said.

"Oh nothing, doyoing," said Coco, "I'll take care of this Lemon. You and Roll just go have a nice dinner together okay." Lemon smiled and gave her a big hug.

"Oh thank you Coco!" said Lemon in her peppy nature, "I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Lemon," Coco replied as they pulled apart. Lemon and Roll made their way towards main street as Coco headed straight for Kabuki's abode. She was surprised to see him wearing his cavalier outfit and just sitting against the fence of his house looking very glum.

"What happened to you?" Coco asked, wanting to hear his side of the story. Kabuki just looked at her sadly before sighing to himself.

"I've been trying to woo Lemon," said Kabuki, "First by trying to be cool, then my trying to show my manliness, and then by trying to serenade her. All I've done was creep her out and made myself look like a complete fool, meooo-OH!" Coco just looked at her sympathetically.

"You know Kabuki there is one thing that you've forgotten about Lemon, doyoing," she said as a matter of fact.

"What might that be, meooo-OH?" Kabuki asked her curiously.

"For starters, Lemon is not your ordinary girl," said Coco, "You couldn't have expected her to fall for you by using traditional, not to mention stupid and old fashion, ways of wooing girls, doyoing." Kabuki groaned and dipped his hat to hide his face. Coco couldn't resist feeling sorry for him.

"Don't give up Kabuki," said Coco as she helped the cat to his feet, "I have an idea that could help you."

"I hope it's better than the last three ideas, meooo-OH," said Kabuki and Coco gave him a smile.

"Of course," said Coco, "Come with me, doyoing."

"We aren't going to go shopping again are we, meooo-OH?" he asked.

"Nope," said Coco, "Let's just get into your house and I'll explain my idea okay?" Kabuki just started for a moment before he allowed Coco inside of his house. He offered her a seat before he sat down as well on a zen cushion to hear what Coco had to say.

"You know Kabuki," said Coco, "One of things that Lemon loves about you is not just the fact that you are cute, but also because of your name, doyoing."

"My...name?" he asked puzzled.

"Of course," Coco answered, "don't you remember what your name means?" Kabuki looked puzzled for a moment before he suddenly realized what Coco was talking about.

"Oh that is true," said Kabuki, "And it's the reason I was born with all these patterned stripes on my face too, meooo-OH!"

"I figured," said Coco, "You once told me a few years ago that you actually knew how to perform kabuki."

"That is true," said Kabuki in deep thought and then realized what Coco was saying, "Wait a minute here, meooo-OH! I...I haven't performed the kabuki arts in years! And to top it all off, what exactly am I supposed to perform if I do a kabuki?"

"What are kabuki plays most commonly about, doyoing?" she asked.

"They are...about...expressions of love...through dancing and singing," said Kabuki nervously, "Do...do you really think..."

"There is no harm in trying," said Coco, "I think Lemon might be rather impressed if you were to express your feelings to her through a kabuki dance." Kabuki just pondered a bit before he just nodded.

"Alright," said Kabuki, "at least this will feel more closer to home. I can just do what I'm good as well as what feels more natural to me, meooo-OH."

"Exactly, doyoing," said Coco with a smile. Kabuki then headed downstairs into his basement where he had a chest containing various items that were used for the art of kabuki, including additional makeup, kimonos, yukatas, and even a collection of paper fans. Once he found what he was gonna wear, Coco helped him come up with a routine to perform.

The sun had set outside of main street so the stars were beginning to populate the dark blue skies as Lemon and Roll had finished eating and Lemon was feeling much better and less concerned about Kabuki.

"That was a yummy dinner," said Roll, patting her stomach.

"Yes it was," said Lemon, "I didn't realize just how hungry I was until I saw all that food! Good thing I know my eating limits. I'd hate to explode and my guts and blood spill all over the town...I said too much again." Roll giggled.

"Don't worry about it," said Roll, "Now let's get back to the house. Didn't you say that new magi girl anime had a new episode tonight or something?" Lemon's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're right Roll!" said Lemon, "We better get home so we can watch it!" Roll nodded in agreement as they made their way back to the town. They had just arrived at the train station when they noticed a rather large crowd gathered just south of the station. Lemon and Roll cautiously approached the crowd where they bumped into Coco.

"Hey there, doyoing, you're just in time!" said Coco excitedly.

"What do you mean Coco-chan?" Lemon asked curiously.

"Kabuki is doing some sort of ancient dance of some sort, silly," said Rosie, "and it's pretty good by the looks of it."

"It's called a kabuki dance," said Margie, "I've yet to actually see a real performance of it, tootie. But I never thought that Kabuki would know how to do kabuki."

"He is?" said Lemon excitedly as she scooted over the front and saw that Kabuki was dressed in a plain yellow yukata, black kimono sandals, a geisha wig, and was holding a pair of lemon yellow colored fans as he began to dance about. He had a CD player close by that was playing KK Jongara at the moment as he showed off his dancing abilities. He was about halfway done with his dance routine when he noticed that Lemon was now upfront and approached her as he continued his routine. Lemon couldn't help but smile as he gave her a wink and continued to do his kabuki dance for her. He finished the routine with a dramatic pose. Lemon and the other gave him applause before he approached Lemon fairy.

"Soshite ima," Kabuki said in Japanese with a bold tone, "Watashi wa watashi ga daisukina on'nanoko ni utaimasu!" Lemon suddenly felt her face blush and she began to feel uncomfortable.

"What did he say?" Roll asked curiously.

"He...he said he's gonna sing to me..." said Lemon, not wanting to add the fact he said he was in love with her. Kabuki then cleared his throat and began to sing in a very rich and powerful tone. While his song was in Japanese, the emotion and the passion was clearly there in his tone and could be felt by the crowd as they listened to him. Everyone except for Lemon, who looked rather flustered as her cheeks were deep red. Kabuki was just expressing his feelings to her in Japanese through the use of kabuki style singing. Suddenly it made sense to her why he started dancing for her specifically. He was doing a kabuki love dance. Suddenly everything he was doing made sense to her. It wasn't much longer before he finished his solo song and everyone cheered. He gave her a warm smile.

"That was all for you, meooo-OH," he said gently, holding one fan to his face and extending the other so she could hold his hand. Lemon just looked at him. Suddenly her eyes watered and soon she took off crying. Kabuki just watched her leave as he lowered his arm in sadness. The rest of the villagers just watched as Kabuki dropped his fans to the ground. No one was too sure of what to do. But Roll was the first to break the silence.

"Kabuki?" Roll asked. The white cat just turned to face her and everyone's could feel a tug on their hearts at what they saw.

Kabuki was crying. It was a pretty rare sight too. Ever since Kabuki had moved to Flower Town. He had never cried about anything. At least no one had ever seen him cry in public. He noticed their sad faces and snarled.

"Hey, I have feelings too you know," said Kabuki, voice cracking, "Just cause I look fierce...don't mean I don't have feelings you know! Hear that everyone?! I HAVE FEELINGS! MEOOO-oooooh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho..." Kabuki then just broke down. Roll wasted no time pulling him into a hug.

"I'm a pathetic fool...doomed to be all alone..." he sobbed in a tone so broken that Roll barely understood him.

"No you're not," said Roll, "I've noticed that you've had a bad day Kabuki. So don't feel like you're all alone. Your town loves you. And so do my friends." That was when Coco, Kiki, Margie, Rosie, Bunnie, and Tabby made their way towards the sobbing cat and just group hugged him as he continued to cry. Soon the rest of the town followed, letting Kabuki know that they cared.

From afar, Lemon was in her bedroom sobbing as she buried her face into her pillow. She could hear Kabuki shouting and crying from her bedroom window. She was sure what to think about his dance or his failed efforts to woo her. All she knew was that she had hurt her best friend and not even a few hard lemon pokes to herself were gonna help her feel better.

 **There was a reference to the mini-series called** ** _Monster Hunter Diaries Living to the Edge G._** **Kudos if you found that!**

 **The magic girl anime that Roll was referring to is known as** ** _Precure._** **It happens to be one of the Lemon Fairy's favorite Animes.**

 **I use a translator for the foreign language and have it typed in English characters so if it's not precisely accurate or grammatically correct. I apologize for that.**

 **And NO bashing Lemon! She's no jerk. If you wanna find out why she ran off on Kabuki.**

 **Stay tuned!**


	38. The Fireworks Show Part 3

The Fireworks Show Part 3

It was the morning of the fireworks show and yet no one inside of Lemon's household were feeling very excited about it. They were all still feeling rather glum about the night before. Especially Lemon, who had buried herself inside of the bedsheets. She didn't want to speak to anybody after she had gotten home. Last night, Roll had arrived back at the house just after midnight. She had helped Kabuki back home and he was still crying when she left his house, making it clear that he was clearly heartbroken.

Despite going to sleep so late, Roll still woke up early the next morning since she had been worried about Lemon as well as Kabuki. Plus she took note that Lemon said nothing to her when she had arrived upstairs to go to bed last night. Roll also noticed that Lemon had buried herself into the blanket like a cocoon and was worried that Lemon was not getting any air. She slowly tried to lift the blanket, assuming Lemon was still asleep when she discovered that the brown haired girl wasn't. Lemon was wide awake, eyes bloodshot red, clothes damp from sweat due to the heat, her hair was not only down but frizzy as well. She just stayed still, her rabbit pillow squeezed tightly to her chest as she was still curled into her little ball and looked at the blonde girl with lifeless eyes.

"Go away," she whimpered. Roll just looked at her sadly and pulled the blanket off of Lemon. Then Roll climbed into the bed and helped Lemon sit up with her legs loosely crossed.

"Lemon, I'm not gonna leave you like this," said Roll, "Please tell me what's bothering you? Why did you run off on Kabuki like that? You told me if he had been interested that you wouldn't just shut him down. Yet you ran off on him and hurt his feelings." Lemon said nothing but just looked at Roll quietly as she set her rabbit pillow next to her as she just fingered the pant leg of her pajamas.

"I don't deserve love," said Lemon quietly, "It's why I don't go looking for it..."

"Why is that?" Roll asked her gently. Lemon just felt her eyes watered.

"Ever since I was a little girl," said Lemon sadly, "I've always been considered different. My big sister...was always the perfect one. She was perfect in her grades, she was perfect in how she looked and the way she spoke and in what she liked. Everyone admired her, but me...everyone thought I was a freak! Even my own family...even my own momma..." Lemon voice cracked as she continued. Roll reached out and grabbed a hand to hold it gently, even after large tears began to splash on them.

"I was picked on. I was teased. I was looked down upon!" Lemon cried out, "People thought I was crazy. They all kept talking about be behind my back and asking what was wrong with me. I never felt like...I was loved...or accepted..." Lemon's voice broke further as her tears increased.

"It got to the point that when I was ten years old my own family wanted to send me away," said Lemon, "I heard them talking about putting me in the house with the crazy people!"

"A mental ward?!" Roll asked.

"Uh-huh," Lemon stuttered since she had started crying a little harder, "So...when I found out about Flower Town...I...I ran away...and moved here."

"Did they try to stop you?"Roll wondered curiously. Lemon tried to settle herself down a bit before she continued.

"They did...sort of," said Lemon, "my mom found out that I submitted an application to move here and said I could not go. But if they were gonna try to send me away. I'd rather go somewhere I wanted instead of the crazy house! So when my Mom was asleep I printed out my ticket and snuck out to my town's train station. I had just passed security when I saw my Mom and sister trying to come after me. I took off towards my train and got on it without a second thought. Whether my mom broke through security or not, I would never know because my train left just a couple of minutes after and that was the last time I saw her or my sister."

"I see," Roll replied slowly.

"I moved to Animal Town because I just wanted to be myself and find a place where people would accept me for who I was and not for what they wanted me to be!" Lemon sobbed, "People couldn't learn to love or accept me back home. Boys only wanted me for their own means and not cause they liked or accepted me. That's why I don't want nothing to do with love! I'M A REJECT LITTLE ROLL AND I'VE LEARNED TO ACCEPT THAT! WHO COULD **EVER** LOVE A REJECT LIKE ME!" Lemon just broke as she tumbled forward as her head landed in Roll's lap as she just broke down and wept. Roll just let her weep and gently rubbed her shoulder to help her settle down. Roll was fighting back tears of her own. She understood Lemon's pain to some extent.

"I understand," said Roll and Lemon stopped crying and sat up.

"H-h-how?" she hiccuped as her tears slowed down.

"Remember what I told you yesterday," Roll replied, "about how my mom didn't want me either?" Lemon just sniffled and nodded.

"Well, she never wanted me from the moment she was pregnant with me," said Roll, "She verbally and even physically abused me. She rejected me by the way she treated me and the way she spoke to me. I'm scarred Lemon. She would cuss me out like a sailor for minutes at a time and not think twice about it!"

"Oh Roll..." Lemon said sadly, "I outta give her hard lemon pokes! If I could find my where I dropped my wand..."

"Save your energy Lemon," said Roll with a light chuckle, "She's paying the price for what happened now. Someone saw her throw me into the trash can and she was arrested after that. She's now going to spend the next thirty years in prison for everything she did to me."

"But what happened after that?" said Lemon, "I remember you saying you were four years old when it happened."

"It was three," said Roll, "I pretty much got dumped into an orphanage. Neither the person who saved me or any foster families wanted me. Not worth their time I guess..."

"Aw Roll I'm so sorry," said Lemon crying again.

"It's okay, Lemon, please don't cry," said Roll, "That's why I moved to Animal Town. I didn't just want to waste away being unloved. I just wanted to find my own purpose in life...be the person who I wanted to be. And yes that included being barefoot. Trust me...my feet never get cold. You could visit my house when there's a blizzard outside, weather 40 below zero, and find me wearing a nice sweater, skirt, three quarter leggings and barefoot!" Lemon laughed and Roll laughed as well.

"Umm...you would wear shoes outside in the snow though...right?" Lemon asked.

"Yeah," said Roll with a sigh, "I wish I didn't have to though...but walking on ice and snow barefoot is pretty much my limit. I could probably do a frozen dirt path for a few minutes, but...yeah...I need shoes in the winter. But just a pump in my case, not boots."

"I see," said Lemon and just sighed to herself, "At least you have some confidence about yourself." Roll gave her a look and a smirk.

"Lemon, as I recall, you take pride in being a girl who loves everything cute as well as scary," Roll answered.

"Oh yeah...that's true," said Lemon with a small smile, "I guess...I just don't know what to think about Kabuki, with everything I've been through I'm just not sure if I wanna really pursue love."

"Lemon, just because Kabuki wants to date doesn't mean that you automatically have to be in a romance and fall in love," Roll answered.

"And how do you know you can do that?" Lemon asked, "You told me you're not pursing love either!"

"I'm not," said Roll, "but I know I have had a one-on-one with a boy and without all the romance and flirting and such...well...okay maybe a _little_ flirting...just a little..." Lemon blinked before a smirk appeared on her face.

"Little Roll... _you_ actually have been on a date?" she asked curiously. Roll just giggled.

"Yeah...I have...with Marshal," said Roll, "We just had a nice dinner, dessert, and then we played a board game together."

"But didn't he have a crush on you?" Lemon asked. Roll just smiled.

"In a way he probably did," said Roll, "and he probably still does I mean...he tries to flirt with me since he called me Beautiful as a nickname, but...the love he was seeking wasn't romantic. The whole reason he moved to Animal Town was because the mayor there rejected him and moved away. He was looking for someone that he could love and be loved back."

"I see," said Lemon, "he needed a friend, not a girlfriend then."

"Yeah," said Roll, "I even asked him why me, since I opened up to him about feeling rejected. We were the most distant in terms of friendship and he wanted to get to know me. He even admitted I was attractive and beautiful but...I'll take his word for it." Lemon giggled.

"So...he was willing to respect your feelings," said Lemon, "and he didn't force you to have feelings for him."

"Yeah," said Roll, "He even told me. Let's just keep things as siblings. And it made things less awkward and I was able to talk to him about stuff. I can tell you one thing though since I know you like plushies. Cuddling a guy you look at as a brother is way better than any stuffed plush toy."

"If you say so," said Lemon doubtfully as she started hugging her rabbit pillow plushies. Roll just looked at her sympathetically.

"I felt the same doubt too," said Roll, "Every time you and others say that I'm so cute and beautiful. I don't think I am, but I'm told that regardless."

"It's hard to believe it because of what you've gone through, Roll-chan," said Lemon as she tried to wipe her eyes, "you're so used to being told your nothing and feeling rejected. Then you come to the Animal part of the world and everyone has nothing but loving and encouraging words to share with you. It can feel overwhelming sometimes. You have to wonder if...if the villagers...your friends...really could understand your situation. I mean...everyone is so cheery and happy around here and it's never like that back home."

"It is because the towns are so happy why we've all moved to towns like Flower and Animal town," said a voice. Lemon and Roll turned and saw Bunnie, Coco, Kiki, Margie, Rosie, and Tabby standing just outside the bedroom. Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie had invited them into the house while Roll and Lemon were still asleep to discuss what had gone wrong and how they were gonna apologize to Kabuki. They had heard Lemon start sobbing loudly upstairs and had gone to see what was going on. While they stayed quiet as Lemon and Roll were speaking to each other, it was when they heard Lemon say she didn't think anyone in town would understand how she felt that they chose to speak up.

"Lemon, sweetheart," said Kiki gently, "Didn't you forget something, kitty cat?"

"Forget what Kiki," Lemon answered back, feeling puzzled.

"That we all have our own pasts," said Kiki, "We all have reasons why we moved to the towns that we live in, kitty cat."

"It's true you know," said Coco, "People rejected me because of how creepy my face looks. There was no way a girl like me could ever be considered beautiful or cute or even worthwhile back home, doyoing. That's why I came here. To find a place where I would fit in and people would like me, face and all!"

"I had a similar situation too, me-Wow," said Tabby, "You see my face...I looked like a creeper. I can't tell you how many times during my school days I was reported for harassment! Why? Just because my face made me look like I was stalking! It didn't help that I was shy and had trouble talking to people because of it so it only made the situation worse! My family wanted me to have surgery done to my face, but the doctors said that there was a chance it could petrify my face permanently! I couldn't bear to risk it so I moved away and came here." Tabby started to cry.

"Maybe...me-Wow," She croaked, "...people would stop trying to determine who I was by my face alone and try to just...get to know the real me! Just cause I look creepy...doesn't mean that it's who I am...I'm just a girl...who wants to be treated like she's normal...and not like she's a freak, me-Wow..." Tabby couldn't say more cause her tears had overwhelmed her as Kiki held her gently as the orange cat shed her tears. Coco hugged her from behind to comfort her.

"I can understand the family rejection, tee hee," said Bunnie quietly, "I used to live in a town of Castle and was the best friend of the mayor there. But then out of the blue she just...decided that I wasn't worth her time and moved away. Even said to my face that she wanted to move on, like I was not even a person but just some current fad! I was degraded and rejected and she did it with no remorse. While I've moved on, I'm afraid to love to. I got my heart broken by someone called family. The fear of being rejected has yet to fully go away. I still worry the day is gonna come when one or more of the friendships I have now is gonna fall apart and I'm the one whose gonna be left in pieces!"

"Yes! YES!" Lemon replied loudly, "You get it Bunnie! That's why I'm so scared about all of this, especially with this situation involving Kabuki. I'm a reject and I'm scarred because of it! I don't want my heart broken again..." Lemon began to cry softly, her eyes finding fresh tears that began to stream down the cheeks she had spent the last few minutes cleaning them.

"You're not the only one," said Roll, "When I first came to town, I was afraid to even make friends, let alone even opening up with people. I had accepted that I was a reject to the point that I thought I was doomed to be left alone and feeling ugly and useless. I never expected that by moving to the Animal part of the world that I would find the two things I always wanted."

"What's that little Roll?" Lemon asked in a cracked tone.

"Real acceptance and friendship," said Roll, "these villagers have never looked down on me for being myself. Can you really say that Kiki, Coco, Tabby, or even Kabuki...made you feel like you had to earn their love and acceptance? Or did they just give it to you...no questions asked? " Lemon just turned to face her three friends, who all gave her warm smiles.

"They...did...freely," said Lemon slowly and then added sadly, "and yet here I am feeling like I reject...what's wrong with me..."

"Absolutely nothing, kitty cat," said Kiki, "the point is that you're hurting sweetheart. You don't have to be. We've been your best friends for a couple of years now. I've...been your mother since you've come here...yet you hardly ever come to me about your problems. I guess my question is why?" Lemon sniffled.

"I didn't want to burden you with my past," said Lemon, "I told you I was a freak from the start. I didn't think I had to say anything more."

"You're not a freak or a reject, doyoing," said Coco, "that is what friends are for. We are here to help and support one other, especially when they are hurting inside. You never had to keep your feelings to yourself. If you needed to talk, or vent, or just cry with someone, we've always been here for you. Just like you've been there for us. We want to be there for you." Lemon felt like she was going to cry again and just whimpered loudly as she lifted her arms. It didn't take no time at all before Coco, Kiki, and Tabby gathered around her and just hugged her. Lemon just held them close for dear life as a few more sobs escaped her mouth. Roll wasted no time trying to get into the group hug as well.

"Hey, let us in too, tee hee!" Bunnie croaked.

"We love Lemon too, silly," Rosie added in a sad tone, "We don't want her feeling like nobody would love or accept her."

"We love and accept her too," said Margie, "and we hope she'll confide in us as well someday, tootie."

"Oh you guys," Lemon croaked as she just cried tearlessly. Her friends joined her. Not one single person in that bedroom had dry eyes as they stayed in that group hug for what felt like a hours before they pulled away. Lemon just sniffled as they pulled away and gave the girl some warm smiles.

"So what do I do?" said Lemon, "I don't want to hurt Kabuki anymore than I already have, but...I just don't know how I feel..."

"Then that is what you should tell him, me-Wow," said Tabby.

"Tell him?!" Lemon said fearfully.

"Yes," said Coco, "You need to be honest with him. Let him know how you feel. If he cares about you just as much as I do. He'll respect your feelings."

"But I don't want to break his heart," said Lemon.

"You won't have to," said Roll, "Remember what I said about me and Marshal. You can still go out on a date and keep it just as friends."

"Really?" said Lemon.

"Sure," said Rosie, "Marshal and I did it. We went on a few dates and just let the romance develop on its own. We just thought of it as two really good friends spending time together and growing our friendship. In the end, romance never really blossomed..."

"Cause of me," said Bunnie quietly but Margie lightly pushed her as a clue to shush.

"...but our friendship got stronger cause we spent so much time together," said Rosie, "The point is, Lemon. Dating is just a fancy word for a guy and girl spending time alone. It doesn't always have to be romantic. So...don't over think it, silly. And don't feel like you have to make it romantic. Just go have fun with your friend." Lemon just sighed a bit as she just stared at her bare feet since she hadn't gotten out of bed yet but had her sheep slippers near the edge of the bed.

"I'm scared," said Lemon, "Even if what Rosie said would make things less...complicated...I just don't know what to say to Kabuki. He probably hates me..."

"No he doesn't, tootie," said Margie, "We spoke to him last night."

"He thinks you hate him," said Roll. Lemon's eyes nearly popped out of her head and considering this was Lemon, she might have added that lots of blood would start pouring out of eyes if they had.

"Oh no, never!" said Lemon, "I could never hate Kabuki. It's not his fault he fell for a messed up girl like me!"

"Listen to me, kitty cat," said Kiki firmly, "You. Are. Not. Messed. Up."

"You are just someone who has had a rough past, silly," said Rosie, "We all have."

"Really?" said Roll and Rosie just nodded, not wanting to go into detail. Roll felt like the blue cat would tell her in good time and let the topic go.

"Anyway," Roll proceeded, "Rosie is right. That's why you need to speak to Kabuki right away. Don't let him think you do hate him or don't want to be his friend anymore. Be honest with him and tell him how you feel. It's not easy...but doesn't Kabuki really seem like someone who would turn you away or shut you down?" Lemon just looked at her feet again and shook her head.

"Then you know what you need to do, doyoing," said Coco, "we...can go with you if..."

"No Coco." said Lemon quietly, "I gotta do this alone, but...I promise to tell you guy everything when I get back okay." They all smiled.

"Fair enough," said Roll, "How about I make us some breakfast and then we can..."

"No," said Lemon, "I can't eat feeling like this. I'm gonna get dressed and go find Kabuki. I know I'll feel better once I'm done speaking to him." Roll looked concerned but then just nodded to concede as Lemon slid slowly off her bed, putting her sheep slippers on before grabbing an outfit and headed downstairs for a quick bath so she could get dressed. It wasn't long before she had changed into a clean tank with a lemon on the front, some brown shorts and had put on a pair of very stylish brown slip on sandals. She had also added a lemon colored headband to her trademark hairstyle, which was up in a mini bun. She had taken her time heading towards Kabuki since she was nervous to see him. Once she was in front of his house, she took a slow deep breath and lightly knocked three times on the door. She didn't have to wait long before a rather cranky looking Kabuki opened the door.

"May I help you, meooo-OH," he asked rather bluntly. Lemon could see in his eye that he still looked hurt, yet tried to hide it behind his yellow and black eyes. Even the fact that she looked intimidated didn't make the white cat stand down.

"I...I...I came here to talk to you," Lemon said nervously.

"I already got the message, meooo-OH!" Kabuki snapped, "you're not interested! Now if you'll excuse me..."

"NO!" Lemon retorted, pushing against the door to keep Kabuki from closing it, "Please don't close the door! We need to talk about this!"

"What's there to talk about!" Kabuki snapped, "You don't want to date me! You're not interested in me at all! Fine! Just go find your kawaii overloads with someone else then, meooo-OH!" He fought to shut the door when Lemon found a burst on strength and pushed it open and enveloped him into a hug and held him for dear life. It was then Kabuki realized that this situation wasn't as black and white as he had thought.

"Please..." Lemon begged, "Let me explain...I didn't mean to run out on you last night! It wasn't that I didn't want to date you...I ran...because I didn't feel good enough..." That got Kabuki to stand down. He then felt very guilty since he knew he had overwhelmed her yesterday. He realized just how ungrateful he had been acting considering that, from his point of view, Lemon had no right to even be speaking to him right now.

"Alright, let me close my door and then we can talk, meooo-OH," he said gently when Lemon handed him her sandals.

"You can keep them on," said Kabuki, "I'm not that picky. Plus I know you don't like going barefoot and I don't have an extra pair of slippers for you. I was surprised to see you going around town barefoot yesterday."

"You see how kawaii and beautiful little Roll looks when she does it," said Lemon, "I...I wanted to be kawaii and beautiful too..." Kabuki just stared and then chuckled to himself.

"You're beautiful and kawaii in your own right," said Kabuki, "it's up to you." Lemon just smiled and slipped her sandals back on her feet before taking a seat next to him on a nearby zen pillow with her legs tucked in. Kabuki just took a deep breath.

"Well first of all," said Kabuki, "let me just apologize for making you feel to awkward and uncomfortable yesterday, meooo-OH. I guess what I was trying to say was that I really liked you and I guess my way of showing that kind of went over your head."

"Pretty much," said Lemon, "I mean your kabuki dance got the message across but those other things you did were just...weird."

"Yeah, heh, sorry, meooo-OH," said Kabuki, "I guess I'm not that good at trying to woo a girl."

"I don't know who in their right mind told you that I could be swooned over stupid things like being cool, showing off your physical strength or being serenaded," said Lemon, "I would have been more open if you had just been honest and straight forward with me. Then again...I don't even know why I'm giving this advice. I don't certainly tell everyone everything that's on my mind for crying out loud!"

"Why is that meooo-OH?" Kabuki asked her curiously. Lemon suddenly felt like she had bitten into an ultra-sour lemon as her lips went inside her mouth and her body cringed a bit.

"I said too much again..." she muttered with a low groan as she looked away.

"You can tell me," said Kabuki, "why do you feel like you can't talk to people?"

"Cause I'm used to nobody listening to me or even caring about what I have to say," said Lemon sadly. Kabuki just looked at her surprised.

"I hope you never thought I wouldn't care about what you had to say," said Kabuki.

"You were practically going to shut the..."

"I was hurt, meooo-OH," Kabuki bellowed, "I thought you had rejected me!"

"Never!" said Lemon, "I could never rejected you. The reason I ran was because I just...I...I...just don't feel LIKE I'M GOOD ENOUGH FOR LOVE!" Lemon couldn't help but shout the last part but she just took some deep breaths to calm down.

"Why?" Kabuki asked gently. Lemon was still panting.

"Cause I'm not the perfect woman," said Lemon, "I'm not the girl people considered pretty, worth anyone's time, even my mom wanted to...send me away..."

"But...why?" Kabuki asked, more puzzled than ever. Lemon just sniffled and looked at him with glossy eyes. She didn't want to tell her long sob story again so she tried to sum up how she felt in as few words as possible.

"You see how I am, Kabuki!" said Lemon sadly, "Who could ever love someone like me? I'm a reject!"

"So am I," said Kabuki, "Do you think it was easy growing up with a face like mine, meooo-OH? People thought I was a bully and they kept their distance. I thought I was doomed to be alone forever so I moved here. I never thought someone like you would find me worth their time, let alone cute."

"Well you are the most kawaii cat I have ever met in my entire life," said Lemon, "So in that sense...I do like you."

"I see, meooo-OH," Kabuki answered, "Just...not enough to wanna date then?" Lemon just looked away for a second, wondering on what to say next before turning back to face him.

"I'll be honest, Kabuki," said Lemon, "at first I was going to say that I wanted to just stay friends, but...I don't feel right telling you that either."

"Why is that Lemon?" he asked her gently.

"Because it's not fair," said Lemon, "I don't want to break your heart. And...well...I don't want to be forced to love or fall for someone. That's what those stupid boys back home tried to do. They wanted to force those feelings on me."

"Listen to me Lemon," said Kabuki, "I would never do that to you. If you don't feel like you're ready to try a date then maybe we can try some other time."

"Well...what was the date anyway?" Lemon asked.

"I just wanted to hang out with you at the fireworks show," said Kabuki, "I was hoping the first date didn't need to be over the top...unless you want it to be..."

"No, no!" said Lemon with a chuckle, "that...that was my biggest concern. The date being all about me trying to fall in love with you and such. I just...wanted the date to be as friends...and just...if there are any feelings between us...just...well..."

"Let them come on their own," said Kabuki gently with a smile, "Instead of trying to force or rush them, meooo-OH." Lemon smiled.

"Yeah...is...is that okay?" Lemon asked.

"Then let me ask you this the way I wanted to do this and not the way other people say I should do this, meooo-OH," said Kabuki, "Lemon I really like you alot. I can't ask you to return that, but if you are willing to at least grow closer to each other, even just as friends, can...I mean...will you be my date to the first fireworks show of the year?" Lemon just looked at him, still pondering at what to say.

 _Maybe I can go on a date with Kabuki_ Lemon thought, _He said we can keep it as friends. I...I can do this. He did say he likes me, despite everything. He likes me..._ Kabuki began to grow a bit nervous at Lemon's silence but then relaxed a bit when Lemon pulled him into a hug.

"I'm glad you like me despite my flaws, Kabuki," said Lemon as she held him gently, "So...if we can keep it friends for now...I'd be happy to go on a date with you." Kabuki pulled away with a happy and excited look on his face.

"That's great, meooo-OH!" said Kabuki, "So...what time should I pick you up?" Lemon just giggled shyly, playing with the bottom of her shorts a bit.

"Umm...6:45?" she asked. Kabuki smiled.

"It's a date," said Kabuki, "and again...I'm sorry for all the trouble."

"I'm sorry I hurt you," said Lemon, "I didn't mean to make you cry." Kabuki just hummed and gave her a smile.

"It's alright, meooo-OH," said Kabuki, "You've explained why you were nervous and now you know that I won't make you fall in love with me. Tonight, we're just going to have a good time together and enjoy the fireworks and all those yummy fortune cookies." Lemon laughed as Kabuki licked his lips since he always enjoyed a good fortune cookie despite what the tickets inside were. However, he was still hoping that he could get some winning tickets for his date.

"Okay, so things are okay between us now," said Lemon. Kabuki just gave her a puzzled look.

"I should be asking you that question, meooo-OH," said Kabuki, "I'm the one who likes you and acted like a fool because of it."

"You're not a fool, Kabuki," said Lemon, "I'm flattered that you like me so much that you wanna date me. I'm just not ready to fall in love yet."

"I see," said Kabuki with a light nod, "but I hope you know Lemon. If we ever do cross that path, I want you to know that I would never hurt you like those from your past did. Don't be afraid to love Lemon, especially your friends."

"I know," said Lemon, "So I'll see you at 6:45 then?"

"Of course," said Kabuki, "are you..."

"Yes I am," said Lemon, "I'll be wearing a yukata to the event."

"Cool, I was hoping I would have a reason to wear mine," said Kabuki, "It had just arrived from the Ables shop a couple of hours ago."

"Oh, Kabuki in a yukata!" Lemon gushed, "so KAWAII! Can I see it?" Kabuki gave her a smirk.

"When I come to pick you up later tonight," said Kabuki, "and not a second sooner." Lemon wanted to pout, but pouting was more something her friend Sakura would do. Lemon knew she could wait.

"Well...okay," said Lemon and then headed out of Kabuki's house. She had just walked inside her house and tucked her slippers on when she saw Roll and the six villagers just staring at her.

"Well, how did it go?" Roll asked curiously. Lemon just stared for a second before she smiled.

"It...looks like I've got a date with Kabuki for the fireworks tonight," said Lemon simply. She only had about two seconds of silence before all the girls minus Roll began to squeal with glee. They were all excited to hear that Lemon had a date with Kabuki.

By the time it was slowly approaching 6:45, Roll and Lemon were getting ready for the fireworks show. Each of them had a specially made yukata just for the show. Lemon's yukata was a bright red with white kitsune masks that ironically looked just like Kabuki's face on it with a white sarashi. Roll's yukata was floral patterned that was pastel yellow with black cosmos patterned on it with a black sarashi. They had both kept their hair in simply pony tails with a large ribbon on the left sides of their head. While Lemon had some red kimono sandals on, Roll, of course, stayed barefoot.

"Is it okay that I don't wear any shoes with my yukata?" she asked. Lemon chuckled.

"You should be okay," said Lemon, "I mean its non-traditional, but...there's no dress code to wearing yukatas to the fireworks show...at least not around here. So you just get comfortable little Roll and take care not to trip either." Roll stood up showing that her yukata was a good inch above her ankles.

"I had the length taken up an inch to avoid that," said Roll, "I'm glad I can still be barefoot. I'm more comfortable that way." She wiggled her toes to prove her point as Lemon giggled to herself as she sighed and rested her hands into her lap. Roll noticed that despite the fact that Lemon looked happy, the blonde girl could tell that her big sister looked rather tense.

"Lemon, are you okay?" she asked curiously. Lemon just kept smiling but she shook her head and her smile faded into a worried look. Roll just gave Lemon a gentle hug since they were already outside of the house.

"You're going to be okay," said Roll gently as they pulled away, "Stop thinking of it as an actual romantic date. Just think of it as one on one time with Kabuki. Get to know him more and find out more about him on a personal level. That is what I did with Marshal."

"It's just the fact that he really likes me," said Lemon, "I don't want to break his heart if...if no feelings develop." Roll just hummed in understanding.

"You know what Lemon," said Roll, "I had the same fears when I dated Marshal. I was worried about hurting his feelings to. So...I was just honest with him. You told Kabuki how you feel right?"

"Yeah...I did," said Lemon timidly, "He...he said that he would keep this date as friends...and that...that we didn't need to rush anything." Roll smiled.

"Then you guys have nothing to worry about," said Roll, "and also, don't be afraid to let him...uhh...pamper you a little bit."

"Pamper?" she asked stunned.

"You know like...buy you dinner, get you your fireworks and fortune cookies and such," said Roll.

"But I have money for all that stuff," said Lemon, "he doesn't have to pay for anything for me!"

"True," said Roll, "But...as Marshal told me. They know you're fully capable of taking care of yourself, but...they just like to know you need them. If that makes any sense." Lemon just looked puzzled but still nodded in understanding.

"Well okay...just this once I guess," said Lemon with much uncertainty in her voice. It wasn't much longer before Roll noticed a particular cat in the distance approaching the two girls. Lemon saw Kabuki coming up as well and quickly raised a red paper fan to her face. Roll just giggled as she lightly fanned herself with her black floral fan. She saw that Kabuki was donning a white yukata with lemon slices patterned on it with a thinner cream colored belt around his waist. While all the animal villagers never wore shoes, and not counting special characters, Kabuki had a pair of yellow kimono sandals on his feet.

"Good evening miss Roll," said Kabuki with a gentlemen's bow, "I have arrived to escort the princess of the lemons to the fireworks show. Have you seen her?" Roll giggled and hid behind her own fan.

"Try that fan," said Roll as she pointed towards the person standing next to her. Kabuki blinked a bit before he noticed the girl standing next to her wearing the yukata with his face on it and the fan over her face.

"Lemon?" he asked. The brown haired girl lowered her fan shyly. She had noticed that Kabuki had on a lemon yukata and the pink on her cheeks had not faded.

"H-h-hi Kabuki," said Lemon shyly as she lowered her fan and cupped her hands in front of her. Kabuki could tell that she looked nervous and sighed.

"Lemon...if...if you don't..." Kabuki began.

"You said you wanted to take me out on a date!" Lemon snapped, thinking he was canceling on her.

"Lemon, I can see how tense you look, meooo-OH," said Kabuki, "if you're not up to this, then just tell me. I don't want you miserable for my sake." Lemon felt a tear leave her eye.

"No," she croaked, "I'm just nervous...I've...never been on a date before, even with a friend. This is all new for me." Kabuki nodded.

"Well if it helps, meooo-OH," said Kabuki, "I'm nervous too."

"You are?" she asked as she wiped the tear away.

"Yes," Kabuki nodded, "This is my first date to. I just want to make sure you have a good time and that...that we just have fun together and not worry about falling in love and all that. You said you're not ready. I just want to be with you and spend time with you. That's all...meooo-OH." Lemon just smiled. She wanted to cry because she was touched. Kabuki really did care about how she felt and was willing to respect where she stood about falling in love too. There was no way she could turn him down now. In fact, one might say the seed might have been planted...maybe...

"Okay," said Lemon, "I'm ready." Kabuki nodded as extended his hand for her to take. Lemon couldn't resist wrapping both her arms around his left arm instead. Kabuki was taken aback from the gesture for a moment before Lemon just gave him a smile. He chuckled back and then guided her towards the Event Plaza, which in Flower Town was on the opposite side where her house was. Roll just smiled and watched them disappear before she felt a someone tap a hand on her shoulder. There before her was a familiar white squirrel donning a light brown yukata with coffee cups on it and, to make him look even cuter to Roll, he had worn a large cone shaped straw hat as well.

"Hey there Beautiful," said Marshal, "I heard you needed a date, sulky." Roll giggled a bit as she held his hand and they walked towards fireworks show together. Just a couple of yards ahead of them were Lemon and Kabuki. Lemon had let go with one arm so she could fan herself a bit as they made their way towards the Event plaza. Suddenly, Lemon's sandal hit a snag in the grass and she tripped and started falling forward, but Kabuki immediately dove in front of Lemon and caught her. Lemon blushed a bit as she tried to stand up and looked at Kabuki.

"You know that I'm a klutz," said Lemon, clearly embarrassed. Kabuki just looked at her with a smile.

"Well then I guess when you fall I'm going to have to catch you then," said Kabuki with a wink. Lemon felt her cheeks go from pink to red as she bashfully smiled and hid her face behind her fan with one hand and then let Kabuki take hold of the other. It was just a few minutes til 7pm when they finally arrived at the Event Plaza. Lemon's Isabelle was already their working on the final preparations.

"Good evening, Izzy-chan!" Lemon called out as Isabelle lifted head above her clipboard and smiled at the two.

"Hey there Mayor!" said Isabelle.

"Izzy-chan, I said you can call me Lemon," the brown haired girl replied, slightly annoyed.

"Oh sorry," said Isabelle sheepishly, "I keep forgetting...Lemon. And I see you holding Kabuki's hand. Are you guys in a date?" Lemon just looked at Kabuki and then smiled.

"Yes we are," said Lemon, "As friends for now." Isabelle giggled.

"Cool," said Isabelle and then felt her smartphone vibrate, "Oh! It's time!" Just then, town hall clock began to chime. Isabelle grabbed a mega phone to speak into it.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE FIREWORKS SHOW HAS NOW STARTED!"

It was then the sunset sky began to be filled with hundreds upon hundreds of exploding fireworks of various shapes and colored. The rest of the villagers in town stopped what they were to watch as the first few fireworks began to light up the dark orange sky. Lemon and Kabuki looked up to watch the fireworks as well. They had also let go of each other's hands.

"Oh the fireworks all look so kawaii!" said Lemon excitedly as she clapped excitedly.

"Indeed they do, meooo-OH!" said Kabuki in a calmer tone, "but you are the most kawaii thing here tonight." Kabuki then bit his tongue, wondering if what he said was too bold. He could feel his hands grew clammy when he saw Lemon looking at him.

"What did you say?" said Lemon since she heard him say something but didn't hear him clearly due to the fireworks. Kabuki looked at her nervously before releasing a slow breath.

"I said you are the most kawaii thing here tonight," he repeated slowly. Lemon's cheeks turned a light shade of pink before she gave him a shy smile.

"Thank you," said Lemon, "You too." Now it was Kabuki's turn to blush as his white cheeks turned a light pink. Lemon giggled as she heard the sound of someone else giggling in the background. She turned around to see a familiar figure in a pink yukata with her hair in her traditional pink pigtails and a large smile on her face.

"Lemon and Kabuki sitting in a tree..." she sang.

"Oh hush up Sakura!" said Lemon, "or I'll give you hard lemon pokes!" Lemon revealed that she had tucked her lemon wand into the left pocket of her red yukata and pointed it at Sakura's cheek. The pink haired girl just chuckled giddily to herself.

"Ease off, I didn't mean anything by it," said Sakura, "I'm just glad to see that you're finally trying to find love!" Lemon snorted.

"We're just on this date as friends," Lemon retorted, "Nothing more." Sakura just blinked before shrugging her shoulders.

"Eh...I still see love blossoming between the two of you," said Sakura, "anyways...where is my date for the...COOKIES!" Sakura than took off when she saw that her date, which appeared to be a literal walking and talking stuffed teddy bear, had a huge collection of fortune cookies on his hands. Lemon wasn't sure if Sakura was rushing to help him from dropping the few dozen cookies he was carrying or to just eat the cookies right out of his hands. She didn't think much of it before she noticed two familiar couples walking by.

"Hey there Lemon," said Shenran, wearing a bright red yukata, as he waved. His wife, Ankha, was holding his arm rather tightly and was flinching at the exploding sounds of the fireworks. Lemon took notice.

"Is she okay?" Lemon asked curiously. Ankha looked indignant.

"Of course I'm fine, me meow," said Ankha snootily as she dusted off her yellow and dark blue stripped yukata, "He is my husband so why can't I hold his arm..."

KA-BOOM! WOOSH! KA-BOOM!"

Within seconds Ankha had dived into his arms and buried her face into his chest, Shenran could tell that Ankha was very embarrassed and wanted to get out of the center of attention.

"I'm gonna take Ankha somewhere quiet," said Shenran, "Have fun on your date Lemon!" Lemon just looked stunned since she hadn't even told him she was on a date with Kabuki. Bacon could tell by the look on hers as well as Kabuki's faces that she hadn't said anything.

"Did you not expect us to figure that out?" Bacon asked Lemon curiously. Lemon and Kabuki just blushed as they glanced at each other and then looked away. Cherry, wearing a twinkle style yukata, gave her husband a light shove.

"Ease off honey," said Cherry, "any girl is gonna feel shy and nervous on their first date, what-what." Bacon chuckled.

"That is true," said Bacon, "I remember how cute and timid you were when we had our first date. You looked pretty hot when you're shy too..." Lemon and Kabuki snickered as Cherry's already red fur darkened around her cheeks.

"Don't make me hurt you, what-what," said Cherry, trying to be threatening but a giggle gave her away. Bacon just interlocked his fingers with hers, kissing her cheek affectionately.

"Come on honey," he replied, "Let go find a quiet and safe place to light our sparklers while we enjoy the show."

"Alright, what-what," said Cherry, "Have fun you guys!" With that the newlyweds walked away. Lemon just watched them disappear when she felt someone tug her arm.

"Come on, meooo-OH," said Kabuki gently, "there is someone I want you to meet." Lemon looked a bit puzzled as Kabuki guided her towards someone wearing a floral dark purple yukata with a male wearing a blue vertical stripped yukata. The black haired girl turned around just as Kabuki was about to speak.

"Ah so this is the young lady you've told me so much about," said the girl. Lemon was surprised to hear that as Kabuki gave her a polite bow.

"Hai, sensei," said Kabuki, "This is Anemone, or as we call her Lemon." The black haired girl smiled.

"Well it is nice to see meet you in person," said the girl, "my name is..."

"Master Yumi!" said Roll as she came up the group, "I didn't know you were going to be here!" Yumi just gave the blonde girl a smile as they exchanged bows with each other.

"I didn't know either," Yumi answered, "It was just a spur of the...WHAT THE...WILL YOU WATCH WERE YOU DROP THAT THING!" Yumi had quickly jumped out of the way as Butler had placed a ground firework a little too close to her as it began to show out its show of fire sparks from it.

"Fire...FIRE!" he shouted like a madman until...

SPLASH

...He was hit with a rather large amount of water, drenching both him and the firework on the ground. He glared at Yumi, who just smiled innocently with a wooden bucket behind her back.

"You're no fun," he muttered.

"If fun, you mean setting my yukata on fire," said Yuki, "then yes, I'll ruin the fun!" Butler just glared before he ruffled his hair in her face, making small drops of water splash her.

"Cut it out!" she bellowed, "and go get me a fortune cookie!"

"Do you have bells, _master_?" he asked annoyed. She just gave him a look, making him snort before looking at Kabuki.

"Take care dating and falling in love Kabuki," said Butler, giving his wife a one eyed glare, "Women are expensive." Yumi just smirked and stuck her tongue out at him before he stomped away, trying to get the excess water out of his yukata. Lemon just chuckled at his childish behavior.

"Well, if it helps," said Lemon, "I have my own bells so Kabuki doesn't have to worry about losing all his money. I can pay for myself thank you." Yumi chuckled.

"Well, for the sake of honor, he still needs to try," said Yumi, "A real gentlemen always does."

"Speaking of which," said Kabuki, "Shall I get us a few fortune cookies, meooo-OH?" Lemon just looked at Kabuki and then sighed to herself.

"Okay, as long as you don't end up with no money and try eating your own flesh for food to survive," said Lemon, noticing Roll and Yumi make grossed out faces, "I said too much again." Kabuki laughed.

"No worries, Lemon," said Kabuki, "I'll be back with those cookies okay." Lemon could see the compassion in his eyes and it made her relax instantly. Kabuki then headed towards Redd's stand to get the cookies as Lemon just watched him. Someone took notice of her staring.

"Think you're falling for him now, doyoing?" said the voice. Lemon blinked as she snapped back to her thoughts and noticed Coco and Kiki smiling at her in their own yukatas.

"Oh hush you two," Lemon retorted, "I just wanted to see that he doesn't have any issues buying the cookies and to make sure he doesn't try to spoil me by getting too many cookies. I've got a figure to worry about you know and I feel fat as it is..."

"Seriously, meooo-OH?" Kabuki asked since he had returned when Lemon had been talking with Coco and Kiki. Lemon bit her lip, wishing Kabuki hadn't heard that. He could tell she had said too much again.

"Lemon, you need to understand something, meooo-OH," said Kabuki with a serious tone, "I'm not looking for a woman who is perfect. Or at least perfect according to what others say. I'm looking to love a girl whose perfect in my eyes."

"And what would your idea of a perfect woman be?" Yumi asked first since the rest of the group wanted to ask that as well. Kabuki cleared his throat as he broke a fortune cookie in half.

"I just want a girl whose gonna love and accept all of me and nothing less, meooo-OH," said Kabuki, "Someone who thinks I'm worth their time."

"But what about the idea that Lemon thinks she's fat, kitty cat?" Kiki asked next. Kabuki snorted.

"Lemon, fat? Don't make me laugh," said Kabuki, "But I can say this...if no one else in this world finds her worth loving..." He paused impressively. "...I know I will." Lemon put a hand over her heart as the other girls, minus Yumi, awed.

"You...mean that Kabuki?" Lemon asked with a soft tone. Kabuki smiled.

"Lemon, I will love you in this life and in the afterlife," said Kabuki, "I'll will make sure that you never feel lonely or rejected ever again, meooo-OH!" The girls, minus Yumi who just smiled, awed even louder and Lemon felt tears come out of her eyes.

"Oh Kabuki that is most romantic thing anybody has ever said to me," Lemon replied as she cried happy tears, "It might be only as a friend, but...Kabuki...I do love you..." Kabuki nodded as he embraced her gently. It was a risk since he knew Lemon didn't like being hugged by boys, but this time she accepted the gesture willingly and hugged him back.

"I love you too," said Kabuki, "We don't need to be in a relationship for that, meooo-OH! In fact, I think you'll agree that staying friends and saying it make things less complicated."

"I agree," said Lemon as her tears slowed down, "But it still means alot to me regardless to hear that you love me."

"Me too," Kabuki answered as he gentle used a finger to wipe away Lemon's tears, making her giggle since his gentle touch on his cheek tickled. When he finished he lightly tapped each cheek again.

"Poke," he replied. They both laughed as Lemon gave him a poke in return on his cheek.

"Come on," said Kabuki, "Let go find a quiet place to watch the fireworks and can enjoy our cookies in peace." Lemon nodded as she grabbed his arm and they walked away from the Event Plaza. Yet everyone nearby noticed one thing in particular and it was the fact that Lemon was resting her head against Kabuki's shoulder as they disappeared into what had now become a starry night.

It was a few hours later when Lemon and Kabuki had found themselves on a lonely zen bench to occupy and hadn't left the spot even after the fireworks show had started to die down. By now most of the villagers had gone to bed, even Sakura and Yumi had gone home. Lemon had extended Roll's invite to one more night so she could stay out as late as she wanted while Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie had already packed and returned home. Lemon never knew that Roll and Marshal had found them and were just sitting along the edge of the river. Yet Roll and Marshal had no intentions of disturbing Lemon and Kabuki. They were just happy that the two were having a good time, yet Marshal couldn't help but speculate.

"I wonder if this means that they are gonna try and become a couple," said Roll quietly, "I don't know how Lemon feels but I know Kabuki does love her more than as a friend."

"True, sulky," said Marshal, "but you can't really force someone to love you no matter how much or how strongly you love them."

"True," said Roll, "but I can't help but wonder though. Kabuki is going to alot of trouble trying to make Lemon comfortable. I think he really hopes that things will work out and they will be together as a couple." Marshal hummed.

"It's his risk," said Marshal, "But at least he knows he doesn't have to risk too much. Lemon did say she loves him and real love lasts forever regardless if romantic feelings ever appear at all."

"That true," said Roll, "I know romantic love has value, but the best kind in my opinion is unconditional love. You just know that it will last forever."

"Yes it will, Beautiful," said Marshal, "Yes it will. Just always remember this, sulky."

"Remember what?" said Roll.

"You may have felt rejected in the past," said Marshal, "But that doesn't make you a reject or does it give you a reason to feel rejected. You're surrounded by people who love and accept you for who you are and nothing less. Hopefully Lemon will come to realize that now."

"True Marshal," said Roll, "but the damage still takes time to heal."

"I know, sulky," said Marshal, "but when you let us help you, you have to admit those wounds do shrink and hurt less don't they?" Roll smiled as she leaned her head against his own.

"Yes they do Marshal," said Roll contently with a smile, "Yes they do."

 **And that concludes the Lemon arc. Hope you enjoyed all the hugs and pokes that make us love the one and only tsukinolemon! And don't worry! She'll return in future arcs. That's a promise!**

 **Here's the Preview for the next story arc. Fashionista: The top designer Gracie has arrived in town. She is seeking to add GracieGrace to her town but in order to even consider it. Roll must meet four fashion challenges. Can Roll make the grade or will her insecurities make Gracie reconsider?**

 **See you next time!**


	39. Fashionista Part 1

Fashionista Part 1:

Summer may be reaching its end as the month of August drew to a close, but the heat was certainly going to be sticking around for a bit longer as Animal Town was now in a rather massive heat wave. Yet despite the super hot weather, it seemed that the Roost cafe was busier than ever. Everyone was coming by regularly to pick up a cup of coffee. Apparently despite the hot weather, a hot coffee seemed to be the ideal, or at least the most popular drink of the town. Roll didn't understand it either, yet she did understand why Brewster's coffees were rather popular. There was something about Brewster's coffee that whenever she drank it, she felt rather relaxed and it always made her toes wiggle. Plus the coffee beans Brewster used had a low amount of caffeine. This meant that the coffee could still perk a person up, it didn't make first time coffee drinkers hyper. She had also been visiting the Roost enough times that Brewster had offered if she ever was interested in doing part time. In fact, she had entered the Roost donning a barista tee and vest with some black pedal pushers, matching flats with her hair down in a shiny black headband. Brewster just smiled briefly when he saw her.

"Coo...I take it that you are here to help me out today?" he asked in a polite but also British tone. Roll just cupped her hands in front of herself and nodded.

"If you need it," said Roll shyly. Brewster just smiled and opened up the side of the counter so she could come in.

"Alright," he replied, "You'll have to make the coffee exactly as the customer requests it."

"I know," said Roll. This wasn't the first time she had helped Brewster out in the Roost. In fact, the reason she even wore the barista tee n vest was because Brewster had given it to her as a sign of her skill and proficiency in making good coffee. She had asked Sable to make her the pedal pushers and Labelle for the headband so she could have an actual barista outfit. As for the shoes it could be argued she could work without them. I mean she had spilled hot coffee on her bare feet once and survived with a minor burn and little pain on her part, but Brewster told her she needed to wear them if she wanted to work so...she had to go with his rules since it was _his_ cafe. Roll inwardly admitted that her feet, despite being a pump and wearing no sock, that her feet felt like they struggled to breathe, but she was willing to endure it in order to help her friend. Anyway, Roll had started brewing a few different types of coffee beans to prep when her first customer entered the cafe. She was surprised to see that it was Bunnie.

"Hi there, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I didn't expect to see you working here today." Roll giggled to herself.

"Well, surprise," she answered, "Now what will it be Bunnie?" Bunnie pondered a bit.

"My usual," said Bunnie with a sly grin, "You should know it by now." Roll just smirked back, accepting her challenge. Roll was very proficient when it came to her long term memory. She had taken the time to write down and memorize everyone's favorite coffee drinks in Animal Town. As well as a few villagers from Lemon's, Sakura's, and even Bacon and Shenran's towns. Let's not forget all the special characters and that well over 80 villagers. It had taken a while but Roll was now confident with her memory. Roll quickly grabbed a pot with blue mountain coffee, then added a large amount of milk and three spoonfuls of sugar and handed the cup to Bunnie.

"Time to taste," said Bunnie as she took a sip, "Yummy! This is exactly how I like it! You always make the best coffee Roll! Thank you!" Roll couldn't help but blush a little. Even after working with Brewster so many times, she still felt bashful at all the praise villagers gave her when she did their coffee perfectly. Bunnie left right away and Whitney was next.

"Good morning, dear," said Whitney, "One usual for me please, snappy!" Roll nodded as she grabbed the coffee pot containing mocha coffee and then added a little bit of milk with one spoonful of sugar. She handed it to Whitney, who took it eagerly.

"I can't wait!" she exclaimed as she took a drink, "That is exactly what I wanted. Classy girls need classy coffee and you, my dear, make classy coffee. I'm so glad you were here to make me my coffee today!" Roll smiled as she shyly nodded as Whitney left the shop. Next customer was a pink dog, who Roll only recognized because she had met her once when Sakura had paid another visit.

"Hello there Cookie," said Roll politely.

"Hi there, arfer," said the pink dog, "Sakura said the coffee here is really good. Can I have some please? No sugar, arfer."

"Sure thing," said Roll. If there was one thing she had learned about the hints new villagers gave with their coffee is that the amount of milk often coincided with the amount of sugar they wanted. This meant that since Cookie asked for a coffee with no sugar, then she wanted no milk either. The only exception to that rule was the special characters. Luckily Roll also knew that Cookie also liked the house blend coffee beans. Once she had poured the black coffee into the cup, she gave it to Cookie.

"Oh I can't wait!" said Cookie as she took a sip of her cup, "Oh this coffee is the absolute yummiest! I'm so glad that I came here to get my daily cup! I'm definitely going to be coming back here for coffee, arfer!" Roll smiled as Cookie left and right after her Coco arrived.

"Hey there doyoing," said Coco, "As much as I love the "Lemon Special" back home. I wanted to see how good the coffee is here in Animal town! I didn't know you would be working here when I paid my visit!" Roll giggled.

"What will it be Coco?" Roll asked. Coco pondered a bit before she smiled.

"I'll have a mocha coffee please," said Coco. Roll nodded. Even with the amount of milk and sugar a mystery she knew that Coco liked a regular amount of milk and 2 spoonfuls of sugar as she made Coco's coffee and handed it to her.

"Time to taste, doyoing," said Coco and took a generous sip, "Ooooh, this is delicious! You are quite the barista Roll! I'm so coming back here again for another coffee! See you!" Roll just waved her goodbye as Coco left and Fang entered next, asking for his house blend with lots of milk and three sugars. After some more praise for a perfect coffee, Fang headed out. It was then that Phyllis arrived. She just looked bluntly at the blonde girl.

"Gimme a usual and make it snappy!" she barked rather rudely. Roll just nodded and poured a cup of Kilimanjaro coffee and gave it to her.

"Took you long enough," said Phyllis and she grabbed her coffee and took a long sip. The purple pelican blinked in shock and then quickly recomposed herself.

"Not bad, not bad," said Phyllis, "(it's actually really good, but she doesn't need to know that!)" Phyllis then left without another word, but Roll still smiled and politely bowed as the purple pelican left. Brewster than tapped her shoulder.

"It appears this wave of customers has been taken care of," he replied, "Why don't you call it day?"

"I don't mind working longer if you need me," said Roll, "I just like to help you. I'm not doing this for money." Brewster just smiled.

"You're done more than enough for today," said Brewster. Roll just smiled and gave a nod as she made her way out of the counter area. She turned to face Brewster once he had closed the counter door.

"You were flowing well with the coffee beans today, coo," said Brewster, "This time I'll pay you in superb coffee beans. Coo...please continue to do your best." Brewster then handed Roll a package of beans and Roll tucked them into her pockets. She never really had much use for the coffee beans since she didn't brew coffee beans on her own. She actually gave them to Marshal since he was always trying to learn new coffee drinks so the extra high quality beans were more useful to him rather than for herself. Since her work with Brewster was complete, she took a seat at the counter so she could get her own cup.

"The usual blend?" he asked and Roll nodded with smile as she set the 200 bells on the table. She couldn't help but slide her shoes off and rest her bare feet against the wood board underneath the counter as he made her cup of coffee. Once her coffee was ready, Brewster set it on the table and Roll drank it right away. The flavor and warmth of the coffee made Roll sigh contently and her toes wiggled uncontrollably as a content smile appeared on her face.

"I love the coffee here," she sighed happily.

"I can tell," said Labelle since she had entered the Roost to grab herself a drink when she saw the blonde girl in her attire, "Well don't you make a cute looking barista." Roll giggled as she handed Brewster her empty cup and rose from her seat, tucking her shoes back on before standing up.

"I wondered if you would ever wear shoes," said Labelle and Roll snorted as she removed them and tucked them into her pockets.

"Those were only cause Brewster said I had to wear a shoe as part of dress code for working part time Labelle," said Roll indignantly, "I'm a barefoot girl at heart. Besides...I...realized something...recently..." Roll looked a bit bashful as Labelle looked at her curiously.

"What is it?" Labelle asked.

"I feel prettier when I'm barefoot," said Roll shyly, "I just feel more like I'm being myself. It's a part of me and who I want to be. Guess you could saying being barefoot is what make me who I am as a person. I don't need to wear shoes to look pretty in my outfit...do I?" Roll looked at her with uncertainty until Labelle chuckled at her bashfulness.

"Of course not," said Labelle, "true fashion comes from within, not by what others find acceptable. If you are proud of your outfits and being barefoot and then wear those outfits proudly. That show just how much you've grown in your self-confidence."

"Okay," said Roll, "but I do want to change out of this outfit though. The black material is comfortable here but outside I was very hot." Labelle chuckled.

"I can understand that," said Labelle, "Considering that you do work alot outside. Come on. If you haven't noticed...I've got a day off so we can hang out together while you do your dailies." Roll noticed that Labelle was wearing a blue sky sleeveless dress with a straw boater hat. Roll couldn't resist giving her a skeptical look.

"I...never thought you would like to garden," said Roll. Labelle gave a smirk and chuckle.

"Shows just how much we need to get to know one another," Labelle answered, "I know we don't hang out as often and I am a bit more refined than your mother and Mabel, but I don't mind just doing something fun like gardening and fossil hunting. If you want to." Roll smiled as she rushed into Labelle's arms to hug.

"I would love to hang out with you today," said Roll as she pulled away.

"Okay then," said Labelle excitedly as she patted her hands together, "Just...let me get my coffee first." Roll nodded as she waited for Labelle to drink her coffee before they headed back to Roll's house. Labelle was rather impressed at how clean and tidy her house was as Roll changed out of her barista outfit and into a yellow big dot tank with blue polka dot girl's shorts and then put on a pair of pilot shades with her hair in a ponytail with a matching blue polka dot headband. Labelle smiled when she came down.

"I'm glad you really enjoy all those headbands that I made for you," said Labelle and Roll smiled.

"I love them," said Roll, "I also like all those custom ribbons that you made too."

"That means alot to me," said Labelle, "I was worried people wouldn't like my headbands and ribbons, but thanks to you, they have become rather popular here...and in other towns as well."

"I'm glad to support the Labelle brand," said Roll, "I'm glad to support my aunt." Labelle just felt her heart glow. She couldn't have felt happier before they joined hands and headed outside so Roll could do her dailies and work further on growing more hybrid flowers. While Roll was a big fan of blue roses, she also loved black cosmos since they reminded her of Sable and her new family. Labelle proved that she was not afraid to get her hands dirty as she showed Roll her own gold shovel and did the fossil digging herself. By now, Roll had already completed the fossil collection of the museum, but she still dug up the fossils for extra bells as well as trying to keep the town clean. Since finding a place out of the way for her daily pitfall seed, she never had to worry about it spawning and snagging her into a pit anymore. Until Labelle dug it up and Roll had to put it back, but she was grateful that Labelle didn't accidentally tumble into the pit. They had a great time with each other and Labelle even taught her a much easy way to capture bees. While Roll didn't really shake trees for items and bells anymore, the extra advice did serve its purpose since Roll found herself able to capture the bees without feel as nervous about it. By the time Roll and Labelle had finished, they noticed that it was just after lunch time and Roll's stomach gave a loud menacing growl. Labelle just gave her a look as Roll blushed shyly in embarrassment.

"Come on," said Labelle, "Let's head back to the Able's house so we can have lunch."

"Sounds good to me," said Roll. If there was one thing she loved about her new family, it was the fact that they all knew how to cook very well so Roll knew whatever Labelle made for lunch was going to be very tasty.

Roll was right and the best part was that it was also very healthy too so Roll had seconds and her stomach was feeling very satisfied afterward. Once they had finished, Labelle started to clean up the dirty dishes when Roll set her plate on the kitchen counter nearby. Labelle then noticed that Roll was just standing there and smiling.

"What's up?" she asked while washing the dishes.

"Can I help?" Roll asked sweetly. Labelle just smiled excitedly and found that once Roll pitched in that they finished cleaning up in no time at all. The reddish-brown hedgehog was very grateful and gave her a gratitude filled hug.

"Thanks for the help Roll," said Labelle.

"Anytime," the blonde girl replied as she dried her hands in a spare towel, "I like helping out, especially with my new family." Labelle just laughed. She had been overjoyed when Sable had finally adopted Roll. If Labelle had loved her from the start, she had grown to love her even more at they grew closer as family. Roll always was so kind and helpful whenever she was around. Yet Labelle had to always reminded Roll of one thing.

"You don't have to always be so helpful you know," said Labelle, "we're not gonna decide one day we're tired of you and dump you after all." Roll just gave her a sheepish smile and let out a long sigh.

"I know," said Roll, "but I still gotta earn my keep in the sense that I make myself useful and find my purpose in life." Labelle smiled and kissed her cheek.

"While that is true," said Labelle, "and you are a high school graduate. You're still just an eleven year old girl. I know you're job requires you to grow up, but try not to grow up too fast sweetie. Enjoy your younger years while you still can." Roll began to slowly soak in what Labelle was trying to tell her when the reddish-brown hedgehog's smartphone began to ring loudly and she quickly answered the phone.

"Hello?" said Labelle as Roll watching her with interest.

"Hey there girl!" said a familiar voice. Labelle gasped in surprise as a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Hey Gracie, long time no see!" said Labelle, "How's the traveling been going?"

"Oh this journey had been rather dreadful, honey," said Gracie, "It's like nobody has any fashion sense! I tell you it's so bad that I've been finding people who wear sackcloth and paper bags on their heads as chic!" Labelle giggled to herself. Roll just listened quietly since Labelle had her phone on speaker.

"I see," said Labelle, "So you called to complain how fashionably inferior the Animal world has become or is there something else?" Gracie snorted.

"What? Can I call my best friend and former assistant to just talk?" Gracie asked presumptuously.

"Of course you can Gracie," said Labelle, "You are family and I like knowing you take time off your busy schedule to talk to me. I'm actually taking a day off today and spending time with my new niece..."

"Niece?" Gracie explained, "You...you had a family wedding and didn't invite me!?"

"No, no it's not like that," said Labelle, "If there had been wedding, you would be the first we go to for a wedding dress and for an invite. I promise you that."

"You better girl," Gracie replied important, "So what's this about a new niece?"

"Basically Animal Town got a new mayor whose only eleven years old," said Labelle, "Despite the age she's very smart and very pretty too..." Labelle glanced as Roll, who just looked shyly away with a smile on her face. As mentioned earlier, praises and complements about her personal appeal always made Roll feel shy, even when it was from family. "...Sable grew to love her and adopted her since...she has no family." Gracie nodded with a loud hum.

"I see," said Gracie, "So...is this "Roll"...strange name for a girl..." Roll groaned.

"In her defense on that," said Labelle, "she was neglected to the point that was all the orphanage could come up with when she stuffed a cinnamon roll in her mouth...of course she was only three when she did it." Labelle gave the blonde girl a wink as Roll just mouthed thank you.

"Well, it's not like the average girl can chose their name anyway," said Gracie, "but my question is if this niece of yours has any fashion sense?" Labelle smirked while Roll just looked at her bare feet and shook her head.

"She does," said Labelle, "She's got her own fashion sense. And she's got good taste too...she wears my accessories proudly and loves my new handmade headbands that I sent you earlier this summer." Gracie laughed.

"Now that sounds like a girl whose got good taste," said Gracie, "perhaps I should pay a visit to Animal town and meet this girl myself." Roll squealed inwardly as she shook her head and waved her hands in protest. While she had been shopping to Lemon's GracieGrace branch, she had never seen or met Gracie herself when she had gone shopping with Lemon. She hadn't wanted to meet her and now Labelle was practically suggesting it. Labelle could see the fear and insecurity in her eye but decided to go over the poor girl's head.

"I think you should," said Labelle, "Roll doesn't seem to acknowledge just how chic she can be. I think if she hears what you think about her fashion sense. It might help her self confidence."

"I'll try," said Gracie, "but true beauty only comes from within. Plus just cause she's your niece doesn't mean I can go easy on her. I gotta be critical after all. I am looking for towns with fashion sense after all to expand my shops across the Animal world. And so far I've only found a few dozen towns or so worthy enough...just barely in some circumstances. Roll figured that those select few must include Lemon, Sakura, Shenran, and Bacon as well.

"It would be nice to have Gracie sell her clothing and furniture here," said Roll, "I'm too shy to ask my friends to open their gates just so I can go shopping at their branches." Labelle gave her a hush and Roll bit her lip, not realizing she had been talking out loud as Gracie continued to speak to Labelle about some other details that Roll hadn't been paying attention too.

"Alright then, Roll will see you tomorrow," said Labelle and Roll literally felt her heart split in two and drop into the soles of her feet as Labelle hung up the phone. She noticed that Roll was just looked at her with wide eyes and her blue pupils has shrunk.

"Roll...Roll?" Labelle asked, even snapping her fingers in front of the girl's face before she noticed the blonde girl starting to teeter side to side dangerously and caught Roll in her arms just as her legs gave way, "Whoa! Easy there sweetie! Come on! Just lie down and relax for a moment okay?" Roll didn't answer. She had already passed out as Labelle dragged her towards the sofa to lie her down.

It was about an hour later when Roll began to stir as something pleasant hit the senses of her nose.

"Chocolate..." she said softly as she slowly opened her eyes. Mabel smirked as Sable and Labelle rolled their eyes at their youngest sibling. They had laughed at the idea of Mabel waking up Roll by using a opened bar of chocolate. The fact that it had worked was a blow to both their dignities. However they were able to shake that feeling off as Roll slowly tried to sit up.

"Hey, sweetie," said Mabel as she helped Roll get more comfortable, "What happened?" Roll looked at her blankly before she blinked in shock and whimpered at her memories returned.

"Labelle asked Gracie to come to Animal Town," said Roll, "Something about opening a new shop and checking out my fashion tastes! MY fashion tastes!" Roll groaned again and lowered her head sadly as Mabel hugged her supportively. Sable glared angrily at Labelle who looked surprised at her eldest sister's death glare.

"What were you thinking?" said Sable, "We're trying to raise my daughter's self-confidence, not have Gracie tear out every piece of confidence and dignity and sell it piece by piece on the internet!"

"Have you been talking to Lemon, Momma?" Roll asked since that remark reminded her of the brown haired girl for some reason. Sable and Labelle just looked at her puzzled, causing Roll to cower a little.

"Never mind," she whimpered sadly, not liking the stares they were giving her. Sable and Labelle said nothing as the elder sister glared at the middle sister once more.

"Hey, I am trying to help Roll," said Labelle, "You know as well as I do that Gracie is one of the most well known fashion experts of the Animal world. I think hearing from Gracie how pretty she looks would be a big boost to her confidence!"

"Or she can tears her apart limb from limb!" Sable retorted and Roll whimpered loudly and covered her face with her hands.

"What is your problem with Gracie?" Labelle snapped angrily. She didn't like that Sable's skepticism about the giraffe.

"You're words are upsetting Roll!" Mabel added, showing that the blue hedgehog agreed with her.

"You always told me that one of Gracie's qualities is that she can be brutally honest and very difficult to please!" Sable explained sternly, "If Roll doesn't meet Gracie's fashion standards, this...this...giraffe..."

"That _giraffe_ is my friend," said Labelle angry under her breath, "and you don't know her as well as I do. Gracie is only like that cause she gets thousands of people trying to impress her with their sense of fashion."

"That's my point!" Sable retorted.

"Let me finish!" Labelle snapped, "I'm talking about people who think they are fashionably chic and so much better than everyone else. Those are the people she openly degrades and tears apart. She's knocking down their ego. Or say someone thinks they can dress like a slob and act like their appearance doesn't matter. It might be harsh, but its thanks to her boys don't wear their shorts super low anymore!"

"And thank goodness for that!" said Mabel, "You saw how frazzled I used to get when boys would flash me cause their shorts were so low and they just _had_ to bend over."

"Okay, so she ended what was clearly a fashion disaster trend," Sable huffed, "but your point is?"

"Gracie only degrades people who are stuck up and arrogant with their own sense of fashion," said Labelle, "People who claim she tears people apart regularly is just rumor and something she just keeps for the sake of her reputation. She is tough to please yes, but she can be constructive if people are willing to listen. She's got a good judge of character and we all know Roll is neither cocky or conceited in a fashion sense. Her only stubbornness is that she's barefoot.

"Hey! That's just who I am!" Roll remarked, "It's got nothing to do with fashion! I just feel like I'm myself when I'm barefoot!" The three sisters just giggled to each other, making Roll blush and look away as she started to stare at her feet and wiggle her toes, which made them all smile and it also released some of the tension between Sable and Labelle as they just looked at one another and sighed.

"I still don't think you should have invited Gracie," said Sable after a brief silence.

"Sis..." Labelle tried to protest.

"I don't mean to be so anti-Gracie," said Sable, "but Roll is still learning to believe in herself. Sure she could take on any bully and fight them in hand to hand engagements, but when it comes to a battle of words and critiques she still takes criticism rather hard."

"That's true," said Roll. Sable just looked at her daughter and sighed to herself.

"I hate seeing Roll think so little of herself," said Sable, "I'm trying to set an example but Roll still struggles to believe in herself. She's alot like me. She can be a big help to others, but not as much for herself." Roll nodded quietly in agreement as she sat loosely Indian style, pulling her shorts down for modestly as she just fingered her feet. Labelle just looked at her sympathetically as she stood before her.

"Roll, you know I would never do something to hurt you right?" she asked her gentle. Roll just looked at her with watery eyes as Labelle took both her hands into her own so she could embrace her lovingly. Roll sniffled a bit as she held Labelle and started to cry quietly as they pulled away.

"Everything is going to be okay," said Labelle, "I promise you Roll. You are a very beautiful young lady and I am very proud to have you as my niece."

"You are?" Roll sniffled and Labelle nodded as she gave her a comforting smile.

"We all are happy to have you in our lives," said Mabel, "We love to see all the cute and pretty outfits that you pick out to wear every day. You have a very cute fashion sense and to be honest. I find the fact you wear our clothes barefoot just makes you even cuter! You look so cute in all the polka dots, the shorts, and even that headband with the ponytail."

"That is true!" said Sable, "and Roll's already so adorable to begin with!" Labelle nodded as Roll's cheeks turned pink.

"Stop please, you're making me blush," Roll begged.

"We're just telling you the truth," said Labelle, "you do know that don't you?" Roll just looked at Labelle and then towards Mabel and Sable with eyes that were still red and watery. They all had warm and loving smiles to give to her as she sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"Yes, I do," said Roll timidly, "I guess I'm just...afraid to meet her..."

"Why sweetie?" Sable asked her. Roll just looked at her mother sadly for a moment.

"Gracie is such an important person," said Roll, "and a highly respected member of the Animal world too. For me, meeting her is a big deal. Someone of that high stature wants to meet with little insignificant me? It's...intimidating..."

"Oh Roll, you're just over thinking this," Labelle chuckled, "Don't think of Gracie as unapproachable. I can understand why though, but take it from someone who actually used to work for her...and befriended her. Don't think of her as this high esteemed fashionista, but as a friend of the family. Just mind your manners and be as cute and friendly as you always are and everything will be okay." Roll was still unsure but just took a slow deep breath and gave Labelle a nod.

"Okay," said Roll as she slid off the sofa and ironed out her tank and readjusted her headband since it had gotten a tad crooked from the earlier hug, "I should probably find myself an outfit for tomorrow." Roll began to wonder what she could choose when Sable stood before her.

"Whatever you chose to wear," said Sable, "pick something that best represents the style that you love. And for you sake as well as mine. Don't wear any shoes. You are a barefoot girl and I want my daughter to be proud of that!" Roll just giggled and embraced Sable happy. She did agree with Sable, at least on the barefoot part. She had learned long ago that she wasn't going to let anyone, not even someone like Gracie, make her feel like she had to wears shoes in order to feel accepted.

The next morning came much sooner than Roll wanted. In fact she was already up just as the sun began to rise into the sky. It had taken her awhile to figure out what she wanted to wear. At first she thought of a dress but then decided that she should just pick something more casual since she liked being comfortable in what she wore as well as presentable. It didn't take her long before she found an outfit that suited her. She picked her strapless gelato top with a denim skirt and picked her straw boater hat. She was about to tie her hair into some downward pigtails when she decided to leave it fully down. Roll felt puzzled at that.

"Is it confidence or just self-satisfaction...why I suddenly like wearing my hair down when I used to hate doing it?" she asked herself. She looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile at herself. She even tried to tie up her hair in pigtails and found herself dissatisfied and untied them.

"Maybe my tastes are just changing," Roll thought aloud, "I mean...I have learned to speak my mind and defend myself...guess just believing in myself for my own sake and not for the sake of self-defense are two different things. (Sigh) Well...at least those stupid voices that used to tear me apart are gone...but I wish I could look at myself and feel beautiful. Guess I still have alot of growing to do." Roll just sighed as she left her hair down and then ironed out her skirt before heading downstairs. The decision to wear shoes wasn't worth talking to her mirror about since she knew she wasn't going to wear any. As she headed downstairs, she decided to meet Gracie first and then eat breakfast. She was too anxious to eat at the moment and locked her house door before heading to Event plaza. Since it was still just after 6:30 a.m. most of the villagers were still fast asleep. Everyone except for Margie and Lolly, who were sharing a plate of fresh baguettes with some tea together at a nearby zen bench along the river. Lolly was the first to noticed Roll walking by.

"Good morning, bonbon," said Lolly, "You're up early this morning."

"Hi Lolly...Margie," said Roll shyly, "Umm...I'm heading to the Event Plaza. Apparently Gracie is supposed to come today and I'm supposed to meet her."

"Oh she's here, tootie," said Margie, "She came right at 6am." Roll's heart sank as she looked at them in shock.

"She didn't...I mean...nobody...I...I GOTTA GO! See you!" Roll then ran towards the event plaza as Margie and Lolly watched her take off towards the event plaza at full speed. Roll was out of breath when she finally reached the event plaza and even sweating a bit, causing her hair to become slightly frizzy. She removed her hat to try and iron it out, but she seemed to only make it frizz more with her sweaty hands. Roll groaned to herself and just took a few deep breaths, wiping her sweaty hands on her top, tucking her hat back into place, before she made her way towards the giraffe. Roll was rather surprised to see that Gracie didn't look like she had been waiting over thirty minutes. She figured that she might as well not saying anything about being late unless asked to avoid getting herself into trouble. In fact, even when Roll was standing near her, the giraffe didn't seem to take notice of her. Roll just took a slow deep breath as she walked in front of her.

"Excuse me Miss Gracie..." Roll began.

"Sorry, can't talk honey," Gracie said importantly, "I've got business to attend to in this town and I don't have time for autographs!" Roll was taken aback for a moment before clearing her throat a bit.

"Miss Gracie..."

"I told you I'm super busy right now and I don't have time to give fashion advice!" said Gracie, more sternly. Roll just took a step back before trying again, but she thought carefully and just said her words quickly.

"Miss Gracie..."

"Look darling do I have so spell it out..."

"...I'm the mayor of this town!" Roll said loudly and just looked indignant for a moment. Gracie was a little stunned at being cut off, but once she processed what Roll had said she lowered her defenses...or her offense at least. She had apparently forgotten that the mayor was an eleven year old girl and Gracie could see that by Roll's rather childish face that the blonde girl met that criteria.

"Well my mistake honey," said Gracie hastily, making it clear she hated being correct or caught making a mistake, "So you're the young lady Labelle told me runs this so called town. I hate to say that I'm not that impressed but I was told there was fashion potential here." Roll felt a little offended at the town being insulted, but remember her manners.

"My apologies for cutting you off Miss Gracie," Roll answered as she gave a polite curtsey, "My name is Roll and I am the mayor of this town, development is still a work in progress so I will also apologize for the underdevelopment." Gracie just looked at her blankly before she smiled at the blonde girl. She wasn't expecting an apology for her critique or for such a young girl to be so well mannered.

"Well that's better," said Gracie, "Nice to see that someone your age has some manners and maybe even a little bit of class." Roll smiled. She had never thought of herself as a classy girl so hearing that made her feel a little bit better.

"Thank you Miss Gracie," said Roll with a polite bow. Gracie couldn't help but chuckle.

"No need to be so formal," said Gracie, "Just called me Gracie. Anyway, I've been traveling all over the Animal part of the world trying to find potential towns that have the fashion potential to carry my brand on their main street. So far I have only found but just a few handfuls of towns with mayors that have any fashion sense. Taking a look at you...I think there might be some hope for this town...maybe just a little, but enough to be worth my time." Roll smiled.

"Glad to know I worthy of your time," said Roll sheepishly. Gracie just smirked as she rested one hand on her hip.

"Quite modest I see," said Gracie, "Well then let's get down to business then shall we?"

"I can offer you breakfast and something to..."

"I already said honey," said Gracie, "No need for formalities, just business. So here's the scoop Roll. In order for me to even consider setting up a branch of my brand here. You need to prove to me that you've got what it takes to be a true fashionista. Over the course of the next four days I will be giving you four fashion challenges."

"Fashion challenges?" Roll repeated curiously.

"Correct," said Gracie, "I will be arriving back here in town and I will give you a certain criteria that you need to dress up for. If you can pass all four of my challenges, I just might consider this town worthy of selling my brand. Sound fair?"

"Y-y-yes," said Roll, "I'll...I'll do my best."

"Good," said Gracie with a smile, "and since you seem to be willing to listen I will give you some free advice." Roll just looked at her attentively with her hand cupped behind her back.

"Being a fashionista requires trusting your own instincts and not questioning them," said Gracie, "We can sell you the clothes, but only you can decide how to assemble the proper outfit. Don't second guess yourself and just go with it! I'm assuming that was the case with your choice not to wear shoes. You don't seem like the type of girl to forget wearing your shoes to meet someone important." Roll just blinked and then looked at her feet and nodded.

"Yes...yes it was," said Roll with a smile, "I...feel pretty when...I don't wear shoes."

"Let me ask you this," said Gracie, "if I asked you to pair a shoe with your current outfit, what would you suggest?" Roll felt her mouth dry and she stuttered a bit before she went with the first thing that came to her mind.

"Either a brown pump or a pair of green, red, brown, or black backless sandal," said Roll.

"What about flip flops?" Gracie asked.

"Too informal," said Roll right away but then looked at her nervously to see if that was the correct answer.

"Not a bad answer," said Gracie, "I should warn you though. For these fashion challenges, you need to wear at least four pieces of clothing which includes any of the following: headgear, accessory, dress/top n bottoms (these count as one item), sock, or shoes. So make sure you've got at least four of these items or I won't even waste my time examining your outfit. Plus try not to rush your outfit either. Once you speak to me, you'll have until the end of the working day to show me your outfit or it's an automatic fail for that challenge. Do I make myself clear?" Roll just nodded confidently, but deep down she was feeling very nervous. She couldn't imagine what kinds of fashions Gracie might put her in. Needless to say Gracie's outfits might be bold, but they certainly are not considered sensual or inappropriate. Gracie, unlike most fashion designers in the human world, had modesty a major priority in her outfits.

"Well darling, I must be going," said Gracie, "time is fashion I always say and I can't stand here talking to dawdling little girls like you. Chao, honey." With that Gracie moved her shades back over her eyes and proceeded out of the Event plaza and back to the train station. Roll just watched her disappear before she slumped to her knees and suddenly began to cry. She just let her tears fall at they began to splash the cobblestone when she felt someone lightly put a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head and was surprised to see both Lolly and Margie smiling at her sympathetically.

"Wanna talk about it, bonbon?" Lolly asked her gently. Roll just embraced her gently and continued to cry into her shoulder as Lolly gently rubbed her back supportively and Margie began to rubbed her back as well.

"Don't cry Roll," said Margie, "Come and join us for breakfast tootie. I'm sure you'll feel better if you had some food inside your stomach." Roll didn't answer as she continued to cry as Lolly helped the blonde girl to her feet. Margie then scooped her up and carried her back towards the zen bench. Lolly then collected their pastries and tea so they could warm them up as they headed back towards her house. Roll had finally calmed down a little as Lolly warmed up the tea and set a plate of tasty baguettes in front of her. Roll didn't exactly feel too hungry but did take a few sips out of her teacup since her throat had dried out from crying so much. Despite the warm and patient smiles, Roll hadn't really said much since she had calmed down. She was having trouble just making eye contact with Margie and Lolly.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong tootie?" said Margie, "You can tell us."

"We love you, bonbon," said Lolly, "Please tell us. You know we will listen to you." Roll just let out a deep breath and took another sip of her tea.

"Sorry," said Roll as she crossed her left leg over her right so she could hold her left knee. I just felt so nervous and I just...broke down from it all."

"Why were you so nervous, bonbon?" Lolly asked as she refilled Roll's tea cup.

"You see," Roll explained slowly, "Labelle had asked Gracie to come to this town. She told her that I had what it takes to prove that Animal Town was worthy to have Gracie open up a shop here in main street." Lolly and Margie gasped excitedly.

"Oh my!" Margie exclaimed, "an actual GracieGrace here in main street, tootie!"

"That would be something special," said Lolly, "Sure the prices are steep, but the styles she sells each season are more than worth it, bonbon." Roll just whimpered as she buried her face into her hands. Since Margie had set her straw boater near Lolly's sofa, Roll's long blonde hair covered her face as well. That was when Margie and Lolly had stopped talking and noticed how upset Roll looked. It didn't take the elephant or the grey stripped cat long to realize why.

"It's up to you to determine whether Gracie even decides if she is going to build GracieGrace here isn't it?" Margie asked and Roll just nodded but still kept her hands over her face. Lolly gently removed Roll's hands off of her face and just gave the rather distressed girl a warm smile.

"Well you are a very pretty young lady, bonbon," said Lolly, "I know you've got what it takes to prove that Animal Town is fashionably worthy of her shop."

"You all say that," Roll said sadly, "But _I_ don't feel that way! I'm still learning to believe in myself...and I still feel kind of...bleh when I look at myself in the mirror. I don't even understand why I suddenly want to wear my hair down lately when I never used to like doing it!"

"Roll, you're really not giving yourself enough credit," said Margie, "You are very fashionable in your own right. Plus you do have really pretty hair and everyone in town loves all the outfits you pick out each day."

"You're so pretty in the outfit that you picked today too, bonbon," said Lolly, "I mean...what did Gracie say?" Roll just adjusted her leg a bit so she could hold her left foot.

"She said that she sees some real potential in me and she appeared to be impressed with my sense of style," Roll answered slowly and showing the uncertainty in her tone, "She told me that if I can pass four of her fashion challenges that she would consider setting up a branch of GracieGrace on our main street. I don't want to let the town down, especially since it's my fashion tastes and outfits that are gonna determine if our town gets the shop. It's alot of pressure...especially since I'm still trying to figure out my own fashion style. The only thing I have any confidence about is that I like being barefoot." Margie and Lolly chuckled at the last statement.

"I still say you're not giving yourself enough credit," said Margie, "You are very fashionable Roll. I'm not worried about you passing Gracie's fashion challenges at all. You can do it." Roll just looked at Margie and Lolly who was nodding in agreement.

"You really have alot of faith in me, don't you?" said Roll and the two friends nodded again. Roll just gave them a smile. Their support did help her feel better.

"Thanks you guys," said Roll, "That means alot to me." Margie and Lolly smiled back and they gathered around her and embraced her lovingly.

"Remember Roll," said Lolly, "We love you very much. You're not alone anymore, bonbon."

"That is true, tootie," Margie added as they pulled away, "and if you need help with the challenges, we can certainly help you out. So don't be afraid to ask!" Roll nodded as she made the effort to clean her cheeks.

"And we'll send word to the rest of the village to offer you help as well," said Margie, "We'll make sure you got everything you need to clear Gracie's challenges. You'll show Gracie just how much of a fashionista you are. We'll help you succeed." Roll just smiled as she finally began to eat her baguette. It was already cold, but she didn't mind that a bit. She was suddenly feeling very hungry.

Later that night as Roll was in her pajamas, she began to explore her own closet to see what she had for the fashion challenges. She then realized that she was going to be needing her friends alot more than she had wanted to. For most of her clothing according to Sable's fashion guide, were mostly basic, iconic, and of course cute. She didn't have much in sporty, official, rock n roll, ornate, flashy, historical, or even modern. Plus Labelle had also warned her that trying to pair certain fashion styles together was a big fashion disapproval and would result in an automatic fail. Roll hadn't memorized what combinations were acceptable and what fashion combinations could fail her so she feeling very stressed out right now.

"It doesn't seem fair to ask Sable to make me an outfit for each challenge," said Roll, "Even my custom outfits take several days to make by hand and they don't count in the eight categories. Oh boy...I am in deep trouble cause unless Gracie asks for only cute, iconic, basic, and maybe even official I am not going to even have decent outfits. Plus all I've stocked up on were leggings and kicks only had some official stockings and a pair of flashy socks, which I bought but _really_ don't want to wear if I can help it...(sigh)." Roll just flopped into her bed and sighed in exhaustion. These fashion challenges were really upsetting her and no one could blame her. Once word got around, all the villagers in Animal Town were cheering her on for success and offered to help her out. While some of them had plenty of clothes for her to borrow, she was still lacking a few styles. Roll was still deep in thought when she heard the sound of someone knocking on the door.

"I wonder who that could be," said Roll as she slid off her bed, adjusted her pajama shorts and headed towards the door. She brushed her still down but also just recently washed blonde locks behind her head as she opened the door. She was shocked at who was at her doorstep, yet because of who she was, Roll's shock eventually turned to joy.

"Hey there girl," said Cherry excitedly, carrying two suitcases. One of which was literally fit to burst from all the clothes inside of it, "I hear Gracie has come to give you some of her fashion challenges. Well as a fashion expert and future runway host, I'm here to make sure you pass each challenge looking and feeling totally fabulous, what-what!"

Roll suddenly felt like there was finally a light at what had appeared to be a very dark tunnel.

And Cherry was her guardian angel.

 **Normally when doing part time at the Roost, you do two regular villagers and then a special character. But Roll is so awesome she can handle doing twice as many customers. Plus all coffee combinations are the same ones they request in New Leaf.**

 **If you play long enough it is possible to memorize all the coffee drinks of your villagers and most of the special characters. Thought I bet most, like I do, use an app or a cheat sheet to make it easier. (guilty as charged).**

 **Plus it is a known fact that Gracie is always there to sell her merchandise at the GracieGrace in New Leaf, but in City Folk she would only appear occasionally. The fact Roll never saw her till now is homage to City Folk.**

 **The low riding shorts fashion trend for boys should be familiar to most who live in the US, but between you and me I'm glad that trend ended!**

 **The Gracie Fashion challenges are about to begin, which fashions style will Roll be given first?**

 **Find out...next time.**


	40. Fashionista Part 2

Fashionista Part 2:

The next morning, Roll was woken up sooner than she wanted when a nearby lovely clock began to chime. Cherry had increased the volume on it so that Roll would wake up right at 6am. However, the alarm may have been set a little too loudly because as soon as the alarm began to chime:

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

"YIPE!" Roll shrieked with a start and tumbled out of her bed. Due to the heat, Roll didn't need any blankets so she didn't have to worry about becoming tangled inside of her blanket but it still hurt to land on the heart carpet. She groaned as she sat up and tried to recompose herself as she noticed a red dog just staring down at her with a wide grin on her face.

"Rise and shine sleepyhead!" said Cherry excitedly, "Today is the day Gracie is gonna give you your first fashion challenge! So you need to go visit her as soon as possible? Now come on and get up so you can go wash up and get dressed." Roll just yawned as she slowly rose to her feet and headed towards her bathroom. But then she felt herself being pushed into the bathroom by Cherry herself, quickly undressed and shoved into the shower stall.

"This should wake her up, what-what," said Cherry as she turned on the cold water spout.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

That certainly did the trick before Roll quickly tried to get the water to a more suitable temperature and angrily peeked her head out of the shower curtain.

"I'm wake now!" she snapped, "Now get out so I can wash!" Cherry chuckled to herself as she exited the bathroom. Whenever her husband Bacon would struggle to get out of bed, she would treat him to a cold shower too. She seemed to find the way he shrieked rather cute. While Bacon always got very angry with her for it, he didn't stay mad for long since he just flat out loved her. Plus the fact she just smiled at him cutely and batted her black eyelashes at him seem to mellow his anger very quickly.

Roll took only ten minutes before she came out of the shower in her white bathrobe. She was about to head towards her dresser drawer when Cherry gave her a lacy white tank, khaki girl's shorts, and a white headband. Roll loved the outfit, but she still looked uncertain about it.

"Isn't this outfit kind of...plain?" Roll asked curiously. Cherry shook her head.

"How you dress when you appear before Gracie doesn't really matter too much, what-what," said Cherry, "Once you get your fashion challenge, we can make the necessary adjustments. But for now, you should be comfortable and this outfit is something that I think is you." Roll just looked at the clothes again and smiled. She gave Cherry a nod before heading behind her screen to get dressed. She came out wearing the tank and shorts with her hair on a ponytail with the headband. She then headed towards her closet and Cherry forced it closed, knowing what the blonde was trying to grab.

"Cherry!" Roll exclaimed.

"Why are you even trying to hide what you tried to grab?" said Cherry annoyed, "Roll you are not a shoes kind of girl. The Roll I know goes barefoot here, there, and everywhere!"

"I'm gonna have to wear shoes eventually once I get a theme," said Roll as a matter of fact. Cherry just chuckled to herself.

"Well just wait til then," said Cherry, "You'll feel better barefoot when you go. Now tell me, what-what. Are you hungry?" Roll immediately shook her head and took a deep breath. Cherry just smiled in understanding.

"I can understand that, what-what," said Cherry, "it's hard to feel hungry when you're nervous. Just be sure to have some juice or something. The last thing you want to do in front of Gracie is collapse while she tells you about the fashion challenge." Roll nodded in agreement as she made her way downstairs. She had barely gotten to the bottom of the stairs when she started feeling slightly dizzy and immediately headed towards kitchen and poured herself a nice tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. She took a few sips to feel better and energized and then made her way across town to the Event Plaza. Just as she had expected, Gracie was there just minding their own business. Or at least Roll thought she was when she saw her looking through a sketchbook...and then noticed a familiar white elephant standing nearby.

"Gracie is looking through Margie's sketchbook?" said Roll. She remembered one day when Margie had invited Roll to her house and the blonde girl got to see Margie's sketchbook for the first time.

 _Flashback_

 _Roll just sat quietly on a pine chair, donning a heart dress and heart hairpin in her ponytail, as she looked at page after page of Margie's sketchbook. She was rather impressed at all the different types of dresses she had designed in it._

 _"These dresses are amazing Margie!" said Roll as she crossed her ankles underneath the table and continued to look at the designs._

 _"Becoming a designer is my dream, tootie!" said Margie excitedly, "One day...I hope everyone will actually get to wear one of my original creations!"_

 _"That is dreaming so big," said Roll and Margie chuckled back in reply._

 _"All these drawings..." Roll continued and Margie gave her a puzzled look, "This is your cherry pie isn't it?" Margie just looked stunned as Roll smiled and closed her sketch book before handing it back to the elephant._

 _"Here," Roll offered as Margie took the sketch book back and then smiled as she closed her eyes and hugged the book into her chest._

 _"It's just like you said Roll," said Margie peacefully, "This is my cherry pie."_

 _End Flashback_

Roll just smiled to herself but soon became rather worried.

"I hope Gracie isn't too harsh," said Roll, "Who wants to spend their life chasing a dream only for it to be crushed in seconds..."

"I'd say that it just stinking thinking," said Gracie since Roll hadn't realized she had started walking up to Gracie and Margie when she was daydreaming and Gracie had heard what Roll had said. Roll just blushed shy, rubbed her feet together, and looked away. Gracie looked a bit annoyed.

"You don't seem too confident in your own fashion sense," said Gracie, "This just won't do...maybe I am wasting my time..."

"NO!" said Roll, finding the courage to speak, "Look I have issues okay! But that's not gonna stop me from attempting your challenge. This town is counting on me to get your boutique here in Animal Town and I will won't rest until I do so."

"Do you really think you have what it takes?" Gracie asked her apathetically, thought deep down she was rather impressed that the blonde girl had stood up for herself.

"No," said Roll shyly but then gave her a determined look, "but I gotta try. What styles do you seek? Basic, Icon..."

"SHHH!" Gracie shoved a stern finger onto Roll's lips and glared at her.

"Rule number one, honey," she said sternly, " _Never_ tell me or ask me what I seek. I already know what I seek. I'm the fashionista here, not you. Is that clear?" Roll just felt rather frozen for a second or two before she let out a long breath and recomposed herself.

"My apologies Gracie," said Roll, "Just eager to hear what you desire." Gracie just stared and then placed a hand on her hip. Margie was just watching with interest.

"As I said yesterday, darling," said Gracie, "If you want me to even consider this town for a branch of my boutique, you need to pass four of my fashion challenges. If you can prove yourself as being fashionable, then I might _consider_ opening a branch here in Animal Town."

"I understand," Roll answered politely and Gracie smirked.

"Alright, now to get straight to business," Gracie replied, "Let me just remind you of the rules. You have until midnight to create the ultimate outfit based on a theme of my choosing and you must wear at least four pieces of clothing for me to even check you! As a reminder, top n bottoms count as one piece, not two. Now today I am in the mood for..." The next three seconds were the longest Roll ever had to wait for Gracie to say her fashion challenge.

" _Modern_ and current" Gracie finished. Roll looked stunned. That was one of the styles that she hardly had _any_ clothing items at all. She could only remember a top at most and that left her worried.

"Well you better get going then," said Gracie, "I'm only here until midnight and then I'm gone. Now if you'll excuse me. I've got some business to tend to so...chao for now, honey." Gracie then picked up a smart phone and began chatting on it with her back against Roll. Roll just whimpered a little before she turned to leave, but then felt a soft hand on her shoulder. Roll turned to see Margie giving her a warm smile.

"Need some help?" Margie asked kindly. Roll was touched by her sweet offer and bravely shook her head.

"I'll...manage," said Roll, "I just remembered that I had gone shopping at her boutique in Flower Town. I should have enough items for a modern outfit...at least I hope so."

"Well I don't have any modern clothes," said Margie, "but that doesn't mean I can't help, tootie." Roll looked puzzled for a moment before she understood what Margie was talking about.

"Margie...can...can I have a hug?" Roll asked, "It's been a rough morning." Margie opened her arms as Roll walked inside of them and snuggled the elephant contently. As much as she loved Sable, she still felt Margie gave the best hugs. Margie knew the perfect balance of strength and gentleness which made her hugs strong and comforting. Roll felt much better right away as she sighed contently in Margie's arms. Neither of them knew that Gracie had been watching them from afar, smiling contently to herself.

It was about half an hour later when Roll finally arrived back at her house. She had just grabbed the door knob handle when Cherry thrust the door open and Roll nearly tumbled forward into her own living room.

"Where have you been?" she asked rather demandingly, "I've been pulling out my red fur wondering what happened to you!" Roll just huffed.

"I felt weak so someone was giving me some strength alright!" said Roll. Cherry just smirked.

"Maybe it's time we had another tussle," said Cherry, "I reckon I could beat you now, what-what!" Roll felt threatened when she grabbed Cherry and threw her over shoulder before pinning her down on the floor. Cherry struggled to break free and soon surrendered.

"Guess you're physical vulnerability and emotional vulnerability are two very different things," said Cherry, but even she knew that already. She had been only joking. Roll just got off the red dog and looked at her sadly.

"Sorry Cherry," said Roll, "I just needed a little love. Gracie was giving Margie some fashion advice." Cherry gasped.

"Lucky!" said Cherry, "Gracie must have been in a good mood today to do that. It's very rare for her, what-what."

"Well Margie is very humble," said Roll as a matter of fact. Cherry snorted.

"Hey, with all I've been through, what-what," said Cherry quietly, "My life has been nothing but humbling lately..." Roll looked at her sympathetically as Cherry felt a few tears escape her eyes.

"Still don't get it," Cherry said quietly, "after everything...all the terrible mistakes...my one true love waited for me...the rest of the gang is still together but now as a real family. We have lives now, even when we had every right to rot in prison. I should be rotting in prison...my family hating me...yet they don't...(sniff)...they still love me. They were there for the wedding..." Cherry continued to cry as she gazed at her wedding ring, the large red diamond still shining brightly around the pure golden band that held it on her finger.

"I miss you my love..." she sobbed and sank to be knees. Roll just hugged her for a second before Cherry stood up and recomposed herself.

"Sorry," said Cherry as she wiped her eyes, "as you can see I'm not judging you for your moment of weakness. I get them all the time. It comes with growing and learning to believe in yourself."

"Yeah...it does," said Roll quietly, "Hey, Cherry. I know you wanted to help me and I could use it, but..."

"I'll be okay," said Cherry, "I might be emotionally unstable, but I'm still a tough girl. You were there for me and now as a friend I am here to return the favor, what-what. Besides, it's good for married couples to miss one another...it lets the love breathe a bit and lets it grow." Roll just nodded and gave Cherry another hug.

"You're a hugger aren't you, what-what?" Cherry remarked.

"Yeah, get used to it," said Roll and they both laughed.

"Okay then, what-what," said Cherry as she dusted off her clothes, "So what does Gracie want for her first theme?" Roll took a deep breath and fingered the bottom of her lacy tank for a moment before answering on a soft tone.

" _Modern_ and current."

"Ah! I see," said Cherry, "that is one of the toughest themes to do. There not alot out on the regular fashion market for that style, what-what." Roll groaned for a moment and then remembered her own wardrobe.

"Cherry, I just remembered that when I was in Flower Town a few weeks ago," Roll explained, "I went to her GracieGrace branch and purchased some of her items there." Hearing this made Cherry's face light up with excitement.

"Considering it's summertime, what-what," said Cherry, "That just might give us the clothes we need to come up with an outfit." Roll's worry soon turned into hope as she and Cherry headed upstairs so Roll could look into her clothes closet and see what Gracie clothes she had in her inventory. It didn't take her too long before Roll had pulled out every piece of Gracie clothing that she had inside of her wardrobe. Apparently Roll had the Gracie tank and hat, along with a pair of Gracie glasses, leopard pumps, pink tank, white lace skirt, flashy hairpin, and even the butterfly dress. Cherry smiled when she saw the items.

"Well you've got a modern hat, accessory, and top," said Cherry, "Now we just need to find a skirt, socks, or shoes. At least two of those things to complete the outfit."

"Well I guess I can put up with a shoe if I got to," said Roll, "I hope there's a shoe I can wear that doesn't require a modern sock."

"Ironically, what-what," said Cherry, "There isn't a sock that is modern themed." Roll looked relieved.

"And lucky for you," said Cherry, "I happen to have a pair of modern shoes for you." Cherry reached into her suitcase and presented her with a pair of red clogs." Roll looked at them.

"These go with the Gracie clothes?" She asked doubtfully.

"Not that well," said Cherry as she searched into Roll's closet for her set of bottoms, "But they are modern themed to they will have to do. As well as this skirt!" Cherry pulled her dark polka skirt and handed it to Roll. Roll just looked at the skirt and just eyeballed the items skeptically.

"Well...not exactly a combination I would use but...it will have to do," said Roll as she grabbed the clothes and headed behind her screen and got dressed. She changed her hair so it was in some downward pigtails so the hat wouldn't squash her ponytail before stepping out of her screen and presented herself to Cherry. Cherry giggled to herself as Roll showed her the completed outfit.

"You look great, what-what," said Cherry, "very modern." Roll just gave her skeptical look, which she didn't realize until afterward that it was hidden behind her large Gracie's shades.

"I actually feel a little silly," said Roll, "and these clogs make my feet feel hot." She was itching to shove them off, but resisted.

"Well you better get going," said Cherry, "The sooner you check out with Gracie, the sooner I can finally make you something to eat, what-what." Roll didn't even remember that she was hungry until her stomach gave a rather loud growl. She just put a hand on it as Cherry was fighting hard not to break out laughing but was failing miserably.

"Shut up," Roll remarked as she glared at the red dog's smirking face and then headed out of her house back towards Gracie's plaza. Gracie was just humming to herself as she used a Gracie patterned umbrella to shade herself from the hot sun. It was barely past seven in the morning and it was getting very hot. Roll could feel her feet sweating rather heavily inside her clogs as she hurriedly made her way towards the giraffe.

"Excuse me Gracie," said Roll. Gracie blinked a bit before she noticed the blonde girl standing before her.

"So...are you ready for me to examine your outfit?" she asked plainly as if she hadn't noticed Roll's outfit at all. Roll just nodded bravely.

"Alright then it is time for...GRACIE'S FASHION CHECK!" said Gracie boldly, "Your mission was to take the theme I had told you and make a fashionable outfit according to that theme. Now please take a few steps back and make a slow twirl for me so I can examine the outfit as a whole please. Roll took about three steps and then did a very slow twirl for Gracie. She was worried as she tried to rotate at the right speed so she wasn't too fast or too slow. Once she had rotated a full three-sixty, she noticed that Gracie was just examining her outfit and didn't criticize her for her rotating speed. Gracie said nothing for a few seconds longer before giving the girl direct eye contact. Roll felt a little unnerved by her glare, but stood her ground bravely.

"Well dear I must say that while I appreciate the effort to stick with a single theme," said Gracie, "You could have tried to add an additional style or two. Nobody likes all vanilla you know." Roll just frowned worried until Gracie gave her a smile.

"But I still appreciate your dedication to the fashion theme and you wore Gracie fashions so that give you brownies points too," Gracie continued, "Girl, you were listening when I gave you that fashion challenge! Well done!" Roll smiled, glad that Gracie liked her outfit.

"Take this gift as a sign of your fashion skills," said Gracie and pulled out a Gracie low table and handed to her.

"Thank you Gracie," said Roll and gave her a curtsey before taking the item and tucking it into her pockets. Gracie couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"You've done well for your first challenge," said Gracie, "You've shown you've definitely got some style, but as for the boutique, you're gonna have to keep impressing me. I'll see you tomorrow for the next challenge." With that, Gracie walked away. Roll just watched her disappear before she let herself tumble backwards onto the cobblestones and let out a long sigh.

"That wasn't too hard I guess," said Roll, "I'm glad I remembered my Gracie clothes. I hope the other fashion challenges won't be this difficult. Oy ye..." Roll tried to just rest for a bit but then realized that her feet were getting warm.

"I almost forgot to take these off," said Roll as she tore off the clogs and then grabbed both her feet to message them.

"I hate shoes," she muttered as she continued to kneed her feet before getting back up and heading home for breakfast. Cherry must have read her mind cause as soon as the blonde girl reached home. Cherry was already finishing up her cooking when Roll arrived.

"So how did it go, what-what?" Cherry asked anxiously. Roll gave her a tired smile.

"She loved it," said Roll, "Her only complaint was that I wore all of the same theme! I thought that was what I was supposed to do." Cherry just chuckled to herself.

"Well I wasn't sure what Gracie wanted either, but I can see her point of view about that, what-what," Cherry answered.

"Huh?" Roll asked puzzled.

"What realistic fashionista wears all of the same type of theme?" said Cherry, "Most of the time, we tend to mix and match don't we?"

"Yeah...that's true," said Roll slowly. She hadn't really thought about that too much but after a few seconds of pondering what Cherry was saying made sense.

"I guess that means I should try pairing different themes with the one she wants from now on?" Roll asked.

"I would just stick with one additional theme," said Cherry, "the last thing you want is for Gracie to tell you that you're outfit is all over the place, what-what."

"Gotcha," said Roll, "but I heard that that certain themes have pairings that should never happen otherwise they are automatic fails."

"That is true, what-what," said Cherry, tapping her head as she proved her point, "but don't you worry about that. I've got all the themes and their good and bad combinations up here nice and memorized. So don't you worry about that. Now come on! Breakfast is ready. I think you'll like my cooking." Roll just smiled, both for the fact Cherry was such an expert on fashion themes and for the fact that this particular dog _could_ cook.

The next morning, Roll was awaken again by the sound of alarm clock and tumbled out of bed once more. Roll was still rather sleepy until she saw the same red dog staring at her.

"I'M AWAKE!" she shouted before dashing into the bathroom and locking the door. She wasn't going to let Cherry make her take an cold shower again this time. Cherry just watched Roll enter the bathroom and then chuckled to herself.

"That girl does learn quickly," Cherry said to herself as she sat on the bed and waited for Roll to come out of the shower. Within ten minutes Roll came out of the bathroom in her bathrobe and noticed the red dog just sitting nearby, smiling at her.

"So...something casual but comfy until I get her theme challenge?" Roll asked. Cherry nodded.

"You're catching on, what-what," she remarked. Roll just rolled her eyes at her before picking out a star dress with a matching headband while leaving her hair down.

"Very cute, what-what," Cherry commented and Roll just smiled before heading out of her house as she ironed out a wrinkle on the skirt of her dress. She headed directly towards the plaza where Gracie was waiting once more. This time, Gracie was alone.

"Good morning Gracie," said Roll, "Hope this heat hasn't been troubling you." Roll figured that she would try some casual conversation to help her relax and open up a bit to the giraffe. Gracie looked indifferent, but then gave her a smirk.

"Back again huh, darling?" said Gracie, "well then let's get started. For today's theme, I am in the mood for..." Gracie seemed to enjoy these long dramatic moments of silence and Roll was finding that they only seemed to stress her out.

"Make it _Historical_ " Roll just groaned inwardly since that was another clothing style that she didn't have too many items for.

"You know the rules," said Gracie, "Come to me before midnight with an outfit according to the theme I want or I am gone. So until then...chao honey." Roll then nodded and went on her way. She wanted to get home as soon as she could. Like yesterday, Cherry was already there waiting for her when she walked inside.

"So what are we working with this time?" Cherry asked.

"Make it _Historical_ " Roll answered. Cherry hummed with a nod.

"Tricky theme, but not at all impossible," said Cherry, "Let's head to your wardrobe. Roll nodded, feeling a bit more confident this time, but her confidence soon faded when Cherry searched through her closet with a loud huff."

"You don't have _any_ clothing in here that's historical, what-what," said Cherry.

"Oh no," said Roll, "Well...I guess I'm fully dependent on whatever you've got in that suitcase of yours. I hope it's something good." Cherry sighed to herself as she opened it up. She took awhile before Cherry stopped at something.

"Find something?" Roll asked hopefully. Cherry just gave her a rather serious look.

"I have, what-what," said Cherry, "but I think you'll either love it or absolutely hate it." Roll just sighed in defeat.

"Well, this is for the greater good," said Roll as she opened her arms to accept whatever Cherry had come up with. Cherry just nodded and handed her the dark blue clothes and Roll headed behind the screen to change. When Roll came out and was dressed as a ninja! Well...a ninja wearing rimmed glasses and white bobby socks and the matching ninja sandals.

"Well...how to you like it, what-what?" she asked in a rhetorical tone. Roll just glared.

"I hate it," she answered simply and Cherry laughed.

"It's not funny!" Roll retorted indignantly, "Geez, who in their right mind thinks socks are so fashionable and comfortable?! These things make my feet itch!" Cherry laughed harder before calming down since Roll did look rather irritated.

"Well...most normal girls like a good sock in the winter time, what-what," Cherry pointed out.

"Cherry, I don't need you reminding me that I'm a freak," Roll remarked, "Now if you'll excuse me. I gotta go meet Gracie before these socks make me go _barracuda on someone_!" Roll stomped away as Cherry continued to laugh. The red dog wasn't teasing her with her laughter. She was aware that Roll was a very fetish little girl. She just found her pouting so cute that she couldn't keep a serious face on around her. Roll did her best not to let the fact she was wearing socks on a day that was supposedly going to be around 104 degrees F (or 40 degrees C for international readers).

"I'm ready miss Gracie," said Roll, trying to hide her irritation in her voice. Gracie could tell she wasn't fully happy about her outfit, but chose to ignore it.

"Alright then honey," said Gracie, "it is time for everyone's favorite time of the day...GRACIE'S FASHION CHECK!" Roll couldn't help but shutter since Gracie's voice seem to echo whenever she said that.

"You're mission today was to wear an outfit based on today's theme, which was..."

"Make is _Historical_!"

"...Now please slowly twirl and take a step back so I can examine the outfit as a whole," Gracie instructed. Roll nodded and made a slow twirl. This time, Roll didn't worry too much about going too fast or two slow. Gracie then gave a nod once she had finished.

"I see you combined a bit of basic with the historical theme," Gracie pointed out. Roll looked at her nervously until Gracie gave her a smile.

"That was a good call," said Gracie, giving her thumbs up, "Girl you were listening when I gave you that theme. Well Done once again." Roll smiled happily.

"However," said Gracie, "I must ask why you would wear an outfit you clearly don't look too happy in." Roll felt a little lost for words but quickly recomposed herself.

"I needed to match your criteria and I had to make do with what I had available to me," said Roll, "besides, having your boutique in my town is very important to me. It's not the first time I've been taken out of my comfort zone for the town. You seem pleased with the outfit so I'd say the discomfort was well worth it." Gracie was rather impressed with her answer, as well as her maturity.

"Interesting answer," said Gracie, "But just remember darling. No matter what might appear fashionably correct to others, never let others dictate what defines your own sense of style. There's too much of that in the fashion world already. The historical theme is very easy to go all vanilla with, so I am glad you did try to add an additional theme, even if it was outside your comfort zone."

"Yes Gracie," said Roll.

"Well that's all the advice I can give for today," said Gracie, "Take this Gracie Chair as a sign of your fashion success." She then grabbed the items and handed it to Roll, who took with a smile.

"Thank you Gracie," said Roll, "for good advice as well as the furniture piece." Gracie gave her a satisfied nod.

"In all honestly, I'm still on the fence about opening a boutique here," Gracie replied honestly, "I'm curious to see how you'll do with my other fashion challenges. So until tomorrow, chao honey." With that, Gracie headed out of the event plaza. Roll didn't wait for her to leave before kicking off her ninja sandals and sat down before roughly tugging off the socks and tucking them into her pocket.

"FREEDOM!" Roll shouted aloud and then was interrupted by the sound of someone laughing at her from behind. She turned to see Bunnie, Cherry, and Rosie were the culprits of that snickers and giggles. As she glared at the three, curling her now bare feet into the cobblestones.

"May I help you?" she asked, her tone drenched with annoyance and sarcasm. The three girls stopped laughing and just looked at her with warm smiles. Roll just rolled her eyes at them and shook her head before walking away.

"Hey, wait up for us, silly!" Rosie called as Roll stomped away.

"We didn't mean to be cruel, tee hee!" Bunnie added as the two girl caught up to Roll first.

"Yeah," said Cherry, "We can't help it we find your fetish nature so cute." Roll softened as her irritation turned into insecurity as she rubbed her toes together.

"Guess I just don't like being laughed at," said Roll quietly.

"I thought you said you were never teased, what-what," said Cherry asked curiously since she could tell that Roll looked upset.

"I was teased," said Roll, "Just never bullied because people found me so boring and worthless." Cherry just gave her a sympathetic look and gave her a hug.

"You're not worthless, what-what," said Cherry, "I doubt someone who was worthless could beat me so easily in a fight or pass two of Gracie's fashion challenges." That got Roll to smile as she soon exhaled and fanned herself.

"Come on," said Cherry, "Let's get you back into that star dress you head on earlier so you don't get overheated."

"How do real ninja's stand wearing this in the summer time?" Roll asked as she began to sweat heavily in her outfit despite taking the socks and shoes off.

"Simple," said Cherry, "This is a fashionable ninja outfit, not a practical one. I'm sure real ninjas have their attires made out of more breathable material." Roll didn't answer as Cherry guided her back to the house where she took another shower before donning her star dress and headband. In addition to leaving her hair down, she had also left it damp. Bunnie and Rosie, who had followed, were just sitting on the bed waiting patiently for her when she came out of her bathroom and was fully dressed.

"The wet hair looks really pretty on you, silly," said Rosie.

"Yes it does, tee hee," Bunnie added, "I wish I could pull off the wet hair look." She rubbed the fur on her head with a sigh, making Roll giggle.

"Well thanks you guys," said Roll, "I mean you guys really do..."

"YES!" Bunnie and Rosie said at once. Roll was a taken aback for a second before speaking again.

"So you would never just say..."

"NO!" Bunnie and Rosie said firmly, causing Roll to cower back a bit before sighing.

"Just asking," she said meekly before Bunnie and Rosie exchanged current look.

"Why would think we would be so shallow, silly?" Rosie asked with concern.

"Yeah, you're our best friends," said Bunnie quietly, "We love you, tee hee." Roll just gave them a sad smile and sighed.

"Just low self-esteem I guess," said Roll. She didn't need to say more. They knew her back-story and her personal wounds by now. Bunnie and Rosie embraced her tenderly.

"Well just know that we think you are very pretty," said Rosie.

"We would _never_ just say that to you," said Bunnie. Roll smiled and held them close just a few minutes longer. Cherry came up and saw their group hug. Roll noticed her staring.

"Love is what gives me strength," said Roll, "and I need all the love I can get." Cherry nodded in understanding, feeling her eyes water. She could feel her heart aching for Bacon again when Rosie grabbed her hand.

"We might not be Bacon," said Rosie.

"But we love you too, Cherry," said Bunnie. The two girls embraced the red dog happily. Cherry couldn't help but hold them close as she let tears of gratitude leave her eyes.

Roll woke up right on time this morning to her relief without having to worry about Cherry tossing her into an ice cold shower. Yet she was surprised to see that Cherry never showed up to check on her as she changed into a pink tank with a denim skirt and wore a pink ribbon in her pigtail. She curiously headed downstairs when her ears caught site of her talking to someone. Roll could tell that Cherry was crying.

"I don't wanna always feel so feeble and weak honey," Cherry croaked on the speaker phone, "Roll really needs me and I don't want to always feel like I need you to just...carry on...what-what..."

"Cherry, we've been through quite a bit this summer," said Bacon over the phone, "As much as I miss you and want you home. You need to be there for Roll."

"I just hope she doesn't ever think that I'm here cause I think I owe her," said Cherry sadly. Bacon snorted.

"If I had any indication that was true," said Bacon firmly, "I would have never let you go at all. Cherry, you are a still a very persistent lady and you have a big heart. It's why I fell in love with you and married you. You won't quit on a job unless you feel in your heart something is wrong or the job is fully complete. Remember my love, homesickness isn't weakness. I'm always just a call away and I'm supporting you from home. I love you very much my waifu." Cherry sniffled as she gave him a smile, even thought he couldn't see it.

"I love you too, honey," said Cherry, "I'll be home in a few more days. I promise." Cherry heard her husband chuckle to himself.

"You just focus on getting the job done," said Bacon, "I'll see you then." He then made a kissing noise and Cherry did the same before ending the call. Roll then approached her as she sat on the sofa next to her.

"Cherry, if you need to..."

"DON'T!" said Cherry sternly with red eyes, "I'll be okay, what-what. Go see what Gracie wants today and we can get to work." Roll just looked at her worried before giving her hand a squeeze.

"Just know I really appreciate all of this Cherry," said Roll. Cherry gave her a smile and a nod before Roll excused herself and left the house. Cherry just let out a long sigh as she ironed out her spider web dress. While the spider web outfit had always been her trademark, she used to wear a tank and black pants when she was part of the Uchi gang, but since getting married to Bacon. She had changed to a dress.

"I feel more girly in a dress," said Cherry to herself as she headed into the kitchen, "Plus...people change...I might be tough...but I'm a girl too." With that Cherry got to work with breakfast. It still shocked her that she found the idea of being a housewife more appealing to her since she got married to Bacon, but she still wanted to have her own fashion runway someday and her husband supported her dream.

Outside the house, Roll arrived at the event plaza and found that Gracie wasn't there. She just looked around for a minute or two before just standing where Gracie would be and sighed to herself.

"She did say that she was coming today," said Roll puzzled, wondering if she had heard incorrectly, "No, I was listening very carefully about that...where could she be?"

"Ahem," said a voice and Roll jumped in surprise to see Gracie was standing nearby.

"Right on time I see," said Gracie, cutting off Roll's chance to ask about where she had been, "I see you're already pulling off an all cute theme. Didn't I warn you that no one likes all vanilla?"

"I prefer to call it liking all chocolate," said Roll confidently. Gracie blinked since she wasn't expect such a witty remark and then smirked.

"Fair enough," said Gracie, "but I do applaud the effort for trying to guess what theme I had in mind, but your ESP needs alot of work."

"I wasn't trying to use ESP Gracie," Roll answered, "just take your advice in wearing something that makes me feel good and this was the mood for today." Gracie was fighting not to giggle. The giraffe was finding Roll more and more adorable, but she wasn't going to give Roll any hints that she was taking a liking to her. Not yet anyway.

"Well enough of the chatter," said Gracie, "We're here because you want to find out the theme for my next fashion challenge correct."

"Yes please," said Roll politely with a warm smile.

"Okay...now let me see...what kind of theme do I seek for today...hmm..." Gracie continued to ponder for about a minute. Roll just waited patiently. While she kept a brave smile, deep down she was getting a bit nervous waiting to hear what the theme was. Gracie then lifted her head to speak.

"Let's _Rock n Roll_."

"Oh cool," said Roll.

"Totally," said Gracie, "Now you know the drill by now so I won't repeat. I look forward to how you think a girl should rock out. So until then...chao honey." Roll then nodded as she headed back towards her house where Cherry was waiting.

"So what do we got, what-what?" said Cherry.

"We got rock n roll," said Roll, feeling excited about the theme. Cherry gasped excitedly.

"Oh that is so awesome!" said Cherry enthusiastically, "to the wardrobe to see what you've got." Roll excitedly rushed upstairs. Roll showed Cherry a pair of shades as well as plenty of rock n roll tops and bottoms. The only thing she was lacking was a pair of shoes, socks, or even headgear.

"Luckily for you I've got some rock n roll boots," said Cherry, "So now you only need either a sock..."

"Bleh!" said Roll.

"Or a proper piece of headgear..." said Cherry as a matter of fact and showing annoyance at the blonde girl's faces regarding socks. Roll pondered a bit as she grabbed a pair of triangle shades, an after school jacket, dry denim skirt, and the lace up boots, and then grabbed her red ribbon and tucked it into place.

"How do I look?" Roll asked. Cherry giggled to herself.

"You look adorable, what-what," said Cherry, "The rock n roll look totally suits you."

"Thanks Cherry," said Roll, "Umm..before we go...can I check something with you before I go see Gracie?"

"What's up, what-what?" Cherry asked.

"I kind of had another idea for the shoes," said Roll, "It would mean one less Rock n roll item, but...its feel more like me. I just wanna show you...I'm not gonna go with it." Cherry just stared for a moment but then gave her a curious smile.

"Show me!" said Cherry. Roll smiled, grabbed some items from the closet, and then headed behind her screen. When she came out, she had removed the lace up boots and had replaced them with black three quarter leggings and some red buckled shoes (similar to the yellow buckle shoes). Cherry couldn't stop smiling when she saw the outfit. Roll just looked at her anxiously.

"Roll?" she replied quietly.

"Yeah?" Roll answered, wondering what Cherry was thinking.

"I think you should go to Gracie with what you've got on instead, what-what," said Cherry. Roll looked at her in shock.

"What?!...R-r-really?" said Roll surprised and Cherry gave her a firm nod.

"Remember what Gracie told you yesterday," said Cherry, "these theme outfits should be something you would be proud to wear and not just something you wore for the sake of succeeding the challenge. I can see it in your eyes, what-what. You look really satisfied wearing those leggings and buckle shoes than the boots had I brought. I would wear those to Gracie's."

"But it's one less..."

"Trust me, what-what," said Cherry firmly but gently, "Just...trust me." Roll was still doubtful but nodded as she exited the house and made her way towards the event plaza. Gracie was just minding her own business as before when Roll arrived.

"I'm ready to rock out Gracie," said Roll as confidently as she could. Gracie turned to face her and noticed her smiling.

"Very well then," said Gracie, "it's time for another exciting episode of...GRACIE'S FASHION CHECK!" Another impressive pause.

"Let's _Rock n Roll_!" Gracie continued, "You're mission was to find an outfit according to this theme. You know what to do now Roll!" Roll nodded as she took a couple of steps back and did a slow twirl. Gracie took notice that Roll seemed to be enjoying herself as she twirled for her and then folded her hands in front of her and smile. Gracie had to fight not to break her poker face since her smile was infectious. It was getting hard for her not to smile. At last, she did smile, but still kept it subtle.

"I see you've paired the rock n roll with a few cute items," said Gracie, "that's a pretty good combination. I also see that this outfit seems like something that you are proud of."

"I...am..." said Roll nervously. Gracie nodded impressively.

"You know Roll," said Gracie, "I've taken notice that you've been not just been listening to what theme I wanna see you dress but also to the critiques that I've been giving you too. It's one thing to pass these challenges, but also let them help you learn and grow as a fashionista. Very well done indeed." Roll smiled and couldn't resist clicking the back of her red buckle shoes in the process. A small giggle escaped Gracie's mouth, but the quickly cough to cover it up.

"Ahem...anyway," Gracie continued snooty, "You've definitely shown that there is clearly some fashion potential in this town Roll. But...I'm not fully convinced about opening a boutique, hopefully after tomorrows fashion check my mind won't feel so foggy."

"Okay," said Roll.

"Well until tomorrow, chao darling," said Gracie, "I've got places to go and things to do." Roll nodded and waved her goodbye before removing her buckle shoes and then headed back to her house. Despite being barefoot, the blonde girl couldn't help but skip happily all the way back to her house. She excitedly entered just as Cherry had breakfast set up on the table.

"I take it things went well, what-what?" Cherry replied as she saw Roll skip happily inside. Roll wasted no time giving her a big strong hug.

"That was so the right call for me to do the leggings and buckle shoes," said Roll, "Gracie loved the outfit. She also commended me for the fact that I seem to be taking her critiques and making my outfits better each time. She should be thanking you. Maybe I should have you come with me for the final test. "

"No, no, what-what," said Cherry, "there's no need for me to go. Plus when Bacon did his fashion checks, he had friends from other towns help him gather clothes too. In the end Roll, all I am doing is providing the materials. You're the one coming up with the amazing outfits. I really do like this one. The rock n roll and cute combination is definitely you." Roll giggled.

"Tell you what, when the weather gets cooler and you pay me a visit," Roll suggested, "I'll be more than happy to wear this outfit. And...if I'm being honest...it would have to snow or rain for me to wear the buckle shoes. You know me by now." Cherry smirked.

"You would go barefoot in the snow if you could huh?" Cherry asked her and Roll giggled.

"(Sigh) If only my feet were that strong," Roll answered, wiggling her toes, "but everyone has their own limits. I mean I could probably walk along a dirt path on a snowy day barefoot and be okay, but not through actual snow." Cherry just kept smirking.

"What?" Roll asked, she was getting annoyed at all the stares.

"You're just too cute," said Cherry and then sat down to eat her share of the food that was now getting cold. Roll just looked at her before rolling her eyes and headed upstairs to change back into her other outfit since wearing a jacket and even leggings was getting her overheated. As she changed her outfit, she couldn't help but wonder about one thing in particular.

"I wonder if Gracie thinks I'm cute?" she thought aloud as she ironed out her tank and tied her pink ribbon back into place before shaking her head, "Nah! She's probably too important to even acknowledge me." With that, she finished with her ribbon and then looked at herself in the mirror. This time, she couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Guess I am pretty after all," said Roll, "Maybe..." Roll then headed downstairs to eat.

The next morning, Roll decided to head to event plaza right after the clock had chimed 6am. Cherry was still fast asleep in the guest bedroom but Roll had decided to let her sleep. Roll had decided to wear one of her favorite summer outfits. This outfit included her royal halter tank and royal girl's shorts and a ruby red headband that sported a bow in the side. Gracie was just arrived when she saw Roll approaching.

"Perfect timing dear," said Gracie, "A good fashionista is always punctual."

"Or everyone else is late," Roll added and Gracie looked at her agape.

"Where did you learn that?" she asked, a bit baffled.

"From Labelle," said Roll and then grew a bit shy, "I'm sorry. Did I offend you?" Gracie just started and nearby giggled before she started clearing her throat loudly. She was tempting to ask Roll if she ever used her natural cuteness to get what she wanted but then stopped herself.

"Let's just get down to business," said Gracie, "I'm sure you want to know what you're last fashion challenge is correct?"

"Yes Gracie," said Roll in a polite tone.

"Good," said Gracie, "I've taken into consideration what you've done with your past challenges and based on what you've shown me. I've chosen a theme that I feel probably best represents your own personal fashion tastes. This "theme" will be your fourth fashion challenge."

"What might that be?" Roll asked curiously. If she really was honest with herself, basic, cute, and iconic were probably her favorite fashion styles. She was anxious to see which of those three Gracie would chose for her final fashion challenge.

"Today's fashion theme is," Gracie announced, doing her ever dramatic pause.

"Keep is _Basic_ " Roll could help but smile.

"You know the drill Roll so I'll let you get to it," said Gracie, "Now go and let your inner fashion diva thrive. I look forward to seeing what you come up with." Roll gave her a curtsy before nearly dashing away to go pick out an outfit.

"This will be the easiest theme for me to do!" said Roll, "My closet is loaded with basic clothes and anything cute and iconic will go with any top and bottoms or dress that I choose!" Roll wasted no time heading back to her house. She rushed upstairs and headed into her closet as she began to rummage around for something to wear. Yet what she thought would be an easy fashion challenge ended up becoming far more difficult. She was struggling to figure out what clothing combinations to wear. Every time she found an item, she had doubts or questions about the style, colors, and even what items went well with others or if something didn't look right. She wanted to make sure she didn't need to wear a sock and that she didn't try to use more than two different themes with her outfit. After about an hour of shuffling Roll grunted angrily before shoving all her clothes off the bed and buried her face into her pillow. Roll began to cry but only did so for about ten minutes before she heard someone climbing the steps. Cherry had finally woken up and had all but rushed to get dressed and meet up with Roll once she heard the grunting and shuffling upstairs. Cherry immediately noticed the sobbing girl on her bed as well as the huge mess of clothes all over the floor. It looked like Roll's closet had exploded.

"I'm so sorry Roll," said Cherry sadly, "My clock battery died and I guess I overslept, what-what."

"Don't worry about it," Roll sobbed her voice muffled since her face was buried inside her pillow.

"Now Roll," said Cherry in a motherly tone, "I can't help you if your face is buried. Please sit up and let talk like adults, what-what." Roll sniffled twice before lifting her head showing Cherry her red and watery eyes as well as the tears still streaming down her face.

"Sorry, just frustrated," said Roll.

"I'm guess the final fashion challenge is a tough one," said Cherry, "what's the theme?"

"Keep it _basic_ ," Roll answered. Cherry gave her stunned look.

"Are...are you serious, what-what?" said Cherry, "That is one of the easier themes! You've got basic clothing galore and most of it is on the floor!"

"But I don't want to wear just any basic items or combination," Roll whimpered, "I want to feel good in what I chose to wear. I want to feel like I'm being myself! I want...I want...to feel beautiful. Basic, along with iconic and cute, are my favorite themes. I just want to wear the right outfit that defines who I am...and my fashion style...assuming I have one..."

"Yes you do," said Cherry, "You have great fashion tastes, what-what. You're just over thinking things. You can't pick clothes based on what you think would work. You gotta follow your heart and quiet your mind okay?" Roll sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"Okay..." she replied sadly.

"Let's start with one piece of clothing at a time okay," said Cherry, "and once you pick something just go with it. Don't second guess yourself. Then put the rest of the items away." Roll nodded as she stood up and tucked her shorts down a bit before searching through her tees so she could pick her top. She ended up choosing the yellow bar tee.

"Good," said Cherry, "Now put the other tops away." Roll did so. As she cleaned up, she found both her beret and her brown pumps. She almost reconsidered her green sandals, but shook her head and put them away. Her first instinct was the pumps and she was gonna stick with it. Once she cleaned up most of the tops and shoes. She grabbed all her bottoms to see what jumped out at her. She knew deep down she wanted to stay basic, which helped her deduce which bottoms to pick and set aside the black demin skirt while putting the rest of her bottoms away. The beret was a no brainer or her. So far, Roll had found a top, skirt, and headgear. All she needed now was either a sock or an accessory.

"I have to listen to my gut," said Roll, "I really don't want to wear a sock so I guess I'll bring these out of storage." She went into her closet and pulled out a pair of brown frames and put them on once she had tied her hair into her pigtails. Cherry was rather surprised.

"Why the glasses?" Cherry asked curiously.

"I gotta confession to make," said Roll, "I know you probably see me as an athletic type of girl, but the truth is...I'm really just a geek and a nerd."

"How so?" Cherry asked with even more curiosity.

"I have my high school diploma already," said Roll, "I graduated valedictorian of my class." Cherry blinked and gave a low whistle.

"You are amazing you know that," said Cherry, "so...I guess you're gonna wear the glasses with your outfit then, what-what?" Roll gave her a smile and nodded.

"I don't wear them often," said Roll, "but for today...they feel right. Plus is helps that they don't have lenses." Roll put a finger through them and made Cherry laugh. Roll soon joined in for a minute or two before heading behind her screen to change. Once she had dressed, she gave Cherry a hug thank you before heading towards the plaza to meet Gracie once more. Unlike the other time Roll had come by, Gracie took notice of her as she arrived.

"Why do I get the feeling you've taken a step backwards?" Gracie said aloud.

"What do you mean?" Roll asked puzzled.

"I'm taking about the glasses darling," said Gracie, "You don't look like the type who wears glasses." Roll then hummed to herself.

"You're right, Gracie," said Roll, "I'm not, but I felt they were necessary for this particular fashion challenge."

"Oh?" Gracie asked, wanting to hear what the blonde girl had to say.

"Gracie, I don't know what you think of me," said Roll, "but these glasses represent a side of me that I don't show very often, which is that I am a geek. I graduated at the top of my high school class at the age of ten. Plus these glasses go so well with what I am wearing that now felt like the good time to show that part myself to you in what I chose to wear." Gracie just looked at her blankly, but deep down she was very impressed with her answer. Gracie ended up smirking since she just couldn't keep a straight face and this time, she didn't fight it.

"Very well then," said Gracie, "It's time for everybody's favorite time of the day...GRACIE'S FASHION CHECK!" Roll bounced on her bare feet excitedly.

"Make it _Basic_! Your mission was to find an outfit according to the theme that I requested," said Gracie, "Now please step back and twirl so we can view the outfit as a whole." Roll did so and smiled as she did her twirl, even giggling and cupping her hands behind her back. Gracie took a little longer to scan her outfit and then just smiled.

"Nicely done combination of Iconic with basic," said Gracie, "those are two combinations of themes that you almost can never go wrong with. Plus I love the personal touch with the glasses. A good outfit is able to tell the story of the person who wears it. Girl you were listening when I gave you that theme. I knew this was your favorite theme and I had some hope you would do the basic theme justice and you did just that. Great job Roll." Roll hopped up and down excitedly but quickly recomposed herself. She was expecting Gracie to scold her for her immaturity, but she was surprised to see that the giraffe was smiling.

"Well then, it's good to know that this Gracie Lamp is going to someone who earned it," Gracie replied as she took the item out of her pockets and gave it to Roll, who took it happily and tucked it into her pockets.

"Thank you Gracie" Roll replied happily, "It seems that I have completed all four of your fashion challenges Gracie. And I didn't just pass. I seem to have...I guess pleased you to some extent. Have I deemed this town worthy of your boutique here in Animal Town?" Roll looked at her with concern as Gracie just gave her a straight face. Gracie just looked back at her, keeping her poker face on before giving her a warm smile.

"Not yet" she answered.

 **The flashback is taken almost directly from the Animal Crossing Anime Movie.**

 **Most Players would probably wish they could have Gracie appear back to back days like this. I didn't really want nearly a month's time to pass within a single story arc. Not yet anyway...**

 **I did my best to replicate how Gracie announces the fashion themes according to New Leaf as well as which clothing combinations are acceptable. Many were from memory since no website has Gracie's fashion theme quotes archived. At least not all ten.**

 **Plus her royal tank is supposedly part of the "ornate" fashion style despite being a custom design. Let's just assume certain patterns and combinations can make those designs part of the theme. I'm sure many players wish they could do that for fashion checks.**

 **Any gamer that had played to this point knows four completed fashion checks earned you Gracie's boutique and T &T Emporium. So...why did Gracie say that?**

 **Find out...Next Time.**


	41. Fashionista Part 3

Fashionista Part 3:

Roll just looked at Gracie with a gasp and her eyes nearly popped out.

"W-w-what?" said Roll, "What...what did I do wrong? I passed all of your challenges. I even improved each time I completed each challenge. I don't understand..." Roll then stopped talking. She didn't want to start crying or ask why she wasn't good enough. Gracie didn't need to know about Roll's insecurities. Gracie just looked at her with her poker face on and then sighed.

"Well first of all," said Gracie, "I can't just set up a boutique in a town where I hardly even know the mayor of the town. I would like to know them personally. Especially when they have deemed themselves fashionably worthy of my attention."

"I...understand," said Roll wearily.

"So...I shall see you later tonight for dinner then," said Gracie. Roll went into shock.

"M-m-my house?!" Roll spluttered.

"Is there a problem?" Gracie asked, slightly annoyed. Roll blinked before shaking her head.

"N-n-n-no, no problem at all," said Roll, "Just...caught off guard by the invite is all. I'll...I'll see you later tonight then Gracie. What time?"

"Seven," the giraffe answered as she gave Roll a gentle nod before making her way out of the plaza. Roll just watched her leave, still rather stunned.

"Gracie...wants to come over to my house," said Roll, "no...no one ever said that would happen after I completed all of my fashion challenges!" Roll began to panic and raced back to her house. Cherry was sitting quietly on the sofa, fingering the skirt of her dress when Roll arrived inside.

"What happened, what-what?" Cherry asked once she saw Roll in a panic, "Did the fashion check fail?"

"No...I...I...passed and all that," said Roll and showed Cherry the item she received, "It's just...just...nobody told me that after I completed all four checks that I...I would have to invite her over for dinner!"

"WHAT!? said Cherry stunned as she stood up in shock. Roll looked even more worried.

"Yeah," said Roll, "She...she wanted to come over to my house for dinner. She wants to have dinner with me. Is that...what she did with Bacon?" Cherry blinked a bit and shook her head.

"No," said Cherry, "I've never heard of Gracie inviting herself over to dinner to any mayor's house before."

"What does that mean?" Roll asked worried, "She even said that she still wasn't sure about a boutique here and invited herself to my house! What am I gonna do?!" Cherry just looked stunned for a moment and was left speechless. Yet she didn't stay quiet for long when she saw Roll's knees were knocking together.

"You faced Sylvia and were nearly beaten to the point on unconsciousness, what-what," said Cherry, "yet a dinner date with Gracie frightens you?"

"Hey, I was just as frightened doing that as I am now about this," said Roll. Cherry hummed.

"Then...how did you power through it?" Cherry asked her curiously. Roll let out a long breath and then looked at her feet when she noticed that she still had her brown pumps on.

"This town...my family is counting on me to get Gracie to set up shop," said Roll as she kicked her pumps off her feet, "This dinner could be the deciding factor that determines whether she will set up shop or not. I need to be able to impress her, but I'm not sure about what to do than houseclean the place. If she's going to be hoping I take what she's taught me to heart. I doubt she would like it if her furniture was mixed in with my ranch furniture just for the sake of it."

"I would agree with that, what-what," said Cherry, "but you do have an office room in the back that had no complete furniture sets. You could set them up in there." Roll smiled.

"Good idea," said Roll, "Then there's still dinner..."

"One step at a time, what-what," said Cherry as she tied a blue handkerchief onto her head, "Let's get cleaning." Roll nodded with a smile before changing into a sleeveless blossom dress and tied a pink handkerchief over her blonde hair and they got to work. While they did take a quick break for breakfast, it wasn't until late afternoon they had cleaned the house from top to bottom and were both exhausted.

"The things I do to make this town happy," said Roll as she slumped into the sofa next to Cherry.

"You know...I just remembered that there were twelve other villagers here who probably could have helped us out with the house cleaning, what-what," said Cherry. Roll's eyes nearly popped out before she slammed a pillow into Cherry's face. Cherry spluttered a bit before removing the pillow and sitting up. She was about to hit Roll back with the pillow until she remembered why that pillow was tossed at her.

"I had that coming didn't I?" Cherry said in defeat as she put the pillow back into place. Roll just huffed and said nothing.

"We still need a dinner," said Roll, "Guess I better get..."

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"Hey there kitten!" Purrl shouted from outside, "Can I come in please?"

"YES YOU MAY PURRL!" Roll called out from her seat on the sofa. Purrl let herself in and noticed the rather exhausted blonde girl.

"Oh dear, you look exhausted, kitten," said Purrl, "I guess those fashion challenges must have taken alot out of you!"

"It wasn't really the fashion challenges Purrl," said Roll, "Gracie caught me off guard when she invited herself to my house for dinner tonight. Cherry and I have been busy cleaning the house from top to bottom."

"And I had forgotten to call anybody else for help, what-what," said Cherry quietly, taking full responsibility for her mistake. Purrl just stared and then smiled.

"Well dear," said Purrl, "I am here to offer my services. What can I do to help?" Roll's mood lighten up right away once she heard that.

"I need to figure out what to do about dinner and what to make exactly," said Roll.

"I only know very basic recipes, particularly breakfast recipes, what-what," Cherry added. Purrl just chuckled to herself.

"You know kitten," said Purrl, "Today is the beginning of September and I happen to have a killer recipe for some grilled herb salmon. I can let you borrow the recipe if you wish." Roll's face lit up instantly.

"That's a great idea," said Roll, "and I found a way online on how to make salmon spawn faster from the waterfall too."

"No need," said Purrl, "You leave the groceries and everything else to me, kitten. You just wash yourself up so you don't get your sweat all over the clean sofas, kitten." Roll didn't realize just how hot and sticky she had become until she felt the front of her forehead. Cherry giggled to herself until she realized that she was rather sweaty as well, making Purrl chuckle to herself as she left Roll and Cherry to change. By the time is was around half past 5, Roll had already dressed into a butterfly dress, black headband, and left her hair down as she opened the door and found Purrl, along with Whitney right behind her.

"Hey Purrl, Hey Whitney," said Roll.

"Hello there snappy," said Whitney, "Purrl told me you were looking for something to make for dinner tonight for Gracie! So I took the liberty of searching my own recipe books and found my recipe for my special baked potatoes and strawberry cream cake recipe. Purrl has the salmon for grilling and I even brought you the ingredients for my two recipes so you can get cooking right away." Roll smiled gratefully.

"Oh thank you so much you guys," said Roll, "How...much for..."

"Don't worry about it, snappy," said Whitney, "You just concentrate on making sure Gracie has a good time alright." Roll smiled timidly.

"Just relax, kitten," said Purrl as she walked with Roll into the kitchen, "and don't worry so much about entertaining her and just let her do most of the talking. I'm sure she has plenty to talk about. She can be quite conceited sometimes so she might just talk about herself for most of the evening. Just be sure not to fall asleep if she gets boring."

"Purrl is right," said Whitney, "As long as you keep her happy, she shouldn't have a reason not to set up her boutique here."

"Okay, question," said Roll, "How do you guys even know that Gracie had passed my last fashion check? I didn't even do any of my dailies today!"

"Word gets around, snappy," said Whitney, "and speaking of dailies. Marshal took care of the fossil hunting and money rock for you and got about 28,000 bells. Here you are!" Whitney handed Roll the money, which Roll tucked into her bell purse.

"Well that was sweet of him," said Roll, "I'll be sure to tell him thank you tomorrow when I see him. Now I better get cooking."

"No, we will get cooking, what-what," said Cherry, "right ladies?" Whitney and Purrl nodded in agreement and Roll smiled happily. She loved having such good friends.

It was nearly close to seven when they had finished making dinner and she bid Purrl and Whitney farewell and thank you. Cherry had been asked by Katt if she wanted to hang out since the two "sisters" hadn't had some good non-trouble related fun in years. This left Roll by herself with Gracie. She had wanted them to stay, but they talked her out of it since the three felt they would just be in the way. Roll still didn't want to be alone, but she eventually understood why. If they had stuck around to help, she would have had to explain their presence and Roll didn't want to be tempted to lie and say they were servants or something along those lines. After all, she may be a mayor, but she was very independent and took care of her house alone (mostly). To keep busy, Roll had decided to set up the ranch tea table for their dinner and set up some rather exotic zen cushions on the floor for them to sit on. She had just finished setting the table when she heard a knock on the door.

"(Gasp) That must be her," Roll said to herself, "Remember Roll, just be yourself and relax." Roll slowly cleared her throat and brushed her hair behind her shoulders before opening the door. She was surprised to see Gracie wearing a purple halter style stop, a pair of dry denim ankle pants, and some black high heels.

"A little overdressed aren't we?" Gracie asked. Roll blinked in surprise but quickly recomposed herself.

"I...I guess I just thought...you being so classy..." Roll stuttered.

"I see," said Gracie, "Good first impressions are important. But guess I should've mentioned the casual thing...my bad...unless you feel okay in your dress, which I love that you pick one of my designs by the way, you can change before we eat. In fact, what did you come up with anyway?"

"Grilled salmon, tossed salad, baked potatoes," Roll answered, "but I did set up for a western style cuisine at a zen table and complementary cushions."

"Nice," said Gracie as she removed her heels, "Just let me set these here...and I'll make myself comfortable."

"Yes Gracie," said Roll, "Please make yourself at home. My house is your house tonight." Roll then rushed upstairs. Since Gracie said to be casual and she like the idea of wearing denims, she grabbed a pair of light denim pedal pushers, her pink strapless top, pink headband, and then realized that she had forgotten to wear her gold locket and immediately tied it on. Gracie was just drinking some of the freshly made fruit punch when Roll finally arrived.

"That's better," said Gracie, "Celebrity status or not, even people as famous as me like to get comfy from time to time." Roll giggled as she took next to Gracie. Gracie just looked at her as Roll returned her look with a smile.

"Where's dinner?" Gracie asked innocently. Roll then remembered the food was still in the kitchen.

"Oh right, dinner," said Roll as she quickly rose to her feet, "Excuse me Gracie and I'll bring the food over here right away." Roll then dashed into the kitchen as Gracie chuckled to herself. She just got comfortable until Roll arrived with their plates of food still hot and ready to eat.

"Ooh, nice food presentation," said Gracie, "you are trying to impress me weren't you?" Roll blushed a bit as she tucked a napkin into her lap.

"Well, I figured you wanted to best," said Roll, "I will admit that I borrowed the recipe and had help preparing dinner, but I am a cook in my own right."

"Any particular cuisines?" Gracie asked curiously.

"Umm...American and Italian I believe," Roll answered honestly, "though baking is more my forte."

"Ahh," said Gracie, clearly interested, "ever considered the art of pastries?" Roll just smiled as she chewed on some fish and swallowed.

"I've thought about it," said Roll, "Lolly has a few pastry books at her house that I can borrow. For now I'm just trying to perfect the art of making a standard cake."

"One step at a time," said Gracie, "The best cooks...and fashionistas...weren't created in a day."

"Well I just hope that strawberry cake I made is good," said Roll, "if I can ask one question..."

"I'm not worrying about my figure tonight darling," said Gracie, "I want a big piece of that cake once I finish this fish, which is cooked perfectly I might add so great job at that!" Roll smiled as they continued to eat in peace. Gracie couldn't help but watch Roll as she ate the food on her plate. She noticed that while eating etiquette was proper but still...rough.

"May I ask where you learned your manners?" Gracie decided to ask. Roll swallowed some food she had in her mouth.

"I...taught myself," said Roll, "I mean...I've had some help from my friends but...I was mostly self taught. Why? I...I didn't think I was eating like a slob..."

"It's a bit rough, but not what I call slobbish," said Gracie, "I'm not critiquing you. Just asking."

"Oh...okay..." said Roll and tried chewing a bit daintily since she suddenly felt a bit subconscious after that. The rest of the meal stayed rather quiet until they had surprisingly completed their meals at the same time. Roll stood up iron out her top before facing Gracie.

"Shall I take your empty plate to the kitchen Gracie?" she asked. Gracie gave her a smile and nodded.

"Grazie" Gracie answered, which was Italian for thank you. Roll smiled.

"Prego," said Roll, "Sono contento del pasto ha incontrato la vostra soddisfazione." [You're welcome. I'm glad the meal met your satisfaction.] She gave Gracie a polite curtsy before taking the dishes to the sink and headed into the kitchen. Gracie just watched her leave before just sighing to herself and adjusted her legs so she was sitting more comfortably. She just watched Roll clean up the table. Roll turned to her once she had finished.

"Did you need anything Gracie?" she asked politely. Gracie just gave a loud huff.

"Honey...sit down please," the giraffe replied rather sternly. Roll was taken aback by Gracie's tone and sat down on her cushion Indian style. Gracie kept looking at her sternly and Roll looked more and more nervous at her glare.

"Will you stop looking at me like I'm gonna chew your head right off your shoulders!" she snapped. Roll didn't settle and just looked more fearful.

"I...I...I..." Roll was at a loss for words.

"You what?" she asked angrily.

"I just wanted to be a good hostess!" Roll blurted out, "Plus I know you're used to high quality service and I..."

"You wanted to impress me," Gracie finished, "You wanted to make sure that you got my approval for my boutique. That is why you're treating me so well isn't it!" Roll was taken aback.

"I...I thought that was why you wanted to have dinner here," Roll answered honestly. Gracie just glared at her.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I came here for _you_ and not for business?" she asked rather angrily. Roll just looked at her stunned.

"Me?" Roll asked stunned, "but...but you're Gracie."

"The fashionista and big time celebrity, yeah, yeah whatever," said Gracie in an irritated tone and looked away. Roll grow more and more upset.

"Well excuse me for not feeling like I'm even worthy of your presence, let alone your friend!" Roll retorted sadly as he eyes watered.

"Because I'm a celebrity," said Gracie as a matter of fact.

"No," said Roll and then her voice broke, "Because I'm nothing!" That caught Gracie off guard with that and she turned to face the blonde girl. Roll had tears streaming down her face.

"I'm just a young girl who is still trying to find her purpose in life and find her dreams," said Roll, "as much as you like my clothes I still look in the mirror at myself and just feel bleh! At least you can feel beautiful no matter what you wear! I can't do that! I don't know if it was Labelle who recommended me to you or if you just felt that I was worthy, but the truth is...I don't know if I am worthy. I never felt like I was. I just know that everyone here is a big fan of your fashions. I love them too! I had to try and see if I could impress you. I was surprised that you did like my outfits in all honestly. What you had to say means alot to me Gracie! It really does. I'm hoping that by taking your advice I can one day finally look at myself in the mirror and finally feel beautiful just as much on the inside as I appear on the outside. I never expected I would be worthy...of...of your friendship...and I blew it..." Roll began to cry. Gracie just watched her quietly before lifting Roll's chin as she continued to sniffle and handed her a white cloth to clean her face.

"I wouldn't be here if you weren't good enough," said Gracie, "You seemed like a nice girl and Labelle said you're alot of fun. I wanted to see that for myself."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Roll asked.

"I like keeping people on their toes," Gracie explained, "I wanted to see what you would do if I just dropped by...and got defensive with you. I would have kept my game face on longer but...well..."

"Well what?" Roll asked curiously. Gracie just looked at her before grunting happily.

"You're just too darn cute!" Gracie exclaimed and Roll looked at her dumbfounded.

"What?" she replied in shock.

"The way you're so honest, modest, and humble," said Gracie, "and also so polite and well mannered and it's so sincere. You make it so hard for me to be indifferent when I talk to you. The way you handle yourself so professionally despite being so young and inexperienced. It's very rare to meet a girl your age with your kind of maturity and character. I really want to know where all this sincerity and insecurity comes from." Roll just released a deep breath.

"Can you keep it between us please if I do," said Roll, "I doubt you would, but I don't want this on the next issue of Nintendique Magazine."

"Heaven forbid!" said Gracie, "I already told you darling. This has nothing to do with business. If you really want to be put to rest about it, I've already set the deal in motion for the boutique to be here in town. Timmy and Tommy will break ground the day after tomorrow. Now the case is closed. This evening is about you and me getting to know each other. I'll reveal something to you in confidence but I'm hoping you'll do the same."

"Fair enough," said Roll as she pulled her knees to chest, crossed her legs and held them, "My father walked out on me and my mother blamed me for what happened and didn't even want me. She even made it clear she would never love me either."

"Whoa," said Gracie quietly as she looked away and extended one of her legs in front of her. Roll didn't noticed the giraffe discomfort.

"So one day when I was just a little over three years old," Roll continued quietly, "I finally asked my mom what I had to do for her to accept me and be proud of me. She grabbed me and threw me out of the house and into a trash can."

"GASP!" said Gracie aloud.

"I stayed there for about a day or two when the police arrived," said Roll, "apparently someone had seen my mom throw me out of the house and the police had arrested her. Rather than being taken in by a neighbor, I was just dumped into the orphanage. I should also mention that it was at the orphanage that I got my name."

"Seriously?" Gracie remarked replied, "All they could think of was "Roll" for a girl? You're Mom couldn't even name you." Roll snorted.

"Nope and the orphanage gave me that name cause I was malnourished and when I was given a cinnamon roll I stuffed it into my mouth," said Roll, "I do like a good cinnamon roll but that is where my name comes from. Cinnamon _Roll!_ It doesn't help that my last name is also Russian for Cinnamon so it ironically fits." Gracie laughed and Roll glared at her, clearly offended.

"Hey, back off," Gracie answered, still chuckling, "Cinnamon is known for being sweet as well as spicy. I'm assuming your personality isn't that far off." Roll just smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah...it is," Roll replied slowly, "so once I got to the orphanage I was pretty much left to myself. Since I was so shy being around people, they didn't want to play with me. People who teased me eventually grew bored of me cause I never said nothing. Even foster parents who wanted to find children to adopt always pass by me without care."

"So you've spent most of your life neglected and unnoticed," Gracie replied.

"Pretty much," said Roll quietly, "Then last February I found out about how I could move here and start a life of my own. Seemed worthwhile to me, after all, nobody else wanted me or cared. Might as well just go somewhere that I can either make a living for myself or just disappear. My mistake when thinking someone would care enough to give me the love and acceptance that I wanted. Obviously there's no such thing..."

"That's not exactly true, dear," said Gracie, "It is possible to find that kind of love. You just gotta look in the right place for it."

"You're right" said Roll as she sat more Indian style with her legs loosely crossed, "When I came here and introduced myself to everyone. I did find that love and acceptance that I had always wanted. The people I call my closest friends were willing to give it to me right away. I never really had to ask or prove myself. I never thought people would be so kind to me."

"Kindness is rare thing darling," said Gracie, "but it's not completely extinct. You're not the only human to enjoy living in the animal world. People are much nicer here for the most part."

"That's true," said Roll, "I mean...where else in the world can I find someone like you to be my friend?" Roll gave her a smile, but it soon faded when she noticed that Gracie looked rather hurt.

"Do you...really think I'm that shallow?" she asked sadly. Roll blinked in surprise and looked sad as well.

"No," said Roll, "Just beneath you. I mean..."

"If you were beneath me, Roll," said Gracie sternly, "I wouldn't be here tonight trying to be your friend." Roll just bit her lips.

"I wasn't trying to offend you Gracie," said Roll, "and I wasn't trying to judge you. I thought I had to impress you tonight and I only know about you based on what I've been told by my friends!"

"Hasn't Labelle ever mentioned me to you?" Gracie asked, "she could tell you that I'm not always that conceited and snooty."

"She did say that," said Roll, "but well...(sigh)...you're still a very successful woman and I still feel rather...weak...feeble...and Labelle did say you are very critical, especially on fashion. I...didn't think...I was strong enough to be bashed if I was fashionably inferior. I've been bashed my entire life for not being good enough, not being pretty, not being smart, and just being the reason people were miserable. My own mother would cuss out the entire devil's dictionary at me and wouldn't think twice about it."

"But Labelle told me that you stood up to the Uchi gang and fought their leader," said Gracie, "even after their leader nearly beat you to the point of unconsciousness and yet you fought on. If you could do that, I think you could have handled me if I had bashed you. But in all honestly, I never really felt a need to do so. There's nothing to bash honestly. Polishing and refining maybe, but that's everybody, including myself. Nobody is perfect."

"Good to know Gracie," said Roll, "but I can still be a bit of crybaby despite all that and I still struggle to feel beautiful. If I feel like someone I love and care about is threatened, I won't stop at nothing to protect them and come to their aid. That is what gave me the strength to fight Sylvia and her followers, even to the point that I thought I was gonna get killed. I have no problem helping others and making a difference in the lives of those who need it and those who want my help. But when it comes to helping myself...it's my biggest struggle." Gracie just looked at Roll as she just started and fingered her bare feet. Gracie continued to just look at her own feet a little while longer before she just closed her eyes.

"Mine too," she said quietly, hoping Roll wouldn't hear her. Roll looked at her as a sign that she did but Gracie didn't notice.

"What did you say?" Roll asked her curiously. Gracie just lifted her head and looked at the blonde girl.

"I said I struggle with that too," said Gracie.

"How?" said Roll and then slapped her forehead, "I take that back..."

"Why?" Gracie answered, "I was gonna respond!"

"No, I meant that I take back the assumption that just because you present yourself as being well put together doesn't always mean that people are," said Roll, "everyone has their own issues, problems, and even insecurities. Anyway, what were you going to say?" Gracie kept her defenses up for a moment before she lowered them and gave the blonde girl a soft smile.

"As much as I act like I was born to be a fashionista," said Gracie, "my life certainly didn't start that way."

"How did you become such a famous and successful fashionista?" Roll asked curiously as she hugged her knee. Gracie chuckled.

"It surprisingly wasn't a dream that I had since my childhood," Gracie began, "when I was little, I was pretty much a troublemaker. I used to like pulling pranks and causing mischief all the time. I never really wanted to take life seriously and I was always getting into trouble. In fact, I actually flunked out of high school and never graduated."

"Wow," said Roll, "Did you have any...learning disabilities or note taking issues?" Gracie just smiled and shook her head.

"I was just lazy," said Gracie, "But I did get my GED years later and got a perfect score on it."

"Cool" said Roll.

"So as a teenager I was pretty much in and out of trouble," Gracie explained, "Then one day I finally got caught and was arrested. As I waited at the station, I was expecting my family to come and bail me out, but they didn't."

"They left you at the station?" Roll exclaimed, "did...did you have to go to jail?" Gracie shook her head.

"I was only seventeen at the time," said Gracie, "I was too young to serve, but I still figured there was some punishment for me and this time I knew it was gonna be big. So they left me to stay overnight at the station before the officer sent me home. While I was there, my parents said sternly that they were gonna send me to...some sort of military camp...something to straighten me out. I felt so angry and betrayed that they wanted to send me away. So when they told me to pack my things and be ready for someone to escort me to the camp. I snuck out of my bedroom window and took off for the nearest bus to the city. I can remember setting foot in the city for the first time when I realized that I had nothing. I had no money, no education, no...talents. I had no idea what I was gonna do to survive. I didn't want to head back home cause I knew as soon as I returned home my parents would ship me away to who knows where. Yet the idea of starving and having to steal and resort to crime just to survive terrified me. I had never felt so alone in my entire life."

"Oh Gracie..." Roll remarked.

"As I walked about town," Gracie pressed on, "I noticed a young woman who was in a nicely dressed suit. I had recognized her since she used to be the top fashionista of that time before I ever was. She had just fired her recent assistant cause someone in tears had nearly crashed into me. The young woman saw me and asked me if I had any experience in fashion. I had said no. She then saw my suitcase and asked if I had work. I told her I was looking for a job and to my surprise she hired me on the spot."

"So you had no experience in fashion when you were hired?" Roll asked.

"Nada," said Gracie, "In fact, at the time, I hated the fashionista girls and surprisingly it was because they were so snobbish and condescending to others. They seemed so stuck up and conceited. Ironic isn't it?" Roll nodded with a chuckle.

"I'll admit it," said Gracie, "I've become the very thing I hated in that respect, but I don't really regret it for the most part. Because as I worked as her assistant, I soon realized just how much potential I really had and, this is a known fact, she was really strict with me. There was no room for error working for her. She was far worse than any military sergeant that my parents ever tried to ship me to, but I was very grateful for it all. It was when I was working under her that I really started to straighten my life out. I finally started to focus and work hard. I got stronger from the experience. It was during this time I realized that this was the kind of work was what I wanted to do as well."

"So she inspired you to become a designer?" Roll asked.

"In a sense," said Gracie as she remembered the next part, "I was so inspired that I wanted to come up with my original design. You see, one of the more constructive things I like to do in my spare time was splatter art."

"Oh cool," said Roll, "I like that kind of art. It's great stress relief and also a bit messy."

"That's why I liked it," said Gracie, "and having my own apartment gave me a place where I could paint and not worry about people complaining about the mess. (chuckle) It was during one of my splat sessions that I came up with the very green and purple circle pattern that is so famous today. I just knew in my heart that this was meant to be my original design! So I did a quick sketch of it as a dress and showed it my boss. She laughed at it."

"Ouch," said Roll.

"Indeed," said Gracie, "It hurt alot too, especially when everyone else at the office laughed at it too. It was then I grew angry inside. I felt a flame spark inside of me. I was sick of people not taking me seriously and I sick of being degraded. I finally snapped and shouted. "Just you wait! People will see my designs and they will buy it. It will more famous than you ever will be!" They just laughed harder, but my boss still let me propose my design as a dress and as a few pieces of furniture. When the day came for my big reveal, I found out that she had inflated the price tag of my designs dramatically and it couldn't be changed. I hated my boss for that. She clearly tried to sabotage my reveal by making them too expensive. But to her surprise as well as mine. The designs sold out and there were even backorders! That's why to this day I keep the prices and wares high because the demand for them is so high that I sell out of storage more often than not."

"Makes sense," said Roll, "I think that is what they call supply and demand isn't it?"

"Correct honey," said Gracie, "My boss was furious, well jealous was the correct term, but I would say furious too since she fired me afterward cause I had upstaged her. With the success of my first design, I didn't really need to be her assistant anymore. I had the money from the sales to start up my own brand, which I named after myself of course." Gracie gave a chuckle and Roll giggled as well.

"Things were slow at first," said Gracie, "but I used the hustle and bustle of the city to get word of my designs out to the public. Soon my own fashion brand began to grow in popularity and I started designing more outfits and clothing. I originally sold my products via a plaza kart and then the once known storefront at the shopping district. In time, I was able to find someone to help me produce my designs cause I was struggling to meet demand. I was one of the very few who had made it in the big city. However...as my own popularity began to rise, my former boss's popularity began to decline. Within a few years, I was top fashion designer and she was now struggling to make sales and her designs began to flop. One day I walked by where her former boutique used to be and was shocked. Her storefront was all boarded up and empty. That was when I saw my former boss. She looked awful and I don't say that to be mean either. She looked like she had been under alot of stress and her clothes looked like she hadn't bathed in days. I hardly recognized her. She gave me this dark glare before saying these words that really stuck a chord for me and blamed me for ruining her."

"That's ridiculous!" said Roll indignantly, " _She_ was the one who didn't want to take your talent seriously and _she_ was the one who treated you like you were slave and that's all you'd ever be. Look what happened to her. She lost everything to her name and now you're the real superstar!" Gracie was a little baffled at Roll's anger regarding her past.

"You...you sound like you've had a similar experience," Gracie remarked.

"I did," said Roll quietly, softening her anger and looking rather upset, "Earlier this year, I went to the prison to confront my mother. I wanted to know why my own mother didn't want to accept me. The way she acted when she saw me made this clear as crystal: No matter how much I tried to be successful or try to earn her acceptance. She never would give it to me. She never had any love to give to me. I had to put my bare foot down and say...I'm done with you." Gracie was rather surprised to hear Roll had done that, especially at her age.

"I was much older when I confronted my parents," said Gracie, "In fact, that time I saw my old boss was the last time I would ever see her again. She died a few days afterward. Some say it was an accident while others said it was just lost will to live. Anyway, I just need some answers. I needed to know...would someone finally accept me. Now that I was a hard working success I was sure they would welcome me back. I was even willing to say...I was sorry. But...I was too late..."

"Too late?" Roll asked.

"When I arrived at the address for my old home," said Gracie, "the house was empty. I found out from the neighbors that my parents had gone looking for me. They left the house one day and never came back...It took over a year before I found out that they had purchased tickets to see me at one of my fashion shows in the city. But...the train derailed. They...didn't make it...they had actually gone to see me...and lost their lives in the process..." Gracie was fighting hard not to cry, but she was fighting a losing battle. She had only revealed this to Labelle and even then she found this topic difficult to talk about. Gracie was then taken aback when she felt Roll grab her left hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Gracie," Roll said slowly, "I can tell that someone with your reputation and esteem that crying is not something you like to do. I can understand that. What girls want to look weak and vulnerable, especially in a world where people mistake being emotional and sentimental as such. But you're not out in public and I would never tell anybody what you've shared with me unless you said I could."

"What's your point?" Gracie croaked.

"Don't be ashamed to cry," said Roll, "You can do it with me. I'm here for you. It's what friends do." Gracie chuckled as a single tear slid down her face. She was glad she hadn't put on as much make up as she usually did that evening.

"You sound just like Labelle," said Gracie, her tone still cracking a bit, "Cause afterward...I just went numb and I grew very cold and indifferent. It wasn't until I hired Labelle that my heart started to feel any warmth. Yet...I still was very tough on her. But despite my toughness, she was just as loyal to me and worked very hard, even to the point of nearly collapsing from exhaustion. Just like how I wanted to feel accepted, Labelle was just as dedicated for mine, yet I never gave her any real acknowledgement for years. Then one day, I was at home in my penthouse. Those memories were troubling me again and just like now, I couldn't fight back the pain in my heart. I had even resorted to tossing magazines about and even smashing a potted plant when I heard a knock on the door. It was Labelle. I tried recompose myself and yelled at her for disturbing me. She stood her ground and walked inside, demanding what was wrong. I tried blaming her as the reason and she challenged me to fire her if I was such a pain to work with. I felt my temper boil and I struck her..."

"You hit Labelle!" said Roll surprised but then soften as Gracie's tears increased.

"I did," Gracie sobbed, "But instead of fleeing like I thought she would. She stood back up and faced me once more. I screamed at her to get out but she didn't. She refused to move. I could feel my walls starting to crumble. I yelled again, but this time I was already crying. Then I asked why she was doing this when she grabbed both of my hands, looked me in the eyes and said: Just because we're boss and assistant doesn't mean we can't be friends. You're might be very tough and quite vicious Gracie, but I still care about you. I know something is bothering you and I'm not just gonna stand here and watch you crumble like this! What kind of assistant would I be if you didn't give you that extra strength you need? What...what kind of friend would I be...if I didn't try to help you?" Gracie had to pause for a moment to calm down. Roll offered Gracie a cloth so she could wipe her tears away, which she said thank you by just smiling.

"I broke down after that," Gracie continued since her tears hadn't stopped, "every piece of emotion had had kept inside erupted like a volcano. I had never felt so empty in my life. So ugly too. Suddenly everything I had worked for didn't seem to matter to me. Labelle stayed strong through it all. She listened...she cared. She accepted me...even when I felt at my worst. She was a real friend."

"So Labelle really is your best friend," said Roll, "She said she was allowed to say that after she...was let go."

"Let go was the best choice of words," said Gracie, "She had amends she needed to take care of with her family and for a long time she didn't want me to know about it either."

"She told me you got very stern with her again because she was apparently using her job to hide from her problems," said Roll.

"That was true," said Gracie, "I mean I tried to use my job to hide from my family and looked what happened cause I waited. I'll never get to say I was sorry for being such a troublemaker. I'll never get to know if they really did love me and were proud of me. It's the price I'll have to pay for what I did and I'll live with the regret for the rest of my life. I didn't want Labelle to have that same pain. It took a while for me to learn this, but nothing in this entire world can replace lost family. I didn't want her to wait until it was too late like I did. It was hard letting her go too, she was my best friend, my only friend too. But she promised that we would always be best friends and keep in touch before I let her go home. If you've noticed, she's kept that promise."

"I'm glad," said Roll, "and I hope you know that Labelle won't be your only friend anymore. I want to be your friend too." Gracie smiled.

"Thank you Roll," said Gracie, "That's means alot to me." Roll smiled as she crawled over and gave Gracie a warm hug. The giraffe was taken aback by the gesture and wasn't sure about what to do or say until Roll realized how stiff Gracie was and pulled away.

"Sorry," said Roll sheepishly as she let go and rubbed her shoulders a bit before looking away, "I'm a hugger. Didn't mean to fluster you." Gracie just stared and then laughed.

"It's alright," said Gracie, "just surprised by the gesture is all darling. I'm not used to being hugged. Mostly cause I never was really hugged much growing up."

"Well, hugs are just my way of saying this," Roll explained, "if nobody wants to care about you. I will." Gracie was touched.

"Thank you Roll," said Gracie, "come here." Roll tried again and this time Gracie returned her hug. Once they pulled away, Gracie chuckled before picking up the spare cloth and wiped her cheeks since they were tear stained.

"Like I said," said Gracie as she carefully dried her eyes, "I haven't cried that much in a long time."

"But don't you feel better getting it out of your system," said Roll, "at least you know I'm not judging you because I care."

"Yes it does, for both those points," said Gracie quietly, "guess no matter how strong or how much time passes. I miss my mom and dad."

"At least you have parents that you knew loved you despite your mistakes," said Roll, "I don't have that luxury. In my mom's eyes, I will always be the reject that ruined her life." Gracie had just finished cleaning her eyes when she looked at her quietly.

"Roll, I was told by Labelle that you do have a mother that loves you with her life and sees you as a very special and talented young lady," Gracie replied, "Why else would you be wearing that gold locket? It's looks like something only a mother would give to her daughter." Roll looked puzzled for a moment until she remembered who Labelle was referring to. She fingered the pendant gently and pressed it against her skin.

"That's my adopted Mom," said Roll, "I was referring to my birth mom. As for my dad, the last thing I heard was that he was killed serving in a war or something. I'll never know if he would have loved me or not."

"Still Roll, you have something that I don't," said Gracie, "you have a family. Right here in this town. When I leave the plaza, I'm actually walking around the town. I will admit this town is rather underdeveloped, but I hear alot of good things about you. Everyone here seems to love you and it's not because of the fact you're a good mayor. It's because you're a good friend." Roll giggled.

"I try my best," said Roll, "I try my best in everything I do. These villagers, especially the Able Sisters, have been my strength when I feel at my weakest and when I have to face a tough challenge or task."

"Would these fashion checks be considered one of these tough challenges or tasks?" Gracie asked her. Roll just smiled and nodded honestly.

"You do have a high fashion standard," said Roll, "I didn't think I had what it takes to impress." Gracie hummed in understanding.

"I normally don't tell this to the people I give my fashion checks to," Gracie replied, "but I was actually very impressed with how you managed all four of them. You took what I had to say and made each outfit better. Most people don't take my critiques so constructively like you did. Plus you are very beautiful and just absolutely adorable." Roll giggled.

"Really?" she said surprised. Now it was Gracie's turn to giggle.

"Yes you are," said Gracie, "You have this natural cuteness that makes everyone who talks to you smile. Plus you're so humble, modest, and polite too. For an eleven year old, you're quite refined."

"I'm still surprised to hear that," Roll chuckled, "I've only had a few months training."

"WHAT?!" said Gracie shocked, "It took me years to be that good with etiquette. Guess being super smart means you're super fast learner?"

"Yeah," said Roll, "I learned shadow boxing in only two weeks and kung fu in only three days. Do you know self defense?"

"I do," said Gracie, "it's a must. Big cities are loaded with people who want to steal your items or cause physical harm. It was important that I learned to defend myself. Sadly, Labelle always had trouble fighting."

"She has gotten better," said Roll, "I've been teaching her kung fu in my spare time." Gracie smiled.

"Then she's in good hands," said Gracie and sighed contently. Roll did the same as she extended her legs and wiggled her toes to relax a bit more. Then she blinked in surprise as she rose to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Gracie asked curiously.

"We've been so busy talking to each other that I almost forgot about that strawberry cake," said Roll, "Do you prefer tea, coffee, or milk with your slice?"

"I'll take some tea...have you got jasmine?" Gracie asked. Roll nodded with a smile as she headed into the kitchen and started up the teapot. She was just about to grab some plates when she saw Gracie come in.

"You watch the pot and I'll get the cake slices and ready to go," said Gracie. Roll was taken aback but welcomed her help.

"Okay," said Roll, "and for my piece..."

"I'm giving you a nice big slice!" said Gracie firmly, "if you seriously think you are in any means chubby or fat. I'm gonna recommend you to a psychiatrist." Roll couldn't resist laughing, but she still conceded.

"Okay," Roll answered as she continued to watch the pot and grabbed some tea cups.

"Besides," said Gracie, "we're just two friends hanging out and having a good time. There a time for daintiness and a time you can just kick back and pig out. Tonight we do the latter!"

"Very well," said Roll, "Did you and Labelle do that?"

"Oh sure," said Gracie, "sometimes we would go the city nightclubs and have some good clean fun. For the most part..."

"Most part?" Roll asked suspiciously.

"Get your head out of the gutter," said Gracie, "I meant that we got mischievous, not sensual." Roll shuttered a little.

"Are you okay?" Gracie asked at Roll's shuttering.

"I've had the talk at my age," said Roll, "and the topic is still pretty touchy. Sorry if that's immature of me..."

"Don't be honey," said Gracie, "I found the topic touchy myself when I was your age, but it is a natural part of life you know. It's nothing to be afraid of."

"I know," said Roll, "just not ready to talk about as everyday conversation."

"I doubt anyone ever does," said Gracie, "but let's drop it for now. Is the tea ready?" Just than the kettle on her stovetop began to give a long high pitched whistle.

"Looks like it," said Roll, "I'll bring to tea cups and you can bring the cake." Gracie nodded as they headed back into the living room and got comfortable on their cushions once Roll had filled up each cup with the nicely brewed tea. Gracie only needed a single bite of her piece of cake before she hummed excitedly.

"This strawberry cake is absolutely delectable!" the giraffe exclaimed with glee, "you are quite the baker." Roll just smiled, despite her mouth full of cake herself. Then Gracie suddenly gasped.

"Cockroach!" she exclaimed.

"What? No way I just clean this...HEY!" Roll was suddenly cut off when she felt a chuck of cake splatter all over her face. Gracie started to laugh at Roll glared. the giraffe was too busy laughing that she failed to see Roll throw some of her cake at her face. Gracie gasped.

"This top cost me over 4500 bells," she exclaimed.

"I thought casual clothes were supposed to be functional and economical?" Roll asked in an overly sweet tone. Gracie glared as Roll smirked back before they both laughed aloud. They both looked silly with their faces covered in strawberry cream. It was nearly past midnight when Gracie slipped her heels back on to head back home.

"Do you need an escort to the station?" Roll asked.

"I'm good darling," said Gracie, "That's what the self defense is for. Besides, you said you're town is super safe so I shouldn't have to worry about being attacked."

"True," said Roll, "but as a friend I gotta ask cause I'm looking out for you."

"Well as a friend, I appreciate the gesture," said Gracie, "So don't forget to let your friends know tomorrow that my boutique will be up and running in a few days. You've proven yourself as not just a fashionista, but also as a good friend." Roll beamed with happiness.

"May I ask one favor Gracie?" Roll asked and the giraffe looked at her curiously.

"Don't be a stranger," said Roll, "If you ever need a break or some R&R, give me a call okay. I'm sure my friends would like to show you a good time as well. I'll see that they back off on the fashion advice and such." Gracie nodded in agreement.

"Well let's not back off completely," said Gracie, "even this gal loves to play dress up. Just remember this Roll."

"What Gracie?" the blonde girl asked.

"Don't let the past prevent you from seeing your true beauty," said Gracie, "as far as I'm concerned, you are a very beautiful young lady and in my eyes: a true fashionista."

"Thank you Gracie," said Roll. Those words meant alot to her and Gracie smiled.

"Anyway," Gracie continued, "Until we meet again, chao honey."

"Chao amica!" Roll replied as she waved goodbye and Gracie waved back with a warm smile on her face. Roll felt very proud of herself. While she was proud she had secured GracieGrace for her town, she was proudest of all for the fact she had made a new friend. A friend who saw that she knew how to show her true inner beauty...on the outside.

 **Gracie's back story is based on pure speculations. Cooper, Tom Nook, and Lyle often hinted about Gracie's past in several different Animal Crossing Games. It's all I had to go with for her back story.**

 **"amica" is Italian for friend.**

 **Here's the preview of the next story arc:**

 **My Town: Roll takes her first trip to Sakura's town to celebrate the girls 15th birthday. As she spends the day there, she gets to see what a fully developed town with a personal touch looks like. Roll wants to have a developed town that she can be proud of too. But how will Roll do it?**

 **Find out next time!**


	42. My Town Part 1

My Town Part 1

It was early morning one September day and a pink haired girl was sleeping soundly on her rather comfy princess bed. It wasn't much longer before the girl began to stir and slowly sat up from her bed. She smacked her lips only once before she remembered what day it was.

"EEEE!" she squealed, kicking her legs excitedly underneath her blankets before she hopped out of bed and dashed into the bathroom. Today was a very special day for the pink girl. She quickly dressed into a pink sailor fuku dress that had a pink bowtie in the front. She also added a gold Princess Peach tiara on her head along with her hair tied in her favorite pigtails. Then she raced down to her kitchen to eat a quick breakfast. She had just finished putting her dish into her compact dish washer when she heard a knock on the door. She could help bouncing on her bare feet since she didn't wear shoes inside her house and raced towards her door to see who it was. To her surprise, it was one of her best friends. A pink dog by the name of Cookie.

"Hey there Sakura," said Cookie, "Do you have a minute, arfer?" Sakura just gave her a wide smile. She knew what was coming. Cookie just smiled.

"Well come on then and follow me, arfer," Cookie replied.

"Let me get my shoes first please," Sakura pointed out as she slipped on a pair of creamy white colored pumps that had a dark pink heart on the toe. Then the two made their way to Cookie's house.

"You first," said Cookie with a giggle. Sakura was already aware of what was going on. Every year a villager would make themselves the host so they could give the mayor of the town (or any other human villagers) a birthday party. While Sakura knew what Cookie was doing, what made the routine surprising was who actually came to the "surprise" party since it seemed to be different each year. Sakura eagerly entered the house and found that Stitches, Diana, Flurry, and Pekoe were inside. They were her other closest friends.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAKURA!" they shouted excitedly. Sakura giggled with glee as she hopped up and down excitedly. Today was the day that marked her 15th birthday and she was very happy to be at a party with her closest friends from the town.

"Thank you everybody," Sakura answered, "Now to think of my wish for this..."

"Now hold on a minute there, bud," said Pekoe, "Your surprise guests haven't arrived yet."

"You mean more than just the five of you who are celebrating my birthday?" Sakura replied. She was already surprised to see five of her friends at the party when she had only gotten three as last year.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

Sakura was taken aback by the knocking on the door.

"That must be them, stuffin," said Stitches, "Go see who it is!"

"Okay Schmoopy," Sakura replied.

"And don't call me Schmoopy!" Stitches retorted.

"No!" Sakura replied smugly, "My day, my party, and you're my Schmoopy!" Stitches just rolled his eyes at her while she made her way to the front door.

"I wonder who my surprise guest could be," Sakura thought aloud. Sakura anxiously opened the door. When she saw who it was, her excitement was revived instantly.

"Surprise!" said Roll, dressed in a sleeveless heart dress, hair in a ponytail with a pink ribbon. Rosie, Bunnie, and Margie were with her, each wearing their own pink dresses as well. Sakura wasted no time hugging her friend, even lifting her off the ground for a moment.

"I'm so glad you guys are here!" said Sakura excitedly as she sat Roll back down on her bare feet.

"Well, did you think I would forget my sister's birthday?" said Roll as she readjusted her dress.

"Cookie let us know she was hosting your party, silly," said Rosie.

"And we tried to get here sooner, tee hee." Bunnie explained, "But even I know that once you know that today is your birthday. It is not uncommon to wake up earlier than normal because of it!" Sakura just laughed.

"Well, come in, come in," said Sakura and removed her pumps.

"Why are you..." Roll tried to ask.

"Cause I wanna be like my little sister," said Sakura giddily, "she's so kawaii densetsu." Roll just blushed shyly as she and her friends made their way into Cookie's house and were greeted warmly by the rest of Sakura's friends. They gathered around the pink girl's birthday cake and sang her the traditional happy birthday song, which had been made by Flurry. While the cake itself was chocolate, the frosting was a vanilla butter cream that had been dyed a rich pink color since pink was one of her favorite colors. Flurry had also added a few strawberries on top for decoration. Yet the birthday candles were in light blue and fifteen of them had been placed to represent her age. Once the singing was done, everyone gave Sakura a warm round of applause.

"Now it's time to make a wish, arfer," said Cookie.

"And please hurry dear," said Diana snootily, "I'm not getting any younger here, no doy!"

"Whatever you say old lady," said Sakura sweetly and Diana snorted.

"Very funny," she remarked ad Sakura just giggled innocently.

"Alright, enough teasing dear," said Pekoe in a gentle but motherly tone, "Now make your wish and blow out the candles."

"Yes, Mom," Sakura chuckled, closing her eyes and blowing out the candle. Once she was done, everyone cheered and clapped excitedly. Then Sakura grabbed one of the strawberries and ate it. Everyone laughed as the juice made her lips extra red. Sakura grabbed a napkin to wipe herself as Bunnie walked up to her since Sakura had asked Roll to stand next to her during the singing and candle blowing.

"What did you wish for, tee hee?" Bunnie asked only to get nudged by Roll.

"It's not polite to ask," said Roll sternly.

"It's okay, arfer," said Cookie, "there's no harm or foul in asking what your birthday wish is."

"Really?" said Roll in surprise, "But...but I thought you weren't supposed to tell people what you wish for or it won't come true? At least that was what I was told..." Roll didn't want anyone to know that she had never had a birthday party before...ever. But that's another story!

"Apparently not," said Sakura, "besides I wanted to tell my friends what I wished for." Al her friends gathered close, anxiously waiting for what the pink haired girl had to say.

"I wish," she began softly, "I wish...is for my friends to find their inner happiness. It could be a romantic love interest, finding your dream, or maybe as simple as just looking at herself in the mirror and knowing how cute and beautiful you are." All eyes seemed to draw on Roll, who just blushed and snorted at all the attention.

"Will you stop staring at me!" she snapped, "I'm working on it...it helps that Gracie thinks I'm cute and pretty. But...still working on it...so ease off." Gracie had openly endorsed Roll as a fashionista on the grand opening of GracieGrace to Animal Town. Even saying and quoting exactly: She was the sweetest and cutest little girl she had ever met in her life. The villagers obviously agreed, but it had taken Roll hours to get her face to stop being red from all the praise.

"You're really bashful aren't you," said Sakura.

"Pretty much," said Roll, her irritation still clear in her voice, "Hey I spent the first eleven years of my life being alone and ignored. Now I'm the center of attention. It still gets overwhelming."

"Well, you've only been mayor for six months, silly," said Rosie, "You'll adjust in time." Roll nodded in agreement as Sakura handed her a rather large piece of cake.

"Eat up little sister," said Sakura. Roll nodded and enjoyed her slice contently. She made sure to ask Flurry for baking tips since she wanted to be able to make good chocolate cakes herself. Once the party was over, Sakura invited Roll over to her house as she read through her mail. Her mailbox was stuffed to the brim with birthday cards from the other villagers and even her friends outside of town. Roll's three friends were just sitting lazily on her sofas, feeling pretty stuffed from the cake and ice cream.

"It's a good thing I'm feeling so full, tootie," said Margie, "otherwise, I might be eating the furniture." Sakura's main room was filled with a complete set of Sweets Furniture that Stitches had gotten for her as an early birthday gift one year. The furniture wasn't made out of real sweets though. Otherwise they would have gone bad by now. But they were still delicious looking never the less.

"I still can't believe that Stitches bought you the entire set, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Gracie furniture sets cost a fortune after all." Sakura giggled as she put down a letter containing a kimono Anemone, aka Lemon, had given her.

"Well what good boyfriend doesn't spoil the woman she loves?" said Sakura as she giggled with glee at her new pink kimono. Rosie and Bunnie just chuckled to each other while Roll just rolled her eyes.

"I don't need no boyfriend spoiling me," said Roll but her comment was ignored.

"Just make sure you don't overdo it on all these edible sweets, silly," said Rosie, "you don't want to get fat!"

"But I thought chubby kitties were the cutest," Bunnie teased as she patted Rosie's tummy.

"Very funny," Rosie snorted, swatting Bunnie's hand away, "So are chubby bunnies!"

"Hey!"

"That's enough you guys," Roll snapped, "we're all feeling rather stuffed from all that cake and ice cream. But it's nothing that some good exercise won't fix." Bunnie and Rosie just looked at Roll, then each other, then Roll again.

"What's your deal, silly?" Rosie asked.

"Yeah, we were just teasing, tee hee," Bunnie added, "Nothing wrong with a little weight humor between sisters."

"You've been getting snippy and short tempered ever since Gracie moved in, tootie," Margie remarked, "What's up?" Roll just glanced at her and then looked away.

"I'm...not ready to talk about it right now," said Roll, "we're here for Sakura. We can deal with my problems later!" Her friends wanted to press the issue further, but decided not to. Sakura could feel the tension in the room and went to do some damage control.

"Speaking of which," Sakura remembered, "This is actually your first time here in Crystal Tokyo isn't it?" Roll nodded in reply.

"The only reason I was able to find your house so easily was because your house was right next to your train station," said Roll, "I've yet to see what your town looks like." Sakura stopped opening her presents and stood up.

"Well then we've alot of ground to cover and not alot of time to do it!" said Sakura as she grabbed Roll's arm.

"Whoa!" said Roll as she felt Sakura pulled her out of the house. Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie just watched them leave and looked at each other.

"Wait for us, tootie!" said Margie.

"Yeah, we want to see the town as well, tee hee!" Bunnie replied.

"What she said, silly!" Rosie added as the three friends went to catch up with the rest of their friends. Fortunately they didn't go far before they heard them shuffling about in what appeared to be Sakura's rather large perfect cherry tree orchard.

"Guess her native fruit is the cherry, silly," said Rosie.

"Yeah, I haven't seen cherries this delicious since I was in Castle," said Bunnie, "they look delicious don't they Margie? Uhh...Margie?" Bunnie and Rosie stopped walking around when they noticed that the white elephant had gone missing.

"Margie? Margie!" Bunnie and Rosie called out. They searched about frantically for a moment until they found Margie near a perfect cherry trees just staring at the hundreds and bunches of fruits hanging along the tree. Her lips watered at the delicious fruit. She extended her hand to pick some but then pulled it back before looking at the fruit sadly in defeat. That was when Rosie and Bunnie approached her.

"Margie, please don't run off like that, silly," said Rosie, "We were worried.

"We need to stick together, tee hee," Bunnie added, "I don't want to lose another friend." Rosie gave her a side hug.

"You never will again, I promise Sis," said Rosie and Bunnie smiled shyly. Margie didn't noticed and just stared at the perfect cherries sadly. That was when Bunnie and Rosie noticed Margie's staring.

"So that's what got you distracted, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I forgot that Margie loves cherries. Well once we find Sakura, I'm sure she would let you have some."

"Are...are you sure it would be okay, tootie?" Margie asked timidly, "I...I...mean they are her cherries. I...don't want to intrude..."

"If you wanted a few perfect cherries, all you had to do was ask," said Sakura as she and Roll caught up with the three villagers and Margie just blushed slightly and looked away.

"Why so bashful Margie?" Sakura asked her curiously, "There's no reason to be so shy about that." Margie just chuckled shyly and looked away insecurely as Roll and Sakura laughed.

"Well Margie, go on," said Roll, "Shake the tree and help yourself!" Margie just nodded timidly before she slowly approached one of the perfect cherry trees and gave it a nice shake. A few perfect cherries landed gently on the ground. All of them perfectly ripe and ready to be eaten or used for recipes. Margie gathered him up into a small basket and tucked them into her pockets. All the cherries except for one since she had to find out if perfect fruits were better than the standard kind. Margie took a pair and popped them into her mouth to savored the flavor.

"This...is pure bliss..." she exclaimed in awe and tumbled into her back in pure satisfaction with a dazed smile on her face. The rest of the girls just laughed at Margie's moment of pleasure and then Roll and Rosie worked together to get Margie back on her feet. Then Sakura continued her tour of the town as they headed west towards town plaza. Along the way they noticed a very particular villager heading their way.

"What's up birthday girl," said...a unicorn?!, "I might say your look as fair as a pair of cucumbers, glitter."

"Julian!" Sakura squealed excitedly as he opened his arms for the pink haired girl to jump into them as he spun her around twice before setting her down. But not before she kissed his cheek.

"I see you're enjoying your birthday, glitter," said Julian, "always a pleasure to make you smile whenever you see me." Sakura giggle and smiled bashfully at him. Roll just looked at her skeptically.

"You...do remember you have a boyfriend...right?" Roll asked slowly in a rather motherly tone as Sakura just chuckled at Roll's cute but rather motherly glare.

"I know," she answered, "but come on you guys! He's a unicorn for crying out loud! Unicorns are fluff-fluffy...unicorns are lovely..." Roll just sighed and rolled her eyes at the pink haired girl while the other's giggled to each other.

"And the only one, thank you very much, glitter," Julian answered, "so what are you and your friends up to?"

"I'm just showing Roll around the town," said Sakura, "I'm glad I got to show my favorite unicorn to my little sister." Julian laughed as Roll approached him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Julian," said Roll as she gave him a polite curtsy. The blue unicorn chuckled.

"It is an honor to meet you as well, glitter," said Julian, "well I've got some work to do, but I did send you a present for your birthday in your mailbox Sakura, so be sure to check it out when you get the chance." Sakura bounced on her bare feet excitedly as Julian smiled and made his way towards his house and Sakura lead the group towards her Event Plaza, which was surrounded by pine trees along the north, east, and southern edges.

"I bet this place looks very pretty during the holiday seasons, tee hee," Bunnie remarked and then noticed that Roll was walking towards the center of the plaza without a second thought. Roll looked a bit mesmerized as she reached the area where Sakura had planted her town tree and just looked up.

"Roll?" Sakura asked with curiosity as well as worry.

"Your tree..." said Roll softly, "it's...so big..." That was quite the understatement. Compared to Roll's tree, which had grown just slightly larger than most of the trees planted in her town, Sakura's tree was probably ten, even twenty, times bigger, taller, and shadier as well. Sakura just smiled as she walked up to Roll.

"Well that's just how big the town tree grows when you've been here as long as I have," said Sakura.

"How...long have you been here in Crystal Tokyo?" Roll asked.

"It's been a little more than three years," Sakura answered, "So I have had plenty of time to make the town as beautiful as it is. But I didn't do it alone...I had the help of my friends of course."

"Word on the street is that the villagers did all the work, silly," Rosie whispered to Bunnie, who just giggled silently as Margie glared disapprovingly at the both of them. Fortunately, neither Sakura or Roll heard them as Roll continued to look at the tree when she felt someone hold her hand.

"Come on little sister," said Sakura, "we've only begun exploring my town!" Roll smiled as the pink haired girl guided her back towards Stitches house and then headed northwest a bit, past her house, until they came across a large lone bell surrounded by blue roses.

"This is one of my favorite public works projects ever," said Sakura, "This is a zen bell! Angus requested it and I literally had a kawaii overload! Just listen to this!" Sakura than tugged a chord down and then let go so a special mechanism struck the oversized zen bell.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGGG!

Sakura giggled excitedly. Bouncing up and down with glee.

"Isn't that just...so cool?" she asked excitedly.

"V-v-v-v-er-r-r-r-r-y c-c-c-c-c-c-coooooool," said Roll, clearly shaken by the loud sound of the bell.

"I-I-I-I-I a-a-a-a-a-agree-e-e-e-e-e, s-s-s-s-silly," Rosie added, shaken up as well.

"S-s-s-s-same, t-t-t-t-tootie," Margie added in the same condition.

"W-w-w-w-w-why a-a-a-a-a-a-are w-w-w-w-we t-t-t-talking l-l-l-l-like th-th-th-this, tee hee?" Bunnie asked, but was only quivering her lips and hadn't realized the bell had shaken her friends. Roll, Rosie, and Margie glared at her annoyingly once they had recovered. Bunnie just gave them a innocent grin and shrugged her shoulders, making the three girls roll their eyes at her. Sakura laughed wholeheartedly.

"You should see how cute Stitches looks when he vibrates," said Sakura with a giggle, "Shall I ring it one more time?"

"NO!"

"Okay!" Sakura answered and rang it again, causing Margie, Roll, and Rosie to vibrate once more, "I just love ringing this thing!" Roll and Rosie just gave her a dirty look, feeling rather dizzy and woozy.

"One more time!" she called out.

"No, no, no, no, no!" said Roll, running in from of her so the pink girl couldn't grab the chord again, "I'm sure there's more to see around here right?" Sakura just blinked for a moment before giving her a warm smile.

"You're right Sis," Sakura replied, "I can watch you vibrate another time. Now come on! We've got more to see!" Roll hadn't fully recovered before Sakura led her away from the dreaded zen bell and guided them south of Stitches' house. They arrived at a small peninsula where a building was surrounded with tall green stalks of some sort.

"What is this stuff, tee hee?" Bunnie asked curiously.

"It's called bamboo," Sakura replied, "Once you get T&T emporium, you can buy these stalks and plant them like trees. Or if you are lucky, you might get the seeds from villagers when completing favors or in the mail. But you gotta tend to them regularly because once they fully grow. They drop seeds nearby every three days or so, which gets annoying but each seed sells for 750 bells at retail so clearing the seeds before they try to grow and most likely wilt is more than worth it."

"I...see..." said Roll. She had received a few bamboo seeds from her friends back in Animal Town, but she hadn't really made much use of them just yet.

"As you can see," said Sakura as she lead them outside of the bamboo forest, "I put my cafe at the heart of the bamboo so it kind of feels like you're drinking coffee at the heart of a really nice zen garden."

"Oh that is really pretty," Margie replied, "Now it makes so much sense that you would put your cafe in this location."

"That's why I picked this location myself," said Sakura proudly.

"But Stitches said that he...mmph!" Rosie was cut off when Roll put a hand over her mouth.

"It's was a great call on your part Sakura," said Roll as Rosie just glared before she lightly tapped the skin of Roll's palm with her teeth. Roll yelped and examined her hand where Rosie has supposedly bit her, but the skin hadn't been broken. Roll gave her a glare as Rosie just smiled at her innocently, making the blonde girl roll her eyes as she rested her hands on her hips in annoyance.

"It's okay," said Sakura, "I'm not very good with planning and development. Stitches is the one with the skills for that kind of stuff. I give credit where credit is due...why else do you think we're dating?" Roll just chuckled.

"When are you going to find a boyfriend Roll?" Sakura asked giddily. Roll just snorted.

"Will people please stop asking me if I'm gonna get a boyfriend!" Roll snapped angrily, "I'm not ready for that! And FYI...Marshal and I are just friends! Friends can love each other you know! His heart is for someone else!"

"Who?!" Rosie and Bunnie asked together. Roll just looked at them with a smirk.

"You think I'm a snitch?" she asked smugly. Bunnie and Rosie pouted indignantly.

"Roll...we know you and Marshal are just friends, tootie," said Margie. Roll just realized her outburst and turned away with a huff as Sakura giggled to herself.

"I see you do get a bit pouty too," Sakura remarked with a giggle, "Come on. We've got much more of my town to see. You've only seen just the north side of the river. There's still the south side!" Roll just smiled before Sakura grabbed her hand once more and pulled her across the wooden bridge.

"Is that a zen bridge?" Roll asked curiously as she and Sakura walked over it.

"Yup," said Sakura simply, "Now come on!" Sakura continued to show Roll all the sights and places that Crystal Tokyo had to offer. Immediately after crossing the wooden bridge. Roll could see that most of the south part of town was covered in customizable paths, several more villager houses and even plenty of various public works projects. Many of them were zen themed, including a zen garden that was surrounded by what appeared to be cosmos of various types of colors. A couple of zen benches that were located along the river and were surrounded by various hybrid flowers. Then they reached the town hall, where Roll noticed that her building, like Lemon's, was also different.

"That's the zen exterior for the town hall," Sakura explained. Roll just marveled at the building for a moment before turning to face the pink haired girl.

"How...how do you get to change the exteriors to the town hall?" Roll asked.

"Hmm...my memory is a little misty..." Sakura pondered, "it was so long ago..." Roll just sighed in defeat.

"Hey, don't count me out so quickly!" said Sakura once she noticed Roll's downcasted face, "Just give me a second and I'll remember it."

"Well Roll would like to know before she starts puberty thank you, silly," said Rosie. Roll blushed in embarrassment as Sakura took offense.

"Oh go cough up a hairball," said Sakura.

"NY-ROWR!" Rosie shouted angrily.

"Will you two quit it?" said Margie indignantly, "Give the girl some time to think alright."

"Thank you Margie," said Sakura as she tapped her barefoot on the cobblestone to ponder before a light bulb lit up in her head.

"Now I remember," said Sakura, "You have to get your town to perfect status."

"Perfect status?" said Roll, "How do I do that?"

"Give me a sec, give me a sec!" said Sakura impatiently as she began to think deeply once more and held her head, "Ugh...too much deep thinking not good for my head..."

"Maybe you need some aspirin, tee hee," said Bunnie as Sakura gave her a death glare.

"I...I was being serious..." said Bunnie in her defense but still took a step back. Sakura kept glaring for a little while longer before she softened and continued to ponder for a moment. Roll and her friends waited impatiently. Especially Roll, who was tapping her foot and resting both her hands on her hips.

"Now I remember," said Sakura, "well...not 100% of the details, but the grand majority of what you need to do."

"Okay...what are the details Sis?" Roll asked anxiously with her hands on her hips.

"From what I can remember," said Sakura, "There are nature, development, and cleanliness requirements." Roll awed.

"I think I know the nature requirements," said Roll, "The town should have more than 110 trees and no more than 200. Plus there should be a minimum of 75 flowers growing." Sakura went agape for a moment and glared.

"If you knew that much, why did you make me try and remember it?" she demanded. Roll just snorted annoyingly.

"I...forgot...sorry...geez," the blonde girl answered with much irritation. Sakura just rolled her eyes at her.

"If you didn't look so cute pouting dear sister, Sakura pointed out, "I'd smack your tuckus right now."

"Good to know," Roll remarked indignantly.

"Moving on, assuming you _don't_ know about this," said Sakura, with some annoyance in her tone, "You also need to have a minimum of ten public works projects as well and I believe that includes one perma-project as well."

"Perma-project?" Roll asked.

"The public works projects Isabelle says that once you plot it, you can't demolish it," Sakura explained.

"Oh yeah, I think I've got at least three of those," Roll remarked.

"Then you're right on your way," said Sakura, "plus certain projects also can effect perfect town status as well. I believe if the projects that are very environmentally friendly, they can have higher positive effects on the town rating and projects that tend to do advertising and land-development can actually reduce the town rating a bit and you often have to build additional projects for the town to counter the negative effects. Understand?" Roll looked at her blankly before giving her a warm smile.

"Surprisingly...yeah," said Roll, "It would make sense that a larger positive would outweigh a small negative. But...do you have any negative projects in your town?"

"Just the wastebasket," said Sakura.

"How...would a wastebasket be a negative public works project, tootie?" said Margie, "trash disposal is important for the environment."

"That's exactly it," said Sakura, "It's pure disposal, not recycling, plus all the money Reese was making from the disposal fees disappears as well. The trash can is more of a personal project for those of us who won't want to pay the disposal fees since it can add up if you accumulate enough disposable items."

"That's true," Roll remarked to herself.

"Last but not least is cleanliness," Sakura continued, "You want to make sure not to leave too many items laying about the town. At least no more than 10 items for sure otherwise, the villagers complain that they feel like the town is becoming a dump."

"Gotcha," said Roll.

"And that is all that there is too it," said Sakura, "Oh! Also, while this might help with the cleanliness. Collecting the sea shells has no effect on the town status. It might help you make the beach feel cleaner, but not doing it doesn't cost you a perfect town. I haven't collected the ones by my beach in months and my town hasn't lost its status because of it."

"What are the benefits of having a perfect town?" Roll asked curiously.

"You can get these rare flowers called Jacob's ladders to grow along the cliffs of your town," Sakura answered, "your villagers will be happier living here and once you've had perfect town status for fifteen days. You can get a golden watering can!"

"So that's how you get the gold can," said Roll, "I've only got a silver one." Roll reached into her pockets and pulled out the said watering can.

"How did you get that?" Sakura asked surprised. Roll blinked in surprise.

"I...purchased both of Leif's flower packs for 25 days straight," Roll explained. Sakura just looked at her surprised and then chuckled to herself.

"Sounds like too much work," said Sakura, "You don't have to get the silver can before you get the gold...I just went straight for the gold. But we've gotten far off topic haven't we?"

"I...don't even remember what it was we were talking about that brought this up anymore, silly," said Rosie.

"As I recall," said Sakura slowly, "you were asking how I got my town hall renovated with this oh-so-kawaii exterior."

"Oh yeah...that's right," said Roll with a smile as Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie nodded in agreement.

"So basically, once Isabelle tells you that you're town reaches perfect town status, you'll unlock the town renovation projects," Sakura concluded, "and some other things, but I want to leave that to surprise. You gotta have something to look forward to after all." Roll felt a bit annoyed at that, but knew Sakura was right and said nothing.

"Well that is definitely something to look forward to huh, Roll?" Bunnie remarked and Roll just gave her a nod since she was feeling irritated again. Then Roll noticed all the trees near the east side of the town hall.

"Are those...fruit trees?" Roll asked curiously. Sakura turned to face the direction Roll was looking at and grinned.

"Yep," Sakura answered proudly, "Stitches helped me create a second fruit orchard. Unlike the first fruit orchard, this one has every tropical and foreign fruit here. There is also a collection of normal cherries trees just to the left of me too."

"Oh wow," said Roll, "I never thought of actually grouping my fruit trees all in one place. It sounds a bit risky..."

"It kind of is," said Sakura, "but only if you have villagers moving in and out of your town."

"Moving out?!" said Roll shocked.

"It was just one or two villagers," said Sakura casually and not seeing the big deal, "...they wanted to go so I..."

"How could you just let those villagers go!" Roll demanded, "The villagers in your town are not just animals that you can shuffle in and out like livestock!"

"Hey, those villagers just didn't see eye to eye with me!" Sakura retorted, "They didn't even want to be my friends so I just kept my distance and let them leave."

"So you didn't even give them a fair chance!" Roll retorted angrily.

"Hey, I'm sure you had villagers who were difficult with you!" Sakura shot back.

"Yeah, they were!" Roll yelled, "But I kept trying to be their friend and got to know them better. I didn't just give up trying like you did. Now they are some of my closest friends!" Sakura just glared at her and turned away.

"You might have seen some promise in your difficult villagers," said Sakura, "but sometimes you can't connect with villagers no matter how hard you try. That's why I let them go."

"But you didn't try," said Roll.

"Just get off my case!" Sakura snapped, "I'm getting tired of your attitude young lady!"

"Oh whatever!" Roll huffed and the two girls began to pout. Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie just looked at Roll, then Sakura, then Roll again. They were unsure of what to say about the situation.

"Sorry..." said Roll after a few seconds of moping. Sakura just looked at her, but kept her defenses up.

"I was out of line," said Roll quietly, "It's none of my business how you treat or make friends or who you let go from your town. I'm sure you had your reasons...I didn't mean to get so defensive..." Sakura softened a bit as she noticed that Roll looked rather upset. She approached the girl and gave her a gentle hug.

"Huggu Sis," said Sakura, "It's okay. I know that you're very close to your villagers. I am too, but trust me. I _really_ did not have any bond with some of the villagers in my town. They weren't true friends like you are. That's why I let them go. By doing so I got some of my closest friends, friends that won't desert me or make me feel useless."

"I get it," said Roll, "I guess I just hope none of my villagers ever decide to leave." Margie gave her a side hug.

"Don't you worry about that Roll," said Margie, "I can't speak for the other nine villagers back home, but I can assure you that the three of us will stick with you forever, tootie."

"That is true, tee hee," Bunnie nodded.

"You're stuck with us forever, silly," said Rosie, "Best friend forever." Roll smiled as she gave Sakura a warm hug, which was returned with a giggle by the pink haired girl and then they broke away.

"Roll...I've noticed you've been in a mood today," said Sakura, "Are you sure I can't help you in any way?" Roll just looked at her sadly and shook her head. Sakura was disappointed but just gave her a warm smile.

"Come on," Sakura replied, "Let's keep exploring! I wanna show you more of the south side of Crystal Tokyo!" Roll didn't have time to reply as Sakura grabbed her hand once again and led her towards the area where Sakura had even more hybrid and normal flower arranged in clusters about the terrain as well as a few other public works projects as well. The more Roll saw of Sakura's town, the more depressed she became. It was nearly close to sunset when Sakura had finished giving her tour of her town. Roll and her friends were tired ou.

"I can pretty much guess that you're all tired and hungry?" she asked them. They just looked at her wearily and nodded. Well...everyone except Roll. Roll's response was having her stomach growl loudly to the point everyone in the group heard it. The blonde girl just looked away with pink cheeks since she was embarrassed.

"I'll just take that as a yes," said Sakura as she wrapped an arm around the flustered girl, "Come on. Let me make you something to eat before you guys head home for the day." Roll said nothing but just nodded with a small, but sad grin on her face as they headed back inside of Sakura's candy house. The conversation around the dinner table was quite lively as the group found plenty of different conversations to say. But Roll was eating her share of the food quietly and just listening to the conversations. Sakura was the first to finish her plate when she finally had had enough of Roll's quiet nature. She was no clueless woman. She was aware that Roll was getting more and more depressed as the day dragged on.

"Roll, I can understand that sometimes people can get quiet when they are tired," Sakura answered as she cleaned her mouth, "but you can't hide..."

"Can I just have my quiet time without being interrogated?!" Roll snapped, "I'm so sick of people telling me to speak my mind twenty four hours a day. I get it! I can go to you guys at anytime and talk about my problems, but I don't need to be reminded about that every stupid second of my life!" Roll couldn't help but shout that last part before she just looked at everyone, panting rather heavily.

"I gotta go..." said Roll, "I'll see you guys back in town."

"Roll!" said Sakura sadly, "Please...don't go..." Despite the fact that Roll had heard the pink haired girl, she didn't stop as she made her way out of the house and walked back to the train station without another word. Sakura tried to follow her but Margie just grabbed her arm.

"Just...give Roll some space," said Margie, "There is a time to get Roll to talk and a time to just let Roll cool off, tootie."

"But...but...I don't understand..." said Sakura, "Roll never gets this snippy with me before. What did I do Margie? What did I do?" Margie's heart reached out the pink girl as she looked at her with devastation in her eyes.

"Roll hates me now," she whimpered and then began to cry.

"Hey, please don't cry Sakura!" said Rosie gently. The blue cat tried to hug her but Sakura shoved her away.

"Just...everyone OUT!" Sakura shouted.

"Hey, don't push us away, tee hee!" Bunnie protested, "It's still your birthday!"

"Well all I want is for this horrible day to end!" Sakura sobbed and cried louder. Rosie tried again to give her a loving hug and this time Sakura didn't push her off. Bunnie joined in soon after.

"Don't push us away, silly," said Rosie gently, "Just like we're there for Roll. We are here for you."

"But Roll..." Sakura croaked.

"She doesn't hate you, tootie," said Margie, "I'm sure in time Roll will tell us why she was getting so grumpy with you and with the rest of us."

"Roll can't bottle things up inside for long anymore, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Trust me...we'll get the truth out of her. But that will be for a later time. For now, we are here for you!"

"I...I...can just call my own friends in town..."

"You can if you want to, silly," said Rosie, "but until they show up. We're here for you too!"

"We love you Sakura," Bunnie added and the other two girls nodded in agreement. Sakura gave a chuckle as she continued to cry and the three girls gathered around her. Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie stayed with Sakura long into the night. The pink haired girl didn't even need to call on her own best friends. Roll's group gave her all the love and comfort that she needed.

It was a little after 8pm when Roll arrived home, still feeling rather bitter as she stomped off the train.

"Evening mayor Roll!" said Porter, "Enjoy your visit to Crystal Tokyo, eek eek?"

"NO!" she snapped and walked away without another word before Porter could answer. Roll angrily left the train station and found that Marshal was walking nearby. He smiled when he saw the blonde girl make her exit.

"Hey there sulky," said Marshal cheerfully...until he noticed that Roll was by herself and looking steamed, "What...happened to the rest of the group?"

"I don't know," said Roll with an apathetic tone. Marshal just glared at her.

"If you're gonna lie to me Beautiful," Marshal retorted, "You might try putting some more effort into it!"

"Oh get off my case!" Roll snapped, "and stop calling me Beautiful will you?!" Marshal looked hurt and then gave her an angry look.

"You've never had a problem with me calling you that before, sulky!" Marshal snapped.

"Yeah...well..." Roll stumbled, "that was then...this is now!"

"What changed?!" he asked baffled and clearly upset.

"People..." Roll replied bitterly.

"People?" Marshal asked.

"People," Roll repeated, "people are talking about us. They're talking about you and me having a relationship or something!"

"What people?" Marshal asked.

"I don't know who exactly they are!" Roll yelled, "All I know is that they find you calling me that disturbing! They think it's weird that...you and me...could possibly be together..." Roll began to break down.

"They...they think I'm off putting..." Roll began to sob loudly, "they find me to be just a crybaby. Some random freak with random talents and abilities! Excuse me if it seems so weird that for some odd reason I try different things and I'm instantly good at them! Excuse me for the fact that I happened to be really smart and I don't explain why! I don't know why! I was just born this way. I was just born with the ability to pick things up quickly. For eleven years, I was wasting away in the corner of a dark and dingy room in the orphanage. I had no friends to believe in me and tell me to try and explore my own talents. I'm just discovering that I happen to be good at different things. I'm learning what I'm good at as I go about my life! Unlike all of _them_ , I didn't get a childhood where I was encouraged to explore my talents! Until I set my bare feet here I didn't even have friends! I only studied hard cause that's all I could do to pass the time and not think about what a piece of junk I am!" Marshal just looked at Roll sadly as she sunk to her knees and wept before approaching her.

"Look at me!" Roll continued sadly, "I really am what they say I am...just a crybaby...a freak...I'll never have my own dreams...I'll never know what I am meant to be. i'm just a stupid blonde who keeps having to learn the same stupid lesson over and over again. But I just can't do it. I can't just feel beautiful! I'll NEVER FEEL BEAUTIFUL SO JUST STOP CALLING ME THAT! IT'S A LIE! I'M NOTHING!" Roll buried her face into the now all dirt path that lead from the train station to the cobblestone bridge and continue to weep loudly. Marshal wasted no time lifted Roll sit up so he could hug her gently. When he noticed his embrace wasn't calming her down he pulled away and looked into her now reddish blue eyes.

"Roll, please calm down and listen, sulky," said Marshal in a gentle but firm tone, "I don't know who said those insults at you...or if it's all in your head. Let's get one thing straight. You are beautiful. It's why I call you that."

"But you said..."

"I just wanted you to know that you are definitely worth a guy's time," Marshal explained, "that guys will look at you and will want to ask you out, date you, and even fall in love with you."

"Oh..." said Roll, finally calming down but not bothering to wipe her cheeks.

"I'm sorry if I misguided you, sulky," said Marshal, "I thought I made it clear that I only see you as a sister. I just wanted you to know that if you would be my friend, you would get alot of that love that you didn't get from your parents in a sense. I mean I don't want you calling me Dad...heh...that's not what I meant at all."

"I get it," said Roll with a light chuckle, "You're just a very sweet and lovable "little" brother."

"Exactly sulky," said Marshal.

"But don't you want to find someone who loves you?" Roll asked him curiously.

"Of course, sulky," said Marshal, "I've got a hunch of a particular girl, but my time to speak up about it hasn't come yet. When the time is right, I'm gonna make her the happiest girl in the world. She won't be sorry surrendering her heart to me...I already know she's worth it. I've secretly given her mine..." Roll couldn't help but smile about that. She had a good idea of who that might be...

Any guesses?

Hush! That's another story...

Marshal smiled, seeing Roll now had a small grin on her face.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better now," said Marshal, "So don't let those jerks knock you down Roll. They are not part of _this_ village and _they_ are not part of this family. If you had forgotten that too, I'm reminding you again. These twelve villagers, including Isabelle, Digby, and the Able Sisters. They are your family now and we all love and accept you for who you are. We want you keep discovering your talents and we all admire your ability to pick up certain skills and practically master them on the first try. That alone makes you special. Well...that and the fact you're barefoot all the time."

"How did you..."

"You're always seem to defend the fact you're barefoot all the time, even with us," said Marshal, "You don't need to, sulky. If people stare or take notice, who cares. If it makes you happy being barefoot, that is all that really matters. Just do it Roll and not worry about what other people think about it."

"Okay..." said Roll, now feeling rather drained.

"Lastly Roll," Marshal continued, "You owe Sakura an apology. There was no need to spoil her birthday over something like this." Roll looked ashamed.

"Well...I mean...there was...she...(sigh) yes Marshal..." Roll just conceded since she didn't really want to talk about her problems anymore. Marshal knew there was more to her problem than just plain insecurity but he decided to let her go for now.

"Alright, sulky," said Marshal, "hopefully that will put the issue of our "relationship" to rest. We're just best friends who love each other. As for those _people_ who upset you, don't let them. You just be Roll and be proud of who you are."

"Will I ever be able to believe in myself?" Roll asked softly, "I would give anything to look into my mirror and actually feel beautiful. I mean it's not that easy for me. Can you honestly say that you can learn something once and completely change who you are? I don't think so."

"Very true, sulky," said Marshal, "In time, you're wounds will heal enough that they won't be on your mind anymore to tear you down. You'll also feel better if you apologize to Sakura."

"Okay, how do you even know about that?" Roll asked in an interrogative tone.

"Rosie gave me a call while you were on the train home, sulky," Marshal explained and then added in brotherly tone, "So tone down that voice of yours young lady!"

"Yes sir," Roll obeyed in a timid tone.

"Now go on," said Marshal, "You might want to wash up. Someone as pretty as you shouldn't have tears stains on those cute cheeks of yours." Roll giggled at that remark before nodding and then dusted off her dress as she headed home. She couldn't help but slump into her sofa for a moment to settle down before she sat up and grabbed her house phone to dial Sakura's number.

"It's a good thing I took the time to exchange phone numbers with her as well as Bacon, Lemon, and Shenran," said Roll, "But I should thank Sakura since she was the one who came up with the idea." Roll dialed her phone and waited for Sakura to pick up.

"Marshal is right," said Roll, "I have so many friends who love and accept me. I can't let other's knock me down. They would never abandon...

 _Hello, this is Sakura's message box. I'm either doing mayor stuff, with my Schmoopy, or had to schedule a meeting between kawaii poo and the porcelain throne. Please leave your message after the BOOP._

 _BOOP_

Roll was left speechless for a moment before she remembered she was still connected.

"Hi...uhh...Sakura...it's Roll. Please call me when you get this message. Hope to see you soon."

With that Roll hung up and just sighed to herself.

"Just remember Roll," she told herself, "These friends would never abandon me, even if I hurt them...I hope..." Roll just sat quietly in the dark to see if Sakura would return her call. After a couple of hours had passed, Roll just figured Sakura was asleep and decided to take a shower and get ready for bed. However, no calls were made by the time she had changed into her pajamas and Roll went unhappily to sleep.

Yet there was one thing she couldn't understand. Ironically, it wasn't why Sakura didn't reply.

 _Who says there doing number two on their voice message? It would probably be best I don't ask..._

 **Sakura's pet name for Stitches is taken from** ** _Yokai Watch_** **. It is based off a yokai by the same name too.**

 **According to my sources, "densetsu" is supposed to mean "period". In other words, Sakura said "Roll is cute. Period." when she called her kawaii densetsu.**

 **The fruit trees are more realistic in the sense that they hold more than just three fruits per tree. Plus shaking a tree doesn't cause all the fruit to fall off of it either. Only a few at a time. If anyone wonders if perfect fruit trees still die in this story, I might explain that later.**

 **NOTE: This is to all the complaints and harsh criticisms both Roll and this story have been getting in the past.  
**

 _ **I never claimed to be perfect  
My mistakes are all written in ink  
None of us claimed to be perfect  
And its sad if that what you all think**_

 _ **Our flaws are what make us special  
They bond us and keep us strong  
Our flaws are what brought us together  
So stop acting like something's wrong  
**_

 _ **We're not flawless  
We're work in progress  
We've got dents and we've got quirks  
But its our flaws that make us work, yeah! **_

_**We're not flawless  
We're work in progress  
So tell me what you flaws you've got too  
'Cause I still like what's flawed about you! **_

**Anyway...hope that clears things up. See you next time...**


	43. My Town Part 2

My Town Part 2

Since Roll had fallen asleep so late that night, she had decided to just sleep in. She wasn't really in the mood to wake up for the day.

 _There's no real point,_ Roll thought aloud, _I still feel like crud and it's not just for upsetting my sister yesterday either. I just want to disappear and hopefully since the door is locked nobody will bother me._ Roll then pulled her thin blanket over her head so she could try and block out the sound of anyone who might try to knock on her door. However, she had barely curled into her little ball and tried to keep sleeping when she felt her blanket get pulled off of herself. Roll groaned as she tried using both her pillow and her long blonde hair to hide the light from her face. Roll then felt someone turn her over and then felt someone's hot breath over her face. Roll pondered why the breath smelled...chocolaty for some odd reason and then her brain realized that someone had gotten inside of her house. Roll opened her eyes quickly and saw a distorted face uncomfortably close to her own.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" said the voice.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Roll shrieked as tried to scoot away from the face and back up against back rest of her lovely bed. Roll panted frantically as the person who had put their face into her own began laughing. Roll then saw that it was Sakura. The pink haired girl had picked a gelato tee with a pair of girl's explorer shorts that were shorter in length than hers. She had also left her hair down with a brown beret on her head and was also barefoot as she sat on her knees on the bed.

"Rise and shine my little sissy of mine!" she beamed happily. Roll just looked at her blankly before sighing in annoyance.

"You're seriously gonna give me a heart attack before I reach 16 aren't you?" Roll remarked and Sakura giggled to herself.

"Nice to see you too," said Sakura as she smirked and crossed her arms. Roll didn't need Sakura staring at her to remember that she owned her an apology.

"I'm sorry about last night," said Roll quietly, "I tried to call you to apologize, but you didn't answer your phone." Sakura blinked a bit in surprise until she slapped her forehead.

"I'm such a dope," Sakura muttered to herself, "I forgot to check my phone for messages! I'm so sorry Roll...is that why you're moping in bed so late in the morning?"

"What...time is it?" Roll asked.

"It's already 9:30," Sakura answered, "The rest of the village was asking what had happened to you." Roll just sighed.

"Can I just sleep in without people crying that I got kidnapped or something?" said Roll rather defensively but also in a depressed tone.

"Roll, people just worry about you," said Sakura, "There's no need to get so agitated about it." Roll just looked at her sadly as she brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear as she got comfortable on her bed. Sakura looked around and then climbed off the bed and found the girl a white headband and handed it to Roll.

"Here, at least so you can keep your hair out of your face," Sakura replied. Roll took it and placed it loosely on her head.

"Thanks," said Roll quietly, "I'm...I'm ready to talk now...since I...I can guess you're here to listen to me..." Sakura gave her a warm smile and opened her arms for Roll to crawl inside of them and then just held the girl tenderly as she began to stroke Roll's hair for comfort.

"Now you just tell big sissy what's bugging you," Sakura said softly. Roll then filled her in about what she had told Marshal that night, trying her best not to cry, but Sakura's cuddling made her just want to let go of any tears she was holding back. Roll was grateful that she didn't cry as heavily as she had yesterday. She was then taken back when she felt something wet hit the top of her head. She pulled away so see Sakura was crying too.

"Oh no..."

"Stop!" said Sakura sternly, "I'm just showing just how much I love you Roll. Plus I'm angry that people would dare to talk about you like that. But you need to understand something. Just because there are people out there who are cruel doesn't mean that you should let them tear you down. Yes, their words hurt, but you can't let those words make you feel like this. Remember what you told me about your mother. I can say with 100% confidence that she _was wrong_! I love you so much little sister. So many people love you, even those from my town love you too!"

"Even thought I was such a jerk..."

"Hey, I forgive you," said Sakura, "So let that be the end of it."

"I can't just let it be!" Roll snapped, "There...there was more...and...well..." Roll felt rather nervous and was unsure what to say when Sakura grabbed her hand.

"Tell me, Roll," Sakura told her gently, "please...talk to me..." Roll looked at her sadly before she found the words to speak.

"I was mad at you," Roll replied sadly. Sakura blinked in surprise and just looked at her puzzled.

"Why...why were you mad at me?" Sakura asked her curiously.

"Because you have such a beautiful town," Roll explained, "and my town is still...random...and all over the place. You're town looks like a real fun place to go visit, but my town...this place doesn't even feel like it is my town! In fact, just saying that this is _my_ town feels so...possessive..."

"It's not Roll," said Sakura, "plus it took me a long time to get my town the way it is...there was alot of trial and error to it as well. I'm sure if you work hard enough, you could have a town just as beautiful as mine."

"I...hope so," said Roll...doubtfully. Sakura giggled as she sat Indian style on her bed.

"Now get dressed and I'll give your hair a good brush when you come back out," said Sakura. Roll nodded as she crawled off her bed and began to search through her closet. The blonde girl had only been rummaging through her closet for a few minutes before Roll walked up to Sakura.

"Umm...Sis...would you mind..." Roll stuttered. Sakura giggled excitedly, knowing right away what Roll was asking.

"I was hoping you would copy me," said Sakura, "Now go wash up and I'll get your tee, shorts and beret." Roll nodded as she headed into her bathroom. A warm shower really helped her relax all the tension that had been building up in her muscles since yesterday. She was just glad things were settled between her and Sakura as she took her time cleaning up. When she had finished, she walked out of the bathroom in her white bathrobe. Sakura gave her a playful glare as she rested her hands on her hips.

"I had thought you had drowned or something," she remarked. Roll just rolled her eyes at her.

"Excuse me for enjoying a good soak," said Roll, "When you've felt pathetic for the last few days, I needed a good pick me up to relax a bit." Sakura replied.

"I understand," said Sakura, "Now get dressed so I can fix your hair." Roll nodded before heading behind her screen. Then remembered something.

"Hey Sakura!"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a curious question?"

"Anything, Roll-chan!"

"Why on earth would you tell people on your voice message that you might be doing number two in the bathroom?"

"It's a legitimate reason to not answer the phone! Why...would you mind talking to me while I'm sitting on the..."

"EW! NO!"

"Then I gotta give a heads up! Besides, I said kawaii poo!"

"Whoever heard of poo being kawaii?"

"Lemon"

Roll just rolled her eyes in annoyance as she finished putting her clothes on and crawled out from her screen with her brown beret in her left hand.

"That...explains so very, very much," said Roll, clearly unamused. Sakura laughed as she climbed back on the bed and patted the bed, which Sakura had made for Roll while the latter was in the shower. Roll climbed back onto the bed and loosely crossed her legs as she let Sakura brush her hair. Sakura just smiled as she gently began to stroke and clear the knots that had appeared in Roll's long hair.

"Are you letting your hair grow Roll?" Sakura asked curiously since it was now just a couple of inches short of being waist length.

"Yeah," said Roll, "It's weird, but I find myself wanting to wear it down more often these days. Since I leave it down, I decided to let it grow."

"Thinking of cutting it soon?" she asked.

"Maybe," said Roll, "but I'll probably just even it out."

"Ever thought of dying your hair a different color?" Sakura asked, "I do that sometimes from time to time."

"I'd rather see your hair's natural color," said Roll. Sakura just gave her a serious look, even though Roll couldn't see it.

"Maybe someday," Sakura replied as she quietly continued brushing Roll's hair, "You know...you're hair is really, really soft. What's your secret?"

"Peppermint shampoo," said Roll, "Labelle knows someone who makes an organic brew. Glad to know it does its job."

"Is it expensive?" Sakura asked.

"A 64 oz or 1.893 litter bottle is about 1500 bells," said Roll. Sakura just blinked in amazement.

"Roll...how do you do that?" Sakura asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Roll asked.

"You just converted ounces to litters without a calculator!" Sakura remarked. Roll just chuckled to herself.

"Well, if it will clear the air a bit," said Roll, "During my "alone" time growing up. I used to spend alot of time reading books. I'm guessing I was just born with an extremely high IQ because I was able to teach myself alot of different things when I was little. Learning to read was the first thing I remembered trying to learn at the age of two. Other things like walking, eating, using the potty, and even getting dressed seemed like I had always known how to do them. Once I could read books, I found it was a great way to keep my...mom...from berating and yelling at me. So that's all I would do. Anything I could get my hands on, comic books, cook books, math books, coloring books, instructional books, picture books, even video game guides...but _not_ gossip magazines. Bleh!" Sakura laughed hearing that.

"So that's why you're so smart," said Sakura, "You spent your entire time reading didn't you?"

"It wasn't like I had much of a choice," said Roll, "How else do you think I advanced so quickly in school? Since I had no friends, and no life for that matter, studying and reading was all I could do! I read cooking books so many times that I practically memorized the recipes in my head. Why else do you think I was able to make a pizza so easily? Now that I have my own computer, I can stream videos on how to not just make different foods but also on how to make them extra tasty."

"I see," said Sakura, "So you basically spend your alone time just gaining lots of knowledge. What other things besides math and cooking did you like to read?"

"Health books for starters," said Roll, "I literally taught myself first aid and CPR since no one wanted, or cared, to teach me. I really loved reading books that taught about sketches and such. Landscaping, gardening, and painting and sketching were some other things I've looked into as well, but I haven't really explored my artistic talents that much."

"You should," said Sakura, "it shouldn't be too hard to find a sketchbook and the internet is loaded with pictures you can try drawing or painting or whatever it is artists do. Plus with all that reading, I wouldn't be surprised if you had an entire library inside that head of yours!"

"Oh very funny," said Roll, "I get it! I'm smart and not a dumb blonde...hey! What are you doing to my head?" Sakura had clutched Roll's head and started examining it by looking into her left ear.

"Where's the librarian?" Sakura pondered.

"Oh get off!" Roll spluttered as she tried to get Sakura to let go of her head.

"But I need to renew my library card!" Sakura whined.

"WILL YOU LET GO OF MY HEAD!" Roll bellowed and Sakura laughed as she let go, making Roll tumble forward onto her bed. Then Sakura sat on top of her.

"Giddy up horsey!" Sakura chanted like a small child.

"Will you get off! You're crushing me!"

"Are you calling me fat?!"

"No! But you are older than me and taller so no duh you're gonna weight more than me!"

"How much do you weigh?"

"I'm not sharing that with anyone!"

"I can find out!" said Sakura as she climbed off, quickly rolled the blonde girl into her back and scooped her up bridal style. Sakura just held her in surprise.

"Geez Roll, where's all the muscle weight you were telling me about?" said Sakura, "my 5 foot stuffed unicorn weighs more than you!" Roll just pouted as she heard footsteps approaching the bedroom. She was surprised to see that it was Sable.

"Mom?" she asked. "What are you doing here? It's business hours." Sable snorted.

"You're more important to me young lady," Sable replied, "Plus a mother knows when her baby is in trouble." Roll just stared at her with a mixture of both amazement and fear.

"You're motherly instincts frighten me sometimes," Roll remarked and Sable laughed.

"Well you're moodiness the past few days was a dead giveaway," Sable informed, "now what's with all the fuss up here?"

"Roll has an entire library in her head, muscles that put men to shame," said Sakura, "and yet she weighs less than a giant stuffed panda bear! See?" Sakura then bent down quickly and tossed Roll towards Sable. Roll shrieked as she went airborne as Sable caught her, but the hedgehog still stumbled backwards a bit before securing her.

"Don't throw me back!" Roll pleaded as she held onto the brown hedgehog for dear life.

"I won't," said Sable as she set her down, "but I am assuming since you two are playing up here that everything has been settled and there will be no more miss grumpy for a while?" Roll snorted at the nickname Sable had given her and Sakura bit her fist to avoid laughing.

"Yes Mom," said Roll, "I didn't mean to get so snippy. The problem is...despite all the love and support that I have...I'm still trying to learn to look at myself positively. That I can be someone who can make their dreams a reality...and feel like they have the abilities to do so. I may be learning what those abilities are, but...believing in myself is just a uphill battle that I'm really having alot of trouble overcoming. Sometimes I feel like I'll never get over that hill." Sable nodded and gave her a sympathetic hug and kiss.

"I saw Marshal before we opened this morning," said Sable, "he told me what was bothering you. I'm surprised you didn't tell me."

"I...wasn't ready at the time," said Roll, "I was too angry...I didn't know what to say and I..."

"Exploded?" Sakura guessed.

"Pretty much," said Roll, "Plus seeing how well developed Sakura's town was made me feel really jealous. I wish I could make Animal Town that pretty, but...I just don't think I can..."

"Yes you can," said Sable, "No matter how tough life can get sweetie. Don't give in to the negativity. You've shown time and time again that you can do anything you set your mind to. If you want to make Animal Town a beautiful place to live, then go for it. Use all that knowledge in that grand library of yours. Come up with a plan and then go for it. Don't think twice about it or start asking what ifs! I made that mistake and look at what happened to me? I'm haunted by dreams I didn't fight for! I let opportunities where I could have done something slip by me. Don't make those same mistakes Roll! You are in the position to develop this town anyway you please and the rest of the town will support whatever you decide to do. I promise you that!" Roll smiled and embraced Sable tightly. Once they had pulled away, they noticed that Sakura was sniffling a bit.

"What's wrong dear?" Sable asked her gently.

"If you remember Sable," Sakura sniffled, "I lost my mom before moving to Crystal Tokyo. Seeing you two hugging each other...made me miss her..." Sable smiled and gave her a warm hug.

"It's alright dear," Sable replied as they pulled away, "I was no older than Roll when I lost my Mom. It's hard for me to not think about her without tearing up."

"Does...the hurt ever...settle? Go away?" Sakura asked feebly.

"Not really," said Sable, "I still cry when I think about my mom. Roll can testify to that."

"Yeah," said Roll, "but I don't mind. Sable needs someone to get that sadness out of her system. I'm glad she picked me. I like hugs." Sable and Sakura laughed and Roll joined their laughter as well.

"Alright then," said Sable, "so my baby girl wants to make this town as beautiful as she is?" Roll blushed a bit and Sakura snickered to herself.

"Yeah..." said Roll, "I do...but...oh never mind...yes Sable." Sable then smiled, glad Roll just accepted her complement rather than refute it.

"Well it would be a good idea if you found yourself a QR pattern or two," Sable informed her.

"QR patterns?" Roll asked puzzled.

"Yeah," said Sakura, "How else do you think I came up with that beautiful cobblestone you saw back in my town?" Roll just blinked in shock.

"I...I thought that cobblestone was real," said Roll, "I had no idea that it was just a QR code."

"That is the beauty of QR codes sweetheart," said Sable, "they can also be used for not just making and downloading clothes, but can also be used to make tiles that you can use to lay down paths and such."

"So...I guess I should get to work making one than," said Roll.

"You can either make a pattern or you can try searching for one on the computer and print out the code for scanning," said Sable, "It's completely up to you." Roll pondered to herself, wondering what she wanted to do.

"I guess I'll check the computer first," Roll remarked, but mostly to herself as she turned on her laptop while sitting Indian style as she waited for computer to wake up. Sable took notice that Roll had put on some brown frames.

"I thought you had perfect vision?" said Sable.

"I do," said Roll and wiggled a finger inside the left eye of her frames, "I just felt like wearing them. I feel smarter."

"I see," said Sable as Sakura snuck behind her and placed Roll's beret onto her head.

"You're gonna need ya extra thinking cap," she remarked as she adjusted on the girl's still down hair.

"Remind me to tie my hair when I'm done," said Roll as she began searching the web for QR patterns.

"But...but...we were gonna match!" Sakura protested, giving her a puppy dog pout, "I left my hair down!" Roll just sighed in defeat.

"Fine, like I told you before...I've been getting used to leaving it down anyway," said Roll as she continued her search. Sakura giggled happily and cuddled her from behind. Sable kissed Roll on her ear.

"I'll see you later," said Sable, "and nice seeing you again Sakura!"

"See you Mom," said Roll.

"See you Sable," Sakura replied, "I'll make sure to drive your daughter crazy!"

"GRRR!" Roll grunted annoyingly as Sable left the house laughing. Roll just groaned before getting to work. As time went by, she found that Sakura was just holding her from behind. It felt awkward at first, but Roll adjusted after a while and felt happier too.

"I always knew hugs were a good cure for depression," Roll told herself, "I do feel alot better now." Sakura, who had heard what she had said, just smiled as the blonde girl continued her search. After a couple of hours searching, she had failed to select a QR code. Roll just sighed to herself as she leaned forward to rest her head on her knuckles.

"What's up?" Sakura asked as she stretched her legs a bit. Sakura's feet had fallen asleep from sitting on her knees for too long.

"None of these path QR codes really speak to me," said Roll sadly, "I feel like I'm stealing if I use them."

"There's no crime in using them, Sis," said Sakura, "I found my pink path using a QR someone posted. They are in public domain for a reason."

"I know, I know," said Roll, "I...I guess I just wanted to be more unique, but...I...I don't know if I could come up with something as nice as there though..." Roll just sighed to herself as Sakura sat back on the bed, but this time, in front of her laptop.

"I'm sure whatever you decide to do will look awesome," said Sakura.

"How?" Roll asked.

"You made it yourself," said Sakura, "Even if it is a bit plain, you still made it and that is what makes it special." Roll hummed in reply before staring at her computer screen a bit longer and then just closed it.

"Alright then," said Roll, "I'm still not sure what I'll come up with but...most of the time I sketch or design things...something comes to mind as I do it...hopefully this will be the case."

"Roll, you really don't give yourself enough credit," said Sakura, "I'm sure you're more talented than you think. Hey, you said you practically memorized books on how to draw, sketch, and other stuff."

"True," Roll giggled as she removed her brown frames, "Alright let's get going." Roll then crawled off the bed, adjusted her shirt and shorts before heading downstairs and headed outside. She looked around her front door and found that there were no shoes nearby. This might have sounded unusual since Roll didn't wear shoes, but the shoes she was looking for were for Sakura.

"Where are your shoes Sis?" Roll asked her curiously. Sakura just smiled and clicked her heels together. Roll didn't need long to figure out why she was smiling.

"You came...barefoot?" Roll asked slowly. Sakura just giggled.

"Happy that you're not the only one who likes doing that?" she replied happily. Roll just looked at her funny before she broke out laughing and Sakura joined in her laughter. Once they settled down, they linked hands and headed straight for the Able Sister's shop. Sable was already at work at her sewing machine when both girls entered the shop.

"Welcome to handmade fashion palace of the Able Sisters!" Mabel announced as they walked inside.

"Hey Mabel," said Roll and gave her auntie a warm hug.

"So what brings you two here today?" Mabel asked.

"I wanted to make a QR pattern that I can use for some pathways and roads for Animal town," said Roll, "I'm sure they would look alot nicer than the natural made dirt paths that already exist."

"Okay, well unlike pro designs, you can make those right in your own home," said Mabel.

"Wuh?!" said Roll and then glared at Sakura, "Did you happen to know about that?!" Sakura just smiled innocently.

"May...be, but...you never asked," she replied. Roll rolled her eyes at her. Mabel just smiled at the two.

"It's okay Roll," said Mabel, "use this sketch pad, it's got the graph you need to make the designs. Once you're finished, I can show you how to put the path down on the ground."

"I can show her!" Sakura offered.

"No thank you!" Roll retorted indignantly, "You'll probably make me put the patterns upside down or something."

"Well, excuuuuuuse me, princess!" Sakura remarked and stuck her tongue out at her.

"Bleh!" Roll returned to gesture by stick her tongue out back at her.

"Do I need to put you two on timeout?" Sable asked in full mother mode.

"No," they said together as Roll pushed herself into the top of the table where the register was, crossed her ankles and began to think of a design for her paths. Sakura just leaned against the table close by, but was growing bored of just watching Roll after a couple of minutes. Mabel took notice and approached the pink haired girl.

"Why not browse the shop a bit and see if there's anything you might be interested in?" said Mabel, "Or you could design something of your own at the QR machine?" Sakura just looked at the blue hedgehog with a bored look for a moment before replacing it with a smile.

"Actually I've been looking into making myself a particular dress," said Sakura, "Can you give me a hand with it Mabel?" Sakura showed Mabel a picture of the outfit.

"If you've got 500 bells," said Mabel, "we can get to work." Sakura gave her a skeptical look as she set her hands on her hips.

"I thought family was free?" Sakura bellowed in shock.

"They're still a business," said Roll as a matter of fact, "Even I have to pay for most of my clothes and QR patterns. I've even paid more than 500 bells cause I kept making mistakes!" Sakura just shook her head at the blue and brown hedgehogs.

"And you condemn Tom Nook for being greedy," Sakura pointed out, shaking her head. Mabel just smirked.

"Well unlike Sable, we've always said they were two peas in a pod, peanut butter and chocolate, spaghetti and meatballs..."

"Please stop with the food talk!" Sakura bellowed, "I'll pay up, just...stop making me hungry!" Roll snickered to herself before her stomach gave a loud growl, making the blonde girl blush. She had forgotten she hadn't even eaten breakfast, let alone lunch. Sable walked up to her with her hands on her hips.

"Young lady, why do you always starve yourself when you're depressed," Sable retorted indignantly.

"Beats stuffing my face," Roll answered as she continued her work, "I feel fat enough as it is!" Sable grunted angrily. She was tempted to spank Roll on the rear end for that comment, but held back since spanking was kind of a taboo subject in the animal world. She just looked at Sakura and Mabel angrily.

"Am I really this bad with the self-degrading?" Sable asked as she walked back to the sewing machine.

"Yes," Mabel replied before Sable had even taken two steps. Sable glared at her bitterly.

"If I want your opinion, I'll ask for it!" she snapped.

"You did..."

"It was a rhetorical question!" Sable bellowed before getting back to work. Mabel just rolled her eyes.

"And she's the older, wiser, more mature, and responsible one," Mabel finished, "Now come on Sakura. Let's get to work on that dress." Sakura nodded as she and the blue hedgehog began to work on her design at the QR machine. Roll was just keeping quiet while trying to come up with something for her paths. She seemed rather stumped at what to do. For the moment, all she was doing was putting down different colors about the paper to see if anything would pop into her head. It didn't help that her stomach kept grumbling and sometimes when she tried to raise her head from her sketch pad she was feel a bit dizzy. She was then surprised to see her sketch pad taken from her and replaced with a plate that had a sandwich and a nicely fresh picked apple.

"Eat," said Sable sternly. Roll just grin with a light nod and began to eat, enjoying every bite. Sable just watched her eat for a few minutes before sitting back at her sewing machine. Sakura just watch with interest since her own stomach was now growling.

"Where's my lunch?" she asked with a light whine. Sable just looked at her plainly.

"The emporium is next door," said Sable simply before getting back to work. Sakura went agape as Mabel giggled at the pink girl's offended looking face.

"Never mind," said Mabel, "You can have my sandwich. You keep working and I'll go get it okay."

"Alright, thank you Mabel," said Sakura as she gave Sable a glare and a raspberry before getting back to work. Sable had just ignored her and continued her own work. It wasn't much longer before Roll approached Sable with her sketchbook in hand.

"Momma?" she asked softly, "Can I...get your opinion on my design please?" Sable stopped her machine and looked up. She could tell Roll looked a little nervous.

"Come on, show it to us," Sable answered. Roll took a deep breath and handed Sable the design. Sable gasped. Roll's design was a multi-toned brown cobblestone that had four main stones surrounded by darker browns and yellows. Yet what made the stones in the design unique was the fact that the stones each had an engraving in them. The upper left and lower right corner had a heart while the opposite corners had a perfectly shaped star. The fact Roll used different shades of grey, brown, and green made the stones look realistic.

"What...what do you think?" Roll asked since she had taken Sable's silence for the worst. But Sable was smiling.

"Roll...this design is beautiful," Sable exclaimed in amazement, "I can't believe you came up with this all by yourself. Roll just giggled bashfully as she just shifted her foot back and forth across the wooden floor.

"Can I see?" Sakura asked since she had just finished her new dress as Sable handed her to sketch pad. Sakura smiled excitedly as she examined Roll's handiwork.

"This is really pretty!" said Sakura, "this would be cute for making paths in your town." Roll smiled, feeling rather proud of herself as Mabel took a turn to examine her new pattern.

"This is really cute," said Mabel, "Now let's log it into your QR book and the I'll show you how you can place the paths in town." Roll just watched excitedly as Mabel quickly transferred Roll's design from the sketch pad to her QR book. Mabel kept the book in hand as she lead Roll and Sakura out of the shop and back into town. Once they reached the edge of the cobble stone near the train station, Mabel stopped and did a few tweaks to Roll's QR book before giving it back to the blonde girl.

"You're all set," said Mabel, "So here is what you need to do. Select the code that you want to work with by tapping it. Then when you are ready to place it on the ground, just swipe the design and it will place itself like a tile onto the ground in front of you! You can surround the space you're standing on and the eight surrounding spaces at once, but I'm assuming you're not going to make the roads that wide."

"No, no," said Roll, "I might make the main road leading to main street wide, but the rest of the roads will be much thinner. I want to leave as much space for development as I can. Just let me give this a try first." Roll tapped her brand new cobblestone QR code and swiped it. She didn't see anything happen.

"Did I do it right?" she asked.

"Look at your feet!" Sakura told her and pointed down. Roll looked down at her feet when she noticed that the pattern was now resting comfortably beneath them. She rubbed her toes on it with amazement.

"It actually feels like real cobblestone, nice and smooth too," said Roll, "That is so cool!" Mabel smiled happily.

"Well now that you know what you're doing, I can get back to work," said Mabel and kissed her niece's cheek, "See you! Same to you Sakura!" Roll and Sakura waved goodbye before the Roll began to lay out a path that was two spaces wide between the train station and the cobblestone bridge. Roll looked at her work with satisfaction written on her face.

"This turned out way better than I thought," said Roll to herself.

"Indeed, kitten," said Purrl as she examined the work herself.

"Hi Purrl," said Roll, "I'm glad you enjoy my new path."

"It's very pretty," said Purrl, "I was wondering when Animal Town would finally get some paths around here. With everyone just roaming about, the grass has a harder time to regenerate itself."

"Yeah, I've been noticing that the dirt areas are getting bigger and the grass is disappearing," said Roll, "I guess even being barefooted doesn't seem to help reduce or prevent the grass from deteriorating."

"Afraid not, kitten," said Purrl, "but some roads would make the town feel more developed. Have you thought about where you are going to lay them out?"

"Not completely," said Roll nervously, "all I know for the moment is that I want everyone to have a define path to main street and other places like town hall, police station, retail, etc."

"That a good start, kitten," said Purrl, "Might I offer you some wisdom for your paths."

"Please do Purrl," said Roll, cupping her hands together, "You've never steered me wrong." Purrl giggled to herself. Sakura rolled her eyes at Roll, but it was ignored by both the blonde girl and the calico cat.

"Try making paths towards the houses if possible, kitten," said Purrl, "Just keep in mind. You can't place QR paths right in front of anyone's door, not even your own, but you can exactly one space away. Projects like the police station and the campsite need two spaces clear in front of the entrance."

"Okay," said Roll, "I'll need to remember that. I'd hate to make a path and then couldn't connect it properly because I put the paths too close to the entrance. Thank you so much Purrl! You're so smart!" The calico cat smiled while Sakura just snorted once more.

"Anytime dear," said Purrl, "Now if you'll excuse me. I've got some fishing to do for dinner. Nothing like some fresh fish with a splash of citrus if you ask me, kitten." Roll nodded as Purrl headed towards the river with fishing rod in hand. Sakura then chose to speak up.

"Never thought you were a kiss up," said Sakura.

"What?" Roll replied shocked.

"You're "oh Purrl thank you so much I really appreciate your wisdom!" act," said Sakura in an overly sweet tone. Roll angrily got into Sakura's face.

"I don't kiss up to anybody!" Roll said sternly, poking the girl's chest, "Excuse me if I sound over the top but her wisdom is very valuable to me! Maybe _you_ should learn not take the wisdom of other's for granted." Roll went back to work on a smaller path leading towards' Purrl's house. Sakura just shook her head at the blonde girl.

"You act too perfect sometimes," Sakura muttered, not wanting Roll to hear. Roll did and was fuming as she gave her full eye contact.

"When you've had nothing for the first eleven years of your life," Roll remarked, "every little blessing has value." Roll went back to work and Sakura closed the subject. The pink haired girl knew Roll was right, but like any typical sister...

She wasn't gonna admit it.

Sakura just looked indignant as Roll finished the path towards Purrl's house and then headed towards the campsite to create a path there as well. Roll had decided to make this path wider since there would be a large empty space around the entrance. Sakura just watched Roll do her work quietly before a devious smile appeared on her face.

"Don't even think about it!" Roll warned.

"I'm not doing anything," said Sakura innocently. Roll glared and went back to work. Sakura then made her move.

"Uhh...Roll?"

"What?"

"There's...something stuck on your right foot," said Sakura. Roll looked at her foot.

"I don't see..."

"Here...I'll get it..." said Sakura as she grabbed Roll's foot. Roll thought nothing much about it until she felt something start dancing on the sole of her foot.

"D-d-d-don't...(giggle)...Sakura...(giggle)(giggle)...stop..STOP...(giggle)!" Roll tried to protest, but Sakura refused to stop tickling Roll's foot. She soon danced them faster, making Roll squealed and laugh.

"Stop! STOP!" Roll pleaded, but her laughing made it impossible to be stern with Sakura, "PLEASE...AH-AH-AH-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

KER-SPLASH!

Roll was so busy trying to get Sakura to let go of her foot, she didn't pay attention to where she was moving about. Right when she pulled her foot away from Sakura's grasp, Roll ended up moving too close to edge of the river, lost her balance, and tumbled in. Roll spluttered as she resurfaced and wiped her now soaked bangs from her face as she gave Sakura a death glare. Sakura knelt down with a smirk on her face.

"That turned out better than I planned," said Sakura, "have a nice dip...drip?" Roll just glared bitterly as Sakura reached out a hand to help her out of the river. Roll grabbed her hand as a mischievous smirk appeared on her face.

"You tell _me_!" Roll called out as she gave Sakura's arm a strong tug. This made Sakura shriek as she fell forward and into the river with a loud splash. Now it was her turn to splutter as she resurfaced. Roll laughed out loud at seeing that Sakura's long pink hair had covered most of her face. Sakura pushed her wet hair behind her ears before giving the blonde girl a glare, but she couldn't stay angry at her for long and soon joined in the laughter. It was a couple of minutes later they climbed out of the water and tried to iron out their drenched clothes.

"Good thing it's so warm today," said Sakura as she removed her beret and wrung out her pink hair, "We don't have to worry about being staying wet for too long and catching a cold."

"True," said Roll, "But I've noticed that even when I stand in the water at the beach, when I walk back up the ramp to the shore, my feet are already dry."

"I've seen that too," said Sakura, "I mean look at our clothes, they've already gone from soaked to damp just talking." Roll felt her tee and saw Sakura was right. Aside from a few wrinkles, their clothes were now just damp and not dripping wet despite just coming out of the water less than a minute ago. Roll then sighed as she remembered the rather wet sketch book in her hand.

"There goes my design," said Roll. Sakura took the book and looked for the page that had her new design and showed it to her.

"It looks intact to me," said Sakura, "no worries." Roll breathed a sigh of relief. Her book wasn't damaged despite falling into the river and all her QR patterns weren't soiled or damaged either. Sakura sighed to herself as she took the book from Roll.

"Hey!" Roll protested.

"Roll, as jokes aside," Sakura began, "I need you to understand something." Roll noticed the seriousness in Sakura's eyes and stop trying to get her book back.

"While it is good to take the responsibility seriously," said Sakura, "You can't just make designing a perfect town all work and no play." Roll looked at Sakura with a confused look on her face.

"What do you mean?" Roll asked.

"Designing a perfect town needs to be something you enjoy," said Sakura, "It's just like being an artist. You are given a blank canvas and some paint (or plants and trees in this case...mostly) but the point is that you need to let your creativity and imagination breathe. You can't exactly plan a design cause the town is different and sometimes interests in projects and development can change overtime. You can try to plan ahead, but it's good to leave things flexible to some degree." Roll just listened attentively, trying to process everything Sakura was telling her. After a few seconds, she smiled and gave her big sister a nod.

"I get it," said Roll, "Designing a town is just trial and error. I don't need to know exactly what I want for the town, but I can definitely tweak a few things here and there so I can get ideas and as I go along."

"Exactly," said Sakura, "Plus the best thing about QR paths is this. If you make a mistake..." She then swiped her foot against one, making the pattern disappear as if it had never been placed. "...it's easy to erase them." Roll smiled as she put the QR pattern back and then started to scope the rest of the town to see where her paths would fit best. Roll found that by just laying out the paths she found it easier to decide where to put them and how to connect them without making the paths too complicated.

"Squares and rectangles will makes things easy and not too complicated," said Roll to herself.

"What about circles?" Sakura suggested and Roll gave her an "are you serious" look, "what? Some countries do have donut intersections rather than just plain old plus sign ones you know!"

"Maybe," said Roll, "But these paths are for walking, not driving."

"Unicorns are fluff, fully. Unicorns are lovely," Sakura sang as a clue she wasn't listening anymore.

"Are you gonna sing that the entire time I lay out these paths?" Roll asked annoyingly.

"I dunno...maybe..." said Sakura as she skipped away, still singing about unicorns. Roll just shook her head, but she couldn't resist a smile.

"I worry about that girl sometimes." But she said it to herself and continued to lay out the paths. By the time she had finished, the sun was already setting on the horizon. Roll wiped her brow since she had gotten rather hot and bothered until Sakura handed her a blue bottle. Roll took a drink and was grateful for the cold water flowing down her throat.

"Boy, that really hits the spot," said Roll and then noticed Sakura drinking a bottle of a different color, "why is your bottle brown and mine is blue?" Sakura gave her a mischievous smile.

"I got soda! WEEEE!" the pink haired girl replied with glee. Roll just chuckled sheepishly and looked away.

"Oh boy she's hyper enough without all that sugar," she muttered.

"I can hear you!" Sakura called out as Roll snorted.

"For a girl whose supposed to be older than me, she sure acts like a two year old sometimes," Roll remarked in a softer tone.

"STILL HEAR YOU!" Sakura called out, "it's called being young at heart." Sakura than skipped away, singing about unicorns once more. Roll watched her leave before shrugging her shoulders in annoyance.

"This is gonna be a long day," Roll muttered to herself without being called out about it this time. While the paths had been placed for the most part, Roll realized that many of the public works projects she had placed early on would need to be either changed or relocated, but she hadn't determined where or which project to move first. For the moment, there was one thing she knew she could relocate for now and that was all the flowers. By now, her flower garden had expanded to the point that she had literally run out of space inside her yard to grow them. While Roll had successfully grown every type of flower minus the Jacobs ladder, she had been forced to breed and grow them outside her fenced area and there were now so many it seemed like her house was being laid siege upon. It didn't help that Roll had rearranged them a bit in order to get her paths laid down. Sakura was well aware of Roll's little dilemma and got an idea.

"Roll look around the paths you've laid out and tell me what you see," Sakura told Roll. Roll wasn't sure why she needed to do that but still obeyed as she looked about the roads in front of her. She wasn't sure what exactly she was supposed to be looking at until it finally dawned on her.

"That's it!" Roll exclaimed excitedly, "The paths I laid out make perfect areas where I can divide up my flowers and arrange them so they look even more amazing and beautiful."

"Exactly what I was thinking Sis," said Sakura, "Now for the next big challenge."

"What might that be?" Roll asked curiously.

"How do you arrange your flowers?" Sakura asked her, "by type or by color?" Roll crossed her arms and thought for a moment.

"Probably by both," said Roll, "I mean...is there a reason why I can't have all of one type of flower in one area and group a another type elsewhere?"

"Nope, no problem," said Sakura, "I just don't know exactly _how_ you want to arrange them. You need to decide which flowers do you want and what colors in each area. It's also your call if you want to keep the same flower type together or group them by color alone. It's you're call. I mean...I can't read your mind you know." Roll looked indignant.

"Don't you have any ideas to suggest?" Roll asked her skeptically. Sakura just gave her a cute smile.

"Nah, I think you know what you're doing," Sakura replied. Roll just rolled her eyes and started picking flowers. Sakura soon started to do the same.

"Hey!" Roll exclaimed.

"What?" Sakura remarked, "I figured I could help you plant them. You don't need to do that all by yourself!"

"I know," said Roll indignantly with her arms crossed, "but I'm moving the white cosmos, not the red ones." Sakura then blinked a bit before she just chuckled apologetically. Roll just sighed in annoyance before Sakura put the red cosmos back and then grabbed the rest of the white cosmos so they could replant them in their own little location. Once they had done so, they continued to do the same for the rest of the flowers. In the end, she did group them by flower type, but also made smaller groups of flowers by color. By doing this, she had more than enough space to grow them and she could concentrate on growing specific colors and flower types more easily. By the time all the flowers had been given a new home, it was already well past 10pm and both girls were exhausted. Sakura just let herself tumble into her back and let out a long sigh.

"Geez, did we _have_ to replant all of those flowers in one day?" she asked, her voice filled with exhaustion and annoyance, "That had to be...like...100 flowers!"

"Actually it was 158," Roll answered smugly. Sakura just looked at her with her jaw hitting the floor and tumbled onto her back.

"You only need 75 girl!" Sakura retorted, "No wonder you stress yourself out! You're an overachiever aren't you?" Roll just shrugged her shoulders.

"Overachiever, perfectionist, detail-oriented, whatever," said Roll, "they are all me...and as I said before...until I came here...nobody knew...not even myself."

"I see," said Sakura, "well just be proud of who you are. Don't worry about what others think about you. Just focus on getting the town perfect in your own terms. The requirements are just the minimum necessities after all. How and where you develop is completely up to you!"

"Right," said Roll when a large yawn escaped your mouth, "But I think I've done as much as I could do for now. Tomorrow I might try to relocate the regular fruit trees and start figuring out what to do about the public works projects that I already had constructed." Roll began to look worried again.

"What's the big deal?" Sakura asked as she sat up, "You just tell Isabelle to have the project torn down and then rebuilt it. That's not an issue."

"For the ones I want to keep," Roll answered, "but there are some projects I'm considering knocking down and replacing with something else."

"I...still don't see the problem here," said Sakura.

"Will you use that brain of yours for more than just rainbows and unicorns!" Roll snapped.

"Unicorns are fluff fluffy..."

"SHUT UP!" Roll bellowed, "you don't know how difficult it was putting up the first public works projects. The villagers fought with each other trying to make me chose their projects over the other. There was even a fist fight and I got slugged in the eye."

"Ouch," said Sakura, cringing at the thought of someone hitting Roll.

"Now I might have to chose to demolish a project," said Roll, "but at what cost?"

"Usually 10% of construction..." Sakura pointed out.

"I meant the cost of friendship!" Roll yelled, "is it worth getting a perfect town at the expense of making a villager angry or disappointed?! Unlike you, I don't want to have to deal with villagers coming and going out of my town. I love them all and I don't want any of them to leave!"

"Sometimes it can't be helped," Sakura pointed out as a matter of fact, but bit her tongue when she saw Roll's on the verge of tears.

"So it is true," said Roll, her voice cracking as she spoke, "There will be a day that the very people who say they love and care about me are just gonna get up and leave me! They'll grow tired of me and move on like I'm just a fad..."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Sakura interrupted, "Roll please calm down. I didn't mean to upset you. I just opened my mouth and said the wrong thing okay. If you're as close to your villagers as you say, I doubt that any of them will ever leave you."

"Are you sure?" Roll asked, drying her eyes since some tears had tried to come out of them, "I mean...I'd like to think..."

"You. Are. Not. A. One. Time. Fad. Young Lady," said Sakura sternly, "You are a friend that people want in their lives forever. They won't turn their back on you just because you decide to axe project that they had suggested. I can promise you that. I did it and some were from my Schmoopy himself. He was sad to see those projects be torn down, but he still loved me nevertheless."

"If...you...say so," said Roll quietly.

"I know so Roll," said Sakura, "Besides, I will never leave you. You're stuck with me forever!"

"And...that's a good thing?" Roll replied.

"Bleh!"

"Bleh!"

They both laughed.

"So...shall I walk you back to the train station so you can get home?" Roll asked. Sakura was sad.

"I...I wanna stay longer," she whined.

"But you didn't pack anything for the night," said Roll as a matter of fact and Sakura slapped her head.

"Oh yeah," said Sakura, "Shoot...well if I pack a few things can I stay over with you a few days? I can drop off my stuff in the morning and then I can help you with the public works projects."

"Sure," said Roll, "I could use all the support I can get. Now come on. Let's make sure you get home safely okay." Sakura nodded as Roll led her towards the train station. Sakura said goodbye and thank you before getting on her train. Roll waved until Sakura's train was out of sight and then made her exit from the train station. She couldn't help but look at her town and smiled.

"Starting today, we're gonna make Animal Town a destination people will flock everywhere to see," Roll told herself as she headed back home for the night. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, but was up for the challenge.

She just hoped the villagers would be more cooperative with her master plan, which was still a work in progress.

 **Another common question that has been asked alot is why Roll's talents seems to spontaneous. Well I hope we've answered that question in this chapter. In a nutshell, Roll was born with an extremely high IQ. (Yet because she was overlooked and underrated her actual IQ rating is still a mystery.) This enabled her to learn and master things quickly because she focused on all her energy in obtaining knowledge growing up. It wasn't til she moved to Animal Town that she was able to put that knowledge to good use.**

 **Plus the fact she mentions talents "she always knew how to do" shows that between her time of birth and the age of two, she had already learned how to walk, get dressed, eat solid food, and other essential skills proficiently. Prodigy or not, most of us can't remember anything before the age of two.**

 **Hopefully, I didn't make placing QR patterns sound too complicated. After all, the way Roll puts them out is similar to how objects are placed in Happy Home Designer.**

 **Roll's appears to have broken ground for turning Animal Town into a perfect town. Can she pull it off?**

 **Stay Tuned.**


	44. My Town Part 3

My Town Part 3

Once Roll had gotten dressed into a pleather vest with some matching acid washed girl's shorts that were folded at the bottoms, she tied her hair into a ponytail and added a black ribbon in her hair to match her vest. She head immediately to the train station. She and Sakura were going to do some more work with the town. However, Roll's plans were already in disarray since Sakura had taken all morning packing her things to spend the night. So Roll ended up doing the fruit tree relocation herself. She had planted three of each type of fruit, except for the apples, north of the plaza. She was glad that there wasn't much fuss about her relocating all the fruit. Well...Purrl had some protests, but once Roll promised to plant a few orange trees inside her yard, Purrl had settled down. Once she had finished, it was already past noon and Roll was getting more and more irritated. It didn't help she was hungry too.

"Is that girl packing her entire house?" Roll grumbled, "Time's time. Why should I keep my construction plans waiting if all Sakura is gonna do is dawdle all day! UGH!"

"So I'm a little materialistic so sue me!" said a voice. Roll turned and saw the very pink girl she had been waiting for. Roll was surprised to see Sakura wearing a pink polka dot knee high dress with a matching headband, barefoot, and her hair was tied into its downward pigtails. She was also dragging a rather large suitcase.

"Where have you been slowpoke?" asked Roll, "I had to replant the fruit trees myself and I still haven't eaten lunch yet!"

"Sorry, I overslept and my alarm clock didn't go off," said Sakura, "Plus when I put my dress on, it got caught on the corner of my bed and tore. I had to get it repaired and then I couldn't decide what to take with me for overnight and what outfits to wear for tomorrow or whatever we decide to do when we're done..."

"Oh brother," Roll remarked.

"Well excuse me if I need to find the right outfit to feel pretty," Sakura retorted indignantly, "Not all of us can just crawl out of bed and look beautiful you know." Roll was left stunned hearing that comment, looked around for a moment before looking at her once more.

"You're...you're not talking about me are you?" Roll asked curiously. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Who else would I be talking about?" Sakura retorted annoyingly. Roll just looked her and said nothing as she looked away.

"Let's just get your things at my house and get to work," said Roll, "can you handle any more planting or gardening in that dress of yours?"

"It is a casual dress," said Sakura, "I just wanted to look cute while we work."

"Are you looking for a new boyfriend?" Roll asked her with a snarky tone.

"No, I've got my Schmoopy," said Sakura, "I just like cute things." Roll just giggled to herself, no longer able to stay angry with her, as she lead Sakura to her house. Once her suitcase was set in the room, Roll set out an extra ranch bed she had held onto in her storage and they finally had some lunch. As soon as they finished, they exited the house and Sakura equipped her golden shovel. Roll could help but feel a tad jealous as she eyeballed her silver one.

"No need to be jealous," said Sakura, making Roll freeze, "Once you get 50 bags of fertilizer, you'll have your shovel too." Roll just sighed to herself.

"And I thought it was a chore buying all those tree saplings for my golden axe," said Roll to herself as she led Sakura over to where the rest of the excess fruit trees were near Purrl's house and clearing them out of the way and selling the extra fruit. Roll was glad she had saved some bamboo shoots and saplings to they began to add them near the town rocks for a more personal touch. Sakura complained that Roll didn't have to plant a bamboo and sapling near every rock, but Roll said she liked consistency.

"There," said Roll as she finished the last sapling and bamboo shoot, "Hopefully all the trees will grow or all this will be for nothing."

"You should be just fine," said Sakura, "you couldn't have placed the trees any better. So what next?"

"The hard part," said Roll, "deciding which public works projects to relocate and which ones to remove and replace."

"You're going to tear down some public works projects, tee hee?!" Bunnie exclaimed in surprise.

"Just a couple," said Roll, "Some I'm just gonna move elsewhere. I wanna give my town some type of theme or vibe as some people call it."

"But...what exactly are the available themes?" Rosie asked innocently as she walked up to the burnt orange rabbit. Bunnie just shrugged her shoulders as a clue that she didn't know and looked at Rosie, who looked just as clueless. Roll just gave a loud sigh.

"Easy there Roll, we'll find out," said Sakura. Roll just glared before her expression softened.

"I'm sorry," said Roll, "I'm just anxious to get started. The sooner I can find out where and what I want to move and replace in terms of public works projects. The better I'll feel. I...I just wish I knew if anybody would hate me if I did remove a project for something else."

"You really feel that way, silly?" said Rosie.

"I mean, I know we did make a big fuss about your first project, tee hee," said Bunnie, "but..we never wanted you to feel you had to pick certain project just to make us like you."

"Or love you to be more precise," Rosie added.

"Are you guys sure everyone here loves me?" said Roll, "I mean...Sakura told me that sometimes her villagers ask her to leave and such. I don't want to lose anyone in my family." Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other and then grinned.

"Why not ask Isabelle if she can do some sort of survey with the villagers?" Rosie asked.

"What do you mean?" Roll asked curiously.

"Why not find out what projects the others hope you'll keep and then you'll know which ones you can remove or replace?" Bunnie suggested, "I'm sure Isabelle could find out something like that, silly. She does do the citizen satisfaction survey with us daily."

"It's a good idea," said Roll, "hopefully Isabelle can fit something like that into her busy schedule."

"I'm sure she could," said Sakura, "Let's head to town hall and find out. No use trying to plan public work locations if you're so worried about upsetting people." Roll nodded in agreement as the two girls headed into town hall. They found Isabelle just busy working on a tall stack of papers.

"Are you working ahead again young lady?" Roll asked sternly.

"Sadly no," said Isabelle, "All this is due within a day or so. But I am here to help you if necessary, what's up?"

"I'm not sure if this is a "sit at the desk request" or a "stand in front of you request"," said Roll honestly as Sakura sat on the nearby chairs and swung her legs back and forth in a preoccupied manner.

"Well what does the request you have entail?" Isabelle asked.

"I want to know if I can find out what public works projects, at least the movable/replaceable ones, the villagers really want in town and which ones I could replace or...umm...modify?"

"Modify?" Isabelle asked puzzled.

"Like...well...umm..." Roll stuttered.

"Do you mean like if it's a bench, you want to change it from a zen bench to a modern bench?" Isabelle asked once more.

"That's what I mean," said Roll, "I don't want to give anybody a reason to skip town and abandon me." Isabelle just smiled as she stood and walked over to the blonde girl.

"If you keep making this town a sweeter, a better, and a happier place," said Isabelle, "the villagers aren't going to leave you. Plus unlike other towns, you've made this group of villagers more of a family and that is all thanks to you. Trust me, unless something does comes up and a villager does move away, it won't be because of you. They would never move away just because you destroyed their personal choice for a public works project. I can promise you that."

"If you say so," said Roll, "but I would feel alot better if I knew. Can you find out?" Isabelle just sighed to herself but still gave her a firm nod.

"I'll see what I can do, but I have to keep it anonymous," said Isabelle, "I should have the list ready for you by tomorrow."

"Thank you Isabelle," said Roll, "That would give me alot of peace of mind. I already had a hassle relocating the milkans...err...oranges with Purrl, but I was able to come to a mutual agreement with her."

"That's good to know," said Isabelle as she added Roll's special request to her list of things to do, "your negotiations skills are improving. Anything else?"

"Well I am pretty positive about which project I do want to demolish," Roll pondered.

"Come to the desk first, and then we'll talk about _that_ ," said Isabelle, "you know the rules by now."

"I didn't know you had two moms," Sakura teased. Roll just stuck her tongue out at her before heading toward her mayor's chair. Once Roll had taken a seat, adjusted her shorts, and crossed her legs, Isabelle chose to speak.

"Good afternoon mayor Roll," said Isabelle, "what might you need today?" Roll noticed that Sakura was making funny faces behind Isabelle's back as the shi-tzu had been speaking to her.

"I'd like to propose an ordinance that allows swift punishment or fines to certain somebodys who don't like to be respectful to others!" Roll replied in annoyance.

"BLEH!" Sakura retorted, knowing Roll was taking about her. Isabelle just chuckled as she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Alright, that's enough joking around," said Isabelle, "Roll, you said something about wanting to demolish a project?"

"Yes Isabelle," said Roll, getting right back to business, "I wanna demolish the cobblestone bridge that is right behind retail."

"I see," said Isabelle, "This really isn't none of my business, but any reason for the demolition if I can ask?"

"I have no problem with you asking Isabelle," said Roll, "I just want to redesign the bridges to fit something that feels more closer to my heart."

"And what would be your style Roll?" Isabelle asked.

"Cute and chic," said Roll and then her eyes nearly popped out.

"Whoa," she remarked, "that...came out of my mouth without much thought." Roll couldn't help just smile to herself.

"(Giggle) I guess I do know my own style," said Roll, "at least in clothes, not sure with town designs. In fact...what are the themes for the town and train station renovations anyway?"

"I can't show them to you yet, since you haven't met the requirements to do them," said Isabelle, "but I can certainly tell you what the themes are."

"Please do," Roll answered politely.

"There is standard, which is what you've got right now," Isabelle explained, "then we've also got modern, zen, and fairy tale."

"I see," said Roll, "Hmm...now let me think for a moment..."

"What about Roll?" Sakura asked.

"Which of those themes really suits the overall idea I have for Animal Town," Roll thought, holding her foot as she began to think rather intensively.

"I see smoke coming out of the ears," Sakura teased. Roll glared angrily. Her temper was growing thin at the elder girl's jokes.

"Hey, lighten up, I was just trying to help you relax a bit okay," Sakura replied sadly and fingered the skirt of her dress sadly.

"You just overdo it on the teasing sometimes," said Roll, "and you did hit a nerve with the smoking comment."

"Sorry," Sakura repeated, "and you're not a dumb blonde okay so stop thinking that! Try looking into your heart instead of that library of yours."

"Library?" Isabelle remarked, clearly puzzled.

"I'm super smart cause I used to read alot growing up," said Roll. Isabelle started and then gasped excitedly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a bookworm?" said Isabelle, "I never thought I would meet another one!"

"Another one?' Sakura asked, "You're a bookworm too?"

"Totally!" said Isabelle, "You're looking at a major nerd. I did got to fifteen colleges and graduated for fun after all!"

"Guess that means you and Roll must get along very well," said Sakura with a chuckle.

"We're best friends," said Roll with her eyes closed. Sakura then noticed that Roll had crossed her legs in the chair and appeared to be meditating.

"I thought people who did that also cupped their fingers together and went "ohmmmmmmmmmmm"," Sakura asked with a smirk on her face.

"I'm just looking deep inside myself," Roll explained, "not seeking spiritual enlightenment or self actualization."

"She's right," said Isabelle, "I read that most people who do seek enlightenment sit differently. Roll's sitting Indian style. With mantra style, her feet would be above her knees. You also need to be extra flexible to sit like that though. (Giggle) I remember once when Digby tried to sit that way to show off and got stuck. We had to rush him to hospital to uncross his legs before the circulation stopped." Isabelle and Sakura laughed when Roll's opened her eyes excitedly.

"I got it," said Roll, "The modern theme seems to really fit my style!"

"Roll, there's no rush in choosing a theme right away," Isabelle chuckled, "You still haven't even fulfilled the requirements to even do a town hall or train station renovation!"

"I know," said Roll, "but if I'm going to be doing alot of construction around here. I want to know what kind of projects I wanna build ahead of time. Plus I still want to have some cute projects around here too. Having a modern and cute town just sounds like me. I only hope the rest of the villagers will agree with the theme."

"The villagers aren't very picky about that sort of things," Isabelle informed her, "You could make this town look totally girly for all I care and the male villagers won't like you any less."

"Not even Fang?" said Roll, "he seems to take pride in his masculinity. Rudy as well."

"Oh they'll survive," said Isabelle, waving their need for manliness off, "I'm sure they'll take a blow to their self pride if it means it would make you happy." Roll just looked rather uncertain.

"Am I really worth them doing that?" she asked. Isabelle and Sakura just looked at her with annoyed and irritated faces.

"Guess that was a dumb question," Roll retorted as she cowered back a bit, "Well...getting back to business...can you take care of that demolition request Isabelle?"

"Actually," said Isabelle, "I was gonna tell you that if you set up a new project first. You have one project under development while another is being demolished. It would make project development go alot faster...assuming you've got the funds to donate the project cost in full by the end of the day.

"I should," said Roll, "Last time I checked, I had well over 87 million bells in my account." Sakura's mouth went agape.

"How on earth did you get so much money?" she asked curiously. Roll just smiled.

"Remember that I can learn things quickly," said Roll smugly, "and let's just say I learned the tricks of the trade to the stalk market. And I've got the gold turnip trading badge to prove it!" Roll showed off her TPC, which had a gold pin showing that she had acquired bronze, silver, and gold badges for earning enough profits from turnip trading. Sakura just blinked as her mouth hung open until Isabelle closed it shut for her.

"Guess I never took Joan's turnips that seriously," said Sakura.

"I can't take all the credit," said Roll, "Shenran, Bacon, and now Lemon let me keep tabs on their stalk market prices since I met them. I didn't even need to wait for the prices to be over 300 bells either. I got lucky a few times, especially this week where Shenran's town was selling for 602 bells a turnip and I sold around 25,000 turnips."

"How on earth do you carry all those turnips?" said Sakura, "even if you max out your storage. The most you can carry at once is 19,600 turnips!" Roll chuckled to herself.

"It pays to have good friends to help carry the turnips with you," said Roll, "And I give them a share of the profits too."

"Lucky, I want in next time," said Sakura, "I hardly even have roughly a few million in my account."

"Well I skipped the trade for this week, but next Sunday if you want to pitch in we can do that," said Roll, "geez, why am I getting so distracted lately?"

"You have alot on your mind Sis," said Sakura, "it happens to me all the time. Now where am I exactly?"

"Very funny," said Roll, "Now let me check the list of public works projects so see what I can set up for donations and then we can demolish the bridge and have the area cleared for rebuilding tomorrow. Guess I'll worry about what kind of bridge to add later."

"How many projects do you have listed?" Sakura asked.

"About 90," said Isabelle, "and that doesn't include the projects and renovations you unlock for getting a perfect town. Normally, I'd make you stand in front of my desk for town satisfaction, but I'll just sum it for you here just this once. Everyone loves all the greenery and nature, but they feel the town feel rather underdeveloped and they would like a few more public works projects.

"That won't be too difficult, at least I hope so," said Roll, "if it isn't getting villagers upset, paying for the costs, and choosing the projects, the only other issue is just the fact we can only do one project a day."

"Rome wasn't built in a day Mayor Roll," said Isabelle, "but trust me, the time and effort you put into town development will be well worth it. The villagers already love you as it is, developing the town will show just how much you love and care about them."

"I hope so," said Roll as she continued to scroll though all the project requests, "Hmm...I really would like to set up a location for a water fountain."

"That can be arranged," said Isabelle, "let's go see where you would like to build it." Roll smiled as she hopped off the chair and Sakura followed until Isabelle stopped her.

"You are gonna stay here and keep out of trouble!" said Isabelle, "this is mayoral business only. Visitors can't get involved in town development." Sakura took offense.

"Am I mayor too you know!" Sakura protested.

"I'm already bending the rules having you here while Roll sets up the project," said Isabelle, "You're gonna be a good girl and do what Mommy says."

"You're not _my_ Mommy!" Sakura pouted and crossed her arms over her chest bitterly.

"Sakura!" said Roll sternly, "just sit and do what she says!" Sakura glared bitterly as Roll turned away to leave town hall. Roll had barely exited the building when she felt something kick her in her rear and then saw Sakura dash away giggling.

"You're asking for it!" Roll bellowed as Sakura's giggled faded into the distance, "Ugh, now I know how Mabel feels! You're the youngest and yet you feel like you're the only one who knows how to be mature!"

"Now you know how I feel with Digby," said Isabelle bluntly. Roll looked stunned since Isabelle and Digby were twins and then remembered a key piece of information about them.

"Oh right, he came out first," said Roll, "Well never mind, let's get to work Isabelle." The shi-tzu nodded as they scouted about for a location for the water fountain. Fortunately it didn't take much longer before they found an ideal location near Retail and just in front of the right side of the newly growing foreign and tropical fruit orchard.

"There! Lloid is all set!" said Isabelle once she had finished roping a three by three space area, "This would be a perfect place to set up a water fountain!"

"And hopefully," Roll added excitedly, "all my fruit trees will survive! Now I'll have all my fruit in one location! Well...minus the apples of course, but they do technically have their own location."

"That's true," said Isabelle, "and while we're out here, let's go fence up the bridge so people know that it will be torn down by tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Roll nodded as then stopped, "Oh wait a minute Isabelle! Can you wait here for a bit? I'll be right back!" Isabelle looked rather stunned as Roll ran as fast as her feet could take her. The blonde girl was out of breath by the time she returned.

"I had to make a withdraw," Roll panted and paid off the project in full.

"Don't you want to see if the villagers would have contributed?" Isabelle asked and Roll shook her head.

"They've helped pay for some of the other projects," said Roll, "and some of them are gonna come down. I'd rather take care of the costs for some of these projects myself." Isabelle chuckled to herself.

"Always so responsible," Isabelle replied. She couldn't condemn the girl for wanting to handle things alone. She was the same way. They were both learning that getting help from others was nothing to be ashamed of. Despite that, they still liked to be able to take care of business on their own.

"Now we can go fence off the bridge," said Roll. Isabelle smiled as the two girls walked a few yards and found that several of the villagers were near the said bridge. Lolly and Margie were having a chat. Benjamin and Alfonso were fishing together close by. And Whitney was leaning against the cobblestone railing and just listening to the rush of the flowing water beneath her.

"Attention everyone!" Roll called out, but her voice was so soft that nobody heard her but Isabelle.

"What happened to that booming voice of confidence that knew how to give inspiration speeches?" Isabelle asked her in shock, "and could also tell off mean bullies?" Roll released a loud huff, feeling rather embarassed.

"Give me a break, I haven't done a public announcement in weeks!" Roll retorted and cleared her throat, "Attention everyone!" This time Roll's voice was much louder and everyone turned to face her.

"Why hello Roll, Isabelle," said Whitney, greeting them first, "what's going on, snappy?"

"Considering you're with Isabelle, bonbon," Lolly added, "It must be something important."

"Shouldn't we be at the event plaza if there's going to be an announcement, tootie?" Margie asked Roll.

"I...guess I didn't think of that," said Roll, feeling rather stupid that she could have settled this issue regarding the town renovations with everyone at once herself.

"This isn't anything that important...for right now at least," said Isabelle, "we just need you all to get off the bridge." The five villagers looked puzzled.

"Why?" Alfonso asked.

"We're...gonna tear the bridge down," said Roll.

"GASP!" said all five villagers.

"Why do you wanna do that, alrighty?" Benjamin wondered.

"We've had this bridge since we first moved here, tootie!" Margie protested.

"It's the easiest ways for most of us to get from our homes to retail, bonbon!" Lolly added.

"The other bridge is so far out of the way! This bridge is much faster when it comes from crossing the river and heading into main street, snappy," Whitney explained.

"Why do you want to make traveling around the town harder, it'sa me!" Alfonso cried out and soon everyone was shouting their protests all at once. Roll could feel herself growing flustered by the minute. However, Roll wasn't the same girl she was when she first started as mayor. She wasn't going to let them shut her down...or start crying for that matter. She balled her fists for a moment before shouting:

"EVERYONE QUIET!"

All five villagers stopped talking at once and looked at her. Roll took a slow deep breath before facing them directly. Isabelle was rather impressed.

"Now there's the Roll I know," Isabelle said to herself.

"I'm not going to tear down the bridge forever," Roll explained slowly, "All I plan to do is tear it down so I can build a new one. A better and maybe even prettier bridge. A bridge that will fit with my overall theme for the town, which would go along the lines of modern, trendy, and of course cute. I am hoping you guys won't mind taking the long way back to town for a couple of days. I already paid for a new water fountain so by tomorrow I can have Lloid set up for rebuilding a brand new bridge." The villagers just stared and then smiled.

"Oh! Well that make sense why you would knock down the bridge," said Lolly.

"Sorry for jumping the gun, snappy," Whitney added, feeling rather embarassed for her outburst, "You know I can be rather fussy sometimes."

"Yeah I new bridge would be kind of cool," said Alfonso, "Hopefully, you can find one that is both cool and cute, it'sa me."

"An all cute bridge wouldn't be a bad thing, alrighty," Benjamin replied, "it would be a great place for a date." Alfonso rolled his eye as Benjamin sighed to himself.

"Romance, romance, romance," said Alfonso annoyingly, "It's all you've been talking about since we got back from the trip to Tortimer's home! Why don't you just ask the girl out already!"

"Who are you asking out, tootie?" Margie asked excitedly as everyone was looking at Benjamin, whose face went from golden yellow to deep red.

"I...I...I..." Benjamin stuttered, "I just remembered that it's time for my mid-afternoon snack! See ya, alrighty!" Benjamin then took off towards the perfect apple orchard. Alfonso just watched him disappear.

"He's not fooling anyone, it'sa me!" Alfonso said, rolling his eyes, "I just wish he'd ask her out already and stop stalling." Roll had a good idea who Alfonso was talking about, but said nothing.

"Asking someone out is alot harder that you think, bonbon," said Lolly.

"Yeah, even girls like us can get flustered when we want to ask a cute guy to hang out with us for a date, tootie," Margie added, "hey, even Whitney here gets flustered!"

"I don't get flustered, snappy," Whitney retorted indignantly, "I just play hard to get!"

"Yeah you play so hard to get that they stop trying," Lolly teased.

"Oh very funny," Whitney shot back indignantly. Roll just giggled.

"Well, I'm glad that we've come to an understanding about the bridge," said Roll, "So...how do we..."

"Actually Roll, we don't need to fence off the current bridge after all," said Isabelle, "The demolition will just occur in during dawn and by the time sunrise arrives, the place will be cleared and cleaned of any handiwork. The villagers can just enjoy the bridge for the rest of the day like normal."

"Oh...okay...great!" said Roll, "Then I guess you'll only have to deal with no bridge tomorrow then."

"Great," said Whitney, "I didn't want to cut my down time listening the water short, snappy."

"Why can't you do that near your house, bonbon?" Lolly asked, "You literally live along the edge of the river, near a waterfall for crying out loud!" Whitney just glared.

"We all have our special spots that we like to call our own, snappy," Whitney explained, "This spot near the bridge happens to be mine. Is that a crime?" Lolly just looked hurt.

"Sorry, was just asking, bonbon," the grey-stripped cat replied apologetically. Whitney gave her a smile to assure her it was alright. Roll and Isabelle exchanged a smile before heading back to town hall. They found that the pink haired girl hadn't come back.

"Guess Sakura is exploring the town," said Isabelle since the pink haired girl hadn't returned.

"Sigh, she gonna give me more work with building this town," said Roll to herself, "That girl can be quite a wrecking ball when she's hyper."

"How do you know that?" said Isabelle, "maybe she just went to go entertain herself."

"That's what worries me," Roll groaned.

"You worry too much," said Isabelle, "Now just let me finish the regulation papers and collect the demolition fee and then you can go track her down."

"Alright," said Roll, but she couldn't help worrying that by the time she stepped out of town hall she would be walking right into the apocalypse. Roll was relieved that wasn't the case when she did finally finish her business with Isabelle and found that nothing appeared to be damaged. All the new paths were in place, the flowers hadn't been trampled on and were still sparkling from being watered, the trees she planted were still growing nice and strong, the lights to her house were on...

"Wait a minute!" Roll exclaimed, "my lights were off when I left...SAKURA!" Roll angrily stomped over to her house and opened the door. She balled her fists to find that cushions from the sofas were scattered everywhere and she found muddy foot stains all over the floor. She then heard someone giggling and laughing upstairs. Roll made her way up and found Sakura bouncing happily on top of her bed, making the sheets wrinkly as well as soiled from Sakura's still dirty feet.

"Hey, I was wondering when you'd get here!" Sakura replied giddily as she hopped off the bed, "So are you done with your town business before...are you okay?" Her innocence only made Roll's temper flare. Roll angrily grabbed the front of Sakura's dress and pulled the girl's face into her own.

"I'm going to the island to raise some additional funds," Roll said slowly through her teeth.

"But don't you already have..."

"I still need another few million for a badge plus I'm giving you time to clean up _my house_!" Roll continued, now raising her voice, "You have until then to get this place back how I left it otherwise you'll learn _that the little one can beat up the big one!_ UNDERSTAND!?" Sakura whimpered before nodded fearfully before Roll shoved her way and headed downstairs.

"I always messed things up," said Sakura sadly, "I'm not a good sister..." Sakura could feel her eyes water as she headed first into the bathroom the clean her feet. Roll was still fuming by the time she reached the dock where Kapp'n was waiting.

"Hold on thar ya lassie," he said, "Yar not stepping on me boat like this!"

"Why!" Roll demanded.

"A good captain knows when ye sea be rough," he answered, "and you looks like a wee engine seeming fit to burst! Better deal with that now rather later, yar!" Roll just looked unamused before she walked over to a palm tree and shrieked. She began to angrily punch and jab the tree for a couple of minutes to blow off steam. When she had finished, she just walked over to Kapp'n looking a bit drained as well as embarassed.

"Sorry, Kapp'n," said Roll quietly, "I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I just have been feeling so...worthless lately...when I shouldn't feel that way at all." Kapp'n just gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Yar, I can sees the water be calm enough to sea travel," he replied, "Hop in lass! Ye captain be in a good mood tonight, so on the house." Roll looked up at him and just smiled.

"I can still..."

"I won't be taking it tonight lass," he answered, "as long as you don't interrupt me shanties." Roll just chuckled as she hopped in and Kapp'n was on their way. Once Roll saw Kapp'n had been able to keep his southern hemisphere under control, she felt much better and was able to enjoy her alone time at the Island. Well...not completely alone. Little Leila also made it her personal mission to make Roll happy so the blonde girl did get some extra company with her bug hunting and fishing that evening. Roll was definitely feeling in good spirits when Kapp'n returned her back to Animal Town.

"Thanks Kapp'n," said Roll, "I feel much better."

"Anytime, lass," said Kapp'n as he began to eat a leftover cucumber sandwich. Roll was glad he had waited till after taking her to eat _that_ before selling off the items she had collected inside of her basket.

"Another 370,000 bells," said Roll to herself, "that's pretty good for a full basket. I guess I can give Sakura a few more minutes so I can make a deposit." Roll headed straight for main street when she saw a figure entering the train station.

"Huh?" Roll pondered as she headed inside and found Sakura with her suitcase.

"Sakura?" she asked gently. Sakura jumped. Roll noticed that her cheeks were tear stained. A clear sign she had been crying.

"You're house is cleaned up!" she protested, "I even washed my feet too! Just let me go home and I won't bother you anymore!" Roll looked at her sadly and grabbed her suitcase.

"I'm sorry Sakura," said Roll, "I was just stressed out from everything. I almost had to stop a riot from breaking out over the bridge being torn down and renovated. You tearing up my house didn't help and FYI: I may be barefoot all the time, but I always wipe my feet before going inside!"

"I'm sorry," said Sakura, looking ashamed, "I was just upset that I got shut out from helping you with the public works projects. I only wanted to have a little fun and I guess I overdid it. The forgetting to wipe my feet was an accident. I didn't realize how much I had soiled your floor and cushions until I started cleaning up the mess. Anyways, I'll just be going now."

"No, you can stay," said Roll, "we were gonna have a sleep over remember?"

"You...still want to?" said Sakura, "I thought I was just annoying."

"You can be," said Roll honestly, "but you are a very loyal and supportive friend, not to mention by big sister. So please stay...I've done all I wanted to do today, aside from depositing some more bells into my account. We can have some fun now!" Sakura smiled as she gave Roll a warm hug, which the blonde girl returned with a giggle.

"Let's go to the nightclub!" said Sakura. Roll gave her a worried look.

"Oh do we have do?" Roll groaned, "I'm not a very good dancer..."

"Neither am I," Sakura replied and Roll just smiled.

"Alright," said Roll, "We can go to the club right after we take your suitcase back home and I make my deposit okay."

"Sure," Sakura replied excitedly, "Then we party and drink lots of soda!"

"No soda!"

"Aww..." Roll laughed as they headed back to her house, made her deposit, and then stayed up late into the night dancing with DJ KK.

The next morning, Roll was woken up to the sound of someone knocking at her door.

"Ugh...morning already?" she groaned as she saw her clock and found that it was already past 9am.

"Are you serious? I feel like I just went to bed," she said rather sleepily. She sat up to find Sakura was still sleeping soundly.

"Sakura it's past nine!" Roll called out gently, "Time to get up!" Sakura's only reply was turning over, snoring loudly, and then hearing a rather loud "Pfffft". Roll rolled her eyes.

"So ladylike," Roll muttered.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"Okay I'm coming!" she shouted as she scooted out of bed and headed downstairs. She opened the door to find a very annoyed Isabelle.

"You were sleeping this entire time?" the shi-tzu exclaimed, "I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past couple of hours now! You're late for a very important meeting!"

"What meeting?" Roll yawned, "You never told me about a meeting! Plus if it is water fountain ceremony, we could do that anytime of the day!"

"It's not the water fountain," said Isabelle, "There's a meeting this morning at the event plaza and you're late for it!"

"I'm not," said Roll indignantly with her hands on her hips, "You never told me about a meeting for this morning. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not late, everybody is just early." Roll couldn't help but sound a bit pompous when she said that last part. Isabelle rolled her eyes at her.

"You've been hanging around Whitney too much," Isabelle retorted.

"She's teaching me to be a proper lady," Roll shot back.

PFFFFFFFFT!

Apparently Sakura had tooted once more and this time it was heard by both girls downstairs. Roll just sighed as Isabelle made a face.

"Guess Sakura doesn't pay much attention to Diana's advice on being a lady," Roll muttered.

"Never mind that Mayor," said Isabelle, "you need to get dressed and meet me at the event plaza ASAP! Now move, move, move, MOVE, MOVE!" Isabelle tried pushing Roll upstairs, but Roll roughly shoved her off.

"Okay, okay!" Roll protested, "Just have a seat and I'll be down and dressed in five minutes!" Isabelle tapped her watch as Roll rushed upstairs. Within three minutes, Roll had dressed into a candy gingham tee, dry denim skirt, and her hair in a pony tail with a pink ribbon on the side of her head.

"How do I look?" Roll asked with a slow twirl.

"Cute," said Isabelle, only half paying attention and tapped her foot impatiently as she grabbed Roll's hand and pulled her towards the plaza. They had just pasted the now constructed fountain before Roll, pulled away from Isabelle.

"Quit rushing me will you!" said Roll, now irritated with Isabelle's pushy behavior.

"Come on Mayor!" Isabelle snapped impatiently, "We have to..." Isabelle was shushed as Roll put a finger over her mouth. Isabelle glared and Roll matched it.

"We're not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on!" Roll demanded, "You never told me about any meeting this morning at the event plaza. I checked my phone when I was getting dressed and there were no messages from you despite you saying you've been trying to get a hold of me this entire time! Now stop pulling and rushing me and tell me what this is about!" Isabelle continued to glare, not willing to say anything, but after a minute of Roll's glaring Isabelle snorted.

"I liked it better when you used to back down," she remarked.

"Well excuse me for learning to defend myself!" Roll replied sternly and clearly offended, "I'm going back to bed. You're on your own with explaining why everyone had to be at the plaza!" Roll only took two steps before she felt Isabelle grab her hand.

"Alright, alright, I confess," said Isabelle, "I...went over your head a little..."

"WHAT?" Roll bellowed angrily.

"I made a public announcement that you were going to speak to them about your development plans this morning," said Isabelle, "You're usually up early in the morning. How was I supposed to know you would pick today to sleep in?" Roll was very angry.

"That was not what I asked you to do Isabelle!" Roll yelled, "I asked you to conduct a survey for me to determine which projects I should keep and which projects the villager's didn't mind being removed or replaced!" Isabelle just sighed and looked at her with a firm look on her face.

"Roll, I just can't do that," said Isabelle, "I'm not authorized to conduct such a survey." Roll just blinked and slapped her forehead.

"Why didn't you tell me that yesterday?!" Roll asked, "Ugh you told me you would take care of this and _now_ you're telling me otherwise! Is there anything else you've been lying to me about as well? Cause you better come clean before I decide I can't trust you!" Isabelle's stern glare melted away and now she just felt rather guilty.

"Roll, I'm sorry I said I would take care of it," Isabelle replied quietly, "I had forgotten that I wasn't authorized to do such a survey other than town satisfaction. Plus Lolly did suggest we could have told everyone about your construction ideas all at once and I figured you could do just that this morning. Remember how you handled the whole incident with the bridge yesterday? Like you told me before, you know how to defend yourself Roll and you have no problem speaking in front of crowds and motivating others. You can tell everyone yourself about your master plan for Animal Town." Roll just sighed but she was still angry with the shi-tzu as she crossed her arms around her chest.

"You still should've run this by me first," said Roll quietly, "I really hate it when people make decision for me behind my back. It doesn't help me feel like my feelings or opinions matter...to anybody..."

"Roll, I'm only doing what is best for you," Isabelle answered calmly, "none of the villagers have the right to stop or prevent you from building certain projects and demolishing them. Same goes for renovating them. You're are given full control of how and where this town get developed. Have I ever steered you wrong or put you in a position you couldn't handle?"

"No," said Roll, "I guess I can see your point. I care alot about the feelings and opinions of the villagers too Isabelle. It means alot to me that I have their support to do this. I don't need any opposition. I guess I speak to them." Isabelle just smiled and held Roll's hand.

"If you tell them what you just told me," Isabelle informed her, "You will get that support. Now come on. Let's do this!" Roll looked at Isabelle nervously and just nodded as she let out a long sigh. The two made their way to the event plaza where the other twelve villagers were their waiting.

"What took so long, cha-chomp?" Fang demanded, feeling a bit irritated at having to wait.

"Sorry Fang," said Roll, "I slept in by accident."

"I hope this is important," Fang continued, "I had to wake up earlier than my usual time to be here."

"You and me both, purrty," Katt yawned.

"If it's involving Roll, I'm sure it is very important, sulky," said Marshal, "I'm sure she will tell us what's going on. Right Beautiful?" Roll couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks Marshal," said Roll, "Isabelle...I mean...I called you here this morning because this has to do with Animal Town. Some of you may be aware that I have torn down the bridge leading to Retail, but I plan to set up Lloid so I can make a different kind of bridge. There are a couple of public works projects around there that I want to either renovate to a different style or tear down to make something else."

"That is what this is all about, cha-chomp," said Fang, "You don't need to discuss that with us! I mean, we're glad that you're finally starting to really take town development more seriously. But this isn't anything to wake us all up so early in the morning."

"Yes it is, Fang," Roll continued, "It is important that you are all aware of this. I have a very good long term memory. I remember all the fuss that went down when I built my first public works project and I won't have you all tearing each other apart when it comes to deciding which projects to keep and which projects to tear down. That also includes which projects I decide to add to the town as well. I might have the final say in what gets built around here, but I really care about your opinions too. What you want and say matters to me. Thanks to Sakura, I know which projects would benefit the town and which ones don't. But I wanna know from all of you. Are there projects you wish I keep? Cause worst case, I might just relocate them, but I will keep them for your sake." The villagers were quiet for a moment and then took a step closer as they gathered before Roll. Then they quickly huddled up for a few seconds before they pushed Benjamin to approach her.

"Roll, we all appreciate the fact that you are so kind hearted that you would take the time to listen to our feelings and needs for public works projects, alrighty," said Benjamin, "while we have our own public works projects that we love and cherish. We just want you to be happy."

"Really?" said Roll surprised.

"This town is your art canvas," said Lolly, "Don't be ashamed to take our town and make it your own artistic creation, bonbon."

"No matter what you decide to do with the public works projects, kitten," Purrl added, "it's what you feel in your heart that is most important. You need to decide yourself, which projects would go best for the town."

"You've already proven you've got a high class sense of style, sulky," put in Marshal, "We know we're leaving the town in good hands."

"So to make this simple, cha-chomp," Fang concluded, "Don't worry so much about us getting angry or bitter with what you chose for build or renovate around here. We'll support you one hundred percent!"

"Because we love you!" Rosie and Bunnie said together and everyone else nodded in agreement. Roll's eyes twinkled. She not only felt peace of mind, but she felt more confident.

"Thank you everyone," said Roll, "Today's bridge is just the beginning. In the next few days this town is gonna break ground on several different projects. I'll try to lighten the financial burden as much as I can on my own..."

"NO!" said Margie.

"We wanna help, it'sa me," said Alfonso.

"We don't mind pitching in like we always do, snappy," Whitney added.

"Even if it is for a project we've paid for, mush," said Rudy, "You don't have to do this alone. We've got your back!" Roll just smiled excitedly and nodded in agreement. She couldn't wait to get to work.

Two weeks had now passed and what a difference those fourteen days had made. Animal Town had gone from a construction zone to a well developed town loaded with various public works projects placed about the town. The North part was ironically the most developed despite containing a rather large perfect apple orchard. Roll had kept the street lamps, which were standard ones, but had added a fairy tale clock, fire hydrant, and water pump spaced about the trees. Just outside the orchard along the way to the station was a trash can, which despite being considered a negative project, was well received by all the villagers and Reese and Cyrus. They had revealed that their trash disposal services were not very profitable for them and they were just the middle people to a bigger recycling service. (and it was not owned by Tom Nook). Along the north side of the river, Roll had kept the zen bench but had also added a wind turbine near Margie's house and then added a beautiful wind mill between Purrl's house and the campsite. The river now had three beautiful bridges. The bridge behind retail had been redone first into a fairy tale bridge and the bridge closest to the waterfall had been turned into a zen bridge. A third fairy tale bridge had also been added near the upper part of the river near Whitney's house, which the wolf welcomed greatly since it added easy access to main street for her as well as Katt.

South of the river had fewer projects but they were definitely stand outs. At the southern tip of the town was a brand new lighthouse, which was a perfect fit since the beach was just below. Heading west was the new water fountain and Roll had relocated the instrument shelter so it was in the heart of the fruit orchard. Currently Roll was adding a nice little playground just in front of the police station. She had already added a tire toy and a jungle gym and today she had found the location for the sandbox after some train and error.

"Is _this_ far away enough from the tire toy? Roll asked in annoyance, wearing a dapper dress with her hair in a pony tail and a dapper styled headband. Isabelle looked where she was standing and gave her a smile.

"This will do just fine," said Isabelle.

"Finally!" Roll asked in exasperation. Isabelle giggled as she fenced the one by two area for the project and set up Lloid.

"I seem to be getting alot of action recently," said Lloid, "but no matter! I'm happy to be of service to you Mayor Roll!"

"Thanks, Lloid," said Roll, "now let me just..."

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" said Bunnie and handed the gyroid the 36,000 bells for construction.

"The project goal for the project had been reached," said Lloid, "Thank you for your contribution."

"Yay! The playground will be complete by tomorrow!" said Bunnie excitedly, "I can't wait to come and play here!" Roll just chuckled but still shook her head. Out of all fourteen projects that had been done the last two weeks, Roll had been lucky to even pitch in for one of them, but she still welcomed all the towns support. never the less.

"How much more construction do you think you're gonna do?" Isabelle asked curiously.

"I was just considering a picnic area near the lake behind town hall," Roll replied, "and renovating the benches since I did tear down that really pretty fairy tale bench near Retail...along with the log bench."

"Well you don't need to build everything at once," said Isabelle, "Plus keep in mind, you can only built up to thirty projects in town. You're already got well over twenty as it is."

"If that's true," said Roll, "We should go see what the town satisfaction is!" Isabelle smiled as they dashed away, leaving Bunnie behind as they rushed back to town hall. Isabelle made her way towards the front of her desk and looked about her papers.

"Now where is that...oh here it is," said Isabelle as Roll waited eagerly before her desk, "So you want to hear about citizen satisfaction correct?"

"Yes Isabelle," said Roll. Isabelle then scanned the sheet of paper and smiled.

"Goodness Gracious," Isabelle read, "I'd say from an academic standpoint, this town is absolutely amazing! The citizen say that this town is simply the best! They never want to leave!"

"YAY!" Roll shouted excitedly, jumping up and down excitedly, "I have a perfect town! I did it!"

"Congratulations Mayor Roll!" said Isabelle, "You're dream of making Animal Town an ideal destination has finally paid off. As a reward for your hard work, I have been granted a new public works project...the flower clock!"

"Oh that would be so cool to have a clock made out of flowers!" said Roll, "Another good project to build at a later time!"

"I figured you would do that," said Isabelle, "Also you can now renovate the town hall as well!"

"Alright! Modern town hall look here I come!" said Roll excitedly.

"One step at a time Roll, one step at a time," Isabelle said calmly, "but you've really done a great job in making Animal Town a well developed town. You've certainly made Animal Town a great place to live."

"I can't take all the credit," said Roll, "I had the love and support of all the villagers believing in me."

"Don't forget your loving sister too!"

"Sakura!" Roll exclaimed as she saw the pink haired girl wearing a pink Gracie tank, dry denim pedal pushers and hair in her downward pigtails and a straw hat. She had also stayed barefoot. In fact, every time she came to Animal Town now she never wore shoes anymore. Roll rushed into Sakura's arms for a big hug, which the elder girl couldn't help but lift Roll off her feet to return it before setting her down.

"This place has really become something special," said Sakura, "now whenever I come here to play I can say that this town is Roll's town."

"Yeah..." said Roll with a warm smile on her face, "This...is my town. Most importantly...this is my home..."

A home Roll felt very proud of.

 **With the exception of town hall and train station renovation projects, I believe you can't have all the public works projects available on your list at once. I was told after so many were requested, the oldest requested project disappears. I think that's true, but for this story. I'm gonna say if you play enough...you can get all of them on the list...assuming you're under the thirty project limit of course.**

 **Also, it is possible to earn over 50 million bells in turnip trading in a just a few months. One way is to buy alot of turnips at once (and I'm talking tens of thousands) and sell them over and over again each. Plus knowing when to buy and when to sell, and having other towns you can go to for selling can make earning money by turnips very easy. Especially if you buy in large amounts. FYI: the highest price I've sold turnips in my game was 610 bells and I sold about 11,000 turnips so the 602 is a possible, but very rare, selling price.**

 **NOTE: I hope those who have read from start to this point have enjoyed Roll's adventures. I know this story arc was a bit slow but things will pick up with holidays like Halloween and Christmas around the corner. Plus someone suggested an arc where Roll returns to the orphanage she came from and I have that planned in a future arc. But please for my daughter's sake, if you won't want to read anymore, that fine, but don't go posting reviews bashing her character or telling me to end the series! Reviews like this in the future will be dealt with severely because that's considered by friends and family as bullying. Thank you.**

 **NOTE2: I do hear you guys when you say that there are grammar issues in each chapter. I do proofread but with chapters this lengthy it's hard to get everything even when you reread them a few times. Just know that I will try to go back in the future to earlier chapters and do more polishing. Chapter 1-10 have been given a polishing so you can reread those again if you wish.**

 **Here's the preview for the next arc: Spooky Tales: As Halloween approaches Roll is out to find the elusive Jack and earn some rare goodies, but everyone thinks Roll is too cute to scare anybody for candy. Can Shenran and Anemone (aka Lemon) help Roll embrace her "kowai" (scary) side?**

 **See you next time! If you dare...MWA-HAHAHAHAH!**


	45. Spooky Tales Part 1

Spooky Tales Part 1:

Autumn had finally was showing its presence in Animal Town. The grounds and trees were changing from light greens to golden yellows. Yet while nature showed signs of fall around town. The temperatures were still quite on the warm side. Roll was glad since she had barely switched from tanks and strapless tops and dresses to wearing tees and short sleeved dresses. She didn't want to warm her warmer tops and dresses just yet and the especially included...ugh...shoes.

Today she had picked an overalls dress with a yellow tee and her straw hat with her hair in downward pigtails. Yet unlike the past. Labelle helped her customize her straw hat so it had a yellow ribbon on it instead of the traditional black ribbon. As for town development, Roll was pretty much complete with it for now. Over the course of two weeks, she had changed the two benches near the cafe with a modern bench and fairy tale bench. But she had also added a statue fountain between them for some "extra flare" as she described it. She had also kept her word about adding a picnic blanket behind town hall and had also added a large illuminated tower near Rosie's house just before the ramp to the pier where Kapp'n would dock his boat. Lastly, Roll had given both her town hall and train station a modern renovation as well. She had earned the train station renovation thanks to Shenran, Bacon, Lemon, and Sakura. Sakura had already made a few dozen visits to Animal Town on her own but once Roll had told her she wanted to renovate the train station, she and the rest of her mayor friends decided to pay her a couple of visits daily to help her increase her visitor points. Some even came twice, like Sakura, just to help her get points faster.

Today had also marked the day that Roll's town had been perfect for fifteen days. As a reward, she had earned herself the golden watering can. This watering can was capable of watering nine flowers at once in a three by three grid. Roll was more than excited to try it out. In fact, she was using it to water some of her flowers. Now that her flowers had been rearranged, she was just trying to fill up the empty spaces between them. Roll found that the extra spaces were making fossil hunting rather difficult since some of the daily dig spots were well hidden amongst the flowers. She was not looking forward to another two hour session of "find the fossil" as she continued to do her watering. At the moment, she was just giving her blue roses a drink and humming a happy tune.

SHUFFLE-SHUFFLE

"What was that?" Roll exclaimed as she stopped her watering. All she heard was silence for a few seconds as she looked around the area. Roll didn't see anything suspicious.

"Must have been the wind," said Roll as another gentle gust blew by and went back to watering and humming.

SHUFFLE-SHUFFLE

Roll froze as she heard the sound again. She looked around and still didn't see anyone wondering or shuffling about. Roll just sighed to herself, shrugged her shoulders, and went back to her business.

SHUFFLE-SHUFFLE-SHUFFLE

"Okay why is there somebody shuffling about in the first place?" Roll asked annoyingly, "If you want to come talk to me, just get out of your hiding place and say something already! Quit with the shuffling in the bushes!" Roll waited impatiently for a response but heard nothing. She then heard the shuffling again and saw that the rustling was near some of the bushes she had planted along the path behind the police station.

"Bunnie! Rosie! If you're the ones trying to scare me, you are so gonna get it!"

"What are you talking about, tee hee?" said the orange rabbit as she appeared at Roll's left.

"I just left my house, silly," the blue cat added as she appeared at Roll's right. Roll noticed the two and then saw the bush still shuffling about.

"If...you guys are here, then...whose over there?" Roll asked, now feeling a bit nervous. Bunnie and Rosie just shrugged their shoulders as Roll saw the shuffling and then glared.

"If you think I want to be scared or jumped at you are so dead wrong!" Roll yelled as she approached the bush, "Just who do you think you're..."

"BAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Roll shrieked loudly as she saw someone wearing a blue cloak with a jack o' lantern for a head. Roll took several steps back and nearly tumbled into her blue roses but managed to regain herself. Roll held a hand over her pumping heart as the figure just laughed.

"Oh, that never gets old!" he chuckled. Roll just glared at the figure.

"Who are you?" she demanded, "and what gives you the right to scare me?"

"Oh I have every reason to scare you," said the pumpkin-headed figure, "For I am Jack! The czar of Halloween!"

"Czar of Halloween?" Roll asked puzzled.

"He's the king of Halloween!" Rosie informed, "The grand pumpkin! The master of the whole Halloween event that happens around the world every year!"

"You mean trick or treating?" Roll asked.

"Exactly," said Bunnie, "didn't you...oh...right...sorry I asked!" Roll just gave the rabbit a bitter glare. She hated being reminded of all the things she had been excluded from or shut out of growing up. Yet ironically, trick or treating wasn't one of them.

"I bet you must be wondering why I have revealed myself to you, pumpkin," said Jack. Roll just looked at him rather skeptically. It didn't help that Jack had just called Roll a pumpkin.

"Considering you nearly scared me out of my dress, an explanation would be nice," Roll answered. Jack just laughed.

"Very well," he replied, "This is the month of October and I, the czar of Halloween, have been looking for you!"

"I see," said Roll, still just looking at him skeptically.

"But you must be wondering why I have been seeking you!" Jack proclaimed, "and be rest assured that that today is not October 31st!"

"Obviously," Roll remarked.

"That means there is still time!" said Jack excitedly, "for I have a very special request for you!"

"A request?" Roll asked curiously.

"Indeed," said Jack, "All during the month of October the Nookling brothers and Able Sisters sell exclusive Halloween items. The most important items in this case would be scary masks and candy! Oh how I love candy. Candy, candy, candy, candy. CANDY!"

"Oh brother," Roll muttered to herself. _And I thought Sakura was a candy addict!_

"So here's the deal, pumpkin," Jack continued, "On the night of Halloween, you will wear these special masks and try to scare off your fellow villagers!"

"Why...would I want to scare people?" Roll asked. Jack looked stunned but then smiled once more.

"Why being scary is what Halloween is all about, pumpkin!" said Jack, "And getting lots of candy! Oh candy, candy, candy, candy, CANDY!"

"Here we go again," Roll muttered.

"Indeed," said Jack, "by scaring the villagers, you can earn yourself some delicious candy! And if you can find what masks terrify villagers the most, they will give you even better candies. You must collect these masks, scare the villagers, and bring me lots of candy! If you are successful, I'll give you rare goodies that you can't find anywhere else!" That got a smile on Roll's face.

"Rare goodies huh," said Roll, "Well...okay...I'll do it." Jack smiled excitedly.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed, "It didn't take me long to find me a helper. If you need a clue, the masks that are used for Halloween all sell for 1031 bells, which is a tribute to my favorite date of the year!"

"That's a pretty obvious clue," said Roll, "but it does make identifying the masks easier."

"Now I must be off, pumpkin," said Jack, "but don't forget. Stock up on extra candy when you can. You'll need it for your own sake as well as mine!" Jack then did a backward somersault and then disappeared, startling Roll when she realized he was gone.

"Don't forget pumpkin," his voice echoed, "Collect masks, stock up on candy! Then on that fateful night. We will meet again..." Roll shuttered a bit.

"Creepy," she remarked and got back to work watering her flowers. Bunnie and Rosie just looked at the blonde girl.

"So?" Rosie asked.

"So?" Roll answered, not understanding what Rosie was getting at.

"Aren't you going to check the shops for those masks and stock up on candy, tee hee?" Bunnie asked. Roll just continued to water her garden as if she hadn't heard.

"I'll get around to it," Roll answered after a few second of silence. Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other.

"There you go again, silly," said Rosie, "always hiding something."

"I'm not you guys," said Roll, "I'm just not that big on Halloween and it has nothing to do with not getting to go trick or treating. I'm just not that fond of the holiday."

"I see, tee hee," Bunnie answered, "now just answer this next question honestly."

"Yes, I did get the butt end of people scaring me and I didn't like it okay," said Roll, "I get scared easily and it's something I'm really not proud of." Bunnie and Rosie hummed as they exchanged grins quietly to each other.

"I see," said Bunnie, "I guess growing up, you found the idea of Halloween just an excuse for people to tease you and scare you."

"Pretty much," said Roll, seeing that her two best friends weren't going to back down, "At least until I got tired of being scared and learned to tune them out. Then they got bored of me and I spent my Halloweens alone."

"Well, why not participate now that you can, silly?" Rosie suggested, "Now you can be the person doing the scaring instead of being the one people are scaring." Roll just sighed to herself.

"Why do I feel no matter how many times I say no, you're going to try and convince me to say yes?" Roll asked them indignantly.

"Well excuse us if we feel like you're going to miss out on alot of fun," said Bunnie, shrugging her shoulders.

"We only ask cause we think you'll have a great time," said Rosie, "this is the time of year it's fun to be scared. We would like a chance to change your mind, but it's ultimately up to you."

"UGH!" Roll cringed, "Then you go and say something like that and make me feel all guilty!"

"That's not guilt, tee hee," said Bunnie, "that's just your conscience telling you that you don't want to do something you regret. You're not the type of person to bail out on anything or let the past prevent you from having fun or trying something new." Roll just closed her eyes as she hugged her watering can to herself and sighed.

"You're right," said Roll, "I guess I'd feel worse if I didn't try to participate. But I still don't like Halloween in general. After all, I'm not the type of girl who likes scaring people and playing tricks on them. It's not who I am. I'm not a mischievous type of person. I'm a good girl...and I like it that about myself."

"We get it, silly," said Rosie, "but there is a fun and guilt free way to be mischievous and scary. It's gonna be all in good fun Roll. Nobody is gonna be scaring each other at the expense of one another. Besides Roll, you have learned to be brave. I'm sure even you can handle anything spooky." Roll just looked at her feet and then her friends and smiled.

"Alright, I'll give it try," said Roll, "Let's go Halloween shopping."

"ALRIGHT!" Bunnie and Rosie shouted excitedly as they headed towards main street. They entered T&T Emporium and began to scout the shop for items. Roll then noticed a familiar item wrapped nicely in an orange wrapper next to the daily fortune cookies.

"Ah, I see you're interested in some candy," said Tommy, "It's a month long exclusive item. Limited time!"

"How much?" Roll asked.

"Only 200 bells, cheap yes?" the young tanooki answered.

"That's a good price," said Roll, "I'll buy some."

"Thank you for the purchase, so shiny," Tommy replied and then headed off towards another customer.

"That's one piece down," said Roll to her friends as she tucked it into her pockets, "I'm just glad about two things."

"What two things, silly?" Rosie asked curiously.

"One, these candy don't expire and two, I saved a few dozen pieces or so from Easter," Roll answered.

"Good call, tee hee," said Bunnie, "you'll be ready for anything when Halloween comes and you'll get alot of stuff too."

"If that is true," said Roll, "Then why bother scaring anyone?" Bunnie and Rosie exchanged looks. Roll looked at them indignantly.

"Why do you two keep doing that?" said Roll, "I can't tell if you guys think I'm crazy or stupid!"

"We just worry about you sometimes cause we love you, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Plus you're a pretty good listener too. We're surprised you missed that part of the mission."

"What part?" said Roll, "Jack said that I scare people to get candy and then give him candy to get rare stuff!"

"Jack also said that if you can find out which masks scare us the most," Rosie explained, "and you if scare us with it, you can earn special candy that will net you better prizes."

"Prizes that you can't get in stores, tee hee," said Bunnie, "and I know for a fact you're trying to get your gold catalogue badge!"

"That is true," said Roll, "but I only need 80% of the catalogue for that. I could skip those prizes."

"That's a good ten plus items!" Bunnie exclaimed, "Plus a gold badge is earned when you have close to 90% of the catalogue complete! Every exclusive item you can find will help with that!"

"(Sigh) I guess I did miss that part of the explanation," said Roll, "And it looks like scaring people is a must task. But do I have to wear a scary costume?"

"Not at all," said Rosie, "You just have to use the masks to scare us, silly. You can wear whatever costume you want. I'm found this QR code for this really cute ice blue ball gown and a matching tiara and I can't wait to wear it!"

"I'm still thinking about my costume," said Bunnie, "Have you got any ideas Roll?"

"None at all," Roll replied, "Well let's head upstairs then. Maybe Gracie has some costume ideas."

"Wouldn't the Able Sisters be a better place to get a costume?" Rosie suggested, "You could get one custom made and it would be much cheaper too!" Roll chuckled.

"Money isn't really a concern for me," said Roll, "I don't see any harm in looking. I might even find a costume that can help me feel scary." Bunnie and Rosie nodded in agreement as they both headed upstairs. Roll did make a quick pit stop to purchase a spooky clock from Timmy since she was trying to collect the furniture set before they headed to the third level of the Emporium. Roll was rather familiar with the fall series clothes and furniture but still wanted to see what was available. Plus Roll was free to try on any of the clothes minus the shoes. While Roll had no interest in wearing any shoes with her costume, she still kept the pair of striped pumps and western boots she had purchased for sentimental reasons. Roll could see herself wearing the pumps next time it rained. The boots...not so much. Even if she did decide to be a cowgirl for Halloween.

Bunnie and Rosie just browsed around the shop when Roll appeared wearing the Funky Wig, a pulse tank, and acid washed pedal pushers.

"I am the one you fear when you're playing the last level of your favorite video game," Roll said darkly, "when you're drying your hair, when charging your smartphone battery, watching your favorite TV show. I...am...the short-circuit!" Bunnie and Rosie just looked at Roll bored and unamused. Roll just posed for a few seconds before standing up.

"It took me ten whole minutes to come up with that!" she complained, "Fine...I'll try something else!" Roll walked away with a very annoyed look on her face. Bunnie and Rosie kept blank faced before they spluttered laughter.

"That was the cutest thing I've ever seen," Bunnie laughed.

"Oh know right," Rosie added, "It might not be scary, but it certainly creative." They continued to chuckle until they noticed Roll was approaching this time wearing a hot dog hat with the hot dog tank and the acid washed pedal pushers.

"I warned you about eating me last night," said Roll, trying to sound scary, "Now face the wrath of indigestion and nightmares! MWA-HA-HA!" Bunnie and Rosie looked bored and unamused. Roll just stuck her tongue out at both of them.

"I'm trying for crying out loud!" Roll yelled as she headed into the changing room to try again. While Roll was changing once more, Margie arrived.

"Hey girls," said Margie cheerfully.

"Hi Margie," said Bunnie and Rosie together, "what brings you here today?"

"I was just window shopping when I saw you guys here, tootie," said Margie, "what brings you to Gracie-"

"NYA-HA-HA-HA!" said Roll as she popped out of the changing booth now in a witch's robe and hat, trying to sound like a witch, "I've got you now my pretty and your little sketch book too!" Margie just stared and then laughed.

"Oh you are just too cute Roll," said Margie happily, "You always know how to make me laugh, tootie." Roll just looked defeated and walked back into the changing booth without another word. Margie was puzzled.

"Did...I say something wrong?" Margie asked.

"Roll is trying to find her Halloween costume," said Rosie, "and she's trying to see if she can at least put a scary spin on it."

"Why would Roll want to be scary?" Margie asked puzzled.

"Jack," said Bunnie quietly. Margie made an O with her mouth and then nodded in understanding.

"Ah, I see," said Margie, "But Roll is so cute...how can she possibly be scary, tootie?"

"We wish we knew, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"She's tried a few different ideas," said Rosie, "and they were pretty sad."

"We found them more silly than scary," Bunnie added.

"Even the witch's outfit was more cute than scary," Rosie pointed out, "She's not very good at being scary at all." Just then Roll opened the curtain, looking rather upset and making Bunnie and Rosie jump.

"I can hear you," said Roll bitterly, "Just leave me alone."

"Roll...we..."

"I said _leave me alone!_ " Roll yelled as she walked away and out of GracieGrace. Bunnie and Rosie just looked ashamed as well as Margie. True, Margie didn't say anything bad about Roll, but she knew the fact she had laughed at her attempt to be scary had hit a nerve. Roll just exited the shop sadly before making her way towards the Able Sisters.

"Welcome Roll," said Mabel in her cheery tone.

"Hey," said Roll in a glum tone.

"What's up?" Mabel asked, taking noticed of the girl's long face.

"Just feeling a bit discouraged," said Roll.

"Have people been degrading you again?" Mabel asked annoyingly.

"No," said Roll, "just my own best friends don't believe in me."

"What do you mean?" Sable asked as she continued her work at the sewing machine, "Rosie, Bunnie, and Margie have always believed in you."

"That's not what I heard a few minutes ago," said Roll as she sat on the counter and crossed her ankle.

"Are you sure you just didn't misunderstand them?" Sable pressed on.

"They only thing that could have distorted the conversation was a curtain to a changing booth," said Roll.

"A changing booth?" said Sable and then realized where Roll had been, "were you trying on Gracie's clothes?" Roll glared.

"Did I hit a nerve doing so?" she asked bitterly.

"Hey, none of that tone young lady," said Sable in her motherly tone, "I'm not jealous of you buying and wearing Gracie's clothes. I just asked what you were doing there." Roll just sighed to herself as she adjusted the bottom of her dress since it had come up a bit when she sat down.

"Sorry...I was looking for a costume for Halloween," said Roll, "I ran into Jack a couple of hours ago."

"Ah, I see," said Sable, "did you find anything worthwhile?" Roll just looked at her sadly and shook her head.

"At least...nothing that would be cute and I could try to be scary in," said Roll.

"Roll, Halloween might be a time to be scary to some people," said Sable, "but that doesn't mean that you have to try and wear something scary."

"Then how else am I supposed to get candy!" Roll asked, now upset, "Jack said that I need to purchase masks from you guys and use them to scare people into giving me rare candies that will get me rare items! I'm gonna need those items if I wanna complete my catalogue after all."

"Ah, so you agreed to being Jack's helper for the event," said Mabel, "well if you're looking for a Halloween mask, I believe Labelle had one on her display. Which mask did Jack give you?"

"Give me?" said Roll.

"Jack was supposed to give you one random mask to get started," Sable explained. Roll just put her hands on her hips indignantly.

"He didn't give me anything!" Roll exclaimed, "What a rip off!" Roll began to pout but soon softened as she stared at her feet.

"Guess it doesn't really matter anyway," said Roll, "I'm not very good at being scary."

"I'm sure you could if you tried," said Mabel, "it's alot easier than you think."

"Oh really?" Roll answered skeptically, "I just tried on three costumes today: a circuit that crashes your electronics, that sandwich you shouldn't have eaten so late at night, and the traditional witch costume. Bunnie and Rosie just looked bored and all Margie could say was that I looked cute! I was trying to be scary the entire time. That's when I heard them say that I'm just not scary."

"I see," said Mabel, "Here let me test this out. Follow me."

"No thanks," said Roll, "I already made myself look stupid three times today."

"Well if this is the fourth time, you'll get lots of hugs and kisses from auntie Mabel," the blue hedgehog replied, "Now just give this a try for me, please?" Roll just sighed as she scooted off the counter. Mabel handed Roll a moldy dress.

"Eww!" said Roll. Even the material felt old and moist.

"It's not really damp," said Mabel, "but Sable used a special thread that make the cloth feel worn and moist." Roll was rather impressed.

"Momma continues to amaze me," said Roll, "What else do I need?" Mabel then took out a spare monster mask from last year. Roll just smiled as she put the mask on. Then Mabel guided her just outside the area for the accessories. She peeked and saw that Labelle's back was turned. Mabel then gestured for Roll to head inside. Roll slowly approached Labelle until she was just a couple of feet away. That was when Labelle turned around and jumped in surprise.

"ROAR!" Roll shouted, trying to sound scary. Labelle just blinked and then started to laugh.

"Oh you are just so adorable!" Labelle cooed, "You make a cute monster Roll!" Roll just stood still for a moment before just turning to leave without another word. Mabel just watched her walk by and then found her monster mask coming at her full force.

"It's hopeless," said Roll, "I guess I just don't know how to be scary! How in the world am I going to be able to collect any rare candy if I can't scare anyone?"

"Don't give up yet," said Sable, "You need to keep in mind that each villager and non-villagers are each afraid of different things. Even I could have told you the monster mask wouldn't have phased Labelle. She's used to _be_ the family boogey man...err...woman...back in our childhood days."

"I wouldn't have known," said Mabel bluntly, "By the time I was old enough to remember Halloween, we stopped trick or treating altogether! The only year I got to be in it. I wasn't even a year old and I was a sun flower."

"I remember that picture!" said Roll, "Mabel looked so cute! Hey, at least you got to go at least once, even if you don't remember it! This is my first year! I wanna get lots of candy, but if I can't scare anyone, I'm gonna end up with nothing but an empty candy sack! In fact, I don't even have a sack either! Ugh, I've so much to do..."

"Why haven't you been preparing sooner?" Sable asked, "it's already well into the month of October."

"I wasn't really going to participate," said Roll, "Long story short, I just don't like Halloween and back at the orphanage I was the one people enjoyed scaring until they grew bored of me. I might be alot braver Mom and can face the things that scare me, but...I still get scared easily." Roll then noticed a cockroach dangling in front of her face.

"EEK!" Roll shrieked before growling and swiping it away once she realized it was a toy bug. Mabel chuckled as Roll looked at her bitterly.

"Being scared isn't any fun," said Roll sadly. Mabel just smiled and tucked the bug back into her apron pocket.

"That's only if you let yourself be left defenseless sweetie," said Mabel, "if someone scares you, try to scare them back. I don't know how it was back in the orphanage, but I do know that when we try to scare each other that it's all in good fun...and why are you dancing your fingers on my arm?" Roll just pulled away in grunted to herself.

"I was trying to make you think a bug was crawling up your arm," said Roll, "ugh, I'm just not good at this!"

"The trick to scaring someone is to catch them when they are least expecting it," said Sable, "There's always a moment when someone is so focused on one thing that they would never see you coming. That is the best opportunity to strike!"

"GOTCHA!" Labelle shouted as she suddenly grabbed Mabel from behind.

"EEEK!" Mabel shrieked as she jumped away from whoever was trying to grab her and saw Labelle laughing.

"Is that what you were trying to do a few minutes ago?" Labelle chuckled. Mabel just snorted and began to pout.

"See what I mean?" said Roll, "Look at how upset Mabel looks at getting scared? You people call _this_ fun?"

"I'm not upset Roll," said Mabel with her arms crossed, "Just annoyed that Labelle got me so good. I used to be teased at being the easiest to scare too, but then I learned how to scare people. Now I can have a good time scaring people and being scared. Sometimes being scared can be fun. Plus Labelle knows when she least expects it, I'll get even with her for that." Labelle just smirked before giving her a raspberry and heading back into her side of the shop.

"If you say so," said Roll, still feeling rather doubtful.

"Here, this monster mask is on the house," said Mabel, "Since Jack cheated you out of one. Labelle has a ghost mask you can buy so you'll have two on hand."

"Thanks Mabel," said Roll as she tucked it into her pockets, "I'll see you guys later I hope and maybe I can learn how to be scary."

"You will," said Mabel, "See you!" Roll waved good-bye and headed into the accessories section of the shop, purchased the mask as well as some new hair tie ribbons Labelle had crafted before exiting the shop. Mabel just sighed to herself once Roll had left the shop. Sable took notice.

"What's up Sis?" Sable asked curiously.

"Just worried about Roll," said Mabel, "I wish there was some way I could help more. I mean...you know how easily I could be scared growing up. It's not fun getting scared at Roll's age. Especially when people tend to pick on you cause you're the easiest to frighten. Unlike me, who had you to help me overcome being picked on. Roll was on her own. She didn't have us to help her learn to be brave and stand up for herself."

"True," said Sable, "But Roll still figured out how to be brave."

"Sure, but being brave and learning how to be scary are two different things," said Mabel, "Roll's grown alot since moving here but she's still rather fragile. I really wish she wouldn't feel to doubtful of herself. It's only knocking down her self-esteem. Dealing with one person who does that is bad enough." Mabel looked at Sable sadly, who just released a long sigh.

"I just want to see you happy," said Mabel, "You still haven't spoken to Tom...and you promised."

"I'm not ready!" Sable blurted out, "Just...let me decide when I'll speak to him okay." Mabel sighed to herself. She had heard that from Sable before and she was getting tired of waiting. She was just about to consider going over her head when she got an idea.

"Wait a minute!" Mabel exclaimed, "I think I might know just the person who might help Roll embrace her scary side! Mabel quickly looked for their address book and quickly flipped through a few pages and then stopped to scan another.

"There she is!" said Mabel and went to dial the number. Sable was rather curious to see who Mabel was referring to and went to see the page. Sable's jaw dropped when she saw the contract information.

Flower Town Anemone 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx

"Are you crazy?!" said Sable, "The girl may be sweet, but she her idea of scary can be downright disturbing!"

"Who better than to introduce Roll into the world of scary and creepy things?" said Mabel, "Besides, she might say disturbing facts from time to time, but the way she does it is kind of cute."

"Maybe to you," said Sable, still feeling rather skeptical about the idea.

"Well, you have any better ideas?" said Mabel, "cause she's the type who knows how to make the cute become scary and vice versa." Sable just pondered for a minute before slumping in defeat and shook her head.

"Call her up," Sable conceded, "Ugh, but her stories do give me the creeps, even if it's just plain facts." Mabel chuckled.

"Nobody's perfect Sable," said Mabel, "Roll loves Anemone like a big sister. Just like you were there for your little sister (that's me!), Anemone can be there for Roll." Sable just watched Mabel chat with Anemone from her sewing machine. She was well aware that the brown haired girl loved Halloween as much as most children love Christmas. Sable to admit it was kind of cute to see that spooky things would send the girl into what she called "kawaii overload". Then the fact Sable remembered those "overloads" had her worrying all over again.

"I hope she doesn't go overboard with the scary stuff," Sable said worried, but only to herself. Meanwhile, Roll had just finished putting her new items away and had decided to just relax a bit on her house.

"It's kind of nice when I can just relax inside the comforts of my own house for a change," said Roll as she reclined her legs on the tea table and began to read the latest issue of a comic book she had subscribed to. She had also grabbed some golden yellow framed glasses and put them on. Since telling Gracie she was nerd, Roll liked to wear her glasses when she wanted to just spend the day alone and read. She was only four pages in when she heard someone knocking on the door.

"(Sigh) Can't a girl just have a quiet evening alone in her house without the town falling apart," said Roll. She usually didn't mind sacrificing her alone time to help the villagers with favors or to play hostess to unexpected guests, but tonight was just one of those nights when she just wanted to have time to herself. She opened her door and found Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie there looking rather glum.

"Hi Roll," said Margie quietly, "We came over to apologize for earlier. I didn't meant to upset you by saying that you were cute. I prefer my witch cute rather than creepy and menacing. I was only trying to complement your witch impression, tootie." Roll softened a bit as she gave the elephant a warm smile.

"I understand," said Roll, "I was just trying to find a way to be scary so I can be ready for Halloween. It's still a work in progress. I was more upset with what Bunnie and Rosie saying that my efforts were just sad and pathetic." Bunnie and Rosie just lowered their heads in shame.

"We didn't mean to hurt your feelings Roll," said Bunnie, "We just didn't think those costumes, well at least the circuit and sandwich costumes, were really you. We did like you're ideas with them, but there is better costume ideas for you...and cheaper too."

"We didn't think those costumes could come off as scary, silly," said Rosie and then chuckled, "but I did honestly think the whole nightmare sandwich story was kind of funny." Bunnie and Rosie chuckled and then waited to see if Roll would reply. Roll just glared but then gave them a chuckle as well.

"Alright, point taken," said Roll, "I just thought you guys didn't think I could be scary...and that my efforts were really sad."

"No, no, no, tee hee," said Bunnie, "We know you can be scary. We just thought you were trying a little too hard and not really looking for a costume that make you feel good, not just for scaring others."

"You don't need to try and turn your costume into something creepy and scary in order to scare people, silly," said Rosie, "Sometimes it's as easy just getting behind someone and saying "BOO!"."

"The trick is just getting them when they least expect it," Roll finished.

"Exactly, silly," said Rosie, "So...just focus on getting the masks. That is what you're going to use to scare people, not your actual costume."

"Okay," said Roll, "But...what masks scare you the most?" Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie just smirked.

"Wouldn't you like to know, tootie," Margie teased. Roll just rolled her eyes and smiled. She should've known they weren't going to tell them.

"Thanks alot," said Roll, her tone full of sarcasm as the three just laughed.

"If everything is cool between us, tee hee," said Bunnie, "We'll let you have your quiet night at home."

"I forgive you and thank you," said Roll as she waved them goodbye and closed her door. However, not two seconds later did she hear another knock on the door and found Bunnie alone.

"Rosie has issues with werewolves," said Bunnie, "But you didn't hear it from me, tee hee. Bye!" Bunnie dashed away and Roll just blinked for a minute before closing her door, only for someone to knock on it again. This time it was Rosie who was alone.

"I don't know what Bunnie told you, silly," said Rosie, "But did you know Bunnie still thinks there are _monsters_ hiding under her bed? Just don't say I told you! Bye-bye!" Rosie giggled as she dashed away. Roll just smiled and shook her head as she closed the door and sat back down on her sofa to recline and began to continue reading her comic book. But not for long as she heard someone knocking at her door once again.

"I'm never gonna finish my comic book," Roll muttered as she stood up, ironed out her dress and headed towards the door. She was surprised to see Pete in front of her door.

"Evening Miss Roll," said Pete, "I have a special delivery for you today!" Pete handed Roll a orange parcel that had a green ribbon around it.

"Why thank you Pete," said Roll, giving him a little curtsey, making the pelican chuckle.

"I'll be off then," said Pete, "See you later!" Pete then took flight into the air. Roll watched him disappear before heading back inside with the package in hand.

"I wonder what it is," said Roll and slowly as she set the package on the table and opened it. She gasped excitedly when she saw a skull hood was inside along with a message written on paper shaped like a pumpkin.

 _Hello There Pumpkin_

"Again with calling me Pumpkin," Roll muttered.

 _While I was recruiting you for my services in collecting lots and lots of candy, I had forgotten that I had something for you. Since it is against my nature to reappear to anyone before 10/31 a second time, I have sent you this mask to get you started in your collection. I look forward all the good candy you'll bring to me on Halloween._

 _Jack_

"For a pumpkin faced candy addict, he's kind of sweet...in a weird way," said Roll to herself and giggled before putting the mask away and went back to reading her comic. As soon as she had finished her comic, she heard the door knock again.

"(Sigh) The pains of being the mayor I suppose," said Roll as she headed towards the door once more and opened it. She was surprised to see who was at the door.

"Lemon!" said Roll as they shared a warm hug with each other. Lemon had worn a custom made wide-v-neck elbow sleeved sweater that had a lemon pattern on the front, dry denim capris and some yellow pumps, and a sunhat over her hair.

"So good to see you little Roll," said Lemon, "and you look so cute with your glasses! Hugs you til your head pops off!" Lemon squeezed her tightly.

"Please...don't...can't...breathe..." Roll replied in a strained tone.

"Don't worry," said the young man standing nearby, "I can stitch your head back on if it falls off!"

"Not...funny...Shenran!" Roll strained with a long groan. For those who may have forgotten, Shenran is the one who is married to Ankha, the snooty cat who believes herself to have descended from a line of royal Egyptian felines. Shenran had on a custom made white tee shirt with a red unbuttoned blazer with a pair of dry denim pants and wasn't wearing any shoes at all. By now, Lemon had had her fill of squeezing Roll and had let her go. The blonde girl wobbled a bit before regaining both her balance and her ability to breathe again. Lemon just chuckled to herself.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to squeeze you so hard," said Lemon, "You are just too cute!" Lemon bounced up and down on her feet and clapped excitedly. Shenran chuckled as Roll let out a loud huff.

"Assuming my lungs aren't permanently crushed and my head is still secured to my neck and not rolling around the floor," said Roll, "I guess I'll be okay." Lemon giggled and even Shenran cracked a smile.

"You are just so cute," said Lemon.

"I've heard..." said Roll, rather annoyed.

"Still don't believe that you are not?" Shenran asked curiously.

"I...am learning to," said Roll, "but right now being cute is the last thing on my mind right now!"

"We've heard," said Shenran.

"What do you mean?" Roll asked curiously.

"If we can come in, we'll explain why we're here," said Shenran, "Unless you're busy this evening..." Roll just sighed and gave them both a warm smile.

"I was just looking forward to a quiet evening at home," said Roll honestly.

"Oh we're sorry," said Lemon sadly, "We didn't know you were having a rough day cause of your problem."

"My...problem?" said Roll stunned.

"We'll explain everything in good time," Shenran replied, "May we...come in now?" Roll just stood still blankly for a moment before she realized they were still standing outside.

"Oh! Oh of course, sorry," said Roll sheepishly with a chuckle, "Come on in and shoes off please!" Lemon chuckled as she slid her pumps to the side of the door. Shenran just wiped his feet a few times on the floor mat before stepping onto the ranch floor.

"Can I get you guys anything?" Roll asked politely, wanting to be a good hostess. Shenran and Lemon just chuckled to each other.

"I'm good Roll," said Shenran as he took a seat on the arm chair.

"Same here," said Lemon as she removed her sunhat and tucked her legs in as she sat comfortable on the sofa, "Just sit with us so we can tell you why we're here...besides the fact that we love you and like hanging out with you." Roll smiled as she sat on the other side of the sofa so Shenran and Lemon were between her.

"So, what's up?" Roll asked curiously as she sat in the same manner as Lemon and adjusted her dress.

"We got a call from Mabel earlier today," Lemon began, "she said that you were having a hard embracing your kowai side." Roll's face paled before she chuckled nervously.

"N-n-n-no offense Lemon," said Roll nervously, "but you're idea of being scary can be a little...disturbing..." Lemon looked hurt.

"You think I'm a freak now don't you?" she asked quietly.

"No, never Lemon-chan!" said Roll, holding her hand, "I just don't want to be talking about drinking blood and eating poo all the time is all." Lemon then laughed and Shenran chuckled as well.

"That's...not what I had in mind," said Lemon, "I mean...you think I'm really cute don't you?"

"Of course," said Roll, "You're way cuter than me!"

"I actually thought you were cuter than me!" Lemon replied.

"You're both very cute in your own right," said Shenran and then added in a mutter, "but my Ankha is the queen of cute." Both girls just glared.

"You only say that cause she's your wife and she didn't want to eat your flesh," Lemon remarked. Roll just laughed. That rather disturbing comment was just too funny in her opinion.

"I'm sure once you and Kabuki hit it off..." Shenran began.

"EWW!" said Lemon and made a face. Roll looked surprised.

"Did Miss...I like blood, gore, and poo say gross?" said Lemon stunned.

"Hey, everyone has their limits," said Lemon indignantly, "besides, Kabuki and I are just close friends. All our date at the fireworks show revealed was that I just love him very much...like an older brother."

"I was really convinced there were fireworks between you two," Shenran shrugged.

"I just like knowing he looks after me...and respects my boundaries too," said Lemon, "When you feel safe with a guy, you can't help but cuddle up to them sometimes." Lemon huffed as Roll nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure love will cross your path someday," said Shenran.

"Anyway," said Roll, wanting to change the subject, "I can understand Lemon trying to help me learn how to be scary, but...what about you?" Roll meant no disrespect to the eighteen year old and it was a legitimate question. Roll hadn't really spent too much time with Shenran other than the turnip trading with each other. She didn't really know him well enough at this point to know what his talents were.

"Shenran is a self-established fanfiction writer," said Lemon, "he's really good at coming up with interesting plots and settings for stories and such."

"Okay..." said Roll, still unsure of how that could help her.

"That means Roll," Shenran explained, "that I can help you guys come up with a spooky setting so you can really scare the pants off the villagers and earn yourself lots of candy."

"But...I don't think that villagers even wear pants..." said Roll.

"Figure of speech Roll-chan," Lemon remarked bluntly. Roll blushed a bit before snorting.

"I hate being a blonde sometimes!" said Roll.

"No worries," said Shenran, "Lemon had those moments and she's a brunette."

"Don't make me give you hard Lemon pokes Shenran!" Lemon warned, pulling out her lemon wand and pointing it right at Shenran's forehead.

"Easy Lemon, just making a point," said Shenran, raising her arms in front of him. Lemon just glared before putting her wand away and softened her expression a bit.

"Moving along," Shenran continued, "Lemon can show you some ways you can scare the villagers and I can come up with the perfect scene for you to really get everyone spooked. Then right when they are nice and scared...you can strike! This will earn you a ton of candy at once!"

"I see," said Roll, feeling rather skeptical, "Nobody will be hurt in doing this right?"

"Of course not," said Lemon, "Shenran and I have done a few of these spooky scenes in the past and we make out like bandits with candy every year!"

"We guarantee you lots of candy or your money back," Shenran added.

"Is the money part another figure of speech?" Roll asked. She hadn't paid them a dime to do this and she knew whoever had sent them wouldn't stoop so low as to bribe them to help her.

"It's just means that you'll get candy even if our plan works or fails," said Lemon, "The point is that while you are oh so adorable and kawaii..."

"Please stop with the flattering, it makes me feel so subconscious," Roll pleaded, "I just don't see myself as being that cute! All the praise is embarassing!"

"Relax, we're just speaking the truth Roll," Shenran replied, "but Lemon is right. Being cute doesn't mean that you don't have what it take to be scary. Being scary is like any type of skill, you can learn to be scary. Sakura said you've got the brain of a computer. You can learn how to be scary before the 31st." Roll just looked at the two. She was touched they would go out of their way to help her. There was just no way she would turn their help down.

"Alright," said Roll, "but nothing too graphic or gory okay. Things that are too scary give me nightmares..."

"We've got to have a little gore Roll-chan," said Lemon, "it will complete the scene."

"Indeed," said Shenran, "plus you'll be with us as we craft the props and the costumes. When you know how the stuff is made, it's less scary. Just trust us okay." Roll was still rather hesitant but gave them both a soft smile.

"Okay," said Roll wearily. Lemon gave her a happy hug.

"Thanks little Roll," said Lemon, "this will be our best Halloween yet!"

"Indeed," said Shenran, "I'll start brainstorming for some ideas right away." Roll then nodded and then remembered something important.

"What...what about the masks?" Roll asked curiously, "if I'm going to scare everyone at once with this big horror scene, then is there a reason to even buy the masks?"

"Of course, Roll-chan," said Lemon, "The scary masks are so kawaii!"

"Plus it wouldn't hurt to have them in your catalogue," said Shenran, "also you can actually scare the villagers for candy as many times as you want. Sometimes certain villagers need a good scare to knock down their egos. I admit that I scare my wife a few times myself since she brags every year nothing frightens her."

"Isn't that why you're always in the hospital the next day getting stitched back together?" Lemon asked. Shenran snorted indignantly as Lemon and Roll both laughed. Roll was very grateful for their help and was looking forward to what they would come up with so she could be scary. Yet Roll was still worried about what they planned to do.

After all, she just wanted to scare the villagers, not scar them for life.

 **If Anemone is gonna be helping Roll be scary, things WILL get scary. Don't worry, it's will still be family friendly. But keep in mind...the rating for my story is still for ages 10 and up...**

 **Shenran is actually based off the character created by** ** _Kaibamaster_** **and yes, his ACNL character goes barefoot all the time. It's not just a coincidence cause Roll does it. He's got his own story called "Pony Adventures". Please read cause its really good. :)**

 **See you next time...if you've think you can handle the scary scene they are gonna unleash...MWHA-HA-HA-HA-HA**


	46. Spooky Tales Part 2

Spooky Tales Part 2:

Several days had passed since her conversation with Lemon and Shenran. Roll found herself waiting impatiently for them to come up with a good idea so she could scare everyone and get lots of candy. But as the days went on, Roll was getting more and more worried as she had gotten little to no replies regarding their progress.

"I hope they come through," Roll thought as she waited anxiously by her smartphone for Lemon and Shenran to give her call so she could hear what good ideas they had come up with. She had picked a lemon gingham tee along with her green plaid pedal pushers, her brown beret and hair in downward pigtails to wear for that day. At the moment her beret was on the table as she was once again waiting by her phone, which sat on its charger on a small tea table as Roll sat quietly on her ranch sofa, hoping it would ring and she could get some peace of mind. Since agreeing to let them handle things on their own for the moment, Roll was beginning to regret her decision.

"It's not that I don't want trust them or want their help," said Roll as she sat on her sofa with her legs extended and crossed, "But...I just wish I had more of a part in the plan. They're gonna hate me if they come up with something really scary and I don't feel comfortable going through with it." Roll sighed in defeat. She began to consider if she should call them and tell them what was on her mind when...

RING-RING-RING-RING!

Roll checked the contact ID and saw that it was Shenran.

"Finally!" Roll exclaimed and grabbed the phone to answer, "Hello!"

"Hey Roll!" said Shenran, "How are you doing today?"

"Stressed out Shenran," Roll answered quietly, "I've been waiting to hear from you for days. I'm hoping you've got some good news regarding this master plan you are coming up with to help me." Shenran let out a long sigh, which was a clue to Roll that things were not going as smoothly as she had hoped.

"I'm sorry Roll," said Shenran, "I've been having to deal with alot of mind blocks. And some of the ideas that started good ended up being not so good as I originally thought. I've been even staying up late so I can pull through...I really don't want to let you down..." Roll couldn't help but soften as a small smile appeared on her face.

"It means alot to me that you're working so hard on this just for me," said Roll, "And here I was thinking you guys weren't taking my feelings into account."

"We are Roll," said Shenran, "We're not shutting you out at all. If you've got any good ideas, please feel free to call me back and let me know, my phone is always open to you and your ideas. I care about what's on your mind and if anyone messes with my little sister, they are gonna hear it from me!"

"Thanks Shenran," said Roll, "Just do me one favor..."

"Anything little sister," he answered.

"Remind me I owe you a hug and a sisterly cheek kiss for all of this," said Roll. Shenran chuckled.

"Sure thing," he answered, "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," said Roll and hung up the phone. She just sighed to herself, playing with her feet as she pondered in deep thought for a moment.

"Like I would have any good ideas for a big scary scene," said Roll, "Well...I've got nothing right now...maybe if I take a walk around town I'll find some ideas." By now, it was already late in the afternoon and the sky was already turning a nice bright orange. Roll could feel the air cooling a bit as she stepped outside, but she was still comfortable enough in her tee and pedal pushers.

"Guess I'll be switching to my longer sleeves soon enough," said Roll as she rubbed her arms a bit but still just enjoyed the cool air that brushed against her skin, "but at least my legs and feet are good. I can keep wearing my pedal pushers and skirts without the leggings for a little while longer." Roll chuckled to herself. While she had no issues with snow, she still wasn't looking forward to the fact that for about three months she wouldn't be able to leave her house barefooted due the snow being too cold for her feet. She could feel herself getting glum about it and just shook her head.

"I gotta stop thinking so negatively about this," said Roll, "Unlike the past where I had old, itchy shoes, I've got shoes that feel like I'm walking on clouds and are very comfortable. They are also really cute too. A pair of leggings and pumps with a cute skirt and long sleeve would be a really nice outfit to wear. Plus since my feet can handle below freezing air, I don't have to worry about the tops and ankles getting frostbite from being outside for long periods of time. I actually have been looking forward to wearing my pumps and buckle shoes too. Just cause my feet are covered doesn't mean I won't look cute anymore." Roll chuckled to herself and found that she felt much better.

"This positive thinking really helps," said Roll, "now let's think about this. Shenran and Lemon have always been there for me. There is no way they would let me down with this. If they need help, I'm sure the right idea will come to mind. So...no worries." Roll put on a brave smile but it soon faded, but not completely, from her face.

"Still a work in progress I guess," said Roll to herself since she still felt worried.

"What is a work in progress, silly?" Rosie asked curiously as she, along with Bunnie and Margie, arrived.

"Oh...nothing," said Roll. She wasn't going to let her friends know about her big scare, at least not these three, "Just still figuring out how I can be scary for Halloween."

"I see, tootie," said Margie, "have you collected all the masks?"

"Just about," said Roll, "I think there's only five masks if I'm correct."

"You would be correct, tee hee," said Bunnie, "anyway, we all wanted to ask you if you wanted to take a break from your scary strategizing and research to come look for some costumes at the Able sisters."

"Sable got this huge supply of extra fabrics and materials," said Bunnie, "and even some premade costumes from last year! Why don't you come with us and choose a costume?" Roll just pondered a bit. She had been so busy waiting for that plan with Shenran and Lemon that she had forgotten about looking for just a regular costume to wear for the event. She still wasn't sure what she wanted to wear, but she did feel that spending some time with her best friends would clear her head a bit. It might even give her some ideas she could give to Shenran.

"Thank you positive thinking," she remarked.

"Huh?" said Rosie and Bunnie puzzled.

"Oh nothing you guys," said Roll with a giggle, "I was just talking to myself."

"About what, silly?" Rosie asked.

"Nothing, nothing to worry your heads over," Roll answered cheerfully, "Let's get to the Able Sisters and look for some costumes!" The three were tempted to ask about her thoughts, but seeing the warm smile on her face let them know it wasn't anything they needed to worry about.

"YEAH!" Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie cheered excitedly. They all headed towards Able Sisters. As soon as they arrived, they allowed themselves in as Mabel as setting about another collection of boxes and was about to lose her balance.

"Welcome...whoa...to the handmade fashion...whoa...WHOA!" Mabel's tower of boxes collapsed and she was soon buried deep into a pile of clothes and now empty boxes. Roll gasped fearfully as she rushed towards the blue hedgehog and dug her out of the clothes.

"Are you okay?" she asked worried. Mabel just wobbled a bit from the sudden avalanche, but gave the blonde girl a warm smile.

"I'm okay," said Mabel with a smile. But Roll still looked a bit upset.

"Hey, I'm fine sweetie," said Mabel, "Nobody has ever died from being buried under a mound of clothes..."

"I've heard a few stories," said Sable plainly as Mabel gave her a death glare.

" _Not Helping!_ " Mabel sneered and pulled the girl close, "Don't be upset Roll. I'm okay."

"Sorry," said Roll, "I don't know why I thought I was gonna lose you."

"You just don't want to lose your family," Mabel explained, "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I get that way too sometimes. I remember when I was teen and Sable got really sick. I cried all day thinking I was gonna lose her forever cause her fever had taken three days to break. When you've lost so much or had so little, everything you care about has more value. Though...I didn't know that included me."

"Of course it does," said Roll, "Everyone in this shop right now means alot to me. I don't want to lose anybody."

"You won't," said Margie, "We can't control the future, but we can learn to cherish each day we have together, tootie."

"Exactly, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Don't worry about tomorrow!"

"Just be happy today, silly!" Rosie added with a cute smile. Roll gave them a warm smile and nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, do you need help with all these boxes Mabel?" Roll asked.

"I'll be just fine," said Mabel, "What brings you here this evening?"

"We heard that you've got a bunch of pre-made costumes and clothes we can use to make our own costumes, silly," said Rosie, "we wanna see if we can put together our costumes for Halloween!"

"Ahh, well that we can do," said Mabel, "take a look around and try not to make too big of a mess okay." The four girls nodded as they began their search. The choices and possibilities were infinite! The girls spent a good hour just browsing around and trying to find the right items to make the costume they wanted. Roll and Rosie were just searching through some costume jewelry when a Bunnie slowly rose from behind a box, panting heavily. Roll groaned.

"Mabel, I'm so not in the mood for...GASP!"

"What's with the...GASP!" Rosie tried to ask why Roll gasped when she gasped as well. Standing before them was someone wearing a spacesuit as the glass inside the helmet filled up with black smoke and glowing red eyes appeared from inside.

" **VADAR MODE!** " said a dark and ominous voice and held a space blaster at them.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Roll and Rosie shrieked as the top of their lungs as they held each other. Their screams were enough to draw attention to Margie, who was in the changing booth and peeked out, and all three Able Sisters. Yet once the figure started laughing themselves like crazy. The three sisters just chuckled and went back to work. Margie just smirked, rolling her eyes before ducking back inside of the changing booth.

"What...what...what's so funny!" Roll demanded as the figure just continued to laugh before removing their helmet and made Roll and Rosie gasp in surprise.

"Bunnie!" said Roll.

"That was you in there, silly!" Rosie added in surprise as the orange rabbit continued to laugh.

"You should've seen the look on your faces," said Bunnie, still trying to laugh, "That would have been the perfect selfie for Halloween, tee hee!" Roll and Rosie looked indignantly as they both crossed their arms over their chests. It wasn't until Bunnie had settled down when she noticed that they were both giving her death glares.

"Lighten up you two, I was only having a little fun, tee hee," Bunnie replied, "I think I might have found my costume this year."

"A demonic space rabbit?" Roll asked her with uncertainty.

"I'd prefer to call myself a space bunny that you don't want to push the temper of," Bunnie answered with a smirk. Rosie was rather unimpressed.

"Lame," she replied.

"Sez you!" Bunnie retorted, "you're just mad cause I scared you and I got you good!"

"Whatever, silly," said Rosie, "anyway, I thought we were gonna wear cute costumes, not scary?"

"Well maybe I changed my mind!" Bunnie retorted, "We were both princesses last year! I wanna be something else!"

"Well could you just pick something a little less creepy!" said Rosie, "It's bad enough I'm going to be the only princess..."

"Why can't Roll be a princess with you?" Bunnie asked curiously.

"I don't want to dress like a princess," said Roll sadly, "Not feeling it...not yet anyway." Bunnie just shook her head at the blonde as Rosie patted Roll's back.

"You are cute and beautiful enough to be a princess, silly," said Rosie, "but yeah...that was our thing Bunnie! Just please...pick something else?" Bunnie just rolled her eyes and slumped forward.

"Alright, alright, I'll pick something else, tee hee," Bunnie conceded. Rosie just smiled as she guided her best friend towards some other costumes. Roll just watched them for a bit before she headed towards the digital sewing machine and began working on both a long sleeve shirt and a skirt. She was about finished with her outfit and was picking out some hair ribbons when Margie came out of the changing booth. Roll gasped excitedly when she saw what the white elephant was wearing. Margie had picked out a creamy colored tunic style dress that had baggy elbow sleeves, some gold slip on sandals, some beautifully made Angel wings, and even a gold halo over her head. The capitalized word in the last sentence should be the big clue to what Margie had chosen for her costume and Roll just loved it.

"Oh Margie, that costume is so you!" said Roll. Margie giggled as she did a light twirl to show off her outfit.

"You really like it, tootie?" said Margie.

"Yeah, you kind of are an angel in real life," said Roll and Margie giggled to herself.

"Aww, well that's sweet of you to say, tootie," said Margie. Roll smiled as the two shared a hug.

"Well...you're an angel to me," Roll answered while holding the elephant, "my guardian angel." Margie smiled and gave her a loving squeeze before they pulled away and the elephant noticed something in Roll's arms.

"Is that your costume tootie?" she asked curiously and Roll nodded with a smile.

"If I like the way it looks, it could be," said Roll, "But I gotta try it on first. Umm...Margie? Can you look around and see if there is some glittery gold and pink hair ribbons around here? I'd rather use ones already made if I can help it otherwise I'll just give Labelle the bells to make some..."

"Got some," said Margie as she handed Roll two pairs of ribbons of each color. Roll took them to examine them.

"There are perfect," said Roll happily, "My guardian angel comes through for me once again!" Margie just laughed as Roll closed the curtain to change. Margie was just examining her own costume in the mirror when two familiar best friends arrived.

"What do you think Margie?" Bunnie asked. Margie gasped. Bunnie had chosen a western shirt with a cowboy hat with a pink bandana.

"Oh! You picked a cowgirl, tootie!" Margie exclaimed, "Oh that is a very cute choice!"

"Thank you Margie," said Bunnie as she happily twirled, "but check it out. Miss princess went with for something new this year!" Instead of the pale blue princess dress she had considered from before, she had picked a white frilly shirt with a pink bow tie, matching cardigan and skirt. She also had on a pink ribboned stripped hat.

"I'm a fashion designer, silly," said Rosie and did a cute twirl. Margie giggled to herself.

"You look very cute Rosie," Margie replied, "and very fashionable too, tootie. What do you guys think of mine?" Bunnie and Rosie giggled.

"We like it," said Bunnie, "You make a beautiful Angel, tee hee." Margie smiled as Roll had come out of the changing.

"AWWW!" All three girls cooed with happiness. Roll surprised everyone with dressing up to be cheerleader. Roll had tied up her hair into some above the head pigtails with glittery pink and yellow hair ribbons. Her cheerleaders outfit consisted of a soft pink with silver and gold lacing along the long sleeve ends, the bottom and around the neckline. The skirt was similar to the white pep-squad skirt Sable made but it was in soft pink, had had gold and silver lacing near the bottom, and was two inches shorter, but Roll had her grey-underskirt for modestly. Lastly, she held some handmade pink and yellow pom-poms in her hands. Sable heard the three girls "Aww" and then noticed Roll. She couldn't help but smiled excitedly for.

"You look so adorable!" said Sable, "Mabel! Labelle! You gotta see Roll's Halloween outfit!" The two sisters stopped what they are doing turned to see the blonde girl.

"Oh Roll you look so cute!" said Mabel.

"Indeed," said Labelle, "You certainly made expanding into hair ribbons worthwhile." Roll just giggled to herself as a small blush appeared on her face.

"You guys are embarassing me!" said Roll and everyone laughed.

"Well, we just love that costume," said Bunnie, "I hope you'll go with it."

"She just needs a good pair of cheerleading sneakers..." Labelle pondered.

"Sneakers!?" Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie retorted in confusion. Labelle just rolled her eyes.

"Real cheerleaders wear sneakers and most still wear ankle socks too," Labelle pointed out. Roll just glared.

"Well maybe I don't want to be a _genuine_ cheerleader," Roll retorted, "I'm not part of any sports team. I'm Sable's cheerleader!" Mabel and Labelle snickered as Sable just rolled her eye at both her siblings.

"Can...can you do your routine for us?" Mabel asked, her voice squeaking since she was trying not to laugh. Roll felt a little hurt at being laughed at, but decided to be brave.

"Fine," said Roll plainly as she walked up to Sable. She took a deep breath before spreading her arms out.

"GO SABLE! GO SABLE! GO SABLE! GO SABLE GO! SEW THAT CLOTH, MEND THAT PATCH, GO, GO, GO! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY SABLE!" Roll jumped up and down. Fanning her pompoms as she did so while shouting her cheer. Labelle and Mabel could not keep quiet after that and burst out laughing. Even Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie were giggling to themselves. Roll didn't mind the giggling but the outright laughter was beginning to upset her.

"Oh go ahead and laugh!" Roll yelled but her voice cracked a bit as she added, "I don't care..." Sable wasted no time pulling her into a tight hug.

"Don't let them get to you, sweetie," said Sable, "I loved your little cheer. I like having my own little cheerleader. Thank you." Roll felt better as she gave Sable a light kiss on the cheek, making the brown hedgehog giggle as she hugged her once more. By now the two sisters had settled down, and they saw Roll had gotten upset.

"Sorry Roll," said Mabel, "We weren't laughing at you."

"We were laughing cause your cheer made us happy," Labelle added, "I mean, seriously, Sable could use a cheerleader. Mabel tried but she just wasn't as agile as you!"

"You're the one who tossed me into the air during our routine and I broke my arm!" Mabel retorted indignantly, "Plus I was only two!"

"As I said," said Labelle with a resignation face, "We tried and it failed..." Mabel just rolled her eyes at her older sister and Roll just giggled at the two.

"I forgive you," said Roll, "but...yeah. I've found my costume. How much for everything?"

"Well you've already paid for both QR top and skirt," Mabel thought, "And four hair ribbons comes to...900 bells." Roll smiled as she handed Mabel the bells. The rest of the group paid Mabel for their costumes as well before changing back to their regular attires. They all bid the Able Sisters farewell and goodbye. Then Roll came back inside alone.

"Did you forget something sweetie?" Sable asked.

"Actually, I wanted to take another look at the costume that Bunny came up with," said Roll as she browsed about and found the rabbit spacesuit and space blaster.

"Say Momma..." Roll asked slowly.

"What's up?" Sable asked curiously.

"Do you think you couldbmake this outfit big enough for me?" Roll asked her. Sable blinked in surprise.

"What about the cheerleader outfit?" Sable asked her.

"I'm still gonna wear it Momma," said Roll, "This costume is for that...big scare I'm trying to come up with."

"Do you mean that big scene your setting up with the help of Anemone and Shenran?" Sable asked curiously.

"That's it," said Roll, "Shenran said he was having trouble coming up with some ideas. So...this spacesuit gives me a scary idea..." Roll couldn't help but smirk mischievously. Sable just looked at her disapprovingly until Mabel approached.

"I'll help you with that Roll," said Mabel as she took the costume herself, "Sable isn't really one for mischievous activities."

"Give me that!" said Sable, tearing the costume out of Mabel's hands, "I'll fix the outfit. Anything I can do so my daughter can scare people?" Mabel went agape. Roll just blinked before giving the brown hedgehog a warm smile.

"I'll let you know Momma," said Roll, "First I need to run the idea with Shenran."

"Use my phone," said Mabel, "I've got his contact ID and your other out of town friends for emergencies." Roll smiled as she borrowed Mabel's smartphone and dialed the young man. After about two rings, someone answered.

"Hello!"

"Lemon!?" Roll replied surprised, "Is...that you?"

"Hi, little Roll!" said Lemon excitedly, "hugs and pokes!"

"Hugs and pokes," Roll answered with a chuckle, "Are you with Shenran?"

"Yeah," Lemon answered, "Shenran has come up with a good horror scene where basically one thing will lead to another and then right when everyone is gathered around, good and frightened, you'll strike and scare the poop out of everyone!"

"What is it with you and poop?" Roll asked.

"Kawaii poo!" Lemon shouted with glee.

"Oh boy," said Roll, rolling her eyes since Lemon couldn't see her, "If you can come back down to earth for a second Lemon, I wanted to know if Shenran needed any ideas to complete the big horror scene."

"Actually, Roll-chan," said Lemon, "He's still having trouble coming up with the big scene where you'll appear and scare everyone." Roll put on a large grin on her face.

"Well..." said Roll, trying to contain her excitement, "I think I have a good idea."

"Oh! Please tell me!" said Lemon, "I'll put you on speaker so Shenran can hear you."

"Okay, so here's my idea..." Roll then told them about the bunny space suit and blaster gun. Roll was a bit nervous once she had explained her idea to them since there was nothing but silence for a few seconds before Lemon spoke again.

"Roll-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"..."

"I'm so proud of my little sister!" Lemon gushed, "She's embracing her kowai side. That would the perfect big scare moment for our plan! Once Shenran finishes with the script, we'll come over and go over the plan with you okay!"

"Sure thing," said Roll, "Sable is modifying the space costume for me right now so it fits."

"Excellent!" said Lemon, "we're all good to go now!"

"Yay!" said Roll excitedly, "I can't wait to hear the final plan. I'm also glad I could come up with something to contribute too!"

"Well, our door was open to your ideas Roll-chan," said Lemon, "I decided to walk barefoot in my town today. I almost cut off my big toe bumping the corner of my cafe, but I'm enjoying it!" Roll just laughed at Lemon's comment.

"Well, I'm glad your big toe is okay," said Roll, "I can't wait to show you the costume I plan to wear before we scare everyone. It's super cute!"

"Oh! I can't wait!" Lemon replied excitedly, "I just can't wait for Halloween. So much kawaii with lots of kowai too! I love this time of year!" Roll giggled.

"Alright, I'll talk to you guys later than," said Roll, "Good bye."

"Bye-bye Roll!" said Lemon, "hugs and pokes!"

"Hugs and pokes!" Roll answered as she ended the call and handed Mabel the phone.

"Guess things are going well," said Mabel. Roll gave her a mischievous smile.

"Oh yes," said Roll darkly, "Everything is going according to plan." She giggled deviously and couldn't wait to put the plan into action.

Halloween had finally arrived the conditions outside were perfect for a good ominous night of scaring and trick or treating. The moon was even crescent shaped as it hung against a dark and starless night sky. Anemone/Lemon and Shenran had already completed the plan. Unfortunately Marshal had overheard their scheme. Rather than take Lemon's suggestion to eat his flesh, which she claimed she was joking, they modified the plan so Marshal could help Roll scare the other villagers. Despite the rather random threat on his life, he was more than willing to be of service. Shenran teased that Marshal wanted to help his "girlfriend", only to get a hard poke by Lemon with her rod, making his cheek bleed for the rest of the day.

As soon as it was just a few minutes to six, everyone in town quickly went into their houses to change into their costumes. As mentioned before, Roll was going to be a cheerleader, Rosie was going to be a fashion designer, Bunnie a cowgirl, and Margie was an angel. As for the rest of the villagers, Marshal was a barista with a British derby cap on his head, Rudy was a American football player, Benjamin was a world class chief, Alfonso was masked wrester, Lolly was a cute French maid with matching headdress to boot, Whitney was a flamingo dancer, Purrl was a Japanese princess with a geisha style wig on her head, Katt was a princess in a lavender dress and amethyst tiara, and Fang...the villagers just said he was a grumpy dwarf since he didn't dress up. He never did anyway, but still gave out candy...and was often the target of people trying to scare him the most.

"Not this year," he said to himself, "Nobody is gonna scare me. After all, this is so stupid, cha-chomp! How can a wolf, like me, be so terrified of a werewolf?" Fang just huffed to himself and then remembered.

"Cause Momma always said that if I didn't learn to be nice to people I would turn into a monster," said Fang and looked upward, "I'm trying mom! But I'm just anti-social in nature. Most cranky are!"

"You don't say..." said a voice, muffled behind a mask. Fang rolled his eyes.

"Here we go," said Fang, "Alright let's get this..."

"RAH!" Roll screamed, wearing the werewolf mask.

"AAAH!" Fang screamed with a high pitch tone as he tumbled backwards into his cabana chair, causing it to collapse backwards. Fang panted heavily until he saw that the girl wearing the mask was in a cheerleaders outfit and growled.

"Alright! You got me! Like...whatever, cha-chomp!" Fang yelled and threw the lollipop at her, which she caught, "Now get of my house and leave me alone!" Roll didn't leave, but instead just removed her mask, brushing her hair a bit so her pigtails were still in place.

"I can't do this," said Roll quietly, "I just can't scare people..." Fang's temper melted instantly when she saw how sad Roll looked.

"Hey, cheer up, cha-chomp," Fang apologized as he set his chair back up, "I didn't mean to get so grumpy. I get pegged more for scaring cause I don't participate."

"Well I know how that feels," said Roll, "being the butt end of all the scaring isn't fun. Here..." Roll then handed him the candy back, but Fang closed her hand and pushed it back to her.

"Hey, rules are rules," said Fang, "and I want you to have it. I'm sure Jack will give you something good if you can find him."

"Yeah, Sable told me about how Jack actually has some fake copies of himself lurking about too," said Roll, "Luckily I've got plenty of extra candy on me for worst case. Anyways, are you going to be okay? I'd hate to leave you here alone to get picked on." Fang smiled.

"I'll be fine," said the wolf, "I can handle myself on my own, but thanks for asking, cha-chomp. Guess I wish I could come up with a way to scare them back. Maybe they would think twice about scaring me..." Roll then got an idea as a smirk appeared on her face.

"You know Fang," said Roll, "I've got a little...scare...I'm working on with some friends...do you want in?" Fang looked at her skeptically.

"Details please?" he asked as Roll whispered the plot. Fang's face changed from skeptical to a evil smirk.

"I'm in!" he said excitedly and they shared a devious chuckle.

Back near the train station, Marshal was waiting with Lemon and Shenran for Roll to arrive. Despite all of her love of things spooky and gory, Lemon had picked a light and dark green fairy costume that had see through long sleeves, cream stockings with glittery green flats with a pom-pom on the toe and her lemon wand had been changed for a glittery and yet ultra razor sharp ended green star wand. her hair was in its traditional mini-bun, but she added a matching ribbon around the hair tie. Shenran had chosen an Egyptian kings garb with golden sandals. He even found a pharaoh's headset that didn't have the creepy golden mask as well. Since his outfit was sleeveless, he had on a demin over jacket to keep his arm warm in the cool night air.

"Roll should be here soon," said Shenran, "all she was gonna do was scare Fang."

"I'm sure she'll be here," said Lemon, "I didn't know we were gonna be early. I had told her we were usually a few minutes late."

"Sigh, might as well get comfortable then," said Shenran as he took a seat on the ground. Marshal just looked indignant.

"Hey I came to give you guys some company!" Marshal retorted as he began to pout. Lemon then hugged him tightly.

"Oh sorry Marshal," said Lemon, "hugs you till your head pop off!"

"Ugh!" Marshal groaned as Lemon's strong arms hugged him tightly. It was then Roll arrived with Fang right behind her.

"Little Roll!" Lemon shouted with glee and was now giving her a spine crushing hug, "You look so adorable!"

"You are a very cute cheerleader, sis," said Shenran, chuckling at Roll's struggling to breathe before the brown haired girl finally let go and Roll wobbled a bit to regain her balance.

"Thanks," Roll groaned, "anyway, do you guys think we could fit Fang in on this! He's tired of getting the worst of the scaring cause he doesn't like to go trick or treating. He would be a big help. He is wolf after all!" Lemon and Shenran exchanged a look before giving Roll a smile.

"Actually, I know just the thing Fang can do," said Shenran, "Huddle up you guys. Operation candy is about to commence."

"Operation candy?" said Lemon bluntly, "You couldn't come up with a better title?"

"Do you have a better title?"

"No..."

"Then shut it," said Shenran, "Now let's go over exactly when we're going to do..." Everyone gathered around to review their roles and just what they were going to do.

It was just a little after nine at night, when everyone else around the village was doing their own thing. The group waited for exactly the right time when everyone wouldn't be anywhere near the train station. Roll then walked out onto the cobblestone and Marshal got into position. Once Roll was given the thumbs up, Roll waited for a nice and quiet moment when she inhaled and...

"WAIT! STOP! STOP IT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE...EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

Roll gave a blood curling scream and all the other ten villagers were frozen in their places with fright.

"That sounded like Roll!" Benjamin just after he had given Jack some candy.

"She must be in trouble, it'sa me!" Alfonso added as they headed toward the train station. The other eight villagers did the same. Soon all ten villagers had arrived at the station where they found some sort of stain on the cobblestones with a pair of missing pompoms.

"Roll is gone!" said Purrl in fright.

"And what's that on the floor, bonbon?" Lolly asked as she bent down and brushed a finger and brought it up to the light. Her hand began to tremble when she saw the red hue shining in the moonlight.

"It's blood!" she exclaimed and everyone gasped in horror.

"You...you don't think..." said Rosie, thinking worst case scenario as she grew rather uneasy.

"No...no," said Whitney shaking her head, "There...there has to be a logical explanation for all of this. I'm sure someone saw...hey look there's Marshal over there!" Marshal was just leaning his head against the bulletin board.

"Marshal," said Whitney, "do you know what happened to Roll?" Marshal said nothing but just continued to stared into space and acted as if he hadn't heard her.

"Marshal? Marshal!" Whitney asked more firmly, but then Bunnie walked up to him.

"Marshal will you stop standing there like a dummy and say something!" Bunnie shouted angrily. Then Marshal slowly slid down the side of the bulletin board and then plopped face first into the cobblestone. Bunnie shrieked loudly and ran into the arms of Margie as the elephant and everyone else gasped. Bunnie was panting heavily and on the verge of tears. There on the back of Marshal's head was a large bloody gash and it had left a stain against the bulletin board. Benjamin went to examine him and his heart stopped.

"He's...he's dead!" said Benjamin, "Whoever got Roll killed Marshal!" Everyone gasped and began to murmur with each other. Everyone except for Bunnie was who trembling and crying as she held Margie for comfort. Alfonso shed a tear as he stood by Benjamin.

"At least we'll always know he was this tall, it'sa me!" he said in a cracked tone as he pointed at the blood stain on the wall. Whitney just snorted and shook her head.

"You all are so gullible, snappy!" said Whitney, "This has got to be some sort of set up. There is no way that's even Marshal! Roll is probably..."

AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Everyone froze stiff when they heard a loud and clear howling.

"Oh very funny Fang!" said Whitney, "I'm a wolf too you know, snappy! We can...can...can..." Whitney suddenly couldn't speak as she and the rest of the villagers noticed a semi-transparent wolf was standing before them. It actually did look like Fang, but was wearing tattered clothes and a monocle.

"T-t-t-that's not Fang!" Rudy exclaimed fearfully. The figure just looked at them before lunging at them.

"RAH!" the figure growled at them menacingly.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! The ten villagers screamed as they dashed into the perfect apple orchard. Once they found that they were not being followed, the stopped running to catch their breath.

"Did we lose them, purrty," Katt asked once she could speak again.

"I...I think so...for...for now, silly," said Rosie timidly as they noticed the dark and gloomy trees that surrounding them.

"I...I never noticed how spooky this place could be in the dark," said Margie fearfully and still holding Bunnie close.

"What were you thinking moving into this area, alrighty?" Benjamin asked shaking as Alfonso held his shoulder since he was trembling a bit too.

"Ughhhh...ughhhh...UGHHHHHH!" moaned a dark and scary voice.

"W-w-w-what was that, silly?" Rosie shivered fearfully.

"I-I-I-I d-d-don't know, snappy," said Whitney, now terrified herself.

"Y-y-you said you weren't afraid, tee hee," Bunnie protested. Whitney was about to try and protest when Purrl froze as stiff as a the nearby streetlamp, which had not been turned on that night.

"B-b-b-b-b-b-b-b," Purrl stuttered, her face paled as she pointed into the darkness. Just then dirt began to unsettle as a shadowy figure rose from the dark ashes and approached them.

"What's wrong Purrl?" Lolly asked and then froze and went pale when she saw the figure coming at them. The rest of the group turned to face them and shivered fearfully as the figured came into view. The figure kept his head down as he walked over to them.

"It's a zombie!" Katt exclaimed and held Whitney from behind.

"L-l-l-let's remain c-c-c-alm, s-s-s-nappy, "Whitney replied, "maybe...maybe...it's friendly!" The zombie lifted its head and revealed his sharp, deformed black teeth.

"I crave brains..." he said and licked his lips menacingly.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the group screamed and made a run for it. The zombie gave chase after them.

"Where can we hide?!" Margie shouted and then saw her house just a few feet away, "Quick everyone inside of my house. Hurry!" They all dashed inside and Margie slammed the door just as the zombie tried to reach out and grab her. The zombie tried hard to bash the door down, but Margie strong muscles prevailed and soon the banging on the door stopped.

"Is he gone, purrty?" Katt asked nervously.

"I'll check," said Whitney, but as soon as she saw opened the curtain, only to see the zombie gnashing it teeth in the window. Whitney shut the curtains with shrunken eyes.

"Nope, he's still there!" said Whitney quickly, as she thought her heart had stopped beating. Everyone tried to figure out what to do next when Margie tried to turn on a light, but nothing happened.

"Oh well that's convenient," said Margie annoyed when they noticed a figure squatting near the corner of her house.

"How she get in...wait a minute, it's Lemon, tootie!" Margie exclaimed.

"Lemon, did the zombie...GASP!" Lolly froze in fright as she pointed towards Lemon's shoulder. There was a tear in the fabric near the right shoulder where she had been bitten. While it wasn't bleeding too much, but it didn't take long before someone figured out what had happened to the brown haired girl.

"She's been bitten, alrighty!" Benjamin exclaimed in fright, "That's a vampire's bit if I ever saw one!"

"That...that can't be true," said Alfonso, "there's no such things as vampires. She must have just gotten scratched or something, it'sa me. Don't vampires bite near the neck!"

"R-r-r-right," said Rosie, "She...she probably just fell and scrapped her shoulder blade. I'll...I'll go tend to her..." Rosie slowly approached the quiet girl. As soon as Rosie touched her unbitten shoulder. Lemon did a quick turn and Rosie froze in fright and everyone gasped. Lemon 's face was a pale white, her eyes were glowing a bright red, and she had large fangs inside of her mouth. Let's not forget some blood tricking out of the corners of her mouth.

"I crave fresh blood," said Lemon darkly, "LIKE YOURS!" Lemon lunged and pinned Rosie against the wall, making her shriek as Lemon tried to bite her.

"Once I have my blood," Lemon snarled, "I'll eat your poo!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Rosie screamed loudly, "HELP!"

"I'll save you!" said Benjamin as he shoved Lemon down, grabbed Rosie hand and pulled her out the house as the rest of the group ran out of the house. Only to find the zombie waiting for them.

"BRAINS!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" the ten villagers all screamed once again and made a dash towards Purrl's house, but then Lemon was there waiting for them. They tried house after house, only for Lemon to beat them there each time and the zombie also kept following them too so they had no time to rest. At last, Roll's house was the only house they hadn't tried to take shelter in. They ran inside, locked the doors, and shut the windows tightly.

"This...this isn't funny anymore, tee hee!" said Bunnie, clearly winded as were the rest of the villagers, "I...I don't wanna die!"

"No...kidding, silly," Rosie panted, "You almost didn't get...I...I didn't get bitten right." Rosie felt her neck and shoulder to be sure when Benjamin checked for her too.

"You're fine, alrighty," said Benjamin. Rosie looked at him as her eyes watered.

"You saved me Benjamin!" Rosie cried out and hugged him, "My hero!" Rosie kissed his cheek. Benjamin's face glowed bright red.

"I...well...heh..." he stuttered.

WHAM!

Everyone jumped as the door to Roll's side rooms slammed shut, making everyone jump in fright. Whitney rushed over to open them, but they wouldn't budge. She then tried the front door and felt her heart enter her throat.

"The doors are all jammed, snappy," said Whitney fearfully.

"I'll get it, purrty," said Katt and began to tug at each door, but despite all her strength it wouldn't budge. After failing to open the front door, Katt grew very angry and irritated.

"This is getting ridiculous," said Katt, "people there's a light switch in this room, purrty!" Katt felt the side of the wall and immediately pulled away in disgust. She felt something slimy on her hand and noticed something green on her hand.

"EWWW!" she squirmed and wiped her hand on her skirt

"The switch is right here, bonbon," said Lolly shakily and flipped the switch...but nothing happened. She tried a few times before she gave up.

"It's not working, bonbon," said Lolly fearfully, either the power has gone out all over town or something else is going on. Katt's lip twitched twice before she shrieked.

"Too much darkness! Too much darkness! Too much darkness!" Katt screamed, "HELP! HELP!" Katt began to tremble fearfully as she curled into a small ball and began to rock herself. She hated being in the dark. Some of the others felt the same way and were holding those who weren't as afraid of being locked in a dark room where they could barely see each other.

"AWOOOOO!" someone shouted and everyone jumped.

"Who-who-whose there, tootie?" Margie asked as everyone huddled up, knees knocking.

"N-n-n-not that ghost again!" Rudy retorted fearfully, "I've had enough spooks for one day, mush." Suddenly, they noticed a strange mist began to enter the room. Giving everyone this feeling that something evil was lurking in the shadows.

"I don't like this, it'sa me!" Alfonso whimpered.

"Me neither, alrighty!" Benjamin added, holding Rosie for dear life.

"BRAINS!"

"BLOOD!"

The group gasped seeing that both the Zombie and Lemon had gotten into the room and were glaring at them menacingly.

"Prepare to meet your doom!" they said together as someone rose slowly from behind the sofa. Despite the darkness, they noticed that it looked like a rabbit wearing a spacesuit.

"Bunnie?" Rosie squeaked.

"Yeah?" Bunnie replied in fear.

"I thought...I thought you said you weren't gonna go space rabbit?" Rosie asked.

"I...I didn't," said Bunnie, feeling her heart stop.

"Then...who's that?" Purrl asked. The ominous figure just stood before them before red eyes lit up in the center of its face as it pointed a blaster at the group.

" **VADER MODE**!" said the figure before she began to fire rapidly at the group. A massive barrage of laser blasts filled the room, causing everyone minus the zombie and Lemon to scatter.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Everyone screamed and ducked for cover, trying to avoid getting hit. To make matters worse, the lasers were bouncing off the walls. Soon everyone had bunched up together against a wall as the dark space rabbit stood before them with the blaster aimed at them.

"P-p-p-p-please spare us, snappy," said Whitney fearfully.

"We don't wanna die, tee hee!" Bunnie added.

"Here, take these! Just leave us alone, purrty," Katt whimpered. Everyone then tossed the space rabbit a huge load of lollipops and candies in front of its feet. The figure than just looked at the candy and then at the group. It noticed how everyone was all huddled up together. They were all shaken and deeply terrified. Some of them were even crying and lightly sobbing, looking at the rabbit as if their life was in their hands. The figure stayed still for a few moments before lowering its laser blaster and then snapped its fingers, making the lights turn on. Once the room was lit, everyone stopped whimpering and turned to face the figure. They took notice that it was a rabbit in a space suit, but the figure looked rather sad behind its now bluish mask. They also got a good look at the zombie and now recognized him.

"Wait a minute...that's Shenran," said Katt, quietly since she had just stopped crying. Shenran said nothing as he walked over the space rabbit. Lemon had done the same, both sensing something was wrong. That was when the space rabbit removed the helmet and revealed themselves to everyone.

"ROLL?!" they all exclaimed in shock. Roll just looked at them sadly, hair tied on a downward pony tail as she held her helmet in front of her. She looked rather upset.

"You...you were behind all of this, kitten?" Purrl asked in shock. Roll just closed her eyes and nodded.

"Roll just wanted to prove that she could be kowai," said Lemon, "I...I guess we overdid it."

"Overdid it?" said Roll under her breath and then grew angry, "OVERDID IT?! DID YOU SEE THE LOOKS ON THEIR FACES? They weren't just terrified...they were fearing for their lives. They were so scared they were crying and sobbing!"

"No we weren't..." Katt tried to deny it, but got death glares from everyone, "okay...we were..."

"This is why I hate Halloween so much!" Roll yelled, feeling tears prick her eyes, "You all think it's so funny to be scared out of your wits. But it's not fun! It just hurts people! Being scared isn't fun! If I have to resort to this just for some stupid candy and furniture, then I WANT NO PART OF IT!" With that, Roll slammed her helmet on the ground and dashed upstairs into her bedroom. The rest of the group just stayed silent. Unsure of what to say or do...then Fang and Marshal each covered in white flour to look like ghosts, came into the room and started dancing.

"Happy Halloween! Hap-Hap-Halloween!" They sang.

"Cool it you two, the shows over," said Shenran annoyed.

"Aww dang it!" Fang retorted, "we practiced for an hour for that song and dance, cha-chomp!" Whitney then realized Fang was wearing the tattered coat and monocle, proving that the ghost that was howling was Fang after all.

"You...you mean to tell me you were involved in all of this, snappy," she asked angrily.

"Why not?" Fang asked, "It was getting tired of people scaring me. I'd say this was one sweet way of getting even." Fang smirked as Whitney and the other just groaned and roll their eyes at him. Everyone except for Bunnie, who had walked up to Marshal.

"You're were in on this too," she asked in a low tone.

"Sure thing," said Marshal, "I guess Sable is a better seamstress than I thought. Combine that with the cherry jam we used for blood. I got you really thinking I was struck dead didn't I, sulky." Marshal gave her a smile, but it was returned with a hard fist punch to his face, sending him backward sliding across the floor.

"Idiot," she muttered angrily. Shenran just shook his head and exchanged a look with Lemon, who was just wiping the blood/cherry jam and white makeup from her face.

"And then something went horribly wrong," said Shenran to himself.

"Well at least nobody's poo got eaten," said Lemon with a smile. Shenran just gave her a funny look before rolling his eyes.

"Always know the right thing to say don't you," he remarked.

 **Hope you caught the _Boy Meets World_ and _Nightmare before Christmas_ references. **

**Roll's space costume is actually a homage to USApyon, a yokai who appears in the upcoming Yokai Watch 3 game and the anime.**

 **Looks like operation spooky fell through. I'm not offended if those who read this chapter didn't get scared. I was actually laughing myself as I came up with the whole "scare your pants off the villagers" scene...until Roll realized she went too far of course.**

 **How will Halloween end? Will there still be more spooky in the next chapter or will Roll just call it quits?**

 **Stay Tuned.**


	47. Spooky Tales Part 3

Spooky Tales Part 3:

Once Marshal had recovered from Bunnie's spontaneous slug to his face. He and Fang began to explain everything.

"So basically, the plan was for Roll to scream so everyone would be together in the same area," Fang began, "then we used a combination of cherry and black cherry jelly to make artificial blood and green apple jam to make the slime Kat got on her hands."

"Yeah, they pretty much had to paint my head in globs of the cherry stuff to make it look like I had gotten stabbed right through my skull," said Marshal, "I guess I did my job well. I was waiting for just the right moment to drop dead. For some reason, Bunnie screaming at me seemed like the best opportunity to do so. Didn't think she'd care that much if I had dead..." Bunnie's temper his her limit and she exploded.

"HOW...DARE...YOU...DO...THAT...TO ME!" Bunnie screamed as she continued to beat Marshal with her now empty candy sack, "HOW...DARE...YOU! YOU...YOU...STUPID SQUIRREL!"

"Bunnie, calm down!" said Rosie as she got between Marshal and the enraged rabbit, "He didn't mean any harm! It's Halloween for crying out loud! He was just joining the fun. He got you good...just accept it already and get over it!" Bunnie growled angrily and tried to smack Rosie, but the blue cat took her sack away and toss it aside.

"Knock it off, silly!" Rosie scolded as Bunnie began to crumble.

"You don't get it!" Bunnie shouted as hot tears fell down her face and her voice began to break, "You just don't get it! Nobody gets it! Nobody!"

"Easy Bunnie," said Margie, "Why are getting so overworked about all of this? I know Marshal scared you, but there's no reason to go barracuda on him!" Bunnie just panted heavily as hot tears poured out of her eyes.

"I'm just gonna go home," Bunnie croaked but Rosie blocked her.

"You're not going anywhere!" Rosie said sternly.

"Rosie I am not in the mood to..."

"No, you button your lips and stay put," said Rosie sternly, "You're not gonna walk away from this! Not this time!"

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not, bonbon," said Lolly, blocking the door, "I get that what Fang and Marshal did was upsetting, but there's no reason for you to explode like that...unless you're not being honest about something." Bunnie just gave a hallow and angered chuckle.

"You want me to be honest?" Bunnie darkly, "Okay, I'll be honest, tee hee. MARSHAL I HATE YOU!" Marshal just slumped to his knees and began to cry. Those words were pretty much his kryptonite. It broke him, especially in the heart. Rosie was so tempted to strike Bunnie in the face, but held back.

"That's a lie!" Rosie objected, now angered at seeing Marshal in tears.

"Don't act like you can read my thoughts, tee hee!" Bunnie yelled.

"Then stop lying and tell him the truth!" said Lemon, now furious as her southern accent came out in full bloom, "I _know exactly_ why you reacted like this and you can't just say it was because he scared you! Admit it! You thought he was actually dead and it broke your heart! You thought he was gone forever and that's why you're so emotional right now and angry that it was a Halloween joke. You need to be a real woman and tell Marshal the truth and you're gonna do it now before I give you lemon pokes so hard, you're blood with gush out of your body! AND THAT'S NOT JUST TALK EITHER CAUSE I'LL SURE DO IT! NOW BE A WOMAN AND TELL HIM THE TRUTH RIGHT NOW!"

Lemon couldn't help but scream the last part. She hated it when people who liked each other didn't confess to it. She'd seen too many movies and anime that had two people who did that and it irritated her to no end. Bunnie said nothing as her tears continued to stream down her face. Now everyone else downstairs could speculate the truth. Bunnie wasn't crying because she was angry with Marshal. It was because Rosie was right. She thought Marshal really had been killed off. She had been heartbroken. They all could see that now, especially when Rosie called her out on it. Marshal didn't bother to get up, but just looked at her blankly with bloodshot eyes, but deep down he was very hurt. He was sad he hurt Bunnie so badly. Yet he was hurt that Bunnie would rather say she hated him rather than just be honest.

 _Why Bunnie? Why'd you have to go and say that? If you do like me, why can't you just tell me instead of stabbing me in the heart? Why am I not good enough for you? Why? WHY?_

The urge to sob was getting harder and harder to fight off as he waited for Bunnie to reply. Bunnie's only response was to start sobbing herself. Now Marshal found the strength to get to his feet despite that he hadn't stopped crying.

"Bunnie?" Marshal asked gently in a cracked tone, "I'm so sorry." He reached for her hand, but she pulled away roughly, grunting loudly.

"Okay, I confess!" Bunnie croaked, "Marshal...I like you! And I don't mean it in a platonic or friend way! I. Like. You! Alot..." Everyone just looked at the rabbit and the squirrel with curiosity, wondering how Marshal was going to react. Marshal just kept his traditional frown on his face, crying quietly, and said nothing as Bunnie continued to sob.

"How long, sulky?" he asked in a soft voice. Bunnie tried her best to calm down, but she still couldn't keep herself from crying.

"Since our days at Castle, tee hee," she replied, her voice breaking as she spoke, "but you were always so focused on wanting to be with Charlotte that I...I didn't think I could complete with her. So I...stuffed how I felt about you inside and just focused on being your friend. After Charlotte's betrayal, I just...as I said before...I pushed you away..."

"So the reason you pushed me away was more than just being afraid to get hurt again wasn't it, sulky?" said Marshal. Bunnie nodded as she feebly tried to wipe her eyes.

"I tried so hard, to just make these feelings stop," said Bunnie, "If I wasn't good enough then, I wasn't gonna take the risk. I just wanted to forget about you and forget those feelings and move on. I tried so hard...but then when I tried to run, you followed me. I just wanted to keep things as friends. It felt safer that way, but let's face the facts Marshal. Our friendship is growing again and those feelings are in full bloom. I find that...I can't live my life without you. Why else do you think I got so bitter when you and Rosie got together, tee hee? I wanted to be your girl! Not her! ME!" Bunnie lost her ability to speak she just continued to cry, her tears hitting the floor in light splashes. Marshal just looked at her sympathetically as she wiped his own eyes.

"I actually had some suspicions," said Marshal, "but I didn't feel right calling you out on it. I figured...if you really do feel that way...you'd tell me when you were ready. When I spoke to Rosie, it was because of this why we stopped dating." Bunnie's eyes widened in shock and she looked at Rosie.

"You...you..."

"She never told me," said Marshal, "I already knew. I always knew. Unless you really think I'm that stupid." That last sentence had some bite to it, but Marshal had a right to be upset. It hadn't been the first time Bunnie had insulted his intelligence and he was tired of it. Bunnie's mouth went agape before she sunk to her knees.

"Well can you blame me?" she continued in a very sad and teary voice, "I got hurt and you were more into Charlotte than me! Same with Rosie! I wasn't gonna put my heart on the line only for it to get broken again! I still don't think I can! But I can't stop myself from feeling this way! Now that you know. I can't keep this from you anymore. Its poisoning me! I sometimes don't even feel like my peppy self anymore. So...I give up...my heart is in your hands. I can't keep it from you even if I wanted to. And I'm still not sure if I'm ready to be in a relationship...or if I'm even good enough for you..." Bunnie buried her face into the floor let out a very painful wail. Marshal wasted no time pulling her up and holding her tightly for dear life as she continued to weep on his shoulder. This time Bunnie didn't push away but just held him for dear life. Everyone else just watched and not a single tear was dry in that room.

"Please calm down Bunnie," said Marshal softly, "You're feelings aren't in vain. I like you too." Bunnie stopped crying and pulled away abruptly. She began to glare until Marshal looked directly into her eyes sternly. Bunnie was nerved at first, but then realized that Marshal was telling her the truth.

"You...you mean it, tee hee," Bunnie said in a small voice.

"Yes I do," said Marshal and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek. Bunnie gasped as she put her fingers on the cheek he had kissed. The kiss was only a split second, but it was enough to stun her and make her cheek glow bright red.

"I...I...wow," she stuttered, "I...didn't expect you to...I...I just...I don't know what to say...or do..." Marshal could tell she was overwhelmed.

"Well, what do you want to do?" he asked her, "I know I want to be with you, but...what do you want?" Bunnie was speechless and just held her head since it was beginning to hurt from all the crying. Marshal held both her hands for comfort.

"You don't have to decide anything right away, sulky," said Marshal, "I'll wait for you. Just know that your feelings are being returned. When you're ready, we'll make things official okay." Bunnie was touched, but felt guilty that she was being unfair to him.

"But...what about what you want, tee hee?" Bunnie asked sadly, "I've been selfish enough lately...our entire time as friends honestly. Despite my selfishness, I do care about your feelings Marshal. What do you want for a change? You decide. I won't refute you." Marshal sniffled as he gave her a warm smile.

"I just want you to be happy," said Marshal, "if you'll give me the chance, you won't be sorry. Nevertheless, it's a big step. I don't want to rush you into a relationship either." Bunnie was touched, but also felt guilty. She had never felt so guilty. All those times she had felt like he never cared about her was just a lie she made up in her own head. In truth, he always put her first, even when he was into Charlotte. Now she knew she was falling for him, but..she was still afraid.

"Okay, I'll wait, tee hee," said Bunnie quietly, "But...in the meantime...I don't want us to just stay friends. I want us to have...something more between us."

"We can be best friends who go out on lots of dates together," said Marshal, "We don't need to be officially boyfriend and girlfriend to do that. Besides, most couples date before they enter relationships anyway. That way those feelings can grow and we can learn if these feelings are true love." Bunnie just sighed slowly and gave him a timid smile.

"Okay, but...can I ask one thing from you, tee hee?" said Bunnie.

"What it is, sulky?" Marshal asked, "I mean...I give you my heart. It's only fair." Bunnie chuckled.

"Can we...add hugs and cheek kisses to our dates?" she asked shyly. Marshal chuckled and kissed her cheek once more.

"I'd thought you'd never ask, sulky," he replied. Bunnie sniffled as a soft smile appeared on her face. She then just pulled him in and gave him a fast kiss...on the lips. Marshal blushed deep red afterward and Bunnie's face was the same color as they chuckled to each other shyly.

"Aww, so kawaii!" said Lemon.

"Indeed," said Shenran with a nod, "but why do I feel like we're forgetting something..." It only took a second before a large gasp erupted from everyone in the room.

"ROLL!" they all exclaimed. Bunnie then began to cry once more.

"I'm so horrid!" she sobbed, "Here I am babbling like an idiot about my own problems and Roll is hurting. I'm such an awful person."

"Stop it Bunnie!" said Lemon, "This needed to come out. Don't feel bad about that! After all, you and Marshal are gonna start dating and he likes you just as much as you like him, maybe even more. And at least he won't eat your flesh!" Everyone just groaned and rolled their eyes at the brown haired girl.

"I think I said too much again..."

"I'll go see if Roll is gonna be okay," said Shenran as he finished cleaning the makeup from his face and wanting to change subjects, "The rest of you might as well collect all the candy you dropped on the floor. Can you see about dividing up the candy evenly with everyone who had some Lemon?"

"Okey-dokey," said Lemon, giving a mock solute as Shenran headed upstairs to see if Roll was okay. Shenran just slowly made his way upstairs and made its way into Roll's room.

"Little sister?" he asked gently as he walked into her room, which was pitch dark. Shenran just looked about for the light switch and turned it on. When Roll had arrived upstairs, she had just removed the spacesuit, changed into a plain blue tye-dye tee and some polka dot pedal pushers with her hair fully down. Her face was also buried inside of her pillow. Shenran could hear her sniffling from inside pillow as he walked over to her and rubbed her back gently.

"Roll?" he said gently. Roll flinched a bit at his touch but slowly turned around to look at the young man. Shenran looked at her sadly, seeing that her eyes were red from crying and even her pillow was wet.

"I'm a monster," she said sadly in a rather quiet tone. Shenran wasted no time scooping her up in his arms and cuddled her lovingly as she rested her head onto his chest.

"No, you're not sis," he answered quietly, "You were just way better at being scary than you give yourself credit for. It's not the first time you've underestimated your abilities Roll." Roll just sniffled as she buried her face into the tattered shirt Shenran was wearing at the moment.

"This is one ability that I wish I didn't have!" Roll sobbed, "I feel so awful inside! How is it that people can scare each other and call it funny? What's so funny about seeing someone so terrified and fearful for their lives? That's not funny! How can Jack think it's funny to do that to people for just a stupid piece of candy?"

"It's not just any piece of candy," Shenran pointed out, "It's a lollipop!" Roll pulled away from him angrily.

"You mean this?!" Roll yelled as she grabbed the said candy from her pocket and held it angrily, "This stupid sucker is what is worth scaring people to the point of tears and making them hate you!" Roll threw the lollipop away from her herself in disgust. Shenran just looked at her sympathetically as he tilted her chin so they were making eye contact.

"Nobody hates you," Shenran said firmly.

"Yeah well I could hear all the fuss downstairs," Roll retorted, "Bunnie tried to kill Marshal!"

"That had nothing to do with you!" Shenran retorted back, "Bunnie had feelings for Marshal that she had been keeping inside for too long. She exploded cause she really thought he was dead and finding out it was just a Halloween joke embarassed her. She acted out because she had really thought the whole thing was real." Roll just glared and then softened as she let out a long sigh.

"That is embarassing," said Roll, "Guess we did make the whole scene too genuine."

"Pretty much," said Shenran, "Even I was surprised that we had scared them that much. Guess I under estimated my ability to come up with good scenes."

"Maybe you should consider writing horror movies," said Roll, "At least you would be getting paid for doing that to people." Shenran chuckled.

"No thanks," said Shenran, "like you said...who wants to make a living scaring people that badly. There a fine line between scaring people silly and scaring them to the point that they are crying and whimpering." Roll just sniffled and looked at him sadly.

"Am I weak?" Roll asked.

"Weak?" Shenran replied stunned and shook his head, "No...of course not! You? Weak? That's ridiculous."

"Then why do I feel like should be just laughing this all off all of a sudden?" said Roll, "Instead of feeling so guilty. Maybe I am too soft."

"No, no, no," said Shenran, "Don't you start thinking you have to act all tough and indifferent with people. Roll, you have a very loving and caring heart. You don't like to hurt or upset people. You've learned by now when you need to consider the feelings of others while being honest. You know how to stand up for yourself and not let those worries of hurting people shut you down or prevent you from doing your job."

"Mostly," said Roll softly.

"Well, my point is that you're getting better at it," said Shenran, "As I said before, we kind of crossed the line. We only wanted to scare them silly. It wasn't supposed to end up with them crying and whimpering on the floor. Roll, this is nothing a simple I'm sorry won't fix." Roll looked at him with uncertainty.

"Are you sure?" said Roll, "I mean...I made my own family cry. They probably all hate me now."

"They don't hate you Roll-chan," said Lemon as she appeared into the bedroom with a sack loaded with lots of candies and lollipops. Roll just looked at the candy sadly as Lemon handed it to her.

"How I can even take this?" said Roll, "After what I did..."

"Roll, please don't be sad anymore," Lemon pleaded, "It's gonna be okay. Nobody is angry with you!"

"Really?" said Roll with uncertainty.

"Really," Lemon answered, "I was talking with everyone. I told them that you were worried that you didn't have what it takes to be scary. That was why you did all of this. You didn't want to bully or terrorize anybody! You just wanted to prove yourself and you did. Sure, we overdid it, but we didn't mean too or did we have any cruel intentions at heart. Isn't that true little Roll?" Roll just looked at her sadly and nodded.

"I did just want to prove myself," said Roll, "But I still feel so awful inside...seeing everyone so terrified and crying...it...just...brings back old memories..."

"Why is that little sister?" Shenran asked gently as he continued to hold her as she sat next to him. Roll just stared at her feet for a few moments before she spoke.

"I know how it feels to be scared half to death like that," said Roll, "it was such an awful feeling. To be scared to the point of tears, fearing for your life, and all everyone else could do was just laugh at you and call you a chicken or a scardy cat. I hated feeling that way. When I saw everyone just as terrified, I just felt like...I've become to very people who scared and teased me. I'm no better than them..."

"That's not true Roll," said Shenran, "those who scared you were just jerks who could have cared less about hurting you. You do care and that alone is what makes you different from them. Just like Lemon said, you didn't do this to be mean, just to get candy."

"Yeah," Lemon added, "They all insist that you earned this candy fair and square. They all want you to have it." Lemon pushed the sack of candy toward Roll, who just looked at it for a moment and then looked at Lemon, who just had a smile on her face.

"Do you...you think I'm too soft?" Roll asked her.

"Too soft?" Lemon asked puzzled.

"I mean...I can't scare anyone and not feel bad about it," said Roll, "When I scared Fang earlier today, he got really angry. I didn't even wanna take his candy knowing he was so angry at me. He probably just gave me his lollipop cause he felt sorry for me. Maybe I'm just too soft..."

"No Roll," said Lemon as she hugged the blonde girl, "You are just a very caring and loving person. It's why we like you and why we're glad to be your friend."

"Yeah, Roll," Shenran added, "It's what we love about you."

"Love?" said Roll surprised. Shenran gave her a smirk.

"How can I call you my sister and _not_ love you?" he answered. Roll just smiled shyly.

"I still can't get used to being so popular," said Roll timidly. Lemon and Shenran laughed as they both gave Roll a loving squeeze. Then they began to tickle her, making Roll tumble over and laugh herself silly. Soon Lemon and Shenran were laughing with her as well while waiting for Roll to catch her breath. Then Roll sat up with her legs loosely crossed. While she did feel better, she still looked a bit distressed.

"I just don't like Halloween," said Roll, "I'm just gonna stay here for the rest of the night."

"No!" said Lemon sadly, "Don't be by yourself little Roll. You've got all this candy now! Let's go find Jack so you can give him the candy and get lots of cool stuff! Trust me Roll. You don't want to pass up getting these items into your catalogue! They are so kowai and kawaii!"

"Lemon, I've honestly had enough kowai for one day," said Roll, "possibly for a more than a day if I really think about it."

"Roll, you've already scared everyone at least once," said Lemon, "You can only get lollipops for the first time you scare someone. After that, all you get is regular candy. I don't mean to be a spoiler, but regular candy only gets you the spooky furniture for free." Roll slapped her forehead.

"And I paid to buy the entire set for my catalogue!" said Roll, "there's probably enough candy in there for two or three full sets in that sack!"

"Probably," said Shenran, "but the lollipops do give rarer items that you can't find in stores and you can't repurchase them either. As Lemon said, you're done with the scaring, you've got the candy, now all you have to do is just give them to the real Jack to claim your prizes."

"If we're gonna do it, we better do it now cause it's already close to 10pm and after midnight he's gone!" said Lemon, "Come on Roll. Don't let all of this be for nothing! The villagers aren't mad at you, otherwise why else would they give you all this candy? Now you can be a cute little cheerleader and go find Jack." Roll just looked at them both before just giving them a small smile.

"Okay..." said Roll, "I'm just glad the scaring is over. Maybe someday, I'll be strong enough to scare others without feeling so guilty." Shenran and Lemon chuckled.

"We'll just stick to the masks for next year," said Shenran, "and I'll just keep my good writing skills were they belong, on the computer files and posts for fanfiction." That got Roll to laugh.

"Alright, I'll go put on costume," said Roll.

"Sure thing," said Lemon, "Shenran, be a gentlemen and please leave the room while Roll changes her clothes and I get her hair back into those oh-so-kawaii pigtails. Only dirty perverts stay in a room while a woman is changing!" Lemon stuck her green wand at Shenran's face. He just barely dodged getting another hard poke to his cheek.

"I get it! I get it!" Shenran retorted as he backed away, "Just quit trying to puncture me with that thing!"

"Human's don't get punctures," said Lemon indignantly, "You'll get this huge hole in your face and all your blood and guts will come flowing out of you!" Shenran just made a face while Lemon rolled her eyes at him.

"I get it, something wrong with me," said Lemon bluntly, "I've known that for years."

"Nothing's wrong with you," said Shenran with a smile, "You're just weird." Lemon just snorted before chasing a laughing Shenran out of Roll's room so the blonde girl could change. Lemon rolled her eyes as she made her way back towards Roll's dressing screen.

"Okay, he's gone, you can start changing now," said Lemon.

"He could have stayed," said Roll innocently from behind her screen, "You can't see me back here and I trust him."

"That's not right Roll," said Lemon, "boys should not be around when a lady is changing out of her clothes. It's just not proper." Roll sighed to herself.

"Guess I'm a dirty girl now," said Roll sadly.

"No, you're not," said Lemon, "You're right. We can't see you behind the screen, but if someone does walk in here it could cause...controversy." Roll just sighed.

"Why are people like that?" Roll asked, "it's because of them I can't even look at myself in the mirror without feeling ugly and stupid."

"You just gotta learn not to let their opinions knock you down," said Lemon, "trust me. I got alot of criticism from people back home too. Remember my story, they wanted to send me away! I moved to Flower Town so I could be with people who accept me for who I am...and that does include my disturbed way of thinking."

"Well I accept you," said Roll, "you're strange thinking doesn't drive me away. It's...nice when someone has been through the same situation you have."

"You mean being called freaks of nature and feeling like people seeing living your life as lonely old ladies with nothing but hundreds of cats, a tv, and a kotasu?" Lemon asked and Roll laughed.

"Kind of," said Roll as she stepped out from the screen, fully dressed back into her cheerleader's outfit, "but...I just feel less lonely knowing someone understands how I feel." Lemon smiled and hugged her gently. Roll returned the gesture with a smile.

"Well, I do think you're very special," said Lemon, "You're so kawaii and beautiful. I struggle with feeling pretty too. You inspire me."

"I do?" said Roll as they let go of each other.

"Yeah," said Lemon, "I love all the outfits you wear and being barefoot just adds to your natural kawaii-ness. I wish I could be as kawaii as you."

"Well...if I can give you one piece of advice?" Roll asked shyly. Lemon knew what she was gonna say.

"Yeah?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Lose the stockings!"

"I just knew you were gonna say that!"

"Well you said that liked walking around your town and traveling barefoot too! There are fairies that are barefoot you know!"

"True, but those fairies can fly! Plus I don't like to risk losing my toes and cutting up my legs and feet _everyday_!" Lemon protested and Roll just laughed. Soon Lemon was laughing with her as well before Lemon grabed the pink and gold hair ribbons so she could fix Roll's hair.

"You should wear your hair like this more often," said Lemon, "these upward pigtails are so cute!" Roll giggled.

"I'll think about it," said Roll, "I still prefer either my downward pigtails or ponytail. And lately, I've been finding myself just wanting to wear my hair down lately with either a ribbon or a headband."

"Well you're beautiful no matter how your hair is done," said Lemon. Roll just smiled and quietly let Lemon finished her pigtails.

Back downstairs, Shenran had plenty of company to keep busy as he waited for the two girls to return downstairs. They were all waiting patiently for Roll to come back down. In regards to the tension from earlier, Whitney was never angry with Fang. She was just annoyed that he had scared her. So things had settled right away between the two. Bunnie and Marshal had finally settled down enough to exchange apologies to each other. Shenran took notice that Bunnie was just resting her head on Marshal's own head comfortably as they shared a ranch sofa end together.

"So...what's the status between you two?" Shenran asked, "Are you just staying friends or are you going to take it further?" Bunnie just looked rather bashful as Marshal held her close.

"We're gonna just take it one step at a time," said Marshal, "As if right now, we're best friends who have started dating. I'm taking her out tomorrow night for dinner for our first date."

"Nothing to fancy okay, tee hee," said Bunnie, "You don't need to impress me. I already like you." Marshal chuckled.

"Still gotta try to prove to you that I'm worth getting together with don't I, sulky," Marshal asked and Bunnie just blushed to herself. The others just giggled, including Shenran, who then noticed that Rosie was cuddled up to Benjamin.

"Is there something going on between the two of you?" Shenran asked. Rosie then looked at the brown haired man as everyone else was just staring at her and Benjamin, who had been just holding her close and enjoying the moment. Their cheeks both turned bright red when Rosie shoved Benjamin away and off the edge of the sofa.

"Nope...nothing...nothing is going on here, silly," said Rosie indignantly with her cheeks still flushed. Benjamin just glared at Rosie for shoving him off, but just sighed quietly and leaned against the edge of the sofa rather than try to take a seat next to her.

"Looks like she's not swoon by you yet, it'sa me," Alfonso pointed. Benjamin just gave him a bitter glare and a raspberry before pouting. The alligator just shook his head.

"I'm glad I found my true love," Shenran said quietly to herself. That was when Lemon came downstairs and Roll was right behind her, now dressed back into her cheerleader outfit, hair back in pigtails that Lemon had given a nice curl to add to Roll's already natural cuteness. She was also holding the sack filled with the candy the villagers had given her. Everyone grew quiet once they saw Roll arrive. Roll could feel herself feeling rather nervous, but she knew what she had to do and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Hi everyone," said Roll, "I just wanted to say that I am really sorry for earlier this evening. I didn't mean to scare you all so badly. I'm sorry if I upset you guys or caused any tension by having Fang and Marshal involved. I only wanted to prove that I wasn't too cute to be scary and Lemon and Shenran had agreed to help me. I...went too far. I hope you can all forgive me..."

"We're not gonna hold it against you, snappy," said Whitney, "We figured you were just trying to prove itself."

"I actually thought you did a great job with that whole set up," said Katt, "You certainly had me spooked."

"Indeed," said Bunnie, "We knew you could scare people, but what you guys came up with was rather impressive, tee hee. If I looked angry, it wasn't at you...or Marshal...I just have issues."

"Well, if you let me, sulky," said Marshal, "I can help with what troubles you too." Bunnie just smiled.

"As you can see, some good came out of scaring us like that, tee hee," Bunnie added, "Marshal and I are gonna go out on a date. And Rosie and Benjamin just might have a connection."

"We do not!" they said together and just looked away from each other.

"Denial," Alfonso muttered and was roughly shoved by Benjamin. The other villagers just rolled their eyes and Roll giggled to herself.

"Well...as long as everyone is okay," said Roll, "I guess I didn't know what I was capable of. But at the end of the day I know one thing for sure. I don't like scaring people. I know that you're supposed to for candy, but I don't see what's so fun about it. Maybe you guys can tell me because I just don't understand how being scared can be fun." There was a brief silence before Purrl stood forward.

"In all honesty," Purrl began, "it's really just a state of mind."

"Huh?" said Roll puzzled.

"She means, bonbon," Lolly explained, "That only you can truly decide how to take being scared. You can either take it as people just enjoying what Halloween is all about or you can see it as people being picked on and bullied." All eyes looked at Fang, who just coughed awkwardly and blushed a light pink.

"Leave him alone you guys," said Roll, "I got picked on too. Especially since I was excluded and couldn't really scare anyone back at the orphanage. Well...I never had a chance to see if I could scare them back. Now that I think about it...maybe that's why I tried to so hard tonight. I'd like to believe I'm someone who doesn't hold grudges on people, but...now I'm thinking what if I tried to seek revenge by scaring you guys to death. And that's not right..."

"You're just over thinking things again, snappy," said Whitney, "Proving yourself and seeking revenge aren't the same things. We know you're just a very sweet girl and you like to be a peacekeeper. Scaring people would be out of your comfort zone cause it contrasts who you are. Everyone has those moments, but if we remember that we have people who love and support us. We can do anything...even if it means going out of your comfort zone. You've shown that time and time again dear. And its normal to surprise yourself. We all underestimate our abilities from time to time. But at the end of day, one thing is certain."

"What's that?" Roll asked curiously.

"You've proven yourself that you can be scary, tootie," said Margie, "We're all proud of you." Everyone in the room gave Roll a warm round of applause. Roll just blushed and gave them a shy smile.

"Thanks you guys," said Roll, "You're guys are always so nice to me."

"That's what friends are for, it'sa me," said Alfonso, "but you better hurry and find Jack so you can trade the candy we gave you for some awesome prizes!" Alfonso pointed to a nearby wall clock that read 10:25 pm. Roll gasped.

"Yeah I'd better," said Roll as she grabbed the sack of candy, "Umm...you guys are welcome to stay here if you want unless you've got business with Jack."

"We've had enough spooky to last till next year, silly," said Rosie.

"We can still celebrate all things kowai! Let's have a party!" Lemon suggested and everyone else took interested.

"Isn't it a little late for a party, mush?" Rudy asked.

"Plus we don't exactly have any treats or eats, alrighty," Benjamin pointed out. Lemon then pulled out several grocery bags.

"Where did you get that?" Roll asked shocked.

"I ordered some stuff on fast delivery while Shenran was talking to you and the bags arrived while you guys were talking," Lemon explained, "Hope you don't mind? All we need is good music, I'll make some yummy kowai/kawaii treats and we'll just have a good time being together as a family!" Roll just pondered for a moment and then smiled.

"It's the least I can do after scaring you all half to death," said Roll, "Go ahead just don't trash the house okay." Everyone nodded in agreement as Roll made her way out of the house. She had just shut the door and walked away from her when.

"TIME TO BRING THE HOUSE DOWN!"

"YEAH!"

Roll just groaned. "Should've seen that coming..." She began her search for Jack. It didn't take her too long to identify the fakes since they all had pumpkin heads that were not orange. About a minute had passed before she found the correct one and approached him.

"Excuse me sir," said Roll gently as the pumpkin headed figures just looked around confused at first and then turned to see Roll just smiling at him.

"Greetings! I'm Jack! The czar of Halloween!" he exclaimed proudly and then blinked in surprise, "Why if it isn't my little helper! Good to see you, pumpkin. As you can see the big day has arrived! October 31st! My favorite day of the year! Have goes your mission pumpkin?"

"It's...been going well," said Roll, trying to be honest but didn't want to go into detail about her big scare.

"Well I heard a large crowd screaming for their mommies not too long ago, pumpkin," said Jack, "Would you by chance be the one who caused such a scare?"

"Kind of..." said Roll nervously. Jack laughed with glee.

"Interesting," said Jack, "But I judge more by the spoils than the performance. Have you by any chance brought me some...(giggle) candy?!" Roll just smiling, biting her lip to avoid laughing at how Jack's voice squeaked. It was even harder not to laugh when Roll presented the brown sack of candy to Jack and the pumpkin let out a high squeal.

"CANDY!" he squealed with glee and dove into the sack gobbling all the candy down.

"Candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, CANDY, CANDY!" He chanted constantly as he continued to gobble up every piece of candy inside of the sack. Roll just looked at him dumbfounded.

"I take it back," she muttered, "I doubt even Sakura would gobble down an entire bag of candy!" It wasn't much longer before Jack had finished, cleaning out the entire bag of its contents.

"Candy!" he giggled with glee, "Oh how I love it so!

BURP!

Oh pardon me!" he exclaimed, "But as they say, pumpkin. Actions do speak louder than words."

"At least you didn't fart after saying that," Roll replied and Jack laughed.

"Well, you've certainly done well," said Jack, "Even I didn't expect such a luscious and tasty bounty such as big as this, pumpkin. You've certainly done more than your fair share, especially with the lollipops. Oh those are my favorite candies of all time."

"Because they are so rare?" Roll asked.

"Indeed," said Jack, "It is only during this day that lollipops are even available for me to consume. They are oh so tasty."

"Why not just eat one at a time?" said Roll, "I had given you twelve of them if you ate one now you could eat one lollipop a month for each month of the year?" Jack just blinked and then laughed.

"Maybe so, pumpkin but I prefer eating them all at once," said Jack, "it makes the long wait much more...satisfying."

"I see," Roll giggled.

"Now allow me to give you as much as your pockets can carry," said Jack. One by One, Roll was given twelve items for each of her rare lollipops. Thus earning all eleven pieces of the spooky set, and a jack in the box. (And she didn't have to get tricked to earn it either!) The regular candy earned her four pumpkin head masks and plenty of extra spooky furniture that Jack said he would mail to her later.

"Thanks Jack," said Roll, "You know...I didn't think someone like me could be scary. I found out that I am way better at it than I thought. Being scary isn't really who I am, but...I'm glad I was able to make you happy." Jack smiled.

"We all have a little scary side to us, pumpkin," said Jack, "It's all in good fun. You just gotta remember this: It's nothing personal. It's just candy!" Roll laughed, knowing that wasn't exactly how that phrase went, but chose not to dispute it. Jack just laughed as well.

"Well, it looks like this evening has been quite a success, pumpkin," said Jack, "I got just what I wanted and so much more! Thank you very much for making this Halloween extra special for me."

"You're welcome Jack," said Roll, giving him a curtsey.

"So polite," said Jack, "Such reverence and respect. Jack appreciates that greatly, pumpkin. Well, it is time for me to be off. Until next year..."

"Wait, I gotta ask you this one question," said Roll. Jack was about to make his exit, but stopped in mid motion and stood still for a moment.

"You seek my wisdom you say?" Jack pondered, "What might it be?"

"Why do you call me pumpkin?" Roll asked. Jack just stared and then he laughed.

"That is an easy thing to explain," Jack answered, "I call people who are my friends, pumpkin. It's how I identify them!" Roll just smiled.

"Well it's a pleasure to be a friend to a king," said Roll sweetly.

"Flattery will get you nowhere with me, pumpkin, only candy," Jack chuckled, "Now I'll be off. Until next year pumpkin, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" With that Jack did a back flip and disappeared, Roll just watched him disappear with a smile on her face before just turning to leave. However she didn't feel the need to head back to her house right away. She headed towards the bridge closest to the waterfall and just leaned against the bridge before deciding to sit on the balcony with her feet dangling above the water. She just sat quietly as she just listened to the water rushing beneath her and down the waterfall.

"I'm glad things turned out," she said to herself, "and everyone was right. I'm not too soft. I'm just a very compassionate person. I wouldn't change that part of me for anything. I'm lucky to have such good friends." Roll sighed to herself.

"Why is it taking so long for me to believe in myself?" said Roll, "I've confronted my mom. I've learned kung fu for self-defense. I'm always proving to be helpful to my friends. I have a Mom who appreciates me. Yet...I still feel all messed up..."

"Time heals all wounds dear," said a voice, "and it can take alot of time for that healing to start to show. You just gotta take more of the good and not let the bad knock you down so much." Roll turned around and found Gracie behind her, wearing a toga and olive headset with strapped high heeled pumps.

"Goddess Diana?" she asked. Gracie smiled impressively.

"Nice guess, girl," said Gracie, "Everybody else keeps guessing Cleopatra! Like Hello! Egyptian garments have yellow and blue lining on the neck! Greek togas are all white!" Roll chuckled as Gracie took a seat next to her.

"So what brings you out here alone?" Gracie asked.

"Just getting some air," said Roll, "it's been quite an eventful night."

"I'll bet," said Gracie, "Cute costume by the way."

"Thanks," said Roll, "same to you!" They both chuckled and then sighed together as they watched the water together. Then Roll remembered.

"Hey, I almost forgot," said Roll, "while I was giving Jack my stash of candy. Everyone else was getting ready for a little costume party at my house." Gracie gasped.

"You're having a party and didn't invite me?!" she exclaimed.

"We just decided on it not 20 minutes ago," said Roll, "it's...a long story. Plus I didn't even know you were participating." Gracie glared but then softened.

"Good point," she answered, "I usually don't tell anyone that I do."

"Well, now that I've found you," said Roll as she turned to face her, "I can ask. Wanna come?" Gracie smiled.

"Well what are we waiting for? let's go!" she answered excitedly. Roll nodded as they made their way back towards her house. Roll was about to knock on the door when Shenran put on a werewolf mask.

"GRRR!" he growled. Roll jumped back but then glared and slapped his cheek.

"Bad werewolf! Bad werewolf!" Roll scolded angrily, "No more scaring me!" Shenran just whimpered sadly as Roll just rolled her eyes at him. Gracie just giggled to herself as Shenran removes the mask.

"Guess nobody will be scaring you anymore," said Shenran with a smirk.

"Nope," said Roll, "anyway, if that party is ready, I've brought a friend." Shenran smiled when he saw the giraffe.

"Hey there Gracie, cute Cleopatra costume," said Shenran. Gracie groaned as Roll just rolled her eyes.

"I'm kidding, Diana!" said Shenran with a chuckle, "I'm married to a Egyptian cat! She'd kill me if I didn't know the different between a Queen's garb and a toga! Now come on in!" The two girls did so and Roll was rather amazed. Within just a few minutes, she found that everyone had pitched in to rearrange the furniture so they had room for a makeshift dance floor and near the entrance to the kitchen Lemon had plated a bunch of party snacks and treats.

"Wow, this place looks great for a party!" said Roll, clearly impressed.

"Thanks," said Lemon, "Now that were done with trying to scare each other. Let's party!"

"Yeah!" everyone shouted as Marshal turned on the music from the hi-fi stereo so KK Disco began to play. Some began to dance while others headed towards the refreshment table to grab some of the treats at the table. Roll just watched everyone start to enjoy themselves before heading towards the refreshment table...before making a face at a couple of the items Lemon had made for refreshments.

"What...is this stuff?" she asked with a disgusted face.

"Kowai/kawaii treats," said Lemon as she grabbed a grasshopper shaped item.

"These grasshoppers are made out of marshmallow and cherry juice!" said Lemon as she slurped one into her mouth.

"I...see..." said Roll wearily, "and this?" Roll pointed at a large tray of what appeared to be floating eye balls.

"Those are dumplings that look like eye balls," said Lemon, "try one." Roll was hesitant but bravely grabbed one and took a taste.

"Hey! This is...actually pretty tasty," said Roll as she grabbed another. Despite the scary appearances the rest of the items Lemon had made were very tasty and the rest of the villagers agreed. Roll's favorite was the chocolate crumble cupcakes that had gelatin worms sticking out of the crumbles. Once she had her fill, she relaxed a bit before deciding to join her friends for chatting and dancing. A good hour had passed and Roll was just tasting Lemon's black cherry "blood" punch when Marshal arrived to get his share of the punch.

"You...didn't spike the punch did you?" he asked.

"Nah, but I did add some of my own blood in it," said Lemon and Roll spat out the punch in her mouth in shock. Marshal covered his mouth to hide his chuckles as Lemon burst out laughing. Roll just glared.

"I was joking! Silly Roll!" Lemon chuckled as Roll just glared before taking another drink to empty her cup.

"Well you're "blood" was very tasty," Roll retorted sarcastically before giving her raspberry and tossing her paper plate and cup into her recycle bin. She then remembered something that she needed to do and was about to leave when Bunnie and Rosie arrived.

"Enjoying the party, tee hee," Bunnie asked as she approached her.

"We're having lots of fun, silly," Rosie added with a muffled voice since she was eating one of Lemon's a creepy lemon frosted ghost cookie, "Wanna join us for a dance? Bubblegum KK is up next on the playlist!"

"Not yet you guys," said Roll.

"Why not?" they asked surprised. Roll gave them a mischievous smirk.

"I just remembered that I've got one more thing to do before I'm officially done with my kowai side," Roll said with a devious smirk on her face. Bunnie and Rosie just chuckled to each other as Roll exited her house. They wanted details, but they knew she would tell them what she was gonna do before once she got back.

Late that night as the Able Sisters were about to lock up for the night since they had decided to stay open late in order to help with any costume malfunctions that might happen tonight. They were well aware of Roll's big horror scene with Shenran and Lemon and were eager for details about how things went down once Roll arrived. Despite the overdramatic horror scene, Sable was happy Roll ended up having a good time on her first night of trick or treating. Since it was already close to midnight, Roll offered to help them close up so they could come and enjoy the party at her house. While Sable protested since they didn't have costume, she conceded since Roll just wanted her momma there to have some fun (and enjoy their reactions to Lemon's kowai treats). Plus let's not forget that Labelle's birthday was also today. Roll had already given her a hug, a kiss, and a present, but this party would be great way for Labelle to celebrate with the village. (Despite the fact it would be a day late). As the clock was just a minute short of midnight, Sable returned from helping Labelle clean up the accessories for the night when she found a rather large package sitting near her sewing machine. She noticed that the package was addressed to herself and that it was from Roll.

"Well that was sweet of her to send me a..." Then Sable remembered that it was still Halloween for one more minute and snorted, "Roll! You get your little butt out of that box this instant! Anyone with a brain knows that you're the only one who could fit in the box that size! You're not getting me with the old jack in the box routine! I know all the Halloween tricks! You can't...can't...can't..." Sable then opened the box to pull Roll out when she found...Tom Nook...with glowing red eyes!?

"OH REALLY, HMM?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Sable shrieked and backed against the wall in terror. She soon heard the sound of both Mabel and Labelle laughing. Tom was even was laughing...until he took his head off...wait...he took his head off?! Sable then found that it was Roll after all, wearing a tanooki mask that looked just like Tom Nook!

"Gotcha Mom! I got you! I got you!" said Roll excitedly, "and they said it couldn't be done! But I did it! I scared Sable! I scared Sable!" Roll jumped for joy as Mabel and Labelle exchanged high fives with each other. Sable just rolled her eyes and let herself slump down into the floor in defeat, embarrassment, and humiliation as she saw the clock struck midnight.

"I'm just glad," said Sable wearily, "Halloween is officially over."

Well aside from the ongoing Halloween party.

Halloween was now officially over. So that means the end of the spooky stuff...until next year...

MWA-HA-HA-HA! MWA-HA-HA-HA-

"Oh give it a rest already!" Sable shouted.

...Sorry

 **If you found the whole confession scene a but complex, basically Bunnie and Marshal admitted to having feelings for each other. Despite their long term friendship, they have just become best friends who are dating for now. Bunnie had obvious trust issues and now it's up to Marshal to earn her trust. You'll have to keep reading to see if they do become a couple, but I can assure you this...unlike with Rosie, these two have stronger feelings for one another. They won't be breaking up any time soon. As for her and Benjamin, you'll just have to keep reading to find out if they might get together. If you don't think either pairing would be the right combination, give me suggestions. Don't just say they wouldn't work out. Thank you.**

 **Hope you caught the** ** _Yokai Watch 1 and 2_** **references.**

 **As I said before, I'm not one for fourth wall breaks, but the ones in this story just fit so well.**

 **Here's the preview for the next story arc: Detective Bunnie: Someone has stolen Roll's most prized possession and it's something she's kept a secret up to this point! Can Bunnie find the culprit or has her obsession with mystery novels just gotten to her head?**

 **This story arc will lead us to my first milestone chapter. Plus with the new update, I can guarantee Harvey and the RV campsite will make an appearance. So stay tuned!**


	48. Detective Bunnie Part 1

Detective Bunnie part 1

The Halloween party ended up lasting till dawn, especially since everyone was having so much fun that they all had lost track of time. It was close to 5am in the morning when someone saw how late it was and that was when the fatigue started to kick in for everybody. However, despite the exhaustion, nobody was going to leave Roll to clean up the mess alone. In fact, they had told Roll she could go to bed and they would take care of the mess. Roll wouldn't have it, but she still changed into her winter pajamas and headband with her hair fully down before joining everyone downstairs to make sure that the house was cleaned to her standards. (And to make sure that nobody damaged anything as they moved the furniture back into its original place.) It was nearly 6am by the time everyone had finished cleaning and Roll had barely enough strength to say "thank you" as she was falling asleep standing up. Shenran wasted no time scooping up the blonde girl into his arms to carry her to bed. Roll was already fast asleep when Shenran and Lemon tucker her in and kissed her good night, despite it being morning, before heading home.

Unfortunately, Roll was only asleep for a just an hour when she heard her phone starting to go off. Roll just grabbed her pillow and buried her head underneath her pillow. Despite being so tired, Roll wasn't exactly a heavy sleeper. Then again...her phone volume was loud for a reason.

 _Maybe if I just ignore it,_ Roll thought, _They'll just leave a message or try calling Isabelle. I just wanna sleep..._ Roll tried to tune out the loud rings, but after a good minute or two the phone continued to ring.

 _Of course when I DON'T want to be disturbed they chose not to SHUT UP!_

Roll growled angrily as she threw her pillow off herself and roughly grabbed her phone.

"Hello?" she asked, trying to sound polite, but her tone showed that the was very, very agitated.

"Good morning Mayor Roll," said Isabelle cheerfully. Roll's mood softened a tad hearing the shi-tzu's voice, but was still rather annoyed.

"What is it Isabelle?" Roll asked wearily.

"I need you to come to Town Hall right away," said Isabelle, "It's very urgent." Roll groaned.

"Isabelle...unless it's dire urgent...I just want to sleep..." she whined.

"You have responsibilities young lady," said Isabelle in a motherly tone, "I am well aware of the big Halloween party you had last night. Normally I would let you sleep, but this cannot wait and I need you undivided attention right here, right now! I don't care if you just come in your pajamas. Just come here as soon as you can and try not to fall asleep along the way. Understand young lady?" Roll growled angrily, feeling her temper starting to slip a bit as Isabelle began to lecture her.

"Oh fine!" Roll snapped loudly, "I'm coming!" Roll slammed the phone on the receiver to hang up. Grumbling, she dragged her body out of bed and just made her way towards town hall. Roll didn't bother grabbing a jacket as she stepped outside. She was apparently cool but comfortable in the cold November air in just her pajama top and short pants. She then noticed the dark clouds that had gathered in the sky and could smell the humidity in the air. She then felt a drop of water hit her nose and flinched.

"Oh great..." Roll groaned as she quickly ducked inside and dug about her storage for her matching light mint green slippers with no backing.

"It's a good thing these slippers are water proof," Roll muttered bitterly, "I hate shoes so much. I hate rainy weather even more... _and Isabelle's meddling the MOST!_ " Of course those last two things weren't true, but Roll was definitely extra cranky and grabbed a melon plaid umbrella and slammed the door to her house as she made her way angrily towards town hall. Isabelle was just working like normal when she heard a loud slam of the town hall door. She looked up just as Roll threw her umbrella aside, kicked off her slippers, and headed straight for the side entrance so Isabelle could let her get to her chair. Isabelle just smiled as she let the rather cranky blonde girl in.

"Now why do I need to be here?" Roll asked rather sternly as she stomped over to her chair. Isabelle just kept smiling.

"Good morning to you too," said Isabelle as Roll just glared with her arms and one leg over the other, bouncing it impatiently. Isabelle could tell Roll not only looked worn out, but the black circles under her eyes were a clear sign of her lack of sleep.

"Well, I'll try to be as brief as I can so you can get back to sleep," said Isabelle, "Trust me Roll. I wouldn't call you in here in your pajamas if this wasn't important." Roll just let out a long yawn and smacked her lips in a drowsy manner.

"Well...here I am," Roll yawned, "so...what's up Isabelle?"

"Well, I just got a proposal for a major town project," said Isabelle, "an RV campsite!"

"RV campsite?" Roll exclaimed in surprise, now a bit more perked up than before.

"Yes!" said Isabelle, "it's kind of like the town's campsite, but except it's for non-villagers to have a place to rest and have a day to themselves. Sort of like a mini-vacation destination." Roll looked at Isabelle funny with her rather tired eyes.

"Wouldn't something like that be more useful in the town you guys _actually_ live in?" she asked curiously.

"In a sense maybe," said Isabelle, "but the thing is that non-villagers aren't the only one who would benefit from there. When you visit the campers there, you can also be able to purchase the items that these campers have. Like say...exclusive holiday items or items you might only find by luck at the Island. Or even exclusive items you wouldn't find at Timmy and Tommys! For example...do you remember my mini-scooter that you thought was oh so awesome? You would be able to order your own!" Roll gasped and suddenly grew very excitedly.

"Woah, You mean I could actually own my own motor scooter?" said Roll, "That would be so...hey, wait a minute...I'm not old enough to drive." Isabelle giggled.

"Maybe in the rest of the world," said Isabelle, "But around here, you're actually old enough to drive. I know you're at least mature enough to respect traffic rules. We can work on getting your license when you're feeling less tired and such..." Roll could feel herself nodding off, but quickly tried to keep herself awake.

"O...k..." said Roll tiredly.

"Well, I have your approval to start the new project?" she asked.

"...Yeah..." Roll replied, already falling asleep. Isabelle began doing some work on her clipboard. It took her several seconds before she finally finished.

"Well all the preparations are complete for the new campsite," said Isabelle, "And surprisingly, they said everything would be ready within a day or so. Isn't that exciting, Roll? Uhh...Roll...?" Isabelle looked up from her clipboard and saw that Roll was fast asleep in her chair. The shi-tzu just giggled to herself when she heard the crack of thunder outside.

"There's no way I'm letting Roll head home in this weather," said Isabelle, "Let me see if I actually still have it with me..." Isabelle headed into the storage cabinet to shuffle around. After a few seconds of shuffling, she gasped in excitement.

"I knew I had it," she said quietly as she grabbed her sleeping bag. She laid it out along the receptions sofa and then set a nice fluffy pillow against the arm rest. Isabelle then gently tried to scoop up the blonde girl into her arms. Isabelle nearly fell over doing so, not cause she was heavy, but because she was so light.

"Sakura wasn't kidding!" Isabelle mouthed voiceless, "This girl weighs absolutely nothing. And yet thanks to Katt she can bench press 200 lbs!? That just defies all logic..." Isabelle decided to worry about that later and gently set the snoozing blonde girl into the sleeping bag and tucked her into it. Isabelle couldn't resist smiling as she kissed her forehead like a mother wishes her child goodnight. Even if it was early morning.

"Sweet dreams Roll," said Isabelle quietly and then went back to work. Roll was so exhausted that she slept all day. It was just a quarter to seven the next day when Roll began to stir. Isabelle had arrived 45 minutes ago to start her day when she heard someone shuffling about. She turned around in her chair to see the blonde girl starting to wake up.

"Hey, sleepyhead," said Isabelle. Roll just groaned a bit and stretched a bit.

"Wow...I'm feeling totally refreshed," said Roll.

"You should," said Isabelle, "you've been asleep since yesterday."

"What?!" said Roll and then noticed that she was in a sleeping bag.

"Where...where am I?" Roll asked.

"You're in town hall," said Isabelle, "You fell asleep after I made that project proposal."

"Huh?" said Roll, feeling a bit lost until she was able to recollect her thoughts, "Oh yeah...I remember now. And...sorry for being so cranky yesterday. I had only gotten an hour of sleep the night before."

"It's okay," said Isabelle, "I would have helped you home, but it began to thunder outside. I wasn't gonna let you fall asleep in the rain." Roll was touched as she stood up to her feet and tried to brush her hair a bit.

"Thank you," said Roll sweetly, "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"Not at all," said Isabelle, "You just slept and I continued my work."

"Did anyone asked about me?" Roll wondered.

"A few," Isabelle answered, "but once they saw you, they just let you be. I couldn't tell you how many times people were telling me how cute and adorable you looked fast asleep." Roll just sighed, she felt annoyed but decided to just shrug it off.

"Well I am supposedly cute," said Roll, "anyway, is there any business I need to do before I go change and clean up. And wash your sleeping bag. I think I got a little too hot wearing my winter pajamas and I think I sweated a little."

"I'll take care of the sleeping bag," said Isabelle, "You go get cleaned up and changed, then I can fill you in on some good news." Roll just nodded and gave Isabelle a warm hug.

"Thanks for being so sweet, even when I was being so difficult," said Roll.

"No problem," said Isabelle, "I don't mind looking out for you." Roll smiled and then headed out of town hall. Roll then noticed that the grounds were still a bit damp even though the rain had stopped and the sky was clear and sunny. Roll sighed and put her slippers back on when she noticed a new electronic device that looked like a parking meter but had a head the shape of a cat.

"Where did _that_ come from?" said Roll and pondered at it for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, "Guess I'll find out soon enough." Roll headed home to shower and changed into a white puller over sweater that had a heart on the left side, a light yellow and black horizontal stripped strapless top underneath, blue khaki shorts with some dark grey three quarter leggings underneath with a large pink ribbon tied into the hair tie of her ponytail. By now the ground was dry enough that she didn't need her shoes so she left without them as she made her way towards town hall, enjoying the now orange-yellow dry grass beneath her bare feet. She took a quick look at the nearby kitty shaped machine once more before heading inside town hall. Isabelle was just waiting for her.

"Cute outfit," said Isabelle, "I like the giant ribbon!"

"Thanks," said Roll, "Should I take a seat or..."

"Oh no, just step outside with for a sec okay?" Isabelle replied as she rose to feet and Roll followed. They went back outside of town hall as Isabelle lead her towards the cat shaped machine nearby.

"This Roll is part of that new campgrounds that were just completed today," said Isabelle. Roll blinked in surprise.

"They finished within a day?!" said Roll.

"Correct." Isabelle replied. Roll just looked stunned before smiling.

"Wow...hope its structurally sound," said Roll, rather impressed.

"Roll, Lloid was the one who handled the construction project himself," said Isabelle, "and you know he's the best when it comes to large scale projects in a short period of time." Roll chuckled.

"True," said Roll, "Anyway, what's with the new machine?"

"This Roll is a Coupon Allocating Terminal," Isabelle explained, "Or, as you can plainly see, the CAT machine."

"Makes sense," said Roll.

"It is at this machine you can redeem what are called Mutual Exchanges of Wealth," Isabelle continued, "Or simply said (giggle) MEOW coupons." Roll laughed.

"What are these MEOW coupons used for?" Roll asked, giggling at the nickname.

"These are the currency you use to purchase items at the RV camp," said Isabelle, "Most items range from 3 to 5 Coupons. Also you can only buy up to three items a day from the campsite, so choose wisely."

"I see," Roll nodded.

"From what I've heard, items from your own campsite tend to be cheaper while if you were to travel to your friend's campsite, they will be more expensive," Isabelle continued. Roll hummed and then blinked in surprise.

"Wait...they've got the RV camps too?!" she asked.

"Indeed," said Isabelle, "Oh! Before I forget, I wanted to tell you that you can discard your TPC. I've got a new updated one for you. All your current information is still intact!" Isabelle presented Roll her new TPC. Unlike her old one, it was folded into two sheets. The first sheet had her info on the front and her badges on the back. The second sheet was a digital list containing some tasks on it.

"That second sheet is what we call town initiatives," Isabelle explained, "Completing these initiatives will earn you more MEOW coupons. Once you complete an objective, you can come to the CAT machine and redeem your coupons at any time, no expiration date."

"Cool," said Roll.

"If you take a look at your TPC initiatives list, you'll see you are given four initiatives," said Isabelle, "The top two are daily initiatives and you are given until tomorrow at 5:59 a.m. to complete them. The bottom two are weekly initiatives, which you have until Monday to complete. As you might expect, weekly initiatives give more coupons than daily initiatives. (Phew) That was a mouthful. Got everything?"

"Yeah," said Roll, "It is alot to digest but I understand the basics. Complete initiatives to get coupons, check campsite for new items, and use coupons to buy them. Any other ways I can get coupons?"

"Well," Isabelle pondered, "lean in a bit..." Roll looked puzzled and obeyed as Isabelle leaned into her ear.

"If you can find a Wii U or Nintendo 3DS console at the campsite, they've got mini-games on them that you can earn additional tickets if you complete their objectives, but you didn't hear it from me!" Isabelle pulled away and gave her a wink. Roll chuckled.

"Gotcha," said Roll, "I keep my mouth shut."

"Good," said Isabelle, "Now go say hello the campsite host. He's very friendly, but a bit...unique." Roll chuckled with a light groaned.

"Not another Lemon," Roll remarked.

"Not that kind of unique," said Isabelle, "Just...I'm not gonna judge. I like him! I think you'll like him too. I think he knows Harriet...but I'm not 100% sure. Just head a little south and then look east and walk up the steep hill. The campsite is there." Roll nodded as she went to leave.

"WAIT!" Isabelle called out.

"What's up?" Roll asked. Isabelle reached into her pockets and pulled out 10 red coupons.

"You didn't think I was gonna let you start your MEOW collecting from scratch did you?" said Isabelle. Roll smiled as she took the coupons and put them into her pockets. They now had their own place in her wallet so they didn't take up any pocket space.

"One more thing," said Isabelle.

"Still?" Roll asked annoyed.

"Sorry, I just remembered," said Isabelle, "Be sure to visit Tom Nook later today when he opens, he said he's added blueprints for an additional room to your house." Roll oohed excitedly.

"Oh I'll be sure to check it out," said Roll, "For now I'm off to the campsite. Bye Isabelle." Isabelle waved her off and Roll headed towards the steep mountain. Digging her toes into the soft soil, she made her climb up the hill. When she reached the top, she gasped in amazement. There before her was a very beautifully constructed campsite, containing two parking spaces for RVs at the far end, a water spout, a hammock, and a rather large area that was the perfect place for a bonfire. Along the north end of the area was a rather traditional log cabin with a raised porch, which the right side had two items on display. The surrounding area was filled with lots of tightly packed pine trees. Roll could hear the rushing water of the nearby river in the distance as well as the smell of fresh pine scent that filled the air.

"This...place is beautiful," said Roll in amazement. She then noticed a dog standing in front of one of the items on display, which was a mini traffic light that was just blinking a single light. He was wearing a headband, a blue shirt with brown vest, and gaucho pants. He apparently hadn't noticed her and was just staring at the blinking lights as Roll approached her.

"I'm telling you, man," he said in a very hippie-like voice, "everything third blink is slower..." Roll just gave him a funny look.

"The sixties weren't good to you were they?" she asked skeptically.

"I'm not that old, man," he replied, still staring at the traffic light, "at least...not my physical body... my spirit maybe..." Roll just looked at him as if he was crazy until he turned to face him, showing he also had some black tiny shades on his face as well. And Also a pencil mustache and goatee.

"Oh what's up?" he replied cheerfully, "The name's Harvey. Or for short you can just call me Harv...or if you prefer long names, maybe Harrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrvey...let's just stick with Harv or Harvey. Complicated things make my head hurt...too much negative vibes, man."

"N-nice to meet you," said Roll, "My name is Roll."

"Roll huh?" said Harvey, "Diggin' the name, man. Rock n Roll is my kind of music."

"Thanks," said Roll, not wanting to discuss that her name was from cinnamon rolls, not the music.

"So what brings you here, man?" he asked as he poured himself a canteen of fresh black coffee into a mug that had the CAT machine logo on it.

"I'm the mayor of this town, Harvey," said Roll, "I wanted to welcome you to Animal Town..."

"There's a whole lot of love out here, man," said Harvey, only half listening to her, "I feel like part of the family already, Sis."

"Sis?" said Roll awkwardly.

"There was no need to visit old Harv to make him feel welcome here," he continued, "But I appreciate the extra love, man. So you wanna know what's going down here right?"

"I...yeah...yeah I do," Roll stuttered.

"Well here is when you can chill out and enjoy the best of what nature has to offer," said Harvey, "Nothing here but peace and tranquility as far as the eye can see. RVs will come and park here from time to time. If you like what they have inside, you can buy them using MEOW tickets. Same goes for the two items next to me. If you don't see something you want, we get new stuff shuffling in from time to time. We don't except bells here, man."

"Why is that?" Roll asked, "What's wrong with bells?" Harvey's eyes popped out as he shoved his face into Roll's.

"Because it's a conspiracy, man!" he exclaimed.

"YIPE!" Roll shrieked since she tried to lean away from him and fell over.

"The government's got control of the currency!" he continued, "Why call it bells? You buy things with coins! Not bells! The coins don't have bells in the center. The coins _all have stars!_ They're making us all use a bunch of lies, man!" Roll just looked a bit frightened as Harvey looked at her with a wild look in his eyes before he eventually settled down.

"I...understand..." said Roll wearily. Harvey just calmed down and helped Roll to her feet.

"I just believe money shouldn't be complicated," said Harvey, "Buying things should be simple. It's why I invented the MEOW system. It's simple and prices are all the same, either 3 tickets or 5 for items. Up to three purchases a day. None of that inflation stuff or so called "sales and discounts", just more government lies."

"I see," said Roll, "Well mind if I take a look around?"

"You enjoy yourself, Sis," said Harvey, "Just take it easy and enjoy all the nature. You seem to already be enjoying the fresh grass and soil beneath your feet! You're ahead of the game, man." Roll just looked at her feet and chuckled.

"Thanks," said Roll, "Nice meeting you Harvey."

"Right on," Harvey replied, toasting to her before taking a drink. Roll just smiled.

 _He's a bit of a hippie,_ Roll thought to herself, _But he's actually very nice. Hey, I wonder how he knows Isabelle. I should ask him._

"Excuse me Harvey," said Roll.

"What's up?" he asked.

"How do you know Isabelle?" she asked curiously. Harvey looked puzzled until he realized who Roll was talking about.

"Ah! Izzy you mean," said Harvey, "I was able to speak to her through an old friend of mine. Quite groovy she is. She's got some good vibes when it comes to looking good, man." Roll looked puzzled until she figured out who he was talking about.

"Harriet?" she guessed.

"Right on," Harvey answered, "Some say we've got a history. Some say we don't. Rumors are scary man." Roll just sighed, figuring he wasn't gonna delve any further about how he knew Harriet and left it at that.

"Alright, I'll see you Harvey," said Roll.

"Don't be a stranger, sis," said Harvey, "sometimes the best way to relax is to enjoy the nature around you and clear your mind." Roll just kept walking before looking back at him. The way Harvey looked relaxed, but he look nearly zoned out.

"I don't think I wanna empty my mind _that_ much." But Roll said it to herself. Roll then carefully made her way back down the steep hill. She was just about to reach the bottoms when she lost her balance and bit and tumble forwards. Roll closed her eyes and braced for a hard landing on her stomach, but it never came. Roll opened her arms and found that both Bunnie and Rosie had caught her so she landed softly on her knees on the grass at the bottom of the hill.

"Easy with that last step, silly," said Rosie, "That hill is pretty steep."

"Yeah, tee hee," Bunnie added, "Don't want to tumble down that hill and hurt yourself." Roll just sighed as she rose to her feet and dusted off her pullover and shorts.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Anytime," said Rosie, "So how's the new campsite?"

"It's beautiful up there," Roll replied, "You guys should go check it out."

"Maybe later," said Rosie, "But do tell us about the host?"

"The host? Oh! You mean Harvey!" said Roll, "He's...interesting."

"Interesting as in...weird or just...strange?" Rosie asked. Roll just sighed and crossed her arms.

"I'm not gonna judge," Roll answered, "I just met him. If you want to get to know him more, you can go speak to him. He's very friendly...just...unique."

"He sounds like he's awfully suspicious," said Bunnie skeptically.

"Bunnie don't start with the detective nonsense again!" said Rosie annoyed as she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, he sounds pretty suspicious to me," said Bunnie, "This sounds like a case that needs solving." Rosie just rolled her eyes at her.

"Case? Solving?" Roll asked curiously.

"Bunnie just started getting into all these detective comic books lately," said Rosie, "She was so into them the other day that I literally had to pull the comic right out of her hand to we could get some fresh air, silly! And she had read that issue at least two dozen times."

"Hey, you almost tore the cover, tee hee!" said Bunnie, "These comic books are vintage!"

"What comic books are they?" Roll asked.

"Ever heard of Buck Tracy, tee hee?" Bunnie asked. Roll shook her head.

"I must have missed that series," said Roll, "And this is coming from a girl who read ALOT of different comics books and manga."

"I can lend you the comics sometimes," said Bunnie, "Once I'm done reading them all again, tee hee!"

"Oh...sure," said Roll.

"Everything nearly 70-80 years ago just sounds so exciting," said Bunnie, "Everyone wearing pretty dresses and men in mysterious suits and trench coats. The city at nighttime with all its nightclubs and undergrounds. Oh I would have loved living in those days, helping people in my own mysterious way..." Roll giggled to herself.

"Bunnie really is into all this detective stuff isn't she?" Roll asked Rosie, who just rolled her eyes.

"It doesn't help that Marshal took Bunnie shopping in the City and bought her a detective hat and trench coat, silly," Rosie said, still clearly annoyed. Bunnie felt indignant and then a mischievous smirk appeared on her face.

"Is someone getting jealous?" Bunnie asked sweetly, "If my memory is correct, you had your chance, tee hee." Rosie glared and gave Bunnie a hard shove.

"I'm not jealous," said Rosie honestly and firmly, "I'm just glad you're finally giving him a chance! About time you actually started dating, silly!" Bunnie just sighed and stared at her feet.

"I still don't get why he should even bother," said Bunnie, "I still feel guilty..."

"Bunnie, Marshal forgive you!" said Rosie, "And he would never hurt you either. He cares alot about you. Just stop questioning if your good enough and just follow your heart girl. Go get what belongs to you, silly!" Bunnie just looked rather insecure as Roll gave her a hug.

"I might not have been in love before," said Roll gently, "but I know plenty of what it's like to have doubts about yourself. Rosie is right. You gotta just stop counting all the reasons you'll fail and just go for it. It's been working for me. I'm learning my capabilities and what I want for myself."

"What do you want in life?" Rosie asked Roll.

"Just a family who loves me," said Roll, "I clearly have one now. Sure, I don't feel like I was good enough for all the love, but I still got it despite my doubts and insecurities. All I know is that I'm not letting such a huge blessing pass me by. I'm gonna take it. You should do the same with Marshal, Bunnie." Bunnie just hummed but was listening thoughtfully to what Roll was saying.

"I just don't want to get hurt, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I'd rather take it slow and really see if...there's something there for us." Roll smiled and embraced her lovingly.

"I know there is," said Roll, "He's always telling me that you've got a special place in his heart. I think there would be less of a risk since he likes you back."

"I...I just haven't felt that moment yet, tee hee," said Bunnie, "That moment when you...you just know...that Marshal and I are meant to be together...forever." Rosie just smiled.

"If you keep your heart and mind open, silly," said Rosie, "You'll have that moment. Just be patient and keep spending as much time as you can with him." Roll nodded in agreement as Bunnie just smiled. Roll then walked between them and embraced Bunnie and Rosie with one arm each.

"I love you guys," said Roll happily, "I know I don't say it enough, but I just wanted you two to know that I am really happy that you are in my life." Bunnie and Rosie awed before they hugged her back and gave her a kiss on the side of her head. They all giggled before pulling away.

"So...where you off to, silly?" Rosie asked curiously.

"Apparently, Tom Nook has some important news for me," said Roll, "at least according to Isabelle. I was going to head there right now to find out what's up."

"Want some company?" Bunnie asked.

"Sure, come on," said Roll. As if they by instinct, they linked hands so they could walk together side by side as they made their way towards main street. They wasted no time heading towards Nook's Homes and walked inside. Tom Nook was just filing through some papers when he saw the blonde girl enter.

"Oh, hello there Roll," said Tom, "I assume your here because you saw my flyer, hmm?"

"Flyer?" Roll asked puzzled.

"Yes, yes, I sent you a flyer describing that I had some good news for you today," said Tom. Roll just looked puzzled still before she remembered something important and smacked herself in the forehead as well as obvious.

"Because of what happened yesterday, I forgot to check my mailbox today," said Roll, "must have been because...well...never mind..."

"Roll, we all know you were sleeping at town hall last night, silly," said Rosie as a matter of fact.

"Saw you. Yes I did. BOOM," Lyle added, "Snoozing. Snoozing on the job. Thought...overworked, overtired? Lazy? No. Bang! That not our mayor. Mayor not lazy. Just overworked. Not Lazy. Maybe too much on mind. Mind full. Couldn't sleep. No sleep at night. Sleep in day. BANG!" Roll blushed til her face was a deep shade of pink.

"That's the last time I host an all night party," said Roll with an irritated tone with her hands on her hips, "Just cause I fell asleep at town hall, everyone has to know about it." Roll began to pout. Rosie and Bunnie just chuckled to each other. Tom laughed as well.

"No need to feel embarassed Roll," said Tom, "I've done that plenty of times in my life."

"On or off the golf course?" Lyle muttered only to get a stern glare by Tom Nook. Lyle just closed his mouth as the tanooki shook her head.

"Ignore him," Tom retorted, "Sleeping at work is not why you're here. You're hear about my good news, yes?"

"Yes, sir," said Roll, remembering her manners.

"Just call me Tom," said the tanooki, "We are friends you know."

"Because she's spent over 8 million bells on her house," Rosie whispered to herself.

"Not true!" said Roll, "Tom is a friend of mine. We've had dinner together at Ables every so often. He seems to like my cooking too."

"Yes, yes, that extra meaty lasagna you made last time was absolutely scrumptious," said Tom Nook, "You're quite a cook, Roll. I always look forward to what you'll make next."

"Thank you," said Roll, "So what was that flyer all about?"

"Ah, yes, yes," said Tom, "Tell me Roll, despite having a fully upgraded house. Do you still find extra room and storage to be...a challenge?"

"Yeah, a little," said Roll, being honest.

"Well, I wanted to tell you that I've gotten the blue prints for an additional room to your house," said Tom proudly.

"So I've heard," said Roll, "and I'm curious as to where the addition would be on my house? I mean. The only place I could think of for an addition would be a third floor. or another underground room."

"Indeed," said Tom Nook, "those are possibilities, but this room is not like the other rooms of your house. This room...is called a secret storage room. In this room, you'll won't exactly be decorating it like the other rooms in your house. This room is made specifically for those who find it hard to let go of things. For those...collectors at heart." Roll smirked. She knew the word Tom was thinking of, but chose not to call him out on it.

"I'm sure even a girl as young as you has dreamed of their very own walk in closet, hmm," said Tom Nook, "with enough storage to house over twice as much capacity as your regular storage space."

"Woah!" said Roll, "that would make one killer walk in closet! Place my order right here and now Tom!" Tom chuckled.

"I will, I will," said Tom and made a mental note on a clipboard, "And...there...we go! Construction will be complete in the morning. Also, the cost of construction for the secret room will run to an even 158,000 bells." Roll's jaw dropped.

"That's a good deal!" Roll exclaimed, "I can pay you up front in full if you'll let me!"

"I wish I could, but the procedure is the same as it was for your other rooms Roll," Tom chuckled, "Once construction is complete, the debt will be added to your selection on your ABD account. Also please come by tomorrow morning. Since the room is secret, you'll want to know how to access the room yes?"

"Yes I do," said Roll, bouncing on her bare feet, "This is exciting, a big storage room! I can't wait to make use of it! Thank you Tom."

"Thank you for your continued support," said Tom. Roll smiled as she waved him and Lyle goodbye and made her way out of the shop. Bunnie and Rosie just followed from behind her and stopped when they saw Roll hop up and down excitedly again.

"This is so cool!" said Roll, "I've always wanted my own walk-in closet! I can't wait until tomorrow!" Bunnie and Rosie giggled to each other.

"You...will show us this walk in closet won't you?" Bunnie asked curiously.

"Of course," said Roll, "I'm gonna need help moving my clothes into it." Bunnie and Rosie chuckled to each other.

"Fair enough," said Rosie, "Come on. Let's go shopping!" Bunnie and Roll rolled their eyes at the blue cat.

"You always want to go shopping!" Roll pointed out.

"How true," Rosie replied as they both laughed and they went on their way.

Later that evening when Roll had changed into her pajamas for the night, she was sitting comfortably on her bed trying to sketch a picture, however the object she was trying to draw kept falling over. This made drawing rather difficult, even when Roll knew that bouncing her leg on top of her knee was the reason her object kept falling over. The object she was sketching wasn't just some random item either. It was a very special object to Roll, for it was a toy. The only toy she had to her name before ever moving to Animal Town. It was actually a stuffed lion dog and a very old stuffed lion dog to be exact. The fur was old and scraggly, the left eye was missing and even the whitest part of the fur was more like a tan color. Even the swirly markings on its fur were faded. This didn't mean it hadn't been washed, but just a sign of its age. It even had a few holes were part of the stuffing had fallen out. Fortunately, Sable had taught her the basics of a needle and thread so Roll had tried to stitch the holes as best as she could, but she always had to keep stitching the holes closed. Ironically, Roll had never asked Sable to repair it herself. That was because nobody knew Roll had this special lion dog other than Roll herself. She had named the old stuffed lion-dog, Komasan.

"Komasan," she said annoyed as he fell over again even when she had stopped bouncing her leg on the bed, "How many times do I have to tell you? If you want a picture of yourself, you have to keep still!" The lion dog said nothing but just lay on his back. Roll looked at him annoyed until her stern expression softened. Roll picked him up and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I can never stay mad at you Komasan," said Roll, "You've been there for me since I found you in that box of stuff my mother tried to throw away. You've kept me company through everything I've been through too. I made sure nobody could take you away from me when we were at the orphanage. Just remember Komasan, no matter how many friends I have now, I'll always love you." Roll giggled to herself as she held the toy in her arms.

"To think," she giggled to herself, "I came up with your name when I was learning how to talk. That was how my mother interpreted my baby talk. "Coo-mah-sun" was how it sounded back then. Once I learned how to pronounce words, I was able to give you a name that was...easier to spell at least." Roll sighed to herself and just looked at her special friend.

"I could go for some hot cocoa with marshmallows," said Roll, "How about you Komasan?" The lion dog just stared at her and soon Roll's smiled turned into an annoyed look.

"For the last time Komasan," said Roll, "I don't have any soft serve vanilla ice cream. It's too cold this time of year for that!" The doll just kept staring at her.

"I know you love soft serve ice cream," said Roll, "but there are tasty winter treats to eat too that are much warmer for your tummy!" Komasan just kept looking at Roll and then the girl rolled her eyes.

"I'm not obsessed with cinnamon rolls!" said Roll, "though I could make some to eat while we move my clothes to my new walk in closet tomorrow." Komasan said nothing. He was just a toy after all, but Roll just giggled to herself and let out a long yawn.

"I think I'm ready for bed," said Roll, "Want me to read you a bedtime story?" Roll tiled her head to make Komasan say yes. She just smiled.

"Okay, come on and let's choose a book!" said Roll as she scooted off her bed and went up to her own large bookcase. She began to scroll through some of the bedtime storybooks she had. She kept pointing to book after book until she stopped at one book in particular that was blue with yellow binding on it.

"Not the Little Tank Engine and Friends, for the two thousandth time!" Roll groaned as she looked at her companion and just sighed.

"Fine," Roll conceded as she set the lion dog in her lap as she flipped through the book, "Since we did finish the last set of stories, we'll start with this story set. Once upon a time there was a little tank engine who lived on a big station on a large island railway. He was a cheeky little engine, with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler, and a short stumpy dome..." Roll paused for a moment to look at Komasan, who was just giving his worn, stitched smile. Roll just smiled back and continued to read the book. Once she had finished the entire story set, she carried Komasan in one arm and held the book in her other arm. Once the book was put away, she carried him over to the bottom dresser drawer that she had turned into his own little bedroom with a baby blanket and pillow to boot.

"Good night Komasan," said Roll as she kissed him and tucked him into it for the night and closed the drawer. Roll then let out a long yawn and stretched her arms before climbing into her bed and falling into a deep sleep. Today had been a busy day, but a good day at that.

Late that night, a mysterious figure slowly opened the door to Roll's house. The figure just scouted about, looking around the room when they suddenly tripped over something. They had apparently not noticed the pair of pumps Roll had left by the side of the door and just pushed them out of their way with their foot. Then they slowly made their way up the stairs and toward Roll's room. They took extra care to keep the cloak they were wearing over their face and treaded the floor as quietly as they could. Roll was just fast asleep, unaware that anyone had entered her house and dreaming sweet dreams. The figures just stared at her before turning towards her nearby dresser drawer. They slowly opened the bottom drawer, trying not to make a sound. Wasting no time, the figure picked up the lion-dog doll and tucked it inside of their cloak. Then they slowly closed the dresser drawer, tip-toed out of the room, downstairs, and out of the house without even taking a breath. All the while Roll was just fast asleep, completely clueless to what had just happened.

It was around half past seven in the morning when Roll began to wake up from her bed. She slowly sat up, stretched her arms and brushed her hair behind her shoulders. She just smacked her lips as a small smile crept into her face.

"Today is gonna be a good day," said Roll, "They should have finished the secret storage by now and I'm just feeling really happy today." Roll then looked towards her drawer and her smile increased in size.

"Come on Komasan!" said Roll as she crawled out of bed and rushed towards her drawer, "Let's have breakfast together. I'll even make your favorite chocolate chip...GASP!" Roll stopped talking and looked into her drawer with her face agape. The drawer in which Komasan was sleeping in...was empty. Roll quickly shuffled through the drawer, nearly pulling the drawer out of the slot as she looked inside. She tossed out the mini pillow and baby blanket but it was completely empty.

"He's...gone..." said Roll sadly, "And I know for a fact that I put him in there last night. I never take him out of the room. He was with me! I KNOW I put him in there. Maybe..." Roll opened the top drawer and scrolled through her clothes and storage. Fifteen minutes of searching proved futile as Roll couldn't find her lion dog plushie.

"Where...where's my Komasan?" she whimpered as her eyes began to water and she just sat on her bed.

"Why can't I find him?" she whimpered sadly to herself. Her mind was racing a mile a minute and the more frustrated she got, the more she found it harder not to let go of some tears. It wasn't much longer before she just started to cry quietly to herself. She didn't cry by herself for long before she heard someone knocking on her door. Roll slowly made her way downstairs to see who it was. She opened the door to find Rosie and Bunnie already up and ready to begin their day.

"Surprise!" they said together.

"We got up early so we can try and help with that super secret and super cool storage room, silly!" Rosie said cheerfully.

"We thought you would like the extra...help, tee hee," said Bunnie as she realized the crying blonde girl. Rosie's smile was soon replaced with concern as well.

"Roll, what's wrong?" Bunnie asked her gently. Roll just looked at her and just cried harder. Roll was too upset and heartbroken to speak. Bunnie and Rosie wasted no time hugging her tenderly as Roll just continued to cry. They led her slowly upstairs so she could sit on the bed as Bunnie and Rosie just cuddled her in order to comfort the sobbing blonde girl.

"Everything is going to be okay," said Rosie.

"No...no it won't," said Roll.

"Yes it will," said Bunnie, "those negative thoughts will go away."

"It's...not..the negative thoughts," Roll croaked. Bunnie and Rosie blinked in surprise.

"Then...what is it, silly?" said Rosie, "You can tell us."

"We love you, tee hee," Bunnie added softly, "Please tell us why you're crying." Roll just sniffled. She didn't want to, but...she had been waiting for the right time to tell someone about Komasan. Plus she needed help in finding what had happened to him. Roll tried to dry her eyes a bit before she tried speaking.

"Ever since I was just a toddler," Roll said shakily, "I've...had a stuffed lion dog as my companion. It's the only toy I've ever had. Before you ask, the answer is no. My mom didn't give him to me. She never gave me anything..." Roll felt like she was gonna lose it until she took a flow breath and recomposed herself despite her tears flowing. "...I just found him lying inside of a cardboard box, looking rather lonely and beaten up. I just knew in my heart he needed a friend...I needed a friend. So...I grabbed him and kept him for myself. My mom didn't approve...but she didn't care either. He's been with me all these years."

"What's his name?" Bunnie asked.

"I named him Komasan," said Roll with a sniffle, "Ironically, the name came out of what I was calling him as a toddler. The three syllables just formed that name." Bunnie and Rosie awed.

"That is so cute," said Rosie, "why didn't you tell us about him silly?" Roll just sniffled again and tried to wipe her tears away.

"Well, I am going to be twelve years old," said Roll, "I'm getting a little old for a doll...but I don't care! I want to keep my Komasan forever! But...I...didn't know how everyone would think about their own mayor still playing with a doll!"

"Roll, that doesn't change who you are," said Bunnie, "Just because you still have a doll doesn't mean you can't still be a mayor. We're girls! We're allowed to have our share of plush toys. I still have a pink panda bear that I snuggle with from time to time."

"Really?" said Roll surprised. Rosie nodded.

"I've got a sea turtle," said Rosie. Roll laughed.

"There we go," said Rosie, "now that you're feeling better. Go get Komasan so we can meet him." Roll stopped laughing and instantly began to cry again as she buried her face into her hands.

"Roll?" Bunnie asked worried. Roll continued to cry and opened the bottom dresser drawer. Showing them only a small blanket and nothing else inside of it.

"This was where I was keeping him," Roll sobbed, "and until today nobody knew about him! I put him to sleep last night. Then I went to get him so we could have breakfast together and he was gone! I've checked the entire room and I never took him out of this bedroom! All we did was just draw pictures and read a book together last night! I even checked my regular storage and nothing! He's gone! My Komasan is gone!" Roll continued to cry as Rosie held her for comfort.

"Don't you worry, Roll," said Rosie, "He'll turn up. We'll help you find Komasan. We can promise you that..right Bunnie? Bunnie?" Bunnie just began to examine the drawer, even picking up the blanket and examining it. Roll stopped crying to look at the orange rabbit as Rosie just gave her best friend a curious look.

"Bunnie?" Rosie asked once more, this time more concerned as Bunnie gave them both a serious look.

"There's no doubt about it, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Roll didn't lose Komasan. I think somebody stole him!" Roll gasped as she clasped her hand over her mouth. Rosie just rolled her eyes.

"Oh no..." Rosie groaned.

"This looks like a job for...Detective Bunnie, ace private eye, tee hee!" said Bunnie, changing into a trench coat and matching hat. Rosie just slapped her face in annoyance while Roll just blinked with a clueless look on her face.

"This is going to be a long day," Rosie muttered to herself.

 **Roll's custom outfit is similar to the outfit worn by** ** _Katie Forester_** **from** ** _Yo-Kai Watch_** **. She just wears a dark grey leggings instead of knee high socks and shoes since...you know how she is if you've read by now.**

 **And in regards to generic "Hippies" I was inspired by** ** _Fillmore_** **from** ** _Cars_** **to get Harvey's character just right.**

 **Buck Tracy is just a play of the famous comic book detective** ** _Dick Tracy_** **.**

 **Plus the story Roll read to "Komasan" was basically a parody of** ** _Thomas the Tank Engine_** **.**

 **And yes...Roll's Komasan toy is based exactly from the same lion-dog from** ** _Yo-kai Watch_** **. Same look as well.**

 **It's also too difficult to imagine someone entering the secret storage area. So I wanted to make it seem like you could with the only item cap being the 360 item storage max. Besides, I have plenty of female friends and family who dream of having their own warehouse sized clothes closet.**

 **Hopefully we can stick to the main plot of the story, but there might be more update content featured in next chapter. We are on the road to the milestone of 50 chapters with this arc after all!**

 **Stay tuned!**


	49. Detective Bunnie Part 2

Detective Bunnie part 2

Bunnie just continued to ponder as she paced back and forth across the floor of Roll's bedroom. Roll was just sitting quietly, her ankles crossed, and using a spare cloth to wipe away her tears. Rosie was just holding Roll's hand for moral support but was also looking rather annoyed at Bunnie. The orange rabbit didn't seem to take notice.

"Yes, yes indeed," Bunnie pondered to herself, "I can sense a robbery for sure, tee hee."

"And how may I ask did you come to that conclusion, professor goofball?" Rosie asked with a smarty tone.

"Well let's think about it, my dear sister," said Bunnie in a serious tone, "Does Roll look like someone who is...irresponsible?" Rosie blinked and Roll just looked at her with curiosity.

"No, not one bit, silly," said Rosie, "And what does that got to do with anything?"

"Well most people Roll's age can be prone to losing and misplacing things," said Bunnie, "But Roll is very responsible and until she came to live here. She didn't really have much of anything to misplace. Roll isn't like usual children her age. She's a high school graduate and very mature as well. Sometimes I often forget she's so young because she acts like an adult. My point is dear Rosie that Roll isn't the type of person to misplace something like this."

"I agree," said Rosie, "But still...everyone has memory lapses from time to time. Even I can misplace something on occasion. I'm just saying that you can't just jump to conclusions about this kind of stuff, silly. You can't just assume he was stolen!"

"She's not," said Roll sadly, "I've already looked everywhere."

"Not everywhere," said Rosie, "We still haven't checked around the house. Maybe he might be in another room and you just forgot about it. You never know." Roll didn't have much confidence that Komasan would be anywhere downstairs, but was willing to still try to look around.

"Okay..." said Roll quietly as Rosie cuddled her close.

"Actually, Rosie has a good idea," said Bunnie, "Maybe we can find some more clues about the kidnapper downstairs."

"I sure hope so," said Roll as Rosie gave her a "are you serious" look.

"I'll find the culprit Roll don't you worry, tee hee," said Bunnie, "now to the lower level to investigate!" Bunnie made a determined pose before venturing downstairs in a hurry. Roll soon rose to her feet and followed closely behind her. Rosie just stared at the two before rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"This is _so_ gonna be a long day," said Rosie to herself as she was the last to make her way downstairs. The next couple of hours were spent searching the house as thoroughly as possible in order to find Roll's lost Komasan. First they checked the kitchen. Rosie was rather surprised to see that Roll didn't seem as concerned about being tidy as she began throwing pot after pot from her cabinets. She was more careful in searching through the cabinets that had plates, cups, and other fragile items, but the blonde girl didn't waste any time putting them back once she had emptied the cabinet of all its contents. The only items she bothered putting away after taking them out were the items in her refrigerator. Bunnie used her magnifying glass to search around for any clues.

"Nothing in this room," she said casually.

"Obviously," said Rosie in a spiteful tone. Bunnie gave her a death glare.

"Anyways, as the law of deductive reasoning would suggest," said Bunnie, trying to get back on task, "One room down, three others to go."

"Are we going to check the basement too?" said Roll, "I'm so desperate to find my doll that I'll check anywhere now! I just want my Komasan back!" Roll whimpered a bit as Bunnie gave her a comforting smile.

"We'll find him," said Rosie, "Don't you worry about it, silly."

"Yeah," Bunnie added, "Maybe we'll find some clues in another room." Roll nodded as she and Bunnie headed towards her work room. Rosie was left behind and saw that Roll didn't bother to put anything away.

"Gee...thanks you guys," said Rosie in annoyance. By the time Rosie had finished, she walked into Roll's office to find items laying everywhere, especially a bunch of books from the two shelves Roll had literally demolished trying to see if Komasan was behind any of them. They were about to exit when Rosie blocked the door.

"Oh no you don't!" said Rosie sternly in a motherly tone, "You two are not leaving this room until everything you threw all over the floor is picked up and put back into its proper place! You understand me, silly!" Bunnie looked indignant as Roll looked a bit fearful.

"Yes, maim," said Roll and started to pick up the books. Bunnie just glared back at Rosie until the blue cat growled and leaned forward into the rabbit's face. Rosie was not going to tolerate any back talk and even Bunnie was smart enough to stand down.

"Okay, okay!" Bunnie bellowed, "It's not like there was any clues in this room anyway, tee hee." Bunnie then walked away and started to help Roll with the mess. Rosie just rolled her eyes at the rabbit.

"Even I could have told you that," Rosie muttered to herself. But then she heard the sound of sniffling and saw that Roll was had started crying as she continued to fix her bookshelf. Rosie approached her gently.

"Hey," said Rosie gently, "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was just annoyed that you guys left me to clean to kitchen alone." Roll blinked in surprise.

"I...I would have cleaned it myself," Roll whimpered, "I'm just not too worried about leaving a mess. I just want my doll back...I'm sorry..." Rosie soften instantly.

"I know you're worried about your doll," said Rosie, "But no need to tear your house apart and leave the place looking like a demolition derby, silly. Promise me you'll clean up your mess and I'll help you okay." Roll nodded as she dried her eyes and they finished cleaning up the office room and headed towards the guest bedroom. While Bunnie was still rather sloppy with her "investigating", Roll just said nothing and cleaned up the mess the orange rabbit left behind. The basement didn't have much to shuffle about so searching there was rather quick. The main room was last and they only had to search for a couple of minutes before Bunnie gasped loudly.

"AH-HA!" she exclaimed excitedly, "A CLUE!" Roll gasped as she sloppily put back a sofa pillow and rushed towards the rabbit.

"What did you find Bunnie?" Roll asked curiously.

"Take a look at this, tee hee," said Bunnie as she pointed at Roll's spare pair of pumps next to the door. Rosie just looked at the shoes bluntly and then at the rabbit.

"Bunnie," said Roll slowly, "Roll always keeps a pair of shoes by the door. That's nothing unusual. They are there for emergencies."

"Yes it is," said Roll, "Look at where my shoes are! I usually put my shoes on the right side of the door. My shoes are on the left side now and they look like they were knocked about."

"Probably by the very culprit who came in here to take Komasan!" said Bunnie.

"Or you could have just kicked her shoes when we walked in," said Rosie indignantly.

"Wouldn't you or Bunnie have noticed you did that when you walked in?" Roll asked, "You would have felt your foot hit them." Rosie was a bit baffled at her statement until she realized that the blonde girl was right.

"Okay...good point, silly," said Rosie, "But that still doesn't say that someone came in here and stole Komasan."

"Then about this?" Roll asked as she noticed some brown cloth near the floor. Bunnie picked it off of the floor.

"This looks like it was ripped off when the thief came into the house," said Bunnie, showing he torn side of the fabric, "I know for a fact that Roll has no clothing of this particular shade of brown."

"Well she does have a brown-striped shirt," said Rosie as a matter of fact.

"That brown is a darker hue," said Roll, "This is...more of a chocolate brown...milk chocolate color to be exact. I don't have anything like this in my dresser."

"Speaking of dressers," said Rosie, "Roll it's already half past eleven. You should get dressed!" Roll then remembered she was still on her pajamas and just sighed.

"Does it really matter if I don't dress?" she asked, "I don't care if people see me in my pajamas. I don't care if my hair is a mess! I...just don't care about how I look."

"Roll, didn't you forget that your secret storage room is complete," Rosie pointed out, "Don't you want to know where it is?"

"I don't care about that anymore!" Roll snapped, "I just want my Komasan!"

"Well, it is clear to me that he is no longer anywhere in this house, tee hee," said Bunnie, "We'll need to take this investigation outdoors. So go get dressed and freshen up Roll and we can head to Tom Nook. We might even find the culprit inside the very room! After all, his construction crew were the only people who had access to your house last night." Roll just stared before sighing in agreement.

"Good point," said Roll, "How's the weather outside?" Rosie cracked open the door and was surprised.

"Whoa! It's raining outside!" said Rosie, "and there wasn't a cloud in the sky a few hours ago, silly!"

"That's late autumn for you, tee hee," said Bunnie. Roll growled.

"First I lost my Komasan, now I have to wear shoes," said Roll, "This is not my day."

"If it helps lessen the wound, tee hee," said Bunnie, "you could wear a pair of sandals. You did it when you first came here in early spring." Roll just chuckled lightly before smiling.

"Maybe," said Roll, "But I gotta see what I want to wear first. I'll be down in a few minutes." Roll headed upstairs to wash up and change as Rosie and Bunnie just sat quietly in the living room. Bunnie began writing things down into a spare notepad she kept in her trench coat pocket.

"Rosie..." Bunnie said quietly.

"Yeah?" Rosie asked as she tilted her head towards the rabbit.

"I'm a bit worried," said Bunnie, "This cloth isn't something that I've seen on any clothing from Gracie or the Able Sisters. And we've both practically memorized the clothing catalogue from cover to cover!" Rosie giggled in agreement.

"I just don't understand something," said Bunnie, "Why would anyone want to take away Roll's doll? We don't steal from each other around here. At least...not anything extensive as personal possessions. We've borrowed from each other and forgotten about it sometimes...but...we never flat out break into other people's houses and take their items."

"What if Roll forgot to lock the door last night?" Rosie asked, "that can happen occasionally."

"True, but I did hear her door click when we came this morning," said Bunnie, "that means she must have locked it. I asked her when we were in the basement. She said she locked the door long before ever playing with Komasan last night." Rosie hummed.

"I'd hate to say it Bunnie, but you might be right," said Rosie, "since we searched the entire house...what if Roll accidentally dropped him into the trash can? It could be at the recycling center being processed right now!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEK!" THUD

"Nice," said Bunnie as she rushed upstairs and Rosie clasped her mouth, realizing her mistake. Bunnie raced upstairs to revive the now passed out blonde girl. By the time the orange rabbit had returned downstairs, Roll had dressed into a beatnik shirt, black pedal pushers, and had just left her hair down with nothing in it. Rosie took notice that Roll's hair wasn't properly brushed.

"You look cute, silly," said Rosie, "but I think you're hair could use a brush." Roll just rolled her eyes.

"Roll, don't neglect yourself, silly," said Rosie, "Komasan wouldn't like that you're neglecting your beautiful hair."

"Well I don't feel beautiful right now," Roll snapped, "Besides...I don't know what to do with my hair anyway."

"Don't you have a black or a magenta headband, tee hee?" Bunnie asked. Roll just sighed.

"If I put one on, will that make you happy?" she asked. Bunnie and Rosie smiled as Roll then headed back upstairs. She just grabbed her black headband and tucked it into her hair, even giving it a quick brush and then headed downstairs. However, they noticed that Roll was rubbing her head.

"What happened, silly?" Rosie asked with concern.

"My stupid hairbrush got caught in a knot and I had to tear it out," said Roll, "my day keeps getting worse."

"You're just having a rough morning," said Bunnie, "At least we've got some sort of idea about some possible suspects. From what I can tell someone came into your house last night and since Tom Nook's crew was supposed to be adding your secret storage room. There a good chance it was one of them."

"But...but why would Tom send someone to steal Komasan?" said Roll, "I'm not behind in any debt and I have the bells to pay the cost of the storage room in full!"

"We'll find out when we trap the culprit in the act, tee hee!" said Bunnie with determination, "Since it's well past 10am, Nook's Homes should be open for business. Let's go!" Bunnie then charged out of the house and straight into the rain. Roll and Rosie just watched her leave for a second before Roll pulled on her black pumps and the two girls both went to catch up with the orange rabbit. At least until Roll realized she had forgotten an umbrella and headed back to grab her red one before they continued their pursuit. By the time they were able to catch up, Bunnie was already at Nook's shop, where she had Tom Nook pinned against the wall.

"Bunnie what the blazes are you talking about?" he asked rather annoyed.

"You know _exactly_ what I am talking about!" said Bunnie sternly, "Now hand it over!"

"Hand over what?" Tom asked angrily as Roll and Rosie entered the shop.

"Bunnie what in the name of candy bars are you doing, silly?" Rosie asked sternly.

"I've got the culprit red handed, tee hee," Bunnie retorted, "Now if you'll excuse me I'm about to make an arrest."

"An arrest?!" said Tom Nook in shock.

"Oh just ignore her, she's just being stupid," said Rosie as she pulled Bunnie away from the tanooki, "Long story short, Roll had something taken from her last night and we're wondering if you might have an idea where it might be."

"Yeah, tee hee," Bunnie retorted, "I mean. Roll does owe you for the secret storage! What better way to make Roll pay right away then talking her stuffed lion dog hostage!"

"Oh Bunnie will you just shut up!" said Rosie sternly. Tom Nook looked rather indignant.

"You know, I've been called many things over the years, from greedy tanooki to Tom Crook," he said sternly, "but stealing stuffed dolls from little girls is just below the belt! I have standards too you know. Ethical standards!"

"I know you do Tom," said Roll, "I'm not blaming you. But I do know your crew did come to install my secret storage room. I found my shoes had been kicked and a piece of torn brown cloth stuck in the front door. I don't why they would have any interest in my lion dog. It's just a worn stuffed animal that could fall apart at any moment! (Oh please forgive me for saying that, but I can see nobody but me understanding your true value Komasan)." Tom Nook softened at seeing Roll looking so upset.

"So that's what's going on, yes," said Tom, "Roll had a doll stolen and my crew was the only ones who could have been inside of your house, hmm."

"Yes indeed," said Bunnie, "I wonder if you might have any crooked workers or sick minds working for you!" Tom glared as Lyle stepped in.

"No way. No how. Not possible," Lyle responded, "Want ethics? You want 'em. We've got 'em! BANG. Check workers. Yes we do. Tools and items scanned here. By who? Yours truly! Make sure workers don't steal. No take anything unless offered. BANG!"

"So you checked the workers to make sure they didn't take anything then," said Roll with a sigh, "Then...where's my Komasan?"

"Komasan?" said Tom, "Ah! That's the name of your lion dog, hmm?" Roll nodded.

"I just don't know who would take it," said Roll, "and why? That toy is very special to me! It's the only toy I have from my...past."

"I see," said Tom, "well, I'm sure you'll find it in good time."

"I've checked my entire house top to bottom this morning," said Roll, "I can't find it anywhere..." Tom pondered a bit when a particular pink otter wearing a HHA jacket with a yellow necktie instead of the regular tie, a blue knee length skirt and light blue pumps with a blue polka dot ribbon in her mini bun. She had on a warm smile on her face.

"Hi there!" said the pink Otter, "I was hearing the conversation as I was walking out from the back room. Maybe I can offer some assistance with finding that lost doll of yours." Roll blinked at the pink otter.

"Umm, sure," said Roll, "But first...who are you?" The pink otter just stared and then laughed.

"Oh now where are my manners," said the otter, "It must be weird seeing another random otter here isn't it!"

"Indeed it is," said Bunnie skeptically, "A new person appears just as Roll's doll has gone missing very suspicious..." Rosie and Tom rolled their eyes at her.

"Ignore her," said Rosie, "but if you got any information about that. I hope you'll help us out. This doll is very important to Roll." The otter just nodded.

"I'm sorry," said the otter, "I just got here not too long ago."

"Can vouch! Can confirm! BOOM!" said Lyle, "She with me. Has not left office. Came with me. Left with me. Been by my side. Since last night. Just not in bathroom. That be weird. Indeed. BANG!" Lottie blushed a bit before giving the otter a glare.

"Yeah...too much information there, Uncle," she replied.

"Uncle?!" said Bunnie, Rosie, and Roll together.

"Yes indeed," said Lyle, "Family man. Had relatives. Yes I do. Not many. But still family. BOOM! This here. This Lottie. Niece she is. But like daughter. Parents good to her. No doubts there. But they suffer fate. Yes they did. Lottie my own pride. Yes she is. Great worker. A pleasure to raise. Just wears too much make up. BANG!" Lottie just let Lyle banter until he mentioned the makeup and turned around to give him another glare.

"Being honest. You need no makeup. But that my say. Not yours. BOOM," he answered. Lottie just rolled her eyes before chuckling to herself.

"I get it, I'm beautiful with makeup," said Lottie, "but I still want to look my best. Makeup helps me feel beautiful when I look at myself in the mirror."

"At least you can feel beautiful looking at your face," Roll muttered quietly as Tom approached her.

"Anyways Roll, Lottie has traveled all this way as part of the completion of your new secret storage room," said Tom, "First of all, you might be wondering where your new storage room is, yes?" Roll just nodded.

"Well whenever, you enter any one of your rooms," said Tom, "Look for a grey door next to your light switch. Inside is a button that will call up a special pipe that will take you to your secret storage room that has all the storing capacity you could have ever dreamed of!"

"Wow...cool..." said Roll, trying to sound excited, but her worrying about Komasan dampened her mood a bit.

"So...now I'll turn you to over to Lottie, who has plenty of advice to share with you in regards to interior decorating," said Tom, "take it away Miss Lottie."

"Thank you Mr. Nook," said Lottie politely, "My Uncle Lyle has told me about how proficient you've become in making your house a proud sponsor of the HHA. However, even I understand that such decorating can get a bit cumbersome, especially when you have a large number of items in the same room."

"That's true," said Roll.

"Well then, how about I show you a new feature that has been added to your house for interior decorating?" said Lottie, "I've got a training room all set up for you in the back if you're ready."

"Give me a second Lottie," said Roll and she removed her black pumps, tucked them into her pockets, and curled her toes into the tile flooring of the shop. Lottie looked at but puzzled at her action. Roll noticed her confused look.

"I think and concentrate better barefoot," said Roll, plain and simply. Lottie giggled to herself, finding the idea rather cute as she gestured for Roll to follow her to the back room that was 6 by 6 units. When they entered, the inside was rather empty, only a desk and a flower pot inside of the room.

"Well then Roll, " Lottie began, "first of all, notice the tablet hanging against the wall in the hallway here?" Roll looked around and found a tablet hanging behind Lottie.

"Please pick it up and we'll get started," Lottie instructed as Roll picked up the tablet which activated on its own.

"Now with this tablet, interior designing is even easier than ever!" Lottie explained, "First of all noticed the shapes as well as the marking on them. I'm pretty sure you understand that different shaped items represent the size of each object in your room, correct?"

"Uh huh," Roll answered.

"Okay," said Lottie, "first thing were gonna do it rotate an item. Simply use your finger to tap the object of your choice to rotate it exactly 90 degrees. Give it a try on the desk!" Roll nodded as gave the shape representing the desk a light tap with her finger on the screen. She jumped as the desk rotated before her.

"Whoa!" she said in surprise.

"Pretty cool isn't it," said Lottie, "Now hold your finger down on the desk and try moving your finger around the screen." Roll just looked a bit stunned before giving it a try and looked up. As she held her finger down, the desk rose into the air and began to move about the room.

"This is so cool and so scary," said Roll, clearly impressed as she released her finger and the desk dropped down into its new location.

"Very impressive Roll," said Lottie, "You can also do the same with items hanging on the ceiling as well. Try moving that wall painting by dragging your finger on the rectangle along the walls of the screen." Roll did so and marveled at how the painting moved about the wall and set hung itself back into the wall when Roll let go.

"Bravo Roll!" said Lottie, "Are you sure you've never done this before?" Roll just giggled to herself and shook her head.

"Okay then," said Lottie, "If you noticed the two items, one it bluish-green in color and the other light green. The bluish green items with dots on it means the items cannot be placed on top of something or have items placed on top of it. Bluish-green items with plus signs can have items placed on top of them like the desk. Light green items with plus signs, like the flower pot, are items that are made to be placed into top of other items. Give it a try Roll! Pick up the flower pot and place it on any side of the desk." Roll nodded as she held her finger on the flower pot and dragged her finger on the screen and it was set on the left side of the desk.

"Awesome work Roll," said Lottie as she clapped for the blonde girl, "You're a natural at this."

"Thanks," said Roll, "This will definitely make interior decorating easier. It might even help me look for my doll...I sure hope I can find him. If can't find him anywhere in my house...(sigh). I never take him out of the house either. If he was taken, I don't know would and why. Why would someone take my own toy? This is the first time I've told anyone about it. And...I guess I must just be talking your ears off over nothing right now..."

"No, it's okay," said Lottie, "I had a special doll myself. But when I moved away, it got misplaced and I never found it again. I cried for nearly a year before I was able to move on."

"I don't wanna move on from Komasan," Roll croaked, "at least you grew up with an Uncle who loved you and at least gave you stuff! I didn't have the luxury! I was a reject! I...I don't know why I'm even telling you this! I don't even know you..." Lottie just chuckled to herself before pulling her into a hug.

"That might be true," said Lottie, "but I understand how upsetting it is to misplace something that is precious to you. It's emotional, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure if you keep up hope and keep searching that you'll find him. May this upgrade prove useful in your search for your Komasan doll. By the way...you said he was a lion dog right?"

"Yeah," said Roll, "a white lion dog with light blue eyebrows, stomach, and tail. He even has one yellow-green eye cause he's so old and worn." Lottie's eyes widened as she grabbed a separate tablet and began doing some scrolling on it.

"Like this?" said Lottie and Roll gasped in shock.

"That's it!" said Roll, "That's Komasan!"

"Roll, that doll you have is a vintage lion dog doll," said Lottie, "Those things went out of production nearly 70 years ago! Toy collectors would sell their souls to get such a doll to their collection!" Roll then grew worried.

"So that means...if they discovered him..." Roll began to realize the horrible truth, "someone would have a reason to take him. They'll play hostage until they get a good price for him!"

"Good price indeed!" said Lottie, "The last doll I saw on T-bay was priced at over 5,000,000 bells!" Roll just grunted angrily.

"I don't care," said Roll, "I'd pay everything, even the clothes on my back to get him home. I was happy living in a trash can once with nothing but a sackcloth and my Komasan once...I could do it again if it meant I'd get him back..." Roll's couldn't help but feel tears stream down her face. Lottie looked concerned as she handed Roll a spare cloth to dry her eyes so she could feel better.

"And I thought I had it bad when I lost my parents as a child," said Lottie, "At least I had Lyle to take me in. You poor thing. You had nothing."

"Pretty much," Roll replied sadly, as she wiped her cheeks.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck," said Lottie gently, "and maybe we'll see each other again."

"Thanks Lottie," said Roll, "for hearing me out." Lottie smiled as she handed her a card.

"Take this," said Lottie, "if you ever wanna chat, whatever the topic, you give me a call anytime. It's my way of saying that I want to be your friend." Roll smiled, deeply touched by the otter's gesture.

"Thank you," said Roll and tucked the card into her pocket so she could add her number into her smart phone later. They exited the back room only to find Bunnie and Rosie shouting over each other angrily. Roll growled before she grabbed both of their heads and smacked them together.

BONK!

"OW!" they shouted together as they rubbed their now sore foreheads.

"If you two can't get along with each other," Roll warned sternly, "I'm just gonna go look for Komasan by myself!" Bunnie and Rosie just glared at Roll and then at each other.

"Well Rosie isn't being much of a help!" Bunnie said angrily, "I'm trying to come up with some leads regarding the clues I've gathered and..."

"What clues, silly?" Rosie barked, "All you've been saying is that Lottie is a shady character and you think she's up to no good. What grounds do you have to prove that?"

"Well...tee hee," said Bunnie, trying to collect her thoughts, "Well...see..."

"Exactly, silly!" Rosie exclaimed, "You've got nothing other than Roll's shoes being moved and a piece of torn cloth, which _nobody_ owns in this area!"

"How do we know that Lottie doesn't have anything made of this material, tee hee?" Bunnie asked, holding the cloth in her hands as Lottie examined it.

"Nope...I don't have anything of this color in my closet," said Lottie.

"A likely story," said Bunnie.

"I believe her," said Roll sternly. Bunnie just sighed.

"Alright, but I'm keeping her on my suspect list," said Bunnie, "Now let's go see if there might be any other clues on main street." Rosie just conceded quietly as Roll nodded in agreement.

"Let's get going to the post office and then T&T Emporium," said Roll as she put her pumps back on, "Thank you for the storage room and for the seminar Lottie. Sorry for my best friend's interrogative nature Tom. She's just trying to be helpful and means well. I just want my doll back." Bunnie smiled while Rosie just pouted and looked away. Roll glared at the blue cat before Tom coughed to get her attention.

"We're glad to be of service," said Tom, "and I'm sure you're doll will turn up eventually."

"Yes indeed," said Lottie, "If it will help with your investigation detective, I do know that Roll's lion dog is a vintage collector's item."

"Ah!" said Bunnie as she wrote that down in her notebook, "Roll's lion dog is a collector toy, making it very rare and very valuable. A thief must have known this fact. Otherwise, why bother taking such a toy?"

"I really hope nobody would be so greedy as to take away my toy just for...for fun and profit!" Roll snapped, trying to recompose herself.

"I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of this," said Lottie.

"Yes we will," said Bunnie, "every bit of information is helpful in an investigation like this. Now come on.." Bunnie made her exit while Rosie just followed behind with a skeptical look on her face. Roll just sighed as they left Nook's homes and then headed to the post office. It seemed like no matter where they went, Bunnie was eager to question everyone she met. But in the end, Luna, Pelly, Pete, even Phyllis had nothing to really add the investigation. (Well Phyllis had some choice words to say...but Pelly covered her mouth and asked the three to just leave.) Timmy and Tommy had nothing to say but took offense to Bunnie accusation of collecting the door to sell for profit, even after saying that they had no interest in collecting stuffed animals and that they had enough wealth from the profits made by the emporium. Gracie was not afraid to fight back and nearly picked Bunnie up the throw her out of the shop when Rosie dragged Bunnie away. Gracie was furious afterward.

"I'm your friend Roll!" she yelled angrily, "How _dare_ you accuse me of doing something so low!"

"I just want my doll back!" Roll yelled, "I'm sorry if Bunnie upset you, but don't blame me for actions. Just cause she's my best friend doesn't mean I can control her! Someone broke into my house and took him!"

"Well how is that my fault?" Gracie retorted.

"I'm not saying it was your fault!" Roll shot back angrily, "I just can't find who took and why they would take away the only toy I've ever owned in my ENTIRE LIFE!" Roll then dashed downstairs and catch up with her friends when she tripped and nearly fell down the stairs. She managed to catch herself and found that one of her pumps had fallen off her foot about six steps above her.

"I hate shoes!" Roll yelled before pulling off the other and throwing it into a corner near the T&T catalogue machine and stomped towards the exit. She was then cut off by Margie, who had been browsing the flowers and saplings and saw Roll trying to leave the emporium barefoot.

"You're not leaving here without your shoes young lady!" said Margie, "It's rain rather heavily outside you're gonna catch a cold, tootie!"

"I don't care!" Roll protested, "My most precious possession was taken from me! I could care less I caught my death out there! I hate wearing shoes! I don't care if I get sick. I don't care about myself anymore!"

"Don't say that, tootie!" Margie retorted, now in tears and deeply hurt by what the blonde girl had said, "I won't let you do that to yourself...I love you..." Now Margie was crying. Roll then just walked up to her and hugged her.

"I'm sorry Margie," said Roll, "I'm just really frustrated today."

"We all have bad days," said Margie, still in tears, "Doesn't mean we have to neglect our health and well-being. Now what's this all about?"

"Someone stole Roll's toy doll," said Bunnie.

"Nobody stole her doll!" said Rosie in exasperation.

"YES THEY DID!" Roll screamed and Rosie jumped back at her tone. Roll just panted a bit before calming down.

"I've torn my house apart and found nothing," said Roll, "Someone had to have taken him."

"Do you have any proof, tootie?" Margie asked.

"I've found that my shoes were moved last night and they looked like they had been kicked around," Roll explained, "and there a piece of cloth torn off from whatever the kidnapper was wearing. Plus I learned from Lyle's niece Lottie..."

"Lyle has a niece?" Margie exclaimed in shock.

"Pretty much," Roll answered hastily, "She told me that my doll was a vintage lion dog." Margie's eyes enlarged in shock.

"You...you mean you actually own a white and blue lion dog doll, tootie?!" Margie exclaimed. Roll nodded.

"At least I used to until someone took him," said Roll sadly. Margie pondered.

"Wait! How would you..."

"I don't have it and I wouldn't steal it, you know me by now, tootie," said Margie, "I found out about them when I was alone reading stuff on the internet one day."

"Alright...fine," said Bunnie, crossing Margie off her suspect list as Rosie shook her head indignantly.

"Well if I might give some advice," said Margie kindly, "Why not ask people who would actually have interest in collecting dolls or even toys for that matter, tootie. It might help you narrow down the search."

"Hmm," Bunnie pondered, "Who...who would be interested in claiming that doll for their own interests? Hmm..." Everyone else waited impatiently before Bunnie got an idea.

"Wait a second...Blathers!" said Bunnie excitedly.

"Blathers?!" Rosie, Roll, and Margie said at once.

"Sure, tee hee," said Bunnie, "He is a collector after all and Roll's doll is a vintage item! Why wouldn't he want to have Roll's toy on display in the museum?"

"But Blather's is no thief, silly!" said Rosie in frustration, "Blathers is into much older items and not something as trivial as a toy!" Roll growled fiercely as Rosie took a step back.

"S-s-sorry," said Rosie nervously, "I just meant in general. I know Komasan is more than just a toy."

"Well maybe if you actually helped instead of criticizing Bunnie all day WE MIGHT ACTUALLY GET SOMEWHERE!" Roll exploded. Rosie just looked at Roll fearfully before dashing out of the emporium in tears. Roll just watched her take off with a heavy heart.

"Rosie..." she whimpered.

"Just give her some space, tee hee," said Bunnie, "and then you can apologize for lashing out at her. But you were on the mark about one thing."

"And that would be?" Roll asked.

"Rosie wasn't being too helpful," said Bunnie, "The clues we've found all point to someone taking your doll. Even if they didn't just flat out steal her. There has to be a reason why someone would sneak into your house and take it."

"That's what's agitating me right now!" said Roll, "I never told anyone about Komasan. I just wanted to be entitled to one secret. I might have told you about him eventually...but I didn't want to reveal him like this. I just want my doll back." Roll just crossed her arms together, curling her toes into the carpet to relax a bit as Margie pulled her into a hug.

"Don't worry Roll," said Margie, "We'll get to the bottom of this. Just calm down and let's think about this for a moment. Who do we know might be interested in wanting to collect a vintage doll and why? Think realistically for a moment here. Nobody in this town is in some sort of toy snatching crime spree or seeking the collect a payoff for that doll. Such collectors would only, and this is no offense to you Roll, want mint condition vintage dolls. From what Roll said about her past and the way she used to live, I'm guessing this doll wouldn't have any monetary value."

"I'll agree to that," said Roll, "the poor thing could fall apart any day now. Sable's sewing lessons can only do so much. But...I gotta make it last...it was my only toy..." Margie hugged her gently as Bunnie was in deep thought.

"Hmm..." Bunnie pondered, "I have a few more possible suspects."

"Okay," said Margie slowly, "we're listening..."

"I'm considering Alfonso, Benjamin, and Marshal," said Bunnie, "Those three are big on collecting items and such and I wouldn't put it past them to still collect toys either. I'm also adding Whitney and Purrl. They aren't exactly spring chickens, but the lion dog doll does seem like they a common toy when they were Roll's age...(WHACK) OW!"

"I beg your pardon, kitten," said Purrl angrily, for she had smacked Bunnie on the head with her shopping bag, "I might not, as you say, be as young as I used to be, but I'm no thief. Besides, lion dog plushies were around before I was ever born!"

"And that goes double for me, snappy!" Whitney retorted as well, "Just how old you think we are!?"

"Obviously not old enough to be interested in taking a little girl's lion dog doll for reminiscent purposes, tee hee" said Bunnie, groaning as she rubbed her sore head since the shopping bag Purrl was holding wasn't empty. Margie and Roll just looked at each other.

"I didn't think Bunnie even knew words like that," said Roll in surprise but Bunnie ignored her.

"Well we still have three possible suspects," said Bunnie, "I don't think Kicks would have any interest in it. The Ables Sisters...don't see any motives there. Digby? Not really. Isabelle? Possibly, but...it's not in her character to take things. She's too humble. Reese and Cyrus...they might have some interest, but...well I'll add them anyway, they might have some information about it and if anyone tried to sell it for recycling."

"Let's go see them first," said Roll, "if he's been sent for processing already, I'll lose him forever!"

"Wait!" said Margie and pointed down. Roll then remembered she was still barefoot.

"Margie..."

"You might not care about your health and well-being Roll," said Margie, "but the rain has picked up outside and walking barefoot out there, especially this time of year, isn't smart, tootie. Please put your shoes back on. Please...for me. I don't want you to get sick." Roll just sighed and put her black pumps back on her feet, even giving them a click on the heel for good measure. Margie smiled.

"Thank you," said Margie, "now come on." The three girls then exited the emporium and headed towards Re-tail. They eagerly made their way inside and were still trying to get the excess water off of their umbrellas as Reese walked up to them.

"Oh hello there!" said Reese, "a bit of nasty weather outside."

"You can say that again," said Roll as she tapped the bottom of her pumps, "A girl can't enjoy the crisp grass with her feet in this weather." Reese chuckled.

"Well rain doesn't last forever dear," said Reese, "How can I help you guys today?"

"We dropped by cause we have a few questions to ask you and your husband," said Bunnie. Cyrus overheard as he walked over to his wife.

"I know that tone of voice," said Cyrus, "Those are accusation tones. Tones of someone who think we've committed a crime!"

"Cyrus please!" said Reese, "Everyone is aware that you used to be involved in a gang, but you've straightened out and paid your dues. Just calm down and hear her out." Cyrus snorted.

"I'll I can say is I didn't do it!" he remarked and Reese rolled her eyes at his defensive nature.

"Very suspicious," said Bunnie, "Tell me, Reese. What kind of criminal activities did Cyrus used to do?"

"That is none of your..."

"Stealing," said Reese plainly, cutting her husband off, "but only at convenience stores. Just magazines, candy, and such. Nothing expensive or highly valuable." Bunnie gasped in surprise as she wrote that down in her notebook.

"Would toys be a part of that list, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"Seriously?" Cyrus asked shocked, "Unless you count capsule toys or a pack of playing cards, those were the only "toys" I ever laid my hands on."

"Not dolls?" Bunnie asked. Cyrus looked dumbfounded.

"Is that what this is all about?" he asked sternly, "Look Bunnie, That past is long behind me. I don't steal other people stuff anymore! I live the straight and narrow and that's the end of it. What good does it do me to steal toy dolls?!"

"Cyrus settle down!" said Reese.

"We're sorry to make you angry Cyrus," said Roll in her defense, "Someone broke into my house last night and stole a very old lion dog doll from me. It was a white and blue one too." Cyrus blinked but still gave them all a death glare.

"So cause I had a habit of stealing in the past makes me a prime suspect huh?" Cyrus shot back.

"Cyrus, chill out!" Bunnie asked, "I wasn't accusing you of taking her doll, tee hee...not yet anyway..."

"WHY YOU..."

"Enough!" said Reese as she pinned the blue Alpaca down, "Look if you're done with this "investigation" of yours and not here to recycle anything, then please just..."

"Reese, please listen," Roll pleaded, "I just wanted to know if any of you saw someone come in here with that kind of doll today. I'm worried someone may have tried to recycle him and...I...didn't want him to end up being sent the recycling facility. Please tell me I'm not too late..." Roll gave them both watery eyes. Roll's distress mellowed out Cyrus instantly as he took a slow deep breath to calm down.

"Sorry Roll," said Cyrus, "I didn't mean to get so defensive and angry. Until I meet the love of my life over here, my past was pretty rough."

"Believe me Cyrus I understand about rough pasts," said Roll, "Getting over the wounds is harder than people think." Cyrus walked over to the blonde girl and gave her a warm hug.

"Well, I'm not below apologizing. So I'm sorry," said Cyrus, "But in all honesty, I've never seen such a toy ever enter the shop. I can reupholster many things, but lion dog dolls aren't one of them."

"I've haven't seen anyone come in with one today," Reese added, "I'm surprised that they still exist. The last time they were even on toy store shelves were when my grandmother was a little girl and even then they were quite rare. How did you come to own one?"

"My...mother was throwing stuff away when I was a baby," said Roll, "I found it when I fell inside of the box. I'm really hoping I can find it. I've searched my entire house from top to bottom. And Bunnie found...oh wait...I didn't even think of this earlier! Bunnie! Where's that piece of cloth?" Bunnie blinked in realization as she grabbed the item from her drench coat pocket and handed it to Roll.

"This is what was stuck inside of my door this morning," said Roll, "I know none of my clothes have this material. Do you know anyone who might have any clothes made with this?" Reese took the cloth and showed it to Cyrus. Cyrus examined the piece of cloth quietly and then handed it back to Roll.

"Did you find anything?" Roll asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not," said Cyrus, "All I can say is that the cloth to whatever they were wearing is very old. I don't even think Sable uses that kind of thread and materials anymore." Roll groaned as she leaned forward in defeat.

"I'm sorry sweetie," said Reese, "but if we see anything that resembles a lion dog, we will report it to you right away." Roll just sniffled as she handed Bunnie back the material.

"Okay," she whimpered, "Let's go you guys." Roll walked sadly out of the shop as Bunnie and Margie just followed closely behind. The alpaca couple just watched them leave quietly as Roll closed the door. Once they knew the three were out of range, Reese began to cry.

"Honey..." said Cyrus gently.

"You know I hate lying!" she yelled in tears, "That look on her face was devastating! You know as well as I do where that cloth came from!" Cyrus just hugged her close as the pink alpaca continued to weep on into his blue apron.

"Easy there sweetheart," said Cyrus, "It was for the greater good. We promised not to say anything. Roll will get her lion dog soon enough."

"But...but...it's such a long shot!"

"Have a little faith honey," said Cyrus, "Everything is going to be alright!"

"I still hated lying to her," said Reese, "I'm an adult! And you saw how broken I was when I thought I lost my stuffed toucan not too long ago. The poor thing..."

"Well, Roll, like you, is a tough cookie," said Cyrus, "She'll be alright. This will all be over soon." Reese's only reply was a few sobs in his blue apron. She still felt very guilty.

Meanwhile, Roll, Margie, and Bunnie decided to ask the others that Bunnie had suspected would have an interest in taking Roll's lion dog doll. The first person they bumped into while walking in the rain was Alfonso. Bunnie was quick to ask the alligator her questions regarding his collecting interests. Alfonso seemed more interesting in showing off hidden collections of baked goods and sweets, especially his large collection of donuts. On the bright side, Roll, Margie, and Bunnie were given one of his treats. Bunnie nearly tried to accuse Alfonso of bribing her until Margie smashed a vanilla cream filled donut into her face. In the end, Alfonso had absolutely no interest in toy dolls. In fact, Alfonso had never even heard of lion dog dolls at all. So that removed him the list of suspects and they left as Alfonso tried stuffing an entire jelly donut in his mouth.

Benjamin was the next villager they visited. While he admitted to having his own small collection of toy dolls, none of them were lion dogs. Like Alfonso, he too said he didn't even know they existed. He then went into talking about his own collection of action figures, giving a rather lengthy monologue about he got each and everyone. Bunnie, Margie, and Roll tried to be polite and listen but after hearing the dog babble about his collection of Robot Hero figures for a couple of hours, Roll found an opportunity to excuse the group and Benjamin said he would continue to share his collection another day. They all agreed, but inwardly they prayed he wouldn't remember to do so.

"Well...that was pure torture!" Margie snapped as they made their way from Benjamin's house and headed towards their next suspect.

"You can say that again," said Roll, "It was like he was trying to get me to give up searching with all that talking and he wouldn't stop, he...just...wouldn't...stop...EEEEK!" Everyone jumped when Roll screamed. The blonde girl just covered her mouth and her cheeks turned deep red.

"Sorry," said Roll as she just looked away, even tilting her umbrella to hide her face a bit. It wasn't like she couldn't hide her face without her umbrella. By now the sun was beginning to set, but the dark storm clouds made it seem like night was already here even though it was only 5pm. Margie readjusted Roll's umbrella so she could see the blonde girl's face but was still able to keep Roll from getting wet. She could tell the girl looked very depressed. Roll's blue eyes had no life to them and that made Margie very worried.

"We're gonna find him. I promise," she said firmly and Roll just looked at Margie sadly and nodded without another word. Bunnie began to think in deep thought until she stopped at the main junction of the town. The north path headed towards the cherry orchard and campsite where Marshal's house was located. South headed back to retail. They just come from the east leading to Roll's house and town hall. West headed towards the foreign and tropical fruit orchard as well as the town plaza.

"The more I think about it, the more I feel like asking Marshal would be a waste of time, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I mean ever since meeting Roll we've promised each other no more secrets and such. The only thing that squirrel is ga-ga over is trains and locomotives. He isn't interested in dolls at all."

"Are you sure you're not just being partial cause he's your boyfriend, tootie?" Margie asked with a smirk. Bunnie could feel a blush on her face but just ignored it.

"Well I'm sure Roll will vouch for me that Marshal wouldn't have any interest in taking her doll," said Bunnie, "right Roll?" Roll nodded in agreement.

"Yeah...he wouldn't do that to me," said Roll, "He's too worried about hurting girls like me and Bunnie. He wants us happy..and to believe in ourselves."

"Yes he does, tee hee," said Bunnie with a smile and then she gasped silently. Margie and Roll grew worried as Bunnie's face turned into a angry growl.

"Why that no good...why didn't I see this before, tee hee?" Bunnie exclaimed.

"What are you talking about Bunnie?" Margie asked.

"Why didn't I see it before?" said Bunnie, "I bet Rosie took your doll!"

"Rosie!?" Margie and Roll said in surprise.

"Think about it you guys!" Bunnie pondered aloud, "Rosie's been acting grumpy all day, insulting and mocking my efforts to try and find whodunit! I bet she was the one who took the doll the whole time!"

"Bunnie that's a pretty strong accusation, tootie," said Margie, "Are you sure you're not just letting her attitude cloud your..."

"No...Bunnie's right," said Roll, feeling angry herself, "All Rosie's been doing in insulting her this entire time and she has not even made the effort to try and at least ask people if they had seen or saw anyone with my doll! She's probably the one holding my Komasan all to herself!" Roll then charged straight towards Rosie's house, nearly trampling a bunch of flowers in the process. Before Roll even caught her breath, Roll banged on Rosie's door loudly. Rosie opened the door casually with a blank expression on her face.

"You banged?" she asked in a bored tone.

"Hand it over," said Roll, fists balled and steaming.

"Excuse me, silly?" Rosie asked plainly and then yelped when Roll dropped her umbrella and grabbed the blue cat by the end of her dress and pushed her way inside.

"Give. Me. Back. MY DOLL!" Roll barked angrily. Rosie looked dumbfounded as Bunnie and Rosie arrived behind her. Margie wasted no time dropping her umbrella to the side and pulling Roll off of Rosie. Rosie quickly recomposed herself and bawled her fists, shaking one at the orange rabbit.

"That is low, silly," said Rosie darkly, "This is really, really low. It is one thing to accuse everyone in town of stealing it from her, but to brainwash her into thinking I did it going too far!" Roll gasped in shock and then growled angrily.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Roll yelled, "Do you think my mind is that fragile and worthless?!"

"Don't you put words in my mouth, silly!" Rosie yelled back, "I'm saying is that you've let Bunnie take advantage of you when your emotionally unstable and upset and now she thinks I'm the culprit! Why would you think I would _ever_ do that to you!"

"All you could do was insult Bunnie all day!" Roll replied, "You weren't even trying to help me find out who did it!"

"Well I don't think someone took it, silly!" said Rosie, "That cloth might have always been there and I bet you just tripped over your own shoes and forgot about it!"

"THEN WHERE'S MY KOMASAN!" Roll screamed at the top of lungs, "HE'S NOT AT THE HOUSE SO WHERE IS HE!"

"Roll!" Margie said sternly as she turned to girl around and made eye contact with her, "Calm. Down!" Roll just panted heavily. Bunnie wasted no time waiting for Roll to calm down fully before speaking up.

"We're searching your house," said Bunnie sternly.

"You're not touching anything in here, silly!" Rosie yelled angrily, "I just cleaned. I already told you that her doll isn't here! So get out of my house and leave me alone!"

"Why are you quick to shoo us out?" Bunnie shouted back in an interrogative tone, "why can't you just help me find out who took it?"

"Cause you're an idiot who knows _nothing_ about being a detective!" Rosie screamed. Now Rosie's true feelings were out. Bunnie just began to cry. There was about three seconds of silence before Bunnie started to cry.

"At least I'm trying," she sobbed, "I'm trying to help Roll. What have you been doing? Besides insulting me!" Now the guilt finally caught up with Rosie. She hated to admit it, but Bunnie was right. Other then searching Roll's house. What had she been doing to help find her doll? The truth was nothing. All Rosie did was just take a backseat and let her best friend make a fool of herself. She hadn't been a good friend to either of them. Rosie was about to speak when Roll cut her off.

"Just forget it!" Roll remarked in a broken tone, "Komasan is gone! He's gone forever and I'll never see him again!" Roll then dashed out of the house, not caring to grab her umbrella and rushed him. It wasn't until Roll started sobbing into the pillow on her bed that she ripped off her black pumps and threw them away from her as hard as she could. Since she threw them blindly, she ended up throwing them right into lovely lamp, knocking it over and make it crash into pieces on the floor.

"Broken," Roll sobbed loudly, "just like everything else in my life! BROKEN! BROKEN!" Roll wept heavily for the rest of the night. What had started as a good day had ended up in shambles. Bunnie and Rosie were fighting with each other. Gracie was mad at her and she figured Margie was too. But what hurt the most was that her Komasan was nowhere to be found.

She had lost who she still considered to be her closest companion. In spite of all the family she had now, Roll had never felt so lonely in her entire life at that very moment.

He may have been a just a toy, but for Roll...it felt like someone close to her had just passed away.

 **is just a parody to**

 **Robot Hero figurines are basically this world's version of** ** _Transformers_** **.**

 **Many of you are probably asking...why didn't Roll file a report with Booker and Copper? They are the local authorities aren't they? Well, who do you think would be more competent in finding her doll? Two dogs who never leave their station or an over enthusiastic orange rabbit eager to prove herself with no detective experience? Roll doesn't have much of a choice in this case.**

 **You have no idea how hard it was making Rosie look like the bad guy. But that is what happens in friendships as close as Bunnie and Rosie's. They see the best and the worst of each other. Those who've read "The Island" arc saw Bunnie at her worst. It's only fair that you see a situation where the tables are turned. Friendships can't always be all happy pappy you know. That's not realistic...or relatable either.**

 **Roll's got her work cut out doesn't she? Is Komasan gone for good or have they missed an important clue? (There was a hint in the chapter).**

 **See you next time!**


	50. Detective Bunnie Part 3

Detective Bunnie part 3

A few days had passed and Roll hadn't been outside her house. To make matters worse, Bunnie and Rosie still weren't speaking to each other. It didn't help that Roll's lion dog doll was still nowhere to be found. She had pretty much given up hope that she would ever see her doll again, which was why she hadn't even come out of her house. She was aware that the villagers were probably asking about her, but at the moment she really didn't care. She just wanted to be alone and that was that.

It was another rainy day as a pretty female wolf was walking down the new path leading to Roll's house carrying her lacy umbrella. She had been filled in on the situation when she had stopped by Lolly's house for tea. Margie had been there as well. Whitney hadn't originally planned on getting involved, but after seeing that Roll had shut herself in for days with no communication about how she was handling herself left Whitney very worried. The white wolf knew that something had to be done, especially since Isabelle had tried a few times to get Roll out of her house, but was turned down and ignored whenever she tried to get inside Roll's house. Whitney cared far too much for the blonde girl to not get involved at this point. Whitney took a slow deep breath as she lightly rapped on the door. It was a few seconds before Whitney heard footsteps behind the door.

"Go away," said a very soft and rather defeated voice behind the door.

"Roll, please don't be like that," said Whitney, trying to be firm but also gentle, "Margie told me what happened. Please open the door and let me in. I'm getting all wet, snappy." There was another brief moment of silence before the white wolf heard a snort and then the unlocking of her front door. Whitney felt like she wanted to cry when Roll finally opened the door and she caught sight of the blonde girl. Poor thing was wearing a long sleeved sackcloth dress (how she got it without being tricked Whitney would never know) and was wearing what appeared to be a black shawl on the top of her head. Whitney had also taken notice that Roll's eyes were very red, which was probably a combination of crying alot and not sleeping. The latter was obvious from the fact that dark black circles were under Roll's eyes.

"What do you want?" Roll asked in a moody but also lifeless tone. Whitney was unsure of what to say before looking at her sadly. Whitney felt the urge to cry harder to fight off before she shook her head to recompose herself.

"Get dressed, snappy," said Whitney. Roll just looked at her blankly.

"Get washed up and dressed, snappy," Whitney repeated, but more firmly, "We need to talk." Roll didn't want to and just glared back at her.

"Can't you see I'm mourning here?" she retorted rather feebly, but Whitney's glare made it clear that the wolf was not going to back down. If this had been any other day, Roll could have easily stood her ground, but since she was fatigued and tired, she didn't have the strength to stand up to her.

"You've had enough time to mourn," said Whitney firmly, "Now please get out of that tacky dress and change into something that shows how beautiful and cute you really are, snappy!"

"Well I don't feel that way right now!" Roll whimpered, not even trying to fight her.

"Roll, Komasan wouldn't want you doing this to yourself," Whitney replied, "He would want you to be happy." Roll just lowered her head in defeat and headed upstairs without another word. Whitney just allowed herself in, closed her umbrella, and took a seat. As she heard Roll open the water for a shower, Whitney tried to just relax on the sofa, but within a few seconds she began to cry.

"Who would've thought seeing Roll so depressed would be enough to make me cry," she sobbed quietly, "I hardly ever cry. Guess I...care more about her than I give myself credit for. Just seeing her like this...terrifies me..." Whitney just let her tears fall before she heard someone coming down the stairs. The lifted her head and quickly dried her eyes as quickly as she could when Roll arrived. She had changed into a chain-gang shirt in which she had pulled the sleeves up so they were just below her elbows, dry-denim pedal pushers, a blue headband with her hair fully down and had her blue pumps in her left hand. While Whitney had managed to recompose herself, Roll had seen the wolf wiping her eyes.

"Whitney?" Roll asked quietly. Whitney just coughed a bit before clearing her throat as she rose to her feet. Whitney didn't want to talk about the fact that she was crying and just gave her a warm smile.

"I see you're wearing your hair down, snappy," said Whitney. Roll just brushed her hair behind her shoulders and just sighed.

"I didn't feel like styling it," said Roll quietly, "And before you ask, yes, I did brush it." Whitney just nodded.

"Alright," said Whitney, "Put your shoes on and let's go."

"Where are we..."

"You need to get some fresh air," said Whitney, "The rain has stopped for a bit but the instrument shelter says it will pick up again in about twenty minutes or so. Let's get you something to eat and go for a walk." Roll just gave her a sad look but still nodded as she slipped her pumps on and followed Whitney out of the house. Whitney just hugged her close, even kissing the side of her head and held her so they could share her umbrella. She lead her towards the foreign and tropical fruit orchard and handed Roll a few pieces of fruit to eat. Roll just took it quietly and ate every piece Whitney offered to her. As the blonde girl wiped her hands and face, Whitney couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she watched her eat and clean herself.

"Are you sure you're okay in this weather with no socks and those bottoms?" she asked, "it's quite chilly out here, snappy."

"Yeah," said Roll timidly, "The cool air is actually feels refreshing. My legs aren't cold at all."

"Not one bit?"

"Not one bit," said Roll and pulled a foot out of her shoe and wiggles her toes in the cold air. Whitney just chuckled as Roll put her foot back inside her shoe.

"Well that says one thing about you, snappy," she continued. Roll could feel her wanting to say it made her a freak, but chose not to.

"What?" she asked instead.

"You're alot tougher than you give yourself credit for, snappy," said Whitney, "You are not weak by any standards." Roll just stared at her shoes and then looked at Whitney.

"Thank you," said Roll, while she didn't agree. Her words did make her feel better. The two girls then continued their walk in the rain until they reached the front of the Roost cafe. Whitney invited Roll inside as Brewster was just quietly doing his work.

"Ahh, good morning Roll," said Brewster, "Coo...make yourself at home." Roll just nodded as she and Whitney took a seat by the counter.

"The usual blend?" he asked in his polite manner. Roll just looked at him sadly and nodded lightly. Whitney then gave a similar nod. Apparently it was all she needed to do to tell Brewster her order as she handed the barista 400 bells for both their cups of coffee. Roll just sat quietly, staring at the front of the counter and clicking her the toes of her pumps against the wood underneath the table. Normally, Roll hated wearing her pumps and could have taken them off while she waited, but the clicking seemed to keep her mind occupied until she was startled a bit by the setting of her coffee cup on the counter.

"175.32 degrees," said Brewster with a grin, "Please...go ahead..." Roll just looked up at him.

"Thank you," she said in a whisper as he set down Whitney's cup of coffee. Whitney took a quick sip of her own coffee as Roll used both her hands to take a nice long drink of hers. She slowly pulled the cup away, just savoring the flavor and just holding the cup in her hands. The coffee definitely helped her relax a bit, but Roll just felt her sadness began to bubble over again. Soon large tears began to drip from her eyes and then made light splashes onto the table. Roll didn't bother to fight back the tears as they increased. Soon, she just lowered her cup as she started to sob. At first, it was subtle, but soon they got louder. Whitney just sighed.

"Oh my," she exclaimed, "Now, why are acting all depressed. Cause you lost your favorite doll, hmm? No matter what the circumstances, being able to keep moving forward with your life is the way to be a proper lady, snappy."

"It's...it's not that I don't want to just move forward from all of this," Roll said sadly as she continued to cry.

"Then what is it?" Whitney asked.

"Komasan wasn't just a toy," said Roll, "He was all I had for years. He was my only friend. I know in the bottom of my heart that I didn't misplace him. I tucked him into bed like I always did and the next morning he wasn't there. Somebody must have broken into my house and taken him, but I just don't know who or why? Nobody's seen him and if they do have him, they won't give him back. I...I don't know what else to do..." Roll began to sob loudly. Whitney just watched her for a moment before she began to giggle and then was laughing openly. That made Roll stop crying and the blonde girl just looked at the wolf in confusion.

"Oh you silly girl," said Whitney, "You're more ridiculous than you look."

"I already knew that," Roll whimpered.

"I didn't mean it like that, snappy," said Whitney, "Just hear me out. If you know that you didn't lose our toy, than it's probably true without a doubt. You need to just believe in yourself more."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Roll asked calmly.

"You need to stop focusing on all the negatives in life and start focusing more on the positive dear," said Whitney, "I know your doll was very special to you, but you don't need it..."

" _Him_ Whitney."

"Very well," Whitney continued without skipping a beat, "You don't need him anymore to feel special or loved. You are surrounded by people who love you. People who believe in you and see the best in you even when you feel at your worst. You also need to have a little faith and not give up so easily. Your doll will show up in good time. Sometimes it does take a few days and even a second search before it finally shows up. But you can't stop living your life cause he's gone, Roll. You need to keep moving forward. It's the only way you're going to grow."

"So..." said Roll quietly, "Do you think Komasan is gone forever? Do you know where he might be?"

"If I did know where he was, snappy," said Whitney gently, "I wouldn't hesitate to tell you. I might not know where he is, but I do know that you two will see each other again. Call it lady's intuition. My point is that you don't need him to live your life and to feel loved. Do you understand?" Roll just sniffled a bit as she finished up her cup of coffee.

"Yes...I do," said Roll, "He just means alot to me...since...He knows my past better than I do. If he could talk, he would have plenty to say about the scars and wounds that I have."

"We all know you have them, snappy," said Whitney, "that's why you need to believe in yourself. The more you do, the less those wounds are gonna seem as big and as painful. I know that you will need time, but I know you do want to heal faster. Changing your view on life is the first step to a faster healing. It isn't easy, but...if you ever want to look at yourself and feel beautiful on the inside. That is what you have to do." Roll just listened attentively, before turning away.

"You're right," said Roll, "and it frustrates me. I'm the girl who could master advanced Calculus in just a few months. Memorize a book of recipes from cover to cover in a short time. I learned how to walk and talk before my brain was even mature enough to remember it. Yet...I just can't figure out how to believe myself and change my view on life. Some genius I am..." Whitney chuckled.

"Just because you're a genius with a high IQ doesn't mean you're not gonna struggle," said Whitney, "Nobody, human or animal, is that smart. Just know that your family knows you can do it. No matter how long it takes, we're always here for you. Nobody is going to abandon you like your mother did. And even if life causes us to move away, those goodbyes are not forever." Hearing that put a warm smile on Roll's face as Brewster took her empty cup away. Roll just sat quietly before turning to face the white wolf once again.

"Whitney," said Roll quietly.

"Yes, snappy," she asked.

"Thank you," said Roll, "thank you for your kind words and for your friendship. When I first met you, I thought you were very beautiful. So beautiful that...I never thought someone like you would want to be friends with someone like me. But you've been so nice to me ever since I came to Animal Town. And, I really want to hope, that by taking your advice. I could be beautiful like you someday." Whitney smiled.

"Feeling beautiful is only part of the reason I share my wisdom with you Roll," said Whitney, "it's also cause I love you. Mayor or not, you're a young child that is still growing and maturing. I see you turning into a very beautiful and successful young lady and it hurts to see that you're letting inner wounds tarnish all that you've worked so hard to achieve. What kind of friend would I be if I just stood in the distance and watch you suffer like this? Not a very good one in my opinion, snappy."

"Well, it means alot to me that you do care," said Roll, "and...I'm sorry if my outfit this morning made you cry." Whitney nearly choked on the last bit of her coffee but was able to clear her throat a bit. She was silent for a moment before she looked at the blonde girl with very serious eyes.

"Roll, promise me," said Whitney, "No matter how difficult life gets sometimes. Promise me you'll never do that to yourself ever again. I'm a very reserved person Roll and I don't just open up to anyone! Seeing your eyes so tired and empty, the defeated look on your face...(Sigh), you frightened me. It's normal to want a day to yourself, snappy. But when you spend days alone and close us all off. It worries everyone."

"I'm guessing everyone has been asking about me," said Roll.

"Did you expect them not to?" Whitney asked.

"I figured they would," said Roll, "But...how could you help? If you can't find the doll and no one knows where he is? I didn't see the point in talking to anybody about it at this point. Everyone knows I'm hurting because of it. There isn't any more that could be done."

"That's where your wrong my dear Roll," Whitney retorted, "even if we can't help you locate your doll, we can still help you in dealing with the hurt. You know by now that being alone when you're hurting doesn't help you all. It's just a time waster."

"Can't argue with that," said Roll, knowing how much time, energy, and even sleep had been lost from just moping for the last few days, "I'm sorry, Whitney. Next time, I'll be sure to come find someone to talk to." Whitney nodded in agreement.

"If you ever just want a place to cry yourself out," said Whitney, "My door is always open, snappy. In fact, Margie, Lolly, and Purrl want to extend that to you as well. We even have extra blankets and pillow so if you feel lonely at night you can stay over. Just let us know you need company." Roll smiled and felt a bit shy since she was tempted to ask. Whitney jut chuckled as if she had read the blonde girl's mind.

"I'll set up the sofa so it will be ready for you by tonight, snappy," said Whitney, "Just don't forget to bring your toothbrush, pajamas, a set of clothes, and other things okay." Roll smiled as she embraced her, surprising the wolf.

"Thank you Whitney," Roll replied. Whitney just smiled and hugged her back. Brewster just continued to clean the coffee cups as he watched and listened, but made no attempt to get involved. Whitney let Roll hold her for a few seconds before the blonde girl pulled away and just released a short breath.

"Alright," said Roll, "I think I'm gonna give my house a cleaning since I haven't done a good dusting in a while. Maybe even try that new feature Lottie added for moving furniture around to see if it will help me find Komasan."

"Very well," said Whitney, "but please don't spend all day indoors. I know it's raining and it means wearing your shoes, but as you said, the cool air was helping you feel better."

"True," said Roll, "and like you said. It's not like I have to cover them up completely and Kicks shoes are very comfortable. I forgot I was even wearing them just now." Roll lifted her left foot out, giving her toes a wiggle. That made Whitney laugh as Roll tucked her foot back into her shoe.

"Well, go on," said Whitney, "don't try to do too much at once and be sure to go outside again to take a break. I'll see you tonight, snappy." Roll smiled as she waved her good bye and then said thank you to Brewster for her coffee. (She had offered to give Whitney the bells for her cup, but the wolf refused). Then she was about to return home when she came back to the wolf.

"What's wrong, snappy?" she asked.

"We...used the same umbrella to come here," said Roll, "I guess if I run..."

"Stop!" said Whitney as she finished her cup and pushed it towards Brewster, "Come on! Let's get you home." Roll smiled and held Whitney's hand for the short walk back to her house. Then they said good bye for real this time and Roll removed her shoes and began to dust. She had only done the main room when she felt herself become very sleepy and ended up taking a nap instead. Despite not sleeping well for a few days, she slept for three hours before she woke up and got back to work. Roll got so into her dusting and searching for her doll that it was well past 5pm when she finally finished her house cleaning. The former had been successful while the later had left her empty handed, but she wasn't surprised. Roll then slipped her pumps on before heading outside.

"I didn't think I was gonna find it looking a second time," Roll said to herself as she walked alone in the rain, but this time holding a blue umbrella over herself to keep dry, "but at least I can say I tried." Roll tried to just enjoy her little walk around the town. Since it was still raining rather heavily, nobody was outside their house so Roll didn't have to worry about apologizing to anyone for her disappearance for the moment. Roll stopped walking just outside the train station. She was gonna go shopping at main street, but found herself losing interest in the idea.

"I kind of want to stay outside," Roll said to herself, "I wonder if there is a place when I could just sit outside, take off my shoes, and listen to the rain. All the benches are soaked so where...hey maybe Harvey has something set up." Roll then headed back towards town hall and slowly made her way back up the soggy ramp towards the campsite. She found that most of the areas to sit were pretty much soaked and just sighed in defeat.

"So much for that," she said sadly as she turned to leave.

"Hey there," said Harvey, "looking for a place to chill?" Roll just turned towards the dog, who was sitting in his usual spot in a rain slicker.

"At least a place where I can sit, listen to the rain, and not have to worry about getting wet," said Roll. Harvey just grinned as he guided Roll over to his nearby chair. He grabbed a large stand up umbrella and grabbed a thick wool blanket and laid it around the umbrella. Roll then crawled under the umbrella and sat down, removing her pumps. Since the umbrella was so wide, Roll was able to extend her legs a bit and get comfortable underneath it.

"Thanks Harvey," said Roll as she crossed her legs, "Now I can enjoy the fresh air and not have to worry about getting my bare feet wet." Harvey just gave her a warm smile and took a drink of his black coffee.

"No prob, Sis," he replied, "You look like you could needed some down time. Just relax and enjoy the performance of nature in action, man."

"Performance?" Roll asked curiously as pulled her right leg up so she could rest her head on her knee.

"Yeah, man," Harvey answered, "I always enjoyed rain the best when its dark. People spend too much time focusing on what they can see. They forget about the other senses. We are built with five senses, not just one you know."

"That's true," said Roll, "I can't see the rain, but I can hear the constant pitter-patter of the rain drops, smell the moisture that hangs in the air, even feel the wind breathe against my skin, legs, and feet. It's so refreshing after being cooped up in my house all day."

"I'll bet," said Harvey, "It's why I like to stay outdoors more often than not, man. While it's good to have a roof over your head, it's nice to just enjoy the nature around you ya know."

"Yeah," said Roll with a content smile on her face as she hugged her legs into her chest, "Being out here, just enjoying all the nature, really does clear your head."

"Indeed it does," said Harvey, "still think emptying your mind completely is a bad thing?" Roll's eyes widened and her cheeks turned deep red. She didn't even think that Harvey was listening to her when she said that remark about him emptying his head too much.

"I...I guess...I didn't understand," said Roll, "To me you just looked zoned out when I saw how relaxed you were. Now I understand. With what I've been through lately, emptying my mind was probably the best medicine for me right now."

"Just keep in mind, Sis," said Harvey, "Emptying your mind is not supposed to be used to run away from your problems, man. Just to help you put things into perspective and sort your thoughts. When done properly, the things that seemed frustrating or even hopeless suddenly don't seem as frustrating or hopeless anymore. People move too fast these days, man, with all the technologies and hustle and bustle and such. Sometimes, you just gotta slow down and smell the vegan burrito on the campfire." Roll giggled and Harvey chuckled as well. She could definitely feel a friendship developing between herself and the dog. Nothing more needed to be said and they just enjoyed the sound of the rain for another hour or so before Roll felt herself getting sleepy and hungry. She bid him goodbye before returning home. As Roll walked inside with her pumps in hand, she just looked about her dark, unlit house and just smiled.

"Guess sitting in the rain really did help me clear my thoughts," said Roll to herself, "The fresh air really did help me feel better. Things don't seem so hopeless anymore. (Yawn) And I'd better let Whitney know I'm just gonna stay home tonight. I'm too tired to pack anything and sleep elsewhere." Once Roll informed the wolf about her change of plans, she headed into her kitchen and made herself a sandwich that she could eat upstairs in bedroom. Once she was in pajamas for the night, she climbed into bed before taking a large bite into her sandwich before she found herself looking at the empty dresser that still had Komasan's pillow and blanket stored inside. Rather than feeling sad, Roll just smiled.

"I will find you," said Roll, "I know I will..." With that Roll finished her little dinner, read a book for about another hour before she felt her eyes getting too heavy to stay open and went to sleep. It was only a little past 9pm but Roll was exhausted and she needed a good night's rest.

The next morning, Roll woke up feeling much better, both physically and emotionally too. She stretched her arms a bit before climbing out of bed and looked out her window. The rain hadn't let up, but Roll didn't let that get her down and just let out a happy sigh.

"Alright, no more moping around," said Roll, "Let's find see what I'm in the mood to wear today so I can get dressed and be ready to start the day right. I wonder what color I'm in the mood for..." Roll didn't take long before she grabbed a canary shirt that had a cute brown necktie, some brown pedal pushers, and decided to wear her beret. Once she had washed up, she changed into her outfit, pulled out her brown pumps and set them on the bed before tying her hair into some downward pigtails and tucked her beret into place. Suddenly Roll realized that she had walked up to her mirror and was now posing in front of it. She just looked at herself, feeling her insecurity coming back before taking a deep breath.

"No, I'm...beautiful. I'm beautiful and cute," Roll told herself as she posed in her mirror, trying to smile as she continued to pose a bit. She just giggled to herself.

"This still feels a little silly, but I guess I'm getting better," Roll continued with her little pep talk, "I mean...I like how I look in my outfit. Let me try with the pumps on." Roll put her shoes on and posed again with a smile on her face.

"Hey, I do look pretty with the shoes on," said Roll and then gasped in surprise, "I feel pretty!" Roll giggled and continued to pose in the mirror. She removed her shoes and posed again, finding that she felt pretty barefoot too. Roll just enjoyed herself when she heard someone knocking on her door.

"Coming!" she said in a cheery tone as she headed downstairs with her pumps in her pockets. She opened the door so see Bunnie and Rosie standing outside her door. They were both looking rather glum. Rather than let their gloomy faces dampen her spirits, she decided to keep smiling.

"Hey you guys, glad you're here," said Roll in her cheery tone, "Come on in. You can join me for breakfast!" Bunnie and Rosie just looked at her in shock but just walked inside and sat on her sofa. Roll sat in the ranch arm chair and crossed her left leg over her right, still smiling.

"What bring you two here this morning?" she asked in the same happy tone, wanting to chat with them before making something to eat. Rosie and Bunnie just kept looking at her worried.

"Roll...are you feeling okay, silly?" Rosie asked with concern.

"You just seem...really peppy, tee hee," Bunnie added, "Not that it's a bad thing! But..." Bunnie felt at a loss for words. Roll just sighed to herself as she gave them a serious look.

"Hey, I'm just trying to keep moving forward with my life," said Roll, "I can't just sit here all day crying and moping about how unfair life is for me lately. I know Komasan would want me to keep trying to happy. I just gotta have faith that he'll be returned to me in good time. It's all I can do at this point. The town isn't going to run itself and you guys are counting on me as a friend and as a mayor. Plus I'm tired of feeling so pathetic all the time. I want to be happy and I want to feel beautiful. I actually was able to look at myself in the mirror and feel pretty for once in my life. I even found myself posing in the mirror...and having fun doing it!" Bunnie and Rosie just giggled to each other.

"Well, we're glad that you're at least trying to cope and stay positive, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Yeah," said Rosie, "Sorry for giving you weird looks just now, silly. We were just surprised to see you so optimistic."

"Yeah...it's out of character isn't it," said Roll, "but...I do feel better trying to have a little faith..."

"That's good," said Bunnie, "we will get to the bottom of this. Detective Bunnie is still on the case."

"But first," said Rosie, "We both owe you and apology. After all, we didn't exactly help you in terms of giving you hope in finding Komasan the other day." Roll just gave them a sad smile.

"I should be apologizing you Rosie," said Roll, "Just because Bunnie wasn't able to find a solid lead on Komasan didn't give me the right to explode at you. Then I tried to beat you up and accused you of taking him. Even I know you would never do that to me. I'm sorry. I hope you'll forgive me."

"Of course I will," said Rosie, "I've already apologized to Bunnie. I didn't mean to be such a jerk."

"It's cool," said Bunnie softly, "Rosie was right. I don't know that first thing to being a detective. I guess I really do stink..."

"No," said Rosie, "I just got annoyed cause you were so enthusiastic. That's all. I mean...you seemed so obsessed with detective comics and manga lately. I thought you were just trying to show off. Now I know you were trying to take what you learned from them to help. Maybe I could have helped guide you instead of just letting you train wreck yourself."

"Well, what's done is done," said Roll as she rose to her feet, "I'm sorry for being so angry and snippy to the both of you. I was also just being impatient. I didn't take the time to explore the clues properly either and just trusting you guys to find him for me. I guess we all took this search the wrong way. I forgive you guys for fighting. I hope you'll forgive me for my attitude." Bunnie and Rosie smiled.

"Group hug!" Rosie called out as they held each other, sharing chuckles and giggles with each other. After a few seconds, they all pulled away with warm smiles on their faces.

"Glad that we're friends again, tee hee," said Bunnie. Roll looked at her puzzled.

"Did...we ever stop?" she asked worried. Bunnie just chuckled to herself.

"No," said Bunnie, "that's just my negativity trying to get the best of me. You're not the only one who deals with that."

"I deal with it too, silly," said Rosie.

"How?" Roll asked surprised.

"You see how bubbly I can get sometimes when I'm happy or excited," said Rosie, "Sometimes I just want to be seen as optimistic, but I feel like most people think of me as annoying. I...actually moved away cause I overheard the villagers from my previous town call me an annoying little pest. And it turned out to be true."

"I had no idea," said Roll, "I know in my heart that I don't see you that way and neither does Bunnie. You and Bunnie's peppiness really helps me when I feel down or depressed. I couldn't see my life without you." Rosie's eyes twinkles before she embraced Roll once again. Bunnie just smiled and hugged the blue cat as well.

"Sisters forever?" Bunnie replied, offering a fist bump. Rosie smiled.

"Sisters forever," Rosie replied as she returned the fist bump. Roll smiled, grateful that things had been settled as the two girls did the same.

"Care to join me for breakfast this morning?" Roll asked once more. The funny thing was both Bunnie and Rosie's stomachs both growled in response, making them both chuckle sheepishly as Roll laughed and got to work. With their help, they enjoy a nice warm breakfast together. Rosie smacked her lips together as she cleaned her mouth with a napkin.

"MMMM-mmmm," said Rosie, "This girl knows how to cook a good meal."

"Never thought I'd ever taste anything that could rival my mother's home cooking," said Bunnie, "Roll, you might consider a side career as a world-class chief."

"I'll see," said Roll casually, "but I'm glad all the reading and practicing is paying off." The three girls quickly cleared the table and then relaxed in the main room as Roll got comfortable and faced her two best friends.

"So what now Bunnie?" Roll asked. Bunnie looked a little stunned at her question as she looked at Rosie and then back at Roll.

"What...what do you mean, tee hee?" Bunnie asked, feeling rather puzzled.

"Well, you're still accepting my case aren't you, detective?" Roll asked. Bunnie just looked at her sadly.

"Roll, let's face the facts," said Bunnie, "I'm no detective. I don't even know where to start! All we know is that Komasan is a rare vintage toy doll, your shoes were kicked by someone wearing a brown cloak that isn't part of any of the clothes being sold around here."

"It's still something, silly," said Rosie, "plus I just came to a realization the other day. I wanted to wait til we had settled things with Roll before speaking up about it."

"What is it?" Roll and Bunnie asked curiously.

"Roll," said Rosie slowly with a serious tone, "Does...anyone else have a key to your house?" Roll's eyes widen in shock and even Bunnie's eyes widened as well.

"Are you saying...that..." said Roll, trying to process the idea, "someone who I trusted with my house key...took Komasan?" Bunnie then stood up, donning her detective hat that she had kept in her pockets.

"Well, one thing is for sure, tee hee," said Bunnie as she put her mind to work, "We already know that nobody would blatantly steal your doll. If one of them did take him, I'm sure there would be a good reason behind it."

"Precisely," said Rosie, "No one would just break into your house either. Someone who had your key had to have come into your house and stolen...err, I mean...taken Komasan!"

"But...why?" said Roll, "I mean...who would want to take him...if I didn't tell any of the people who have my key that he even existed?"

"I think we first need to focus on the who and then the why, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Good call detective," said Rosie, "what should we do first?" Bunnie just looked at Rosie, who just smiled showing how grateful the rabbit felt that Rosie did believe in her. Roll smiled as well, excited that a new clue had turned up. Bunnie could feel her self-confidence return as she changed into her trench coat and gave them a determined look.

"First, we need to list down all the people who have a spare key to Roll's home," said Bunnie, "Do you remember everyone who has a key?"

"Sure do," said Roll, "Bacon and Cherry, that's one key by the way, Shenran and Ankha, Lemon, Sakura, and the Able Sisters." Bunnie wrote the names down.

"Now let's see where everyone was at the time the crime was committed," said Bunnie, "First, Bacon and Cherry."

"They went on a trip together to...Wuhu island for some romantic getaway since their honeymoon was spent helping Cherry reconcile with her family," said Rosie, "They left two weeks ago and just got back today from the trip."

"Shenran and Ankha had gone to Sunyshore City for some excavation convention regarding Egyptian artifacts that were discovered," Roll added, "They left for their plane the night Komasan was taken."

"What about Lemon and Sakura?" Rosie asked.

"Apparently they are at some Pokecrolo fashion show in a distant city," said Bunnie as she was examining a letter, "They are staying at one of the local hotels, tee hee." Roll then took the letter.

"Bunnie, I know we are investigating, but don't read my mail please," she asked politely.

"I didn't have too," said Bunnie, "It said where they were in the address." Roll then looked at the envelope and just chuckled.

"Oh! My bad," said Roll sheepishly with a giggle and quickly skimmed the letter. Since they had been in town before the kidnapping, Roll called up their hotel room to see if she could speak to them as soon as possible. Fortunately, someone answered and after a few minutes of speaking to them. She hung up the phone.

"Nope, it definitely wasn't them," said Roll, "They didn't even know that I had Komasan and now I have to hide him again cause Lemon wants to hug it, poke it, and squeeze it's head off. The stitching around the neck are bad enough as it is." They all shared a chuckle with each other.

"Okay then, tee hee," said Bunnie, "so all that leaves with us is the Able Sisters. But...well...what have they been doing recently. Other than just working at the shop like they usually do..."

"They haven't!" Rosie exclaimed and Bunnie and Roll looked at her stunned.

"What?"

"Really, tee hee?"

"How do you know that?" Roll asked, anxious to hear what the blue cat had to say.

"I was in the Able Sisters the past few days," said Rosie, "After you took off crying and Bunnie and I yelled each other to the point of almost hating the sight of one another, I took a walk back to main street and went to check out the shop. I needed something to just take my mind off of all the drama. That was when I noticed something in particular inside the shop. Mabel was at the sewing machine and Sable was nowhere to be found. I asked Mabel where Sable was and all she could say she was sick. I asked what kind of sickness and Mabel ignored me. I didn't bother to push the issue until the next day. But Mabel was still avoiding my questions and tuning me out. After the fourth day, I asked when Sable was coming back and Mabel just ignored me. I pushed the issue further and Mabel got very defensive and asked me to leave her alone. It was all too suspicious. I mean, if Sable was sick, why wouldn't Mabel just say the illness? Plus if it was a severe illness, wouldn't Mabel be more upset about it? She was acting very apathetic and calm in that sense, even Labelle was acting like she didn't even know Sable was sick. She didn't seem to care either."

"Then Sable is not sick," said Roll with her hands on her hips, "Did you ask them about my doll by any chance?" Rosie sighed.

"I didn't, silly," said Rosie sadly, "I was too upset at the time." Roll just nodded as she rose to her feet and slipped her brown pumps onto her feet.

"Where are you going, tee hee?" Bunnie asked curiously. Roll just adjusted her beret and gave them both a determined look on her face.

"Everything that Rosie said just now," said Roll, "just sounds way too suspicious. Those two hedgehogs know something."

"Roll, let's not jump to conclusions about this, tee hee," Bunnie warned, "Remember what happened when I jumped the gun!"

"Even if this doesn't have to do with my doll," said Roll as she grabbed her umbrella, "Something is wrong with my momma and I want to know what's going on. I'm family after all. There must be something else behind this if Mabel didn't even bother to tell me that my own momma was sick! That's unusual in of itself!"

"Good point, tee hee," said Bunnie, "To the Able Sisters!"

"Right!" Rosie added with determination. The three girls wasted no time heading over towards the Able Sisters shop and all they entered into the shop at once. Roll took notice that Mabel was busily working at Sable's sewing machine and hadn't even bothered to say hello to her at all. Before Bunnie could approach the blue hedgehog, Roll stopped her.

"Let me handle this," said Roll as she casually made her way towards the blue hedgehog. Mabel seemed to ignore her and continued to work quietly on her own. Roll just cupped her hands behind her back and put on a warm smile as she clicked her heels to the wooden floor.

"Hi Mabel," said Roll, "Nice day for a shower isn't it?" Roll chuckled at her own joke but Mabel didn't seem to notice.

"You look pretty today," said Roll.

"Thanks," said Mabel plainly. Roll smirked.

"Do you like my outfit?" Roll asked, even doing a slow twirl, "Momma said the canary shirt was one of your designs and I'm wearing the brown pants you modified into pedal pushers too. Since it raining, I have my brown pumps on, but I feel really pretty wearing them." Roll giggled to herself and then looked at Mabel, who didn't seem to be paying attention. Roll's smile disappeared.

"Mabel, are you okay?" Roll asked. Mabel just looked at her with an irritated glare.

"I'm currently trying to run this shop by doing my sister's work as well as my own!" Mabel snapped, "Labelle is only good at accessories and headgear, not tops and bottoms. Guess who has to pick up the slack around here!"

"Let me help!" said Roll, "Momma's been teaching me how to sew. In fact, where is Momma anyway?"

"Sick," said Mabel plainly.

"With what?"

"None of your business!"

"It is my business!" Roll retorted angrily, "If she's dying I need to know!"

"Sable's not dying Roll," Mabel retorted indignantly before adding under her breath, "not yet anyway..."

"That's not funny Mabel," said Roll, "You guys are my family! I have a right to know about these..."

"All you need to know," said Mabel in a sweet tone that clearly showing her temper was at its end, "Is that Sable will be back within a day or so. Okay? Okay. So if you aren't here to buy anything. Please... _Go. Away._ " Mabel then got back to work. Roll felt indignant as she rested her hands on her hips before walking away towards her friends. They had heard everything.

"Pretty suspicious," Roll whispered.

"You can say that again," said Rosie, "I can understand her being stressed at having to do twice the work, but the way she was brushing you off, silly. Very suspicious."

"It seems like she was trying to get you to go away," said Bunnie, "She's hiding something alright, tee hee."

"Maybe," said Roll, "Time for a little deeper investigation. Here, hold these for me. If you recall, I did say I think better barefoot." Rosie chuckled as she held Roll's pumps for her as the blonde girl curled her toes on the hardwood floor and began to look like she was browsing around. Since Mabel seemed to be ignoring her she headed on the other side of the sewing machine where Mable had a couple of boxes. One had a set of completed patterns and the other had some incomplete ones. Roll began to browse through the fabrics. She had only looked through a couple when Mabel stopped sewing.

"What are you doing?" she asked accusingly. Roll glared.

"I'm thinking of a new pro design," said Roll, "but I can't remember what that pattern I was inspired by looks like. Mom said I could look at the patterns whenever I wanted." Mabel just glared before getting back to work.

"Just hurry up and get out of here," she snapped. Roll glared. Doll or no doll, something strange was going on and she wasn't going to let Mabel talk to her like that.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily." But Roll said that to herself as she continued to browse around and she leaned forward to keep searching. When she found nothing, she went to stand back up when her foot slipped and she caught herself against the edge of the counter and pulled herself up. Roll lifted her left foot to pull off whatever was caught on it when she gasped quietly. Her foot was snagged on some brown cloth...milk chocolate colored.

"Guys...come here!" Roll whispered as Bunnie and Rosie walked over.

"What's up, tee hee?" Bunnie asked in a whisper. Roll showed them the cloth.

"Bunnie," said Rosie anxiously, "Do you still have..."

"I got it right here!" said Bunnie as she pulled the piece of cloth out of her pocket. Roll looked around and then noticed a tear at the bottom of the cloak. She brought up the piece of cloth and found that it was a perfect fit. Bunnie and Rosie gasped in surprise. Suddenly, the cloak was pulled right out of Roll's hands.

"Excuse me!" said Mabel sternly, "I don't need you poking your nose or your bare feet into my stuff! Now please leave and I'll throw you all out with my bare hands!" Roll returned her glare and then looked at her friends.

"Get her!" she shouted before Mabel found herself pinned against the digital sewing machine.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Mabel objected.

"Quit acting like I'm stupid!" Roll yelled angrily, "You know why I'm here and now I know the truth!"

"What truth?" Mabel yelled, trying to break free from Bunnie and Rosie grasp.

"A few days ago," said Roll in a very serious and angry tone, "I had something that was very precious to me taken right out of my house. Other than those out of town and you guys, nobody else has my house key. Plus you just said that this cloak belonged to you and the person who took my doll was wearing this. The torn fabric I found matches your cloak and its torn in the exact same spot where it had gotten caught on something. You are the one who took my Komasan didn't you?" Mabel said nothing and just looked away. Roll looked hurt.

"Mabel," said Roll sadly, "I...I thought you loved me..." Mabel was taken aback, still trying to break free as she looked at the blonde girl in shock.

"How dare you question that?" Mabel exclaimed, "of course I love you. Now let me go!"

"Not until you tell me the truth," Roll demanded, "Where. Is. My. Komasan?" Mabel just lowered her head, relaxing her muscles a bit. This got Rosie and Bunnie to loosen their grip.

Just like Mabel had hoped.

"I'm sorry Roll," said Mabel in a hallow tone before bringing both her arms in front of her. The momentum, caused Rosie and Bunnie to crash into each other since they were still holding onto them, dazing in them a bit as Mabel curled herself into a ball. Roll went on defense, but Mabel them jumped into the air, still curled up, before launching her entire body at Roll.

"OOF!" Roll grunted as she was sent crashing into the mannequins in the center of the room. Mabel then dash away towards the accessories.

"Labelle, drop everything! We need to...GASP!" Mabel was then stopped into her tracks when Roll was blocking the entrance towards the accessories department. Mabel was let stunned.

"How'd you get up so fast?" she demanded angrily as Roll stayed on defense.

"I've been continuing my kung fu training with Master Yumi via web chat," said Roll, "Her most recent lessons have been in agility and fast reflexes. I still crashed into the mannequins, but I was able to flip myself back onto my feet and side step in front of you within seconds. Guess it paid to...wait a sec!" Roll then stepped out of the way as Labelle tumbled past her and crashed onto the floor stomach first. Mabel took notice that Labelle was only wearing her white stockings.

"Where are your shoes?" she asked.

"Did you expect me to fight in six-inch heels?" Labelle groaned as she struggled to her feet, but then she and Mabel were pinned down by both Bunnie and Rosie respectively. Labelle then gasped when she felt something metallic on her wrists.

"Hey!"

"You two are under arrest for theft, attacking a detective, and possible child abuse!" said Bunnie.

"Abuse?!" they exclaimed.

"Shut it!" said Rosie, "You have the right to remain silent and anything you say can be used against you in a court of law!" Bunnie and Rosie exchanged smirks and nods in agreement.

"I'm not talking with my lawyer," said Labelle bitterly.

"Same here," Mabel added, both knowing that Bunnie was not a real detective or officer. Roll just glared.

"Fine, maybe Sable will talk," said Roll as she pulled her phone out and tried to dial the brown hedgehog. After several failed attempts, Roll just hung up in frustration. Labelle and Mabel snickered to each other...until Roll glared at them. Labelle and Mabel the wiped their smirks off and just looked blank. Roll rolled her eyes at them both before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Alright...fine!" Roll huffed, "If you two won't talk, then I'll just call up Booker and Cooper to take you to the station. Maybe spending the night in a local jail cell will make you talk." Mabel just kept a blank look on her face, but Labelle's eyes had widened and her face paled.

"I CAN'T GO BACK TO JAIL!" she bellowed, "I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"Labelle shut up!" Mabel barked angrily.

"No, you shut up!" Labelle yelled, "Spending the night in a dirty, murky room the size of a closet and sleeping on a cold metal bed. I was pretty sure something was crawling under my bed too! It still give me nightmares thinking about it!"

"Labelle please just..."

"I don't want to go to jail! I don't want to!" Labelle repeated, not crying, "Just tell her the truth! Just...tell...her..." Labelle slowly began to break down. Mabel slowly lowered her defenses as Labelle was now crying shamelessly.

"Look Roll," said Mabel slowly, "We...we promised not to talk. Sable asked us to keep quiet about this."

"So Momma has my doll?" Roll asked.

"I can't say anymore than that," said Mabel, "I'll I ask is that you to trust us." Roll blinked before she balled her fists angrily.

"Trust _you_?" Roll retorted, "You broke into my house and stole the only toy I've had to my name since I was baby! Then you blow me off and attack me! Why should I trust you!"

"Because we wouldn't do anything to hurt you," Labelle explained, her voice cracking since she hadn't stopped crying, "We have a good reason for taking your doll, but please just trust us. You'll have it back soon enough. We promise sweetheart. We love you."

"And...I just let my stress get the better of me and I...lost it," said Mabel, now standing down and feeling guilty, "Sorry, it's hard doing double the work and I've been doing a double shift since Sable got your doll."

"But...why did she take it?" Roll asked, still feeling puzzled and no longer angry, "you guys mend clothes, not..."

"All your questions will be answered in good time," Mabel interrupted, "Just trust us okay." Roll just looked at the two before gesturing for Bunnie and Rosie to let them go. The two friends were hesitant for a moment before Roll nodded again. Bunnie and Rosie then removed the cuffs so both their arms went limp. Roll just looked at them with sad face. She wanted to stay strong, but she could feel her eyes beginning to tear.

"That doll is very precious to me," she said as her tears slowly streamed down her face, "Please...it's already fragile as it is. Take good care of it okay." Roll sniffled as she wiped her eyes. Mabel gave her a reassuring nod and slowly rose to her feet, but Labelle was still on her knees crying.

"Sis?" Mabel asked gently.

"I know you're trying to be strong," Labelle said sadly to Roll, "but I can feel the heaviness in your heart. You've been hurting since your doll was taken haven't you?" Roll just nodded as a few more tears streamed down her face.

"Well, I didn't know what happened," she whimpered, "One day, he was in his usual place and next he was gone. I still don't know how you guys even know about Komasan." Labelle opened her arms and Roll crawled into them. Mabel hugged her from behind as both Roll and Labelle shed a few tears together before relaxing a bit and pulling away.

"So...what now?" Bunnie asked curiously. Roll just wiped her eyes.

"I...trust my aunts," said Roll, "because...they wouldn't hurt me." Mabel and Labelle just smiled as Labelle ironed out her dress.

"Don't forget to put your shoes back on when you leave," said Labelle, "this rain just won't let up."

"I will," said Roll as Rosie handed the girl her pumps back. Mabel then held her free hand.

"As I said before, I was just stressed out," said Mabel, "You look very beautiful in your outfit, shoes or not. I'm sorry for the attitude." Roll smiled as she slipped her pumps back on her feet.

"Thank you," said Roll, "So...should I..."

"I'll clean up this mess," said Mabel, "You can stay if you want. Just...no more about your doll until the time is right okay."

"I've got some things to do," said Roll, "but thank you. You'll let me know when the time is right...won't you?" Mabel smiled.

"Not a second before," she answered. Roll smiled and then made her way out of the shop. Bunnie and Rosie were still baffled.

"So...they did take the doll, silly?" Rosie asked.

"Yep," said Roll plainly.

"And...we're not going to press charges, tee hee?" Bunnie asked next.

"No," said Roll.

"Then...what do we do now?" Rosie asked curiously. Bunnie just pondered in deep thought before just smiling.

"We...just wait," said Bunnie, "We've got the who, and when the time is right, we'll get the why."

"I agree," said Roll. Bunnie and Rosie just smiled. Roll looked much better and more hopeful.

"Guess Whitney was right," said Roll, "sometimes just having a little faith is all it takes for things to turn for the better." Bunnie and Rosie smiled and they shared another group hug.

"I love you guys," said Roll, "thanks for all the support...detectives." Bunnie and Rosie beamed.

"Anytime," they said together, "anytime."

The three girls ran into Margie along the way home. So they decided to just hang out together at Roll's house once she had taken care of her dailies. By now the sun had set and they were all sitting together on the lovely rug in Roll's bedroom playing Monopoly and having a good time. For the moment it was Roll's turn, she was sitting Indian style and she had untied her hair to feel more comfortable while they played, but she kept her beret on.

"You know, silly," said Rosie, "I just realized how long your hair has gotten."

"Yeah, I noticed as well, tootie," said Margie, "how long are you going to let it grow." Roll giggled as she set down the cup containing the dice and fanned her hair behind her back. By now it was just a few inches short of her waist, and Roll just smiled.

"I've got it as long as I wanted it," said Roll, "I kind of like my hair long and I guess you've noticed that I've been wearing it down more often too."

"Why is that, tee hee?" said Bunnie. Roll just shrugged her shoulders.

"I just feel...prettier wearing it down with my outfits and being barefoot," said Roll, "Even if I don't feel pretty that day, wearing it down helps from time to time. It also helps that you guys seem to like it when I wear it down. Guess your support helped me feel more confident showing you the...natural look of my hair." The three girls just smiled.

"We're just glad you're finally seeing how beautiful you look," said Rosie, "we've always known you were cute and beautiful. Now you're starting to feel it, silly."

"It shows you're heading in the right direction, tootie," said Margie, "I'm proud of you." Roll smiled as she picked up the dice cup and tossed them onto the board. Her token landed on a card space. She grunted as she saw what it was.

"Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect 200 bells," Roll said annoyed.

"Well, on the bright side," said Rosie, "you would look cute in black and white stripes."

"Maybe you could have your pants taken in like you did your brown ones, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"You guys like me in pedal pushers and long sleeves?" she asked.

"Yeah, it make your casual outfits look very chic," said Rosie, "When you wear your pumps, it adds class to your outfit. The perfect look for a night out on the town." Roll smiled as the three girls laughed.

"My turn," said Rosie, shook the cup and tossed her dice, "Doubles! Sweet! That means I get another turn, silly!" Rosie moved her token and then her blue face paled.

"Not the green properties! With a hotel! OH COME ON!" she groaned.

"That will be 1275 bells please!" said Bunnie. Roll and Margie giggled at Rosie's grumbling until the blonde girl heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," said Roll as she rose to her feet, ironed out her pedal pushers and headed downstairs to answer the door. She was surprised to see that Sable was there, wearing a yellow raincoat and holding a autumn leaf umbrella over her head.

"Momma?!" Roll exclaimed.

"May I...come in?" she asked. Roll just blinked before stepping aside so the brown hedgehog could let herself in. Sable then stumbled a bit and Roll gasped when she saw Sable had tripped over her brown pumps.

"You might want to move those to the other side of the door sweetie," said Sable as she removed her coat and taking off the brown loafers she had been wearing to keep her feet dry. The brown hedgehog was wearing some chino style short length pants with a tan horizontal striped shirt, which was similar to the yellow and green ones she sold in the shop. Roll just said nothing and moved her shoes to the left side of the door.

"Well then," said Sable with a cheery grin, "how are you?" Roll just said nothing but rubbed her arm insecurely, unsure of what to say. Sable didn't need long before she realized what Roll was thinking.

"I'm guessing Mabel and Labelle spilled the beans?" she asked, a tad annoyed.

"I...I thought it was Mabel who broke into my house and took Komasan," said Roll quietly. Sable looked a bit puzzled.

"Komasan?" she asked.

"My lion dog doll," Roll clarified. Sable then made an O with her mouth.

"Oh...I see," said Sable, "Guess I owe you an explanation don't I then?" Roll just looked at her with a serious look and nodded.

"May I...make myself at home first?" she asked. Roll just sighed. Sure, she was upset with Sable, but that didn't mean Roll could forgo her manners.

"Did you want anything?" she asked, "I've got some leftover sandwiches from dinner...I could make some tea or hot cocoa..."

"Make some hot cocoa please?" said Sable and then heard the chuckling upstairs, "Oh, I see you've got company! Mind if I join the fun?" Roll just nodded as Sable smiled. She walked up the blonde girl, kissed her cheek, and then headed upstairs. Roll just watched her leave and then went to make the cocoa. She brought up the refreshments to her bedroom on a tray and carefully made her way up the stairs. When she arrived, she found Sable just sitting on her bed casually while Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie had stopped playing the game and were just giving Sable death glares. Sable was just ignoring them and casually humming to herself as she sat Indian style on the bed. Roll then set the tray on a low table that was in front of the bed an handed Sable her mug.

"Thank you," said Sable, "Come sit with me." Roll obeyed as she grabbed her own mug and took a seat. she then pointed towards the teapot and extra cups so her friends could help themselves. They did so as Sable just enjoyed some long sips of her own cup before sighing contently.

"Now, you probably want to know about your doll don't you?" said Sable.

"I would like to ask why," said Roll as she sat on the bed with her legs crossed Indian style, "but I really want to know how?"

"How?" Sable asked puzzled.

"How did you even know about Komasan?" Roll asked, "I never told anyone about him!" Sable just stayed quiet for a moment before she responded.

"Remember after we came back from the Island vacation," said Sable, "and you wanted to have that story time sleepover. You had asked me to grab something from your dresser that night. When I went to find a good book for us to read together, I accidentally opened the wrong drawer and that was when I saw Komasan. I was surprised that you even had such a rare doll. I actually have a lion dog doll too."

"You do?" said Roll in surprise.

"Yeah," Sable answered, "it belonged to my grandmother, she then passed it down to my mother, who passed it down to me. The only difference was that mine was yellow and orange."

"So you took my doll so yours would have a friend?" Roll asked.

"Not exactly," said Sable, "I had noticed just how old and tattered it was. It broke my heart. That doll looks like it has been through alot."

"Well, I don't know what it went through with my mom," said Roll, "but he's been there for me since I was a baby. Komasan's name actually came from what I used to call it with my baby talk." Sable giggled.

"Well, it's a cute name," said Sable, "I just knew that your doll was in desperate need for a repair. So I purchased lots of books about sewing and mending stuffed animals. I studied them for hours when I was alone and taking breaks. When I was finally feeling confident, I asked Reese and Cyrus to gather me any recycled shirts and clothing that I could use for material and I gathered some excess materials from the shop so I could use to try and repair Komasan." Roll gasped silently.

"You...you repaired Komasan?!" Roll asked.

"Once I had the materials," Sable continued, ignoring Roll's question, "I borrowed Mabel's brown rain cloak and I snuck into your house to take Komasan home. All I can say is that plastic surgery had to have been easier! I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to fix him since I pretty much had to begin his reconstruction from scratch. He fell apart several times and I thought I wasn't even sure if I could even give you back to him in one piece." Roll grew worried.

"So...he's...he's..." Roll was trying not to cry, but her eyes were building up tears. Sable said nothing and just ducked into her pockets.

"But...as they say," Sable finished and pulled out the lion dog doll for everyone to see, "Perseverance does pay off!"

"Oh wow!" said Margie, Bunnie, and Rosie said at once. Roll was left stunned. She almost thought it was a different lion dog doll completely. This doll had pure white fur and it's blue marking were now vibrant instead of looking old and dull. Even the missing eye had been restored and even shinned so his eyes sparkled as he looked at her. The swirl markings on its body had also been restored and were no longer faded or nonexistent. There was no signs of the holes that had once plagued his entire body and he even looked a little chubbier than before since his inner stuffing had been redone as well. Once Roll had taken him into her arms, she began to giggle and burst into large tears.

"It's..it's really you!" she squeaked as she began to sob tears of joy, "Oh Komasan! You look like you're fresh from the toy store shelf! I missed you so much! Welcome home sweetie. Welcome home!" Roll hugged it tightly into her chest and wept. Sable just held her daughter close as the rest of the girls just shed tears of happiness for Roll. Roll just cried herself out as she continued to snuggle her doll, even kissing its head a few times before she settled down a little.

"Oh Komasan, I was so worried sick about you!" she told her doll in a cracked tone, "Did you miss me?" She lightly tilted his head to reply before giggling and hugging her tightly. Sable just smiled as Roll enjoyed hugging him close, but then her smile faded when she noticed Roll's crying had increased.

"Sweetheart," said Sable, "Was your life really worth giving up on if Komasan had been lost forever?" Roll stopped crying and looked at the brown hedgehog. Everyone else was looking at the blonde girl with sad faces.

"Well...he was my only friend growing up," said Roll in a cracking tone, "All I had to talk to and confide in. Sure, I have all that now and lots of friends but...doesn't mean I'm not gonna just shove him out of the picture. He's family too! At least, he is for me. I tore the house apart looking for him and trying to figure out why someone would take him from me. Only I know his real value after all. I just didn't understand. Why would someone take my only toy? Why didn't you just tell me Mom that you wanted to fix him, instead of just...stealing him?" Sable just looked at her sadly and grabbed a cloth to wipe Roll's cheeks, even though the girl's tears hadn't stopped.

"It was a bit of a risk," said Sable, "and I wasn't even sure I could do it. It would have hurt more if Komasan ended up falling apart beyond repair and it would have been my fault. I was just glad I was able to restore him and clean him up. Plus I wanted to surprise you! You deserve to have quality toys."

"Restore? Clean up? Quality?" Roll replied, "Momma, you did more than that. He looks brand new! Now I won't have to worry about him falling apart now. Thank you Momma!" Roll then had Komasan's face touch Sable's cheek as Roll made a lip smack. Sable chuckled as she hugged the blonde girl tenderly.

"You're welcome dear," said Sable as she kissed her cheek, "I just don't want you getting so sad like this. Even if Komasan had been lost, you don't need a doll to confide in or to feel loved. You're surrounded by people who love you dearly. I ran into Whitney and she told me that you spend four days mourning, possibly even fasting and not sleeping."

"I...was eating...a little, but not enough," said Roll slowly and trying to be honest, "I just had trouble sleeping cause I missed him so much. Death and losing him forever are reasons to mourn. After all, they both mean they are not coming back."

"My point, young lady," said Sable, "is that I don't want you boxing yourself away from us anymore when you feel depressed or down."

"Yeah, we hate it when you do that, silly," said Rosie.

"Not to be selfish, but we hurt when you do that," said Bunnie, "especially since we've all open your doors and our hearts to you, tee hee. None of us like feeling of you pushing us away tee hee."

"We've said this before, tootie," said Margie, "But it needs to be repeating. Even if we can't help, we can still be there for you. Sometimes the best comfort is just being around those who love you. I know we push you to speak up, but if you don't want to or are ready, then it's okay. Just at least come to us instead of being alone. Sometimes a nice long hug or cuddle is all you need sometimes to feel better."

"I agree," said Sable, "You know my sewing chair doesn't have a back. You could plot a chair behind me and just hold me from behind. I wouldn't mind you doing that while I do my sewing if it will help you feel better when you're down." Roll just sniffled as she looked down at her doll and then at the group.

"Okay," said Roll, "I'm sorry its taking me so long to get over this...even with all the good I've done for this town. I'll still find myself feeling so...pathetic."

"You're getting better," said Margie, "Bunnie and Rosie did say you felt pretty in your clothes this morning and were even posing." Roll giggled shyly as her cheeks turned light pink. Everyone else giggled.

"Yeah, trying to think positively does help a little," said Roll, "and I guess wearing shoes isn't so bad either."

"She admits it!" said Sable with glee as the others just laughed. Roll just rolled her eyes at her before giving her doll another squeeze.

"Just don't even bother asking me to wear socks or boots," said Roll, "I'm a barefoot girl and a pair of pumps with three quarter leggings is enough for me to keep warm in a below-freezing blizzard." The others just chuckled again, agreeing with her despite feeling they needed to see it to believe it.

"Well, I guess I can officially say that the case of the missing lion dog is officially closed," said Bunnie.

"Now on to the next case!" said Rosie with determination.

"Nah!" said Bunnie, "It was fun, but I think I've had my fill of being a detective for a while, tee hee." Rosie was left stunned.

"But...but...but...I had another case we could have investigated, silly," Rosie protested, "and we could have done it together!"

"What would that be?" Roll asked.

"When you tried to ask Labelle and Mabel about Komasan and they wouldn't talk," Rosie explained, "You said you were gonna let Booker and Cooper put them in a jail cell. Labelle screamed she didn't want to go back to jail! How would she know what jail cells were like? I know I want to find out the...HEY!" Bunnie grabbed her detective's hat and shoved it over Rosie's face.

"I think, tee hee," Bunnie retorted with a smirk, "that there are somethings that we don't need to know about. The past is past. We focus on the present. Right Sable?"

"I heartily agree," said Sable since she knew the truth about the "jail cell" incident. Roll laughed at Rosie's pouting as she lifted her doll to her face.

"Another happy ending," she said to him and she tilted his head to agreement. All night long, Roll never let Komasan out of her arms. Except when she had to use the bathroom.

A FEW WEEKS LATER:

The harvest festival had finally arrived and Roll was finishing the tables for the big dinner. She had spent all morning and afternoon helping Franklin gather his ingredients for the main dishes, even discovering the secret ingredient for each of the four courses. Roll, dressed in a brown dogtooth dress and hair in a ponytail with a large pink ribbon on her hair, was busy making the final adjustments for the last table when a mysterious figure approached the table.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm...yeah that just about does it..." Roll said to herself as she looked up and sees...YOU! The one reading this very story!

"Oh hi there!" Roll greets cheerfully, "I'm so glad you could make it to the harvest dinner! As you can see I saved a seat especially for you this evening right next to me! I hope you're good and hungry cause everyone is coming over to take a seat."

You join Roll at the table as everyone else gathers around. You see that Roll's villagers and the Able Sisters are sitting at the same table as you. The other tables have villagers and mayors from other towns, but are many of them are very familiar to you. At one table, you can see Shenran and his wife Ankha. At another is Lemon/Anemone, along with her best friends Kabuki, Kiki, Coco, and Tabby. At a third table is Sakura, who is busily driving Stitches up the wall with her teasing, and her best friends Flurry, Cookie, and Diana. There is even a mini table set up specifically for those who Roll had to they could bring their stuffed toys and dolls to the feast. A interesting point of interest is that Komasan has a small cup in his hand, showing he was the table hostess. Then Roll stands up and taps the end of her drinking glass with a spoon. The chatter calms down into complete silence as you and all the others give Roll your full attention.

"I just wanted to make a toast to everyone who was able to join us for this lovely harvest dinner tonight," said Roll, "and I would also like to make a special toast to my special guest..." She faces you with a warm smile on her face. "...It is because of you and your continuous support of my adventures that we are even able to share this special moment together! It hasn't even been a year since my first adventure. Yet you and everyone else who has read this story have, for the most part, welcomed me into your lives, stopping regularly to read about all my adventures. I can't thank you all enough for all the love and support you've given me! But this isn't the end. There is still plenty more adventures ahead and I can't wait to share them with all of you in the future! Here is to love, family, and friendship!"

"HERE HERE!" Everyone else shouts and raises their cup to you. Roll then sits down as everyone cheers for you. You take part in the toast as well before Roll speaks with you once again as Franklin serves the first course.

"Thanks for being my dinner guest," Roll tells you sweetly, "Hope you enjoy the feast."

Hopefully, you do!

 **Whitney and Roll's conversation is based off of the** ** _Animal Crossing Movie_** **.**

 **Wuhu Island is the famous spot from** ** _Wii Sports Resort_**

 ** _Pokecrolo_** **is a actual mobile game that a fashion designing element to it. It's primarily a Japanese social type game according to my sources.**

 **Hopefully you caught the** ** _Monster University_** **reference.**

 **The move Mabel used to try to escape from Roll were basically the homing attack from modern** ** _Sonic The Hedgehog_** **games. Many fans and Animal Crossing wikis speculate a possible kinship between the two characters. While probably not likely, who's to say Mabel wouldn't know how to perform such moves in self-defense? She is a** ** _blue_** **hedgehog.**

 **And...well...surprise! Didn't expect to get dropped right into the story did you? Well this is chapter 50 and I wanted to do something special. Hope you enjoyed the harvest festival dinner with Roll! I left the menu up to your own ideas since Roll believes whatever was served for dinner was something you liked! (Isn't she sweet?)**

 **Here's the preview for the next story arc: Roll's Birthday. Roll's special day is fast approaching, but it's not until someone notices the date on her TPC that anyone in town even remembers about it! Can the village work together to give Roll the birthday party she's always wanted?**

 **See you next time. And thank you for 50 chapters strong! Onward to the next 50!**


	51. Roll's Birthday Part 1

Roll's Birthday Part 1

Winter had finally arrived with dark clouds that were full of snow. It still baffled Roll how for the past two weeks rain had turned into snowfall, but the ground was still dry grass for the most part. Yet Roll wasn't complaining. Since it wasn't snowing, she could still continue about the town in the way she loved best: barefoot. However, even on days when it wasn't snowing, the air had gotten rather chilly. So Roll had now switched to her three quarter leggings. So Roll had to put her pedal pushers away for now because, and she did try, the short leggings and the pedal pushers didn't look well together. But wasn't too big of a letdown for the blonde girl. She liked wearing her shorts with her leggings from time to time, plus she had a walk in closet (She finally moved her clothes into the secret storage room.) full of long sleeved dresses and long sleeves tops that she could wear. Roll tried to enjoy the last few snowless days before she knew she wouldn't be able to enjoy leaving her house barefoot for a while.

And today was the big day in which someone had grabbed the biggest white blanket you could think of and had draped it nice and thick over the entire town. Roll had put on a custom made leopard three quarter sleeved dress with a demin open jacket with some black three quarter leggings. She had also tied her hair into a pony tail with a large brown ribbon in it. Once Roll was dressed she walked outside with her pumps in her hands. She looked at all the snow surrounding her house and just snorted at it.

"I love wintertime, but I just hate that all this stupid snow means I have to wear shoes every time I leave my house," said Roll to herself as she just looked about her house and snorted again before looking at her bare feet. She just stared at her feet for a bit, wiggling her toes on the cold but snow free dirt path in front of her house andthen glared at her pumps before shoving them into her pockets.

"I'm a tough girl," said Roll, "and all this icy cold air doesn't bother my lower legs! My feet are not even cold just standing out here like this! I can barefoot this snow no problem! Being cold is just mind over manner." Roll then shut her door and collected her stuff from the mail box. She curled her toes into the cold path and smiled.

"See?" Roll said aloud, "Snow is not gonna stop this barefoot girl!" Roll felt very pleased with herself as headed towards the rock near her house in order to see if this was today's money rock. Roll just walked right into the snow on her bare feet like it was nothing. She only needed to walk on the snow for a few seconds before Roll's eyes bugged out.

"COLD!" Roll shrieked as she ran back towards the made path and bounced on her feet a bit to shake the snow off of them before quickly putting on the leopard pumps she had and released a long breath from her mouth, which she could see come out of her mouth as a puff of smoke. With her pumps on, her feet warmed up right away. She just looked at them in defeat.

"Dang it," she remarked.

"Watch the language young lady," someone warned, "You even said yourself snow was your limit in terms of cold weather." Roll looked and noticed Isabelle standing nearby wearing her yellow cardigan, blue knee length skirt, and she wasn't wearing shoes.

"How can you be barefoot in this snow?" she asked, her tone filled with jealousy.

"I've got a nice coat of fur on my feet that keeps them nice and warm," said Isabelle, "Many of the other villagers have fur or special pads that insulate their feet in this kind of weather." Roll just continued to glare at her.

"Anywhere I can get these pads?" she asked. Isabelle frowned and shook her head.

"Sorry Roll," said Isabelle, "Either your born with them or you don't." Roll just sighed in defeat, staring at her pumps.

"Cheer up," Isabelle replied, "I mean...you look really chic in your outfit and that includes your pumps. Hey, at least you can wear those short leggings and pumps in this weather. Not alot of humans can wear those without getting their legs cold. That alone makes you pretty tough and special." Roll was still pouting before looking towards Isabelle, who was just smiling cutely at her. Roll's could feel her frown flip over and soon she was gigging to herself.

"Thanks," said Roll, "So what's up?"

"Well for starters," said Isabelle, "I took the liberty of taking a day off at the office so we can go for your test."

"Test?" said Roll and then remembered, "Oh yeah! My drivers exam! I nearly forgot cause I was so focused on the snow...and thinking I could walk barefoot in it." Isabelle giggled.

"Well, I'm ready if you are," said Isabelle, "Come on. The train will be here any minute to take us to the facility where you'll take your written test and your hands on exam."

"Assuming I pass the written exam," said Roll.

"You will," said Isabelle, "You've practically memorized the entire book by now!"

"True," said Roll as they started walking towards the station, "but Sable did warn me about there being trick questions on the written part."

"You just gotta use your common sense," said Isabelle, "You don't have to get a perfect score you know. You can miss a few and still pass."

"Yeah, but..." Roll protested, "I'd like to get a perfect score." Isabelle just sighed and shook her head, but the shi-tzu then remembered something.

"You and I are alot alike," said Isabelle, "We want to get perfects on everything and when we don't..."

"...we feel like flops," Roll finished.

"Not my choice of words but close enough," said Isabelle as she paid for their train tickets.

"I'll pay you..."

"Shut it!" said Isabelle sternly, "Let me do something for you okay." Roll just sighed.

"You done so much already," said Roll, "This town wouldn't be so beautiful without your help." Isabelle giggled. Roll's construction efforts had pretty much come to end. She had completed her renovations and was still a couple of projects under the limit. She even helped Resetti get all the Christmas lights on the pine trees, making the mini pine forest northeast of town look like a Christmas tree lot.

"Tell you what," said Isabelle, "If you can get some us hot chocolate for the way home, we can call it even, deal?" Roll nodded in agreement as their train arrived at the station and just stayed quiet as Isabelle lead her inside and they waited patiently before being directed to the area where Roll would take her written exam. Roll just sat in the wait area quietly, entertaining herself by staring at her feet since she had slipped them out of her shoes. Isabelle just shook her head.

"Can you just leave your feet inside of your shoes for just one day?" the shi-tzu asked annoyed but in a playful manner. Roll shook her head.

"Just a nervous reflex," said Roll, "besides I was gonna leave my shoes with you during the exam."

"You're gonna have to wear them for the hands on exam," said Isabelle. Roll snorted.

"Well I was gonna ask if I could take them off for the test but until they say something, you're gonna watch my shoes until I'm told to wear them," said Roll and soon heard her name called, "I'll see you later." Roll then snootily left her seat, went through security. No one seemed to care she was barefoot and Roll went on her way. Isabelle just continued shaking her head.

"That's why we like her I guess," said Isabelle, tucking Roll's leopard pumps into her pockets and headed outside real quick. Once she had taken care of things, she returned to her seat and found that Roll hadn't returned yet. Isabelle just looked at her smartphone.  
"Only been twenty minutes," she said to herself and began reading a book she had brought with her to pass the time. She had barely read a full chapter when she heard someone cough for her attention.

"Whoa, that was fast," Isabelle exclaimed since another forty minutes had past, "Unless...you failed..." Roll just kept smirking and showed Isabelle her TPC, which now had the title "licensed driver" under her picture. Isabelle gasped excitedly.

"Congratulations," said Isabelle, "I knew you could do it! And...hey wait a minute! How did you...you went on your hands on exam barefoot didn't you?" Roll just smiled innocently and nodded.

"There's no snow in the ground leading towards the testing vehicle," said Roll, "They only asked if I was okay driving like this and I said yes. I'm guessing they didn't seem to mind. Times have changed since you've took your exam my dear Isabelle."

"Ha ha," said Isabelle, annoyed at the blonde girl's little "age" joke, "Let me see the scores." Roll showed Isabelle the exam papers with her scores on them. She had gotten 100 on the written section but only a 98 on the hands on exam.

"They probably docked you for not wearing shoes," Isabelle teased and Roll whacked her on the head with the paper.

"Very funny," said Roll, "They docked me cause I was a little crooked doing the parallel parking test. Anyway, if we done here. I'll put my stupid shoes on and we can head home."

"Well, I agree with putting your shoes on," said Isabelle and gave them back to Roll, "but we won't need a train home."

"Then...how are we gonna get home?" she asked curiously as she tucked her pumps back on her feet. Isabelle gestured for Roll to follow her outside. They made their way towards the front of the facility and Roll gasped in shock. There sitting outside in the parking lot was a brand new pink compact car and the license plate that read MAYOR was put on the front and back of it. It didn't take Roll long before she realized that this particular car was for her.

"Surprise Mayor Roll!" said Isabelle excitedly.

"You...you got me my own car?!" Roll exclaimed, still in shock.

"Why not?" said Isabelle, "I knew you would have no problem passing the test so while you were taking your exam. I went to go pick up the car I had ordered for you yesterday. License and registration were complete as well so you won't have to worry about that." Roll just blinked.

"Wow...but...what if I hadn't..."

"There was no way you're were gonna fail," Isabelle repeated, "Have a little faith in yourself." Roll smiled and shifted her foot on the asphalt a bit shyly.

"I'm working on it," said Roll, "I do feel pretty today if that means anything." Isabelle chuckled.

"Of course it does," said Isabelle, "It's good you feel pretty. You look beautiful in your outfit. And I do mean all of it." Roll just rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I'm just teasing you," said Isabelle.

"I know Isabelle," said Roll, "I'm just surprised you got me my own car. It's overwhelming." Roll could feel her composure slip a bit, but she quickly wiped her eyes since they were watering a little and took a deep breath to calm down.

"Why not?" said Isabelle, "You have done a great job as mayor and...it is almost your birthday."

"My...birthday?" said Roll surprised, "What does...my birthday got to do with getting a new car?" Isabelle was rather baffled at her statement.

"Well...you usually give people presents for their birthday," said Isabelle, "Plus with all the bells we earned the other day visiting the island. I wanted to get you something special. Plus I just couldn't wait until your actual birthday to give you this." Roll just blinked for a moment and then gave her a smile.

"Well thank you," said Roll, "You're...gonna make it hard for me to top this for your birthday."

"Roll, I'll I want for my birthday is for you to be at the party in something beautiful and feeling beautiful wearing it," said Isabelle, "You deserve to have nice things. Plus what mayor with a drivers license doesn't have their own car? Now you've got one for now. Even thought I know you could probably afford a sport model..."

"I don't need no luxury car," said Roll as she tried to hug her car, "I love the one you gave me and I'll take good care of it!"

"Great," said Isabelle, "let's head for home. Your call driving with or without your shoes." Roll just nodded as she climbed inside, taking them off and giving Isabelle a raspberry before they drove home. Well...not immediately home. Roll still owed her a hot chocolate so they did make a pit stop at a local bakery for the hot drink and a treat before heading back. Along the ride, Isabelle could see why Roll scored so high on her exam. It was the smoothest and most comfortable ride she had ever taken. Once they were near the town, Isabelle guided Roll towards the town's parking area. The area was also sheltered inside of a hill so Roll didn't have to worry about her car getting covered with snow. Inside contained several reserved parking spaces that included cars for Gracie, Tom Nook, Lyle, Dr. Shrunk, and even for Isabelle, where her scooter was parked.

"I still gotta see you ride your scooter in action," said Roll as she pulled into the space marked for her, "But I think I'm only authorized for standard vehicles and go-karts."

"No, your license includes standard vehicles, go-karts, motor bikes, and even small single passenger ATVs," said Isabelle, "I made sure of it myself when I registered you for the test and your handbook."

"Oh...cool," said Roll as she pulled her pumps back on after she had gotten gotten out, and locked up her car. Then she looked around the area in confusion.

"What's up?" Isabelle asked.

"How...do we get back into town?" she asked. Isabelle just motioned with her hand for the blonde girl to follow her as she pressed a button to what Roll thought was an elevator. Instead a large green pipe appeared out of the wall.

"That's a pipe?" said Roll with uncertainty.

"Warp pipe actually," said Isabelle, "Come on." Roll followed and they found themselves back inside the town hall as a hatch closed behind them.

"So that's how we get back," said Roll, "even when I've think I've seen it all, this town continues to surprise me." Isabelle chuckled as she took her seat at her desk when Roll looked at her skeptically.

"I thought you said you were taking the day off?" Roll asked with her hands on her hips. Isabelle just sighed.

"Well I thought we would be all day," said Isabelle, "since we got back early, I might as well just get back to work."

"Isabelle," Roll protested, "Come hang out with me! It's been a while!"

"Aren't you the least a little bit tired?" Isabelle asked in a motherly tone since it had been a long drive back home.

"Well, I was gonna suggest we could just hang out at my house, read some books, something quiet," Roll suggested. Isabelle just smiled.

"That's a good idea," said the shi-tzu, "I didn't get read too much of my book at the testing facility. I had packed a casual outfit in a duffle bag."

"Great," said Roll, "You can change once we get back to my house, now come on!" Isabelle soon found Roll dragging her out of town hall and towards her house. Once there, Isabelle changed into a pink sweater that had a white collar with some ankle high demin pants that were cuffed at the leg bottoms. She had also put on her black frames. Once she had come out from the changing screen, she found Roll just laying on her stomach, with her legs crossed behind her. While the fact her shoes were off was obvious, Isabelle noticed two things about Roll. The first was that Roll had removed her jacket, showing the dresses elbow length sleeves and wide v neck that had been hidden. The second thing was Roll had on some brown frames while she was reading one of her comic books.

"I...didn't know you needed glasses to read," Isabelle commented as she headed towards the bed. Roll just giggled.

"I don't," said Roll, removing her frames and poking the holes with a finger, "I am a nerd and feel like just letting that side of me show. Plus I just feel...pretty wearing my glasses today with this outfit." Isabelle giggled to herself.

"Well you are very pretty Roll," said Isabelle, "Is there room..." Roll wasted no time scooting over to Isabelle could join her on the bed. The shi-tzu wasted no time laying down on her stomach with her book in front of her. There was about an hour of silence before Isabelle closed her book and smiled at Roll, who was just reading another comic book.

"It's nice to have another nerd to hang out with," said Isabelle.

"Well, I don't mind doing this with you from time to time," said Roll, "Next time, I can even make us some hot cocoa to drink while we read our books and stuff."

"Awesome," said Isabelle, "and let's not limit those sessions to just here. We can have a reading day at my house. It's...still a bit unpacked...but I'm sure we can find a place to relax and enjoy our books."

"I have no problem sitting between a bunch of cardboard boxes," said Roll, "Assuming it doesn't collapse or a tower of them doesn't fall on me." Isabelle giggled.

"Let me clean up first and then I'll invite you over," said Isabelle. Roll nodded in agreement, got up, and walked around the bed. Isabelle was surprised.

"Roll?" she asked curiously as Roll headed towards a mini-ranch bed and pulled out a particular lion dog. Isabelle laughed.

"Well, what good is a reading party without Komasan?" said Isabelle.

"I gotta thank Cyrus for making me the bed," said Roll as she sat back down with the lion dog between them, "who knew you could bring a piece of furniture and have is scaled down for a doll for free?"

"I think Cyrus did that only for you," said Isabelle and Roll just blinked in surprise.

"Why...why would he do that?" said Roll. Isabelle rolled her eyes and Roll became indignant.

"What?" Roll asked a bit defensively.

"Do we need to have this discussion about you deserving nice things?" Roll asked.

"Hey, this has nothing to with feeling pathetic or unworthy," said Roll, "I...I just have never been the kind of person to ask for things for myself. It just feels...so selfish."

"It's okay to still ask," said Isabelle, "even if we say no, there's no real harm in asking from time to time."

"Still," said Roll, "This town has given me so much. And I don't want to feel like I'm...dependent on the town to live a happy life you know."

"I get that," said Isabelle, "most girls want to have some sense of independence. The trick is understanding that needing love and wanting help and support from others aren't the same. You can have both. I've certainly learned that...the hard way."

"No kidding," said Roll.

"Hey I said I was sorry," said Isabelle indignantly.

"I know and I forgive you," said Roll, "I guess...I'm just amazed at how well I live now these days and how nice everybody is. I have a family. I have lots of friends. Komasan and I have a real place to call home and not just some stupid trash can, cardboard box, or even a room corner or a closet."

"That woman really degraded you didn't see," said Isabelle. She had heard plenty from Roll regarding her birth mom, but it still amazed her a mother could be so cruel to her own child.

"Potty waste got more respect than me from that woman," said Roll, "but whatever, she made her choices about me and now she can just sit in prison and rot for all I care."

"That's a bit harsh," said Isabelle.

"Well, when I went to confront her Isabelle, I gave her a choice," said Roll, "but she didn't want to even hear it. All she could do was trash and curse me. So I told her: I'm not wasting anymore of my time or my energy on the likes of you."

"Doesn't mean you have to stop loving her," said Isabelle, "She's still your mom..."

"But she didn't want to be," said Roll, "She even said it to my face. She doesn't want me in her life and for years I wasted years questioning why. I know the truth now that she never will. I've washed my hands of her and moved on." Isabelle just sighed to herself and closed her book. She couldn't read with this discussion hanging in the air.

"Roll, do you hate her?" Isabelle asked her in all seriousness. Roll just closed her eyes and looked deep inside herself. She could picture herself seeing her birth mom. While she could feel alot of anger and bitterness at the sight of her, she didn't feel like she did hate her or could say such a thing to her face.

"No," said Roll quietly, "just hurt by what she did to me. She trashed me as a child, making me feel ugly, worthless, and...just a nobody but a burden and a pain. I thought by confronting her that I would feel free of her torture. Well, I was...her hurtful words don't plague my mind anymore, but...I still struggle just feeling beautiful and not letting that hurt tarnish it."

"You're getting better," said Isabelle, "You might not realize it, but you are. Everyone else would say so too. I mean you said it yourself. You picked what your wearing cause you feel pretty in it, correct? Including being barefoot?"

"Yeah...I do," said Roll, "and the latter does help me feel prettier too. It's the only thing my Mom did I liked."

"So...from the time you were with her, you were barefoot," said Isabelle.

"Yep, didn't matter if it was hot, cold, rainy, snowy, or sunny," said Roll, "My first pair of shoes were at the orphanage when I was almost four and I hated them." Isabelle nodded.

"But...what if...she did realize that she needed you..."

"I'll cross the bridge if it ever happens," said Roll, "But I'm not keeping my hopes up. I did that for years and in the end, she had nothing to give me. I was hurt and she couldn't care less. I'm not gonna let her hurt me ever again. It's already done enough damage to my self-esteem. I just want to forget about her and heal."

"Could you...ever forgive her?" Isabelle asked. Roll just sat up and sighed quietly to herself as she sat on her knees.

"I probably should," said Roll, "being angry about her isn't gonna do me any good, but...do I have to see her face to face? She probably won't even listen...or care if I tried speaking to her again."

"Just send a letter," said Isabelle, "Just say you forgive her and leave it at that. Don't add whether she cares or not. You already know the answer to that question."

"True," said Roll with a sigh and got off her bed and went to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" Isabelle asked curiously.

"My letter stuff is downstairs," said Roll, "but I can write it up here if you want." Isabelle gave her a gentle nod as Roll rushed downstairs to collect a some paper, pencils, and even a tablet to write on while she was on the bed.

"Okay...now...how will I write this..." Roll thought aloud as she got comfortable back on her bed laying on her stomach before she began to write. Within a few minutes, she had finished her letter and handed it to Isabelle. The shi-tzu took the letter and quickly read it over.

 _Dear Mom_

"Good your addressing her properly," said Isabelle.

"Is...it bitterness why I don't want to call her that?" Roll asked curiously as she just relaxed on her bed and crossed her legs behind her.

"No," said Isabelle, "She forfeited that title by rejecting and hurting you, but it shows maturity that you'll still addressing her that way."

 _While I know this doesn't mean anything to you, but this is very important to me. I know you've hurt me deeply with how you treated me and with the words you used to call me. Whether you meant to say those things or not isn't my concern. I just wanted to say...that I forgive you...for everything you've done to wrong me. If you really want me to leave you alone for good, this needs to be said and it has to be done._

 _I wish you the best. And no matter how much you've hurt me...I'll always love you._

 _You're daughter Roll_

Isabelle was a bit teary as she read her letter and gave her a smile.

"You've couldn't have written this any more perfect," said Isabelle, "Since this mail is beyond the Animal Part of the world, I'll send it via special mail myself in the morning." Roll smiled.

"Thanks Isabelle," she said softly. She could feel that writing that letter made her feel much better about her mother.

Three days later, Roll was at the Able Sisters with Rosie and Bunnie as they were window shopping. Roll, hair in pony tail with her large pink ribbon, dressed in a plaid cami dress, grey three-quarter leggings and had her black buckle shoes near the entrance as she snuggled Sable from behind. Roll just had a very content smile on her face as she rested her head into Sable's very soft hair quills. Sable didn't mind the snuggling at first, but after a while of hearing her just hum several times, the brown hedgehog just couldn't keep her mind off her work.

"What's got you in a good mood?" said Sable.

"Just...feeling...beautiful today," said Roll, "I'm just happy with life. I mean I've forgiven my birth mom and I've got a real mom who loves me and accepts me. And I've got such a wonderful family. It's not even Christmas and I've already been blessed."

"Well I'm glad you're in a good mood sweetie," said Sable, "I love you."

"I love you too," said Roll, "Mommy cuddly..." Sable giggled to herself and tried to get back to work when Rosie arrived carrying a red dress in her hands.

"How does this look on me, silly?" Rosie asked as she held the dress in front of her.

"Cute," said Roll. Rosie giggled as she turned to ask Mabel for the price when she stepped on something.

"Huh?" Rosie exclaimed as she lifted her foot and found a small piece of plastic on the floor. The blue cat was about to pick it up when Bunnie beat her too it."

"Hey!"

"Roll, why is your TPC on the floor, tee hee?" Bunnie asked puzzled. Roll lifted her head in surprise as she checked her dress pockets.

"How did that fall out of my pockets?" said Roll, "I'm always so careful."

"Might have fallen out when you were struggling to pull off your shoes, miss barefoot," said Sable in a teasing tone. Roll just snorted.

"You said you loved that part of me," Roll retorted with her hands on her hips and pouted as the three girls just giggled to each other. Bunnie was the first to stop giggling when she looked at her TPC and gasped.

"Roll!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Roll asked with her arms still crossed. Bunnie gave her a very serious look.

"How could you?" she exclaimed.

"How could I what?" Roll replied, more confused at why the rabbit was upset. Bunnie showed Rosie the TPC and now Rosie was now looking upset.

"Roll, were you even going to tell us?" Rosie asked. Roll just looked even more confused than ever.

"What...are you...talking about?" she asked, "I told you girls that I passed my driving exam by phone the other day..." Bunnie and Rosie pointed to a particular part of her TPC. It wasn't the part that said she was a liscensed drive, but rather the part where her date of birth was located.

"December 17th, 2002," Roll read aloud, "That is the supposed date of my birth."

"WHAT?" Sable exclaimed as she looked at the TPC herself, "Roll! Why didn't you tell us?" Roll just looked at them plainly.

"Why?" said Roll simply, "It's...just the date I was born...what's the big deal?" Everyone looked at her in shock. But what shocked them the most was the fact Roll didn't looked depressed or sad about saying that. She just looked...confused.

"Sweetie, your birthday is a big deal," said Sable, "It's the day you were born and the day you turn a year older. If I recall, my little girl is going to be twelve years old in a few more days correct? We would have missed your birthday!"

"Yeah," said Roll, "Still not a teenager yet...so...what's so special about the day you were born anyway? My birthday was never anything special growing up. To me, it was just another day."

"Roll can you seriously say that you've never wanted to celebrate your birthday, tee hee?" said Bunnie, "never wanted a cake with lots of candles to blow out? Or lots of presents and gifts?" Roll just sighed to herself as she rubbed her feet together.

"Maybe, but...I've gotten used to not getting those things," said Roll, "It's hard to be glad you were born when for years someone's been cursing your day of birth after all."

"You said you forgave her, silly," Rosie replied since the blonde girl had told them about the letter she had sent a couple of days ago.

"I did," said Roll, "Just all that cursing and being ignored really kills the whole excitement for me about birthdays. I'm still trying to feel beautiful and special...and well...I just feel bad going around and telling people "It's my birthday! It's my birthday!" like many of the others in town do." Bunnie and Rosie than looked away with heavily colored cheeks. They had a pretty good sense of what she was talking about. Sable just chuckled.

"Well, aren't you a humble young lady," said Sable, "I know many of the villagers may go over the top in telling others about their birthday, but that doesn't mean that its selfish to tell others about yours."

"Well it feels like it for me," Roll protested, "I feel like am obligating people to remember about it and that they have to get me a present or something. I don't need any presents. I've got the only toy I need and that's Komasan!" Roll walked over to where the lion dog was sitting quietly in a small chair near the register and gave it a loving cuddle and a kiss on the ear. Since everyone knew about him, Roll would bring him out of the house from time to time when she did her dailies. She had invited him to go shopping with her today. Sable had even made him a sweater vest in dark blue with a light blue shirt with a pair of rolled up dark brown chino pants. The three girls just giggled to each other, finding Roll's cuddling of Komasan rather adorable. Roll just set the lion dog back on the counter before sitting next it with her feet dangling from the air.

"Well, sweetie, I can assure you that birthdays are lots of fun to celebrate," said Sable, "Just you wait and see!"

"Except when you're as old as Sable," Mabel teased and getting a death glare from both her older sister and the blonde girl.

"Sable isn't that old," Roll retorted indignantly.

"How would you know?" Mabel asked in surprise, "We are ten years apart you know and I'm an adult!"

"Sable told me her age," said Roll and Mabel's jaw literally hit the floor. Bunnie and Rosie giggled at the look at Mabel's face before trying to snap a picture of it. However, Mabel closed her mouth once she saw their smartphones and glared. She then turned to Roll.

"Do you know how many times I was threatened about telling people's Sable's age?" Mabel pointed out, "She promised that nobody other than me and Labelle would ever know that."

"You don't think she's good enough to know?" Sable asked innocently. Mabel growled, seeing that Sable had successfully turned the situation on her as Roll looked a bit insecure.

"This has nothing to do with worth," said Mabel, "I love my niece and I'm glad she's part of the family. Just I didn't think you would confide in her about such a personal secret."

"Sable confides alot of secrets to me," said Roll. Mabel gasped silently again.

"No fair!" Mabel retorted, "You never confide secrets with me!"

"Maybe because I know how to keep my mouth shut," said Roll with a smirk on her face. Mabel looked indignantly as the rest of the girls giggled.

"Oh...I'll show you how to keep your mouth shut," said Mabel deviously as she wiggled her fingers at her. Roll could feel herself getting very nervous. She knew what the blue hedgehog had in mind.

"Mabel...no...no...NO!" Roll then dashed away. Mabel tried to grab her but ended up grabbed her right foot.

"Oh, this is even better," said Mabel.

"NO! NO! NO!" Roll pleaded trying to pull away but to no avail.

"Big mistake taking your shoes off sweetheart!" Mabel taunted before dancing her fingers against the bottom of her foot. Roll tried to resist, but shrieked and tumbled into her back laughing and begging Mabel to stop. Roll tried to pulled away, but the tickling was just making Roll laughing herself silly until she was out of breath and Mabel set a foot lightly on her stomach.

"Remind me never to tell Sylvia about your weakness," she replied cockily. Roll pouted until she got a smirk of her own.

"You mean...THIS!" Roll then turned to tables grabbing Mabel's foot and ticking it. Mabel tried to resist before she tumbled into the floor laughing. Roll tried to pin her down but Mabel fought back and soon the two were in a tickle war with each other. Bunnie, Rosie, and Sable just laughed at their childish behavior before Isabelle walked into the shop and saw the two tickling each other.

"Did...I come at a bad time?" Isabelle asked as the two stopped tickling each other to look at her.

"Sorry...we...we're...just...having a little...fun," Roll replied, out of breath as she got back to her feet and ironed out the wrinkles on her dress. Mabel just stood up and hugged Roll from the side.

"Guess it's a draw," said Mabel. Roll smiled.

"Agreed," said Roll, "So what's up...Isabelle?" Roll's smile immediately flipped over when she noticed that Isabelle looked rather upset.

"What's wrong?" Roll asked with concern, "Is something going on back in town?" Isabelle shook her head and reached into the pocket of her yellow cardigan. She pulled out a letter and handed it to Roll. Roll took it and noticed that address.

"Wait a minute!" said Roll, "This...this is the letter I wrote for you to send to Mom!"

"Me?" Sable blurted out.

"No, my...my birth Mom," said Roll, "This is the letter I sent telling her that I forgave her for hurting me so deeply. I wanted to just make peace with the past, but...she didn't even want to open the stupid letter. I knew my feelings didn't matter."

"Roll..."

"I should've expect her to reject it..."

"Roll"

"...but she could have at least opened the letter and then just tore it up or burnt it or whatever! Why send it back! Does she still think she's got power over me! You sick woman!"

"ROLL!" Isabelle shouted. Roll stopped rambling and flinched a bit at her loud tone.

"Sorry," said Isabelle, "I need to you stop talking and listen. Okay? It's not like that at all!"

"It's...not?" Roll asked quietly.

"No," said Isabelle shaking her head, "I had actually received the letter this morning. When I saw it was returned, I wanted answers. I had assumed what you just did and I called the prison to find out why the letter was returned. The prison did receive it, but they sent it back because...well...because..." Isabelle was finding it hard to speak when Roll grew more and more concerned.

"Because what?" said Roll.

"Maybe...we should talk alone about..."

"No," said Roll firmly, "People around here are going to find out anyway. It's no good keep this a secret. Everyone in town knows that I'm a...wait, that's not true...they know that I've _been rejected_." Roll just glanced over to Sable who just nodded with a small smile in improvement.

"Alright," said Isabelle, "that is a good point. You see Roll...the reason...this letter was returned was...well...your...mother..." There was a long silence as Isabelle found it too hard to say it. Everyone leaned towards her in anticipation and deep silence. Isabelle felt tears form in the corners of her eyes before she found the courage to say it:

"She's dead"

One could have heard a pin drop or the single splash of a small tear that had left Isabelle's eye. There was a long and uncomfortable silence once Isabelle had said her two words. Roll just looked at her with a blank look on her face. Isabelle couldn't tell if Roll was in disbelief or in denial. After about thirty seconds of silence, Isabelle felt the courage to speak again.

"Roll..."

"What do you mean...she's dead?" Roll asked in a serious but also cracking. Isabelle just took a long deep breath.

"From what they told me at the prison," said Isabelle, "Since your visit, her mind...slowly began to become...unstable."

"Unstable?" said Roll in shock.

"From what they told me she just went cuckoo," said Isabelle, "She...kept curling up into a ball and started just talking in gibberish and non-understandable languages."

"Probably was just cursing..." Roll muttered.

"No, Roll, it wasn't..." said Isabelle sternly, "Then she...started harming herself..."

"I've heard enough!" said Roll turned away and panting heavily.

"Okay, okay, I'll skip the details," said Isabelle, "but as a result of her madness, she was put in a padded cell. She was in there for a month before someone walked in to feed her when she found that she was just resting against the wall. They tapped her to wake her up and she...just fell over like this..." Isabelle tapped Komasan so he fell into his side, but looked like he didn't even notice. Roll roughly pushed Isabelle aside and grabbed her doll.

"Don't knock down my Komasan!" Roll said sternly and hugged him close.

"Roll, my point is that, they don't understand how she died," said Isabelle, "There was nothing in the room that she could have used to end her own life. Their best guess was just all the anger just...made her body shut down. Too much anger isn't healthy after all. High levels of anger and stress can damage people physically in the long run, especially the nervous system."

"I see..." said Roll with a bitter look on her face as she put Komasan back onto the counter, "anything else?" Isabelle just turned away and said nothing. Roll took her gesture offensively.

"You're leaving something out!" she said sternly, "There's more isn't it!"

"Roll I don't think it's anything important..."

"TELL ME!" she screamed.

"They said she kept repeating your name in middle of her gibberish!" Isabelle blurted out before she gasped and covered her mouth. Roll just lowered her head and turned away. Isabelle began to cry.

"Roll?" she whimpered, "Roll listen to me!" Roll just said nothing, but just balled her fists. Isabelle didn't need long to figure out what was going through the blonde girl's head and she felt her temper flare.

"Listen to me young lady!" said Isabelle and angry and broken tone, "Whatever is going on in that head of yours you better tell it loud and clear to SHUT UP!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M THINKING!" Roll screamed.

"Maybe not, but it doesn't take a genius to know that you are blaming yourself for all of this!" Isabelle continued sternly as hot tears ran down her face, "and I'm telling you and your mind right now to SHUT UP!"

"You don't know what it' like to be blamed for ruining someone's life!" Roll yelled back as she was now crying heavily, "to be torn apart day after day and then thrown into garbage pile like...like...trash! You...don't know how it feels...being told day in and day out...even by people who didn't even know me...that you would never amount to anything...and that you'll never be beautiful!" Isabelle just stayed stern as Roll just panted heavily while tears streamed down her face.

"That is probably true," Isabelle replied, "but that woman had no love to give. She didn't deserve you and all those idiots who said those things never bothered to get to know you for who you really are. That is there loss! That is her loss! She made her own decisions and _she_ didn't want to accept the fact that her choices are what led to her own demise! I won't let you blame yourself for her death. She was just a awful woman. There is no legitimate reason for her to hate you that much and if you dare try to give me _any_ excuses. I'll counter it until my face turns blue and my eyes can shed no more tears. I love you. We all love you! So please...stop letting her make you feel so down and depressed! This is not your fault and I'll defend that til the day I die!"

"Don't say that!" Roll wailed in anguish. She didn't want to hear anything regarding death right now.

"I meant of old age," said Isabelle, "my point is that she made her own choice. It's not your fault she destroyed her own life. It was her hate that did that, NOT YOU!" Roll just said nothing but her tears just continued to fall. She knew Isabelle was right and seeing the fire in Isabelle's bloodshot eyes made her stand down. She knew what the Shi-tzu said was true.

"You're right," said Roll, "but despite all the evil she did to me and all the hate. I still loved her and I had hoped...maybe one day...she would see the light and I could truly forgive her and she could be my mom. Stupid wasn't it? How stupid was I to think it was even possible? I knew she had no love to give me. Why did I even think...she...would...change her...mind..." Roll slumped to her knees and just buried her face into the floor before wailed in anguish. Bunnie, Rosie, Sable and Isabelle wasted no time gathering around her to comfort the blonde girl as she just cried her eyes out. Her cries were so sad that eventually Mabel and Labelle knelt beside her and wept with her. In fact, not a single eye was dry amongst the group. Bunnie and Rosie burst into loud crying as they held her, or more like lay on top of her gently. Their hearts ached for Roll. No girl needs to hear something like this, especially not this close to their birthday. The crying lasted a good twenty minutes before they all pulled away slowly as Roll was still just laying face first on the floor and didn't move.

"Roll? Roll?" said Sable, "You need to get up now!"

"Leave me alone," she protested in a muffled tone, "I look hideous."

"Oh shut up!" Isabelle retorted.

"Isabelle!" said Sable in a stern tone, "I know you're just trying to keep my baby from berating herself, but you don't need to be so brash!" Isabelle just looked at her with worried eyes.

"I just don't want her boxing herself again," Isabelle replied in a tone so broken and worried that it softened Sable instantly, "It's because of that...that...wretched woman Roll is like this...so doubtful and insecure...despite all the good she's done for us. It angers me so much that her mother would stoop so low as to hate their own child to the point of death!" Isabelle wanted to cry again, but was out of tears. Bunnie wasted no time pulling the shi-tzu close to comfort her. Roll just lifted herself up, showing just how hurt and devastated she felt. She just looked at everyone, who all had bloodshot eyes and stained cheeks, and sniffled.

"Am I..."

"Yes," they said all at once.

"I would cry everyday if it would prove how much I love you," said Sable, "remember sweetheart. She's not your mother anymore! She lost that right when she chose to reject you! You gave her a fair chance to accept you...as a successful and beautiful young lady and she chose to reject that. Anything she did with herself after that was her own doing Roll. There was nothing you could have done. She had made her own choice...and it destroyed her." Roll just looked at her for a moment before just sighing to herself and sniffling some more.

"Still doesn't mean I don't wish that on her," said Roll, "I'll just never understand...why did she hate me so much? What was wrong with me for her to not accept me?!"

"Roll," said Sable, slowly, "That is just something that we'll never be able to understand. I know this sounds harsh, but...there's really no point in trying to figure this out. You'll never know the real reason other than the fact she was just a very selfish and unloving person. So please Roll...you need to just let that go. You're only hurting yourself trying to figure that out. It's not going to help you move forward with your life or feel better about yourself." Roll just sighed as she looked at her returned letter and was about to tear it in half when Sable took it out of her hand.

"Roll, do you mean everything that is written in this letter, despite what she did?" Sable asked her in a serious tone. Roll was just quiet and gave her a nod. Sable looked into Roll's blue eyes and saw that she meant that and just gave her a soft smile.

"Then, I'll take care of this letter," said Sable, "So don't you worry about it. You forgave her and let that be the end of it." Roll just nodded and tried to wipe her eyes a bit. She still felt rather sad.

"Please don't be sad, silly," Rosie said gently as she hugged Roll from the side.

"Well, she was still my birth mom," said Roll quietly, "Despite everything, am I supposed to be happy she practically ended her own life like that?"

"Of course not," said Mabel, wanting to get a word in, "You've always had a big heart Roll. So try not to let it get you down so much and let's focus on something exciting!"

"Like what?" Roll asked curiously.

"Hey a certain someone is turning twelve in just a few more days," said Labelle, "we've got a reason to celebrate!"

"Celebrate? CELEBRATE!" Roll snapped angrily, "How can I think of my birthday after what has happened? I just wanna go home!" Roll got up to leave but found the door was blocked.

"Oh no, tee hee!" Bunnie protested.

"You're not gonna let you wall yourself up in your house this time!" Isabelle added. Roll just growled.

"Move!" she demanded.

"Make me," said Isabelle challenged. Roll just glared before turning to go towards the accessories when she saw Labelle and Mabel block the door.

"We're ready for you this time!" Mabel warned. Roll just growled.

"I beat you once, I can...hey! Let go of me!" Roll soon found herself pinned down to her knees by Sable herself.

"Could you flip over your own mother and feel guilt free about it afterwards?" she challenged. Roll just glared before she just lowered her head in defeat.

"Is it a crime to want some alone time!" Roll whimpered.

"No, silly," said Rosie, "but whenever you do that, you push us away. Unless you want to lose us, you're not going anywhere! Especially since I've got your shoes and you, my best friend, cannot walk barefoot in the snow!" Roll snorted but still surrendered.

"I hate snow," Roll muttered. She knew being alone wouldn't help her with what happened and leaving barefoot in the snow wasn't very smart either. Roll knew she had no choice but to stay. Once Sable saw Roll was standing down, she let go of her arms and knelt beside her for a warm and loving hug, which the blonde girl welcomed.

"We're gonna get through this as a family," said Sable, "and you're going to have a nice birthday where you can spend time with your family and friends who love you very much. You're birthday is a reason to celebrate, even if your mother made you think otherwise. _We_ are happy you were born and now _we_ are gonna celebrate that...together." Roll just looked at her sadly before sniffling once more.

"Okay..." she conceded in a soft tone and rested her head. Sable's heart reached out to her. She really wanted to help Roll feel better about all of this and be happy for her birthday.

The big problem was...how was she going to do that?

 **Apologies if you were annoyed with the earlier discussion. You know how Roll is by now, but I am sure there are people out there thinking "She's wearing what in freezing snow?!" The whole barefoot discussion between Isabelle and Roll is just the fact that people in a small town can be rather nosy. While Roll has defended her attire choices, the villagers are still gonna question how her lower legs and feet stay warm. They'll back off after this chapter, minus a certain someone, but that's in another story arc.**

 **Comments made regarding the drivers school and the test procedure are based off of US DMV (department of motor vehicles) facilities.**

 **Please no sacking the fact Roll got her driver's license at the age of 11. The Animal Crossing world has become part of the Mario Kart universe and they let babies drive after all. Also Roll's car is basically the pink compact car from HHD, but driver's side is on the left, not the right.**

 **Talk about life smacking you in face isn't it? Roll really needs a good birthday for sure. The question is will she get one?**

 **Find out...next time.**


	52. Roll's Birthday Part 2

Roll's Birthday Part 2

Roll may have been forced to remain in the Able Sisters for most of the day, but she never felt like she was being held a prisoner there. Mabel and Labelle had Roll help out around the shop. When Sable took her break, she spent her time giving Roll some cuddling and they just shared normal conversations with one another, which the blonde girl welcomed warmly. Rosie went home and returned with a checkerboard so she and Bunnie would take turns playing games with her until they grew tired of it. Roll's favorite part was when the two best friends brought their own stuff dolls, a blanket, and a fancy tea set so they could have a tea party with her and Komasan. She couldn't tell the girls enough how long she had wanted to have a tea party with her favorite toy. That was definitely a dream come true. By the time it was closing, Roll was finally able to go home. Despite the news, Roll was feeling alot better and had little trouble sleeping that night either.

The next morning, Roll put on a sweater dress, brown three quarter leggings, tied her hair into a pony tail with a brown large hair ribbon, and left her brown pumps near the door. She had gotten up early that day, eaten breakfast, and done some light cleaning. Now she was just reclining comfortably on her ranch sofa with one legs propped up and the other resting on top of it as she read some more of her comic books.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"The doors unlocked," she called out and continued to read her comic book. The door opened and Roll tilted her head to see that it was Sable. Roll normally would have been glad to see her, but deep down she was expecting her.

"I figured you would be checking up on me," said Roll plainly as she set her comic book down as well as the propped leg. Sable just stared at her for a moment before softening.

"You seem...rather normal this morning," said Sable, "I guess I was still expecting you to be depressed or something." Roll just sighed to herself pulled both her legs into her chest.

"I was just trying not to think about it so much and stay busy," said Roll, "Geez, so much for just trying to move forward an stay strong...now you think I'm weird..." Roll just sighed to herself as Sable gave her a soft smile and sat in front of her.

"Well, you're not weird sweetheart," said Sable, "You are doing everything right from what I can see. You're not just moping around and feeling depressed. You're trying to stay positive and keep busy."

"Am I awful for not wanting to mourn for her?" Roll asked quietly, "I just don't see the point mourning for someone who hated me so much that they would kill themselves like that. Doesn't mean I don't care. Just...I just don't know what to think about it...I get it... _mom_...you hate me. You didn't need to end your life to make that clear! Still...ugh..." Roll held her head a bit as Sable just listened to her vent.

"All I know is that I wanted to help her see the light," Roll continued, "but I was shot down...in the worst way possible. Now...she's gone and I just feel so...helpless." Sable just hummed before pulling Roll into a loving hug. Roll just sighed contently as she let Sable hold her for a bit.

"You seem to be extra huggable lately," said Roll as she held the brown hedgehog close, "not that I don't mind, but you're usually not...just being honest." Sable giggled and kissed her head as she continued to hold her close.

"Guess I just like the idea that you're all mine now," said Sable, "Plus you need a mother's love more than ever now. I have plenty to give." Roll giggled to herself.

"I already was all yours," said Roll, "I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart," said Sable, giving her another kiss on the forehead.

"So, other than the extra love and comfort," said Roll, "What brings you here?" Sable just pulled away with a smile and held her hand.

"We share a mother-child bond Roll," said Sable, "I can feel it inside of my heart, especially when you're feeling blue. While I can tell you're not feeling too down, which is a good thing by the way, but I do know you're still troubled." Roll just hummed.

"Okay," said Roll, "But can you blame me?"

"Not one bit," said Sable, "Cruel or not, she was still your mother and you've said everything you needed to. All you can do is keep moving forward and...well...I had an idea on how to help you."

"I'm listening," said Roll as she readjusted herself so she was sitting Indian style and holding her feet. Sable just grew a bit quiet before giving a light giggle.

"Roll," she began excitedly, "If there is one thing I really want to do as your mother, it is rewriting your bad memories of certain events with good ones and that includes your birthday and Christmas too."

"Okay, I'll have a birthday party," said Roll with exasperation as Sable smiled.

"Good," said Sable, "But that is not what I was thinking about." Roll blinked a bit before giving her a curious look.

"Then...what is it, Momma?" Roll asked the brown hedgehog. Sable took another deep breath.

"I wanna invite you over to my house," said Sable, "I was gonna wait a little closer to the holidays, but...I really just want more time with you. I want you to come stay over at the house for your birthday and the holidays." Roll was rather surprised by the idea.

"So...you're inviting me to stay over at your house?" she said slowly coming to an understanding of what Sable was offering.

"That is correct sweetheart," said Sable with a warm smile, "I wanted you to pack your things so we can get you settled in today. Then you can stay with us until after the new year's celebration."

"That's...a long time," said Roll.

"Roll, if it were up to me, you would be living there permanently," said Sable, "But...you are the mayor and I know I can't take you away from your responsibilities so...three weeks didn't seems like too much to ask if you. I've taken the day off so you and me can have some fun in the snow. And once the 24th arrives, we've actually decided to just close up shop until the new year starts so we'll have all the time in the world to relax and spend time together just like mothers and daughter are supposed to do. Everything you've ever wanted to do with your mother, we will do together, just you and me! Are you up for it?" Roll just smiled, her blue eyes twinkling at the idea before giving Sable an excited hug.

"It would be a dream come true," said Roll, "I'll start packing right now!" Roll couldn't help but giggle and skip upstairs towards her bedroom to pack up a suitcase loaded with clothes, essentials, and even some comic books and other things. Roll filled up her suitcase with so much stuff that she had to sit on top of the thing to close it. She then brought the very heavy suitcase as slowly as she could down the stairs. Sable could hear the "thump, thump, thumping" of her suitcase as Roll arrived back downstairs.

"Did you pack your entire closet in there?" she teased. Roll huffed since she was tired from dragging the suitcase downstairs. then she pulled a little too hard causing it to land...right on her left foot.

"YEOW!" She shrieked as she hopping about a bit to hold her sore foot. Sable rushed to her side.

"Oh sweetie are you okay?" she asked as she examined the hurt foot herself.

"Yeah," said Roll and wiggled her toes easily to show she was alright. Sable chuckled, seeing that there was nothing broken.

"Why such a heavy suitcase?" Sable asked next once she let go of Roll's foot.

"I was just trying to chose different pieces of clothing that I knew would work best," said Roll as she gently set her still stinging foot down, "My wardrobe has gotten so big now! It's hard trying to think a few weeks ahead about what I'm gonna wear! And while I hate shoes, I gotta pack them in case we go out in the snow and making sure the shoes match the outfit! Phew!" Roll just leaned against her suitcase, but forgot her new one had wheels and it rolled forward, causing her to tumble backwards. Sable laughed as she knelt beside the groaning blonde girl.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a light giggle, not meaning to laugh at her.

"Not funny," Roll pouted as she sat up.

"Sorry just your shocked face was so cute," said Sable. Roll rolled her eyes as she stood back up and tried to get her suitcase upright, but struggled since it was so heavy. Sable just shook her head at her.

"Roll, I know you're staying at my house but you don't need to pack up all your clothes for the trip," said Sable, "I had Tom Nook add an extension to your storage area next to mine so you'll have full access to your wardrobe there." Roll just blinked in surprise before glaring at her.

"That would have been nice to know _BEFORE_ I packed my suitcase," said Roll indignantly when her suitcase finally couldn't take being so stuff and popped open, causing its contents to tumble out. Roll groaned in defeat.

"Why me?" she asked up above and Sable laughed once more.

"Come on, let's get your clothes back into your storage area and then we can pack up the more essential items, like toiletries, extra blanket, Komasan, etc," Sable suggested. Roll softened and just giggled to herself as she and Sable worked together to clean up the mess and get her suitcase back in order. Within an hour, Roll was packed, her brown pumps on her feet, as they made their way out of the house just as a new bounty of fresh snow began to fall. Roll just smiled as she and Sable walked down to the train station, hand in hand. Roll, after being told that Sable would cover their tickets no questions asked, they waited quietly for their train before Roll snuggled into Sable.

"Thanks for inviting me," said Roll, "Maybe...maybe I can't get to do all those funs things and that mothers and daughters do as they get ready for Christmas. Like...decorating a tree, wrapping stuff. going shopping, baking cookies, watching Christmas movies on the television, and so much more!"

"Oh we will dear," said Sable as she held her close, "We're gonna have so much fun together. I can't wait to get you settled in so we can get started." They shared a chuckle as their train arrived and they got on, still holding each other. While Roll was still facing forward, Sable tilted her head to give a discreet wink to someone watching them from the shadows. Roll noticed her head tilt but didn't see the wink.

"What's up Mom?"

"Oh, just telling Porter to head for home," Sable fibbed, "Now take a seat and please keep your shoes on. The ride isn't that long." Roll rolled her eyes but just conceded.

"Yes Mom," she said with some annoyance as Sable kissed her cheek and they both sat down. Once the train had left the station, the mysterious shadow appeared from her hiding space.

"Good," said Isabelle, "Now I can get down to business." She wasted no time dashing back to town hall and turned on her P/A system. After a few taps of the microphone and clearing of her throat, she found her voice so she could speak.

"Attention everyone, could I please have everyone report to the event plaza," said Isabelle, "This is of the utmost importance and it involves our beloved mayor. Please report to the event plaza as soon as possible thank you." Isabelle then headed towards her smart phone and began to make a few phone calls. Within twenty minutes, Isabelle arrived at the station to find those she had called there: Bacon with his wife Cherry, Shenran and Ankha, Sakura and she had brought along Stitches, and Anemone/Lemon had just come alone.

"Where's your boyfriend Kabuki?" Sakura asked curiously. Lemon growled. Apparently this wasn't the first time she had been asked that.

"For the last time he's not my boyfriend!" said Lemon, "He just my older brother!" The rest of the group just chuckled.

"So...we got your message and came as soon as we could, what-what?" said Cherry.

"I can't believe we almost missed little Roll's birthday," said Lemon sadly, "She never said a thing to any of us!"

"What's worse is that we've all got her TPC on our records!" said Bacon sadly, "none of us ever bothered to look at her TPC to check the date." Everyone grew silent.

"Guess we all overlook certain details like that when we look at those sometimes," said Sakura, "I usually just look at the pictures and the badge count." Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Don't feel too bad," said Isabelle, "Roll wasn't even gonna say anything."

"Does Roll really feel that little of herself, what-what?" Cherry asked sadly.

"That...is really sad," said Ankha, "they feel so bad that...oh dear. And to think I thought she was just trying to impress me when she said she'd be my servant, me meow. I never thought...that was all she saw herself as." Ankha just lowered her head as Shenran hugged her close.

"Well you do act like you despise everyone," Bacon muttered as Cherry pulled the front of his beret over his head.

"Ease off bro! That's my wife you're talking smack about," Shenran warned. Ankha couldn't help but blush and look innocently away. Whenever Shenran defended her, she always felt so...flattered. She had yet to say it to his face yet, but it's what made her so attracted to him.

"Sorry," said Bacon, still ticked at her "married a black pearl" comment at our wedding. She made you cry after all."

"Bacon, I forgave her a long time ago for that, what-what," said Cherry with a glare, "It's not her fault I don't feel good enough for you."

"Fair enough, sorry Ankha," said Bacon. Ankha just nodded in acceptance as Bacon held Cherry chose and kissed her cheek. Isabelle cleared her throat.

"If we're done with clearing unwanted grudges," she said, slightly impatiently, "We need to get to the event plaza." Everyone nodded in agreement as they headed towards the plaza. However, Isabelle did take note of Cherry and Ankha exchanging a hug before following her. By the time they had arrived, everyone else was already there waiting.

"So what's the deal this time, cha-chomp?" Fang asked in his cranky manner.

"Roll's birthday is in three days," said Isabelle straight and simple. All the villagers minus, Bunnie and Rosie began to mummer amongst each other. Isabelle just sighed to herself. She should have known that Roll wouldn't have mentioned her birthday, even after she had told her several times during their hang out to do so. Most of the remarks they made about the news were along those lines as well as a few panicking remarks about what to get the blonde girl as a gifts.

"Okay, okay," said Isabelle calmly, trying to get everyone to stop talking, "I know this news might come as a shock to most of you, but it really shouldn't be that surprising to anyone."

"How can you even say that, cha-chomp?" said Fang, "Roll's birthday is coming up and none of us were told about it!"

"But remember who we are dealing with here!" Isabelle replied back, "We're dealing with a young blonde girl whose been through alot on her short life and just found out yesterday that her mother lost to her own life hating her.

"I still found that absolutely disgraceful bonbon," said Lolly, "There is absolutely nothing to hate about Roll."

"I agree, tootie," said Margie with a growl, "Oh it just makes me so mad..." Margie then surprised everyone with a loud toot of her trunk, making them all jump. Margie blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry," said Margie, looking away. She was not one to lose her temper, but even the most mellow tempered individuals have their limits.

"I don't blame you Margie," said Isabelle, "I was very angry myself that she did that. That woman doesn't deserve Roll. In the end, its her loss, she's ours now and we'll love her forever." Everyone nodded in agreement and a smile. Except for Lemon, who just sniffled.

"How is Roll taking the news?" Lemon asked as her eyes tear, "I couldn't stop crying when I heard. Poor little Roll..." Lemon wiped her eyes with her hand as Sakura did the same.

"Is she okay?" Sakura asked quietly, feeling like she was gonna cry too.

"We got her to release most of the heartbreak yesterday," said Isabelle, "Sable is going to be with her for the next three days to keep her busy. In fact, Roll will be staying with her so we can work on my little plan without her finding out."

"What plan, alrighty?" Benjamin asked while discreetly standing next to Rosie.

"Well, I think after what Roll has had to put up with," Isabelle began, "It would be nice if we could all come together and throw the girl a really nice birthday party. The poor girl has never even celebrated her birthday. Nobody to say happy birthday to her. Not even a simple card for a present. Not even...a small cupcake with a candle on it. Roll's grown to think birthdays aren't anything special because she so used to being ignored. We need to change that!" The rest of the village nodded in agreement.

"You're right, kitten," said Purrl, "we need to pull ourselves together to make sure we can give her the best birthday party ever."

"It definitely needs to be something spectacular," said Rosie, "Nothing less for our mayor, silly!"

"Right, tee hee," said Bunnie, "But first we need to decide..."

"...where we are gonna have this huge party, sulky?" Marshal finished for her as he held her hand. Bunnie giggled to herself.

"Still think he's not the one for you?" Rosie asked the rabbit, who just shoved her roughly before going back to smiling at the white squirrel. Some of the other villagers just began to think of their own for a moment before Alfonso got an idea.

"What about Roll's house, it'sa me?" he suggested. "We had a great time hosting the Halloween party there!"

"I'd rather leave her house alone you guys," said Isabelle, "Roll ended up staying up till dawn cleaning up the mess and to make matters worse, she was extra crabby when I had to call in on business. And before anyone asks, it was about the RV project." a few were about to ask why the shi-tzu didn't leave Roll alone to sleep that night, but then closed their mouths once they heard it was about the RV campsite. The rest of the group began to think once more, wondering where would be a good party location until Sakura thought of a place.

"What about Club LOL?" she offered.

"That's a good idea!" Shenran commented.

"That's a perfect place for a party, bonbon," said Lolly, "Let's go head to Dr. Shrunk to see if we can use the place!" Isabelle nodded as the entire group headed towards the club. Isabelle headed over towards the door and found it locked.

"Shoot, I hope he's already inside," said Isabelle as she knocked on the door, "Dr. Shrunk. Dr. Shrunk! It's me Isabelle!" For a few seconds there was no reply, Isabelle was about to leave when the axolotl popped out of the door.

"What's up?" he asked, "we're currently closed for the moment."

"Hi there Dr. Shrunk," said Isabelle, "I had wanted to ask you for a favor, can I come in?"

"What might this be about?" Shrunk asked as Isabelle entered the club.

"Roll's birthday is coming up in three days," said Isabelle, "we're wondering if we could use the place to host her birthday party." Shrunk look a bit blank for a moment and then he laughed.

"Are you kidding?" Shrunk exclaimed, "I wouldn't mind that at all! This club could use some more excitement around here."

"Just...uhh...how much will this set us back?" said Isabelle, "You've always complained your wife is worried about the bills..."

"That's just humor," said Dr. Shrunk, "The profits are thin, but I'm managing just fine. This is Roll we're talking about. The girl who brings me snacks a couple of times a week and hears my jokes. She's got a good heart indeed. Plus you're dating DJ KK aren't you? I'm sure he wouldn't mind doing the music for the party." Isabelle felt her cheeks blush a little.

"We're just...good friends," said Isabelle bashfully, "but...I can definitely ask him about being the DJ." Shrunk nodded.

"Well then, I'll give you a spare key so you can survey the area and set up and such," said Dr. Shrunk, "I guess I'll just get to work cleaning the back area. Hope you're party goes well."

"You're welcome to come Dr. Shrunk," Sakura offered since she sneaked inside to talk to Isabelle.

"Great idea!" said Dr. Shrunk, "I can even do one of my routines for the birthday girl! I'm gonna go practice so I can be ready for the big party! Three days isn't alot of time so I better start rehearsing right now!" Dr. Shrunk dashed away towards his dressing room as Sakura just watched him leave with a warm smile on her face. But as she turned to face Isabelle, who was looking at her with a very stern glare.

"What?" Sakura asked innocently. Isabelle just continued to glare at her.

"You really want to sit through a session of Dr. Shrunk's jokes?" she asked with a annoyed tone. Sakura just looked blank before she realized her mistake.

"Oops," she remarked with a smile as she hopped giddily away. Isabelle just slapped her forehead in frustration.

"This is going to be a _long_ day," said Isabelle. Sakura just giggled to herself as they went to tell the others that using the club was a good to go.

Meanwhile, Roll and Sable had arrived safe and sound at the Able's house. Sable had gone downstairs to prepare something for lunch as Roll unpacked. With some help from Mabel, and Labelle, they were able to get her a special ranch bed so she could sleep upstairs with the rest of the girls. Sable carefully brought up a tray with a large sandwich that was meant for two, sliced apples to share, and a kettle filled with hot water for tea. When she arrived, she found Roll had already finished packing and was fast asleep on her bed, curling into a little ball. Sable just smile as she set their food on a low table nearby and went to wake the girl up.

"Sweetheart, sweetheart," she said softly. Roll just murmured in her sleep but didn't wake up. Sable just smirked as she slowly grabbed Roll left foot. She grabbed her big toe and the one next to it before wiggling them back and forth. Roll giggled to herself but tried to pulled away, but Sable grabbed her foot securely in her hands.

"Stop! Please stop! That tickles!" she begged in her sleep.

"Wake up Roll," said Sable as she continued wiggling her two toes, making Roll laugh before she finally woke up and tried to pull her foot away, but Sable held onto it.

"Mom! Let's go!" she asked with a chuckle. Sable pondered for a moment before going.

"Nope, you need to smile more. I wonder what happens if I do this!" She danced a finger between the toes. That was too much for Roll as she began to squeal and Sable just continued for another few more seconds before letting the girl catch her breath. Roll was now laying on the bed, her chest rising and falling rapidly since she trying to breathe again. It should also be noticed that all her squirming had messed up her ribbon and her blonde locks were now sloppily holding her ponytail. Sable took notice.

"The messy look is so kawaii densetsu," the brown hedgehog remarked. Roll just huffed as she finally found her breath and pulled out her ribbon to untie her hair, letting flow down naturally behind her back.

"If you wanted me to untie it, you could've just asked instead of torturing my feet," Roll retorted before pouting. Sable chuckled.

"You're so cute when you pout," she remarked. Roll just sighed, rolling her eyes before seeing the food on the low table and felt her stomach growl.

"Sorry Mom," said Roll as she grabbed her hair and tried to retie it, "Guess I just got comfortable on the bed and dozed off." Sable just kissed her cheek, making Roll let go of her hair before she could get the hair tie back in place.

"It's alright dear," said Sable, "I'm glad you feel so at home here. Now let's eat and then I'll give your hair a special brush and retie it myself. It's the least I can do since I...technically are the one who caused your hair to get messed up." Roll just smiled.

"Okay, guess I'll just leave it down then," said Roll, "I know you like it when I do." Sable chuckled.

"Well...what would you prefer," said Sable, "What makes you feel beautiful? Your hair in a ponytail with a cute ribbon or leaving it down?" Roll just hummed before she got an idea.

"What if I compromised?" she offered, "half down and half tied with my brown ribbon?" Sable hugged her happily in reply.

"I think it would be super cute," she said excitedly as she and Roll split the large sandwich and began to eat. Then Sable got to work on her hair. The minute Roll saw herself in the mirror she fell in love with the new hairstyle.

Back at the club, Isabelle had her hands full. At first she tried to assign everyone different things to do for the party, but it seemed that the instant she would suggest something that someone else would want to do it instead. So she ended up just tossing her list and just let everyone else just choose their jobs and let her know what they were gonna do. With so many people offering to help, Isabelle found it difficult to simply supervise and delegate task so she left everyone to divide up into smaller groups in order to make sure their tasks were being done. As everyone else got to work. Isabelle began to make a few phone calls to make sure everyone was doing their jobs. She was also making sure she make sure to know who else that wasn't able to help prepare for the party would be able to come, or at least get an invite. By the time the sun had already set, Isabelle was making some mental notes to her clipboard when she felt a pair of grey hands cover her face.

"YIPE! Grrr...I hate it when you do that!" she remarked as the person the hands belonged to as he chuckled.

"Easy Sis," said Digby, "just lightening up your mood is all."

"What about the HHA?" Isabelle asked.

"You're more important than my job Izzy, you know that," Digby replied indignantly.

"Digby..." she warned.

"The HHA closed early because nobody is showing up," said Digby, "besides my hours have been getting cut alot recently."

"Cut?" said Isabelle with worry, "they're not thinking of letting you go are you?"

"No, no," said Digby, "Lyle said that they are just cutting back on hours and such due to some financial problems. They've been having these issues for a while now, but until a week or so, things seemed to have taken a turn for the worst."

"Oh no," said Isabelle, "I hope you don't lose your job."

"Lyle is the head of the HHA," said Digby, "he knows I've been a hard worker for years and he's also a very good friend of mine. He won't let that happen so don't you worry about that."

"I'm always going to worry about you," said Isabelle, "You're my brother." Digby chuckled as he gave her a hug.

"That's the Izzy I remember," said Digby, "anyway, I hear you're trying to set up a huge birthday bash for the mayor. Need some help?" Isabelle smiled.

"I really could use it bro," said Isabelle, "I'm just not used to being in charge on my own for something like this. I'm usually the assistant...and I'm usually able to monitor everyone hands on. I can't do that this time! I'm at the mercy of everyone else to get their tasks complete and that it all comes togeher. Like they say, you can have all the skills and qualifications, but being able to actually do the job are two entirely different things."

"True," said Digby, "but you can do it. I believe in you!" Isabelle smiled when she heard some mumbling behind her.

"For the last time, tee hee!" said Bunnie, "we are using blue and pink birthday streamers!"

"No we are using green and yellow streamers, silly!" Rosie protested, "You know Roll loves green and yellow!"

"She also likes blue and pink, tee hee!" Bunnie yelled.

"Well I think she likes green and yellow more, silly!" Rosie yelled back.

"You're crazy!"

"You're the one whose crazy!"

Soon they both were yelling and shouting at each other at the same time. Isabelle just wiped her face before heading over to break up their fight when her smart phone began to beep. She stopped moving and went to answer it.

"Hello?" she asked, not hiding the fact she was annoyed.

"We've got a situation here, kitten!" said Purrl angrily.

"The only problem we have is this fussbudget for a chief, what-what!" Cherry yelled back.

"You're the only fussbudget in this kitchen trailer trash!" Ankha yelled back.

"Look whose talking Miss-I'm-the-daughter-of-Cleopatra!"

"At least I'm royalty! You're just a dark horse!"

"Yeah well at least I'm still young! Why don't you go back to museum with the other ancient relics!"

"YOU CALLING ME OLD, ME MEOW!"

"SURPRISED THAT ANCIENT BRAIN OF YOURS HASN'T DECAYED YET, WHAT-WHAT!"

Isabelle sighed.

"What brought this up?" she asked.

"To summarize things up quickly, snappy," said Whitney, "We were trying to decide what to make for Roll's birthday dinner. Since she loves Italian, we were gonna go along those lines. We figured we could prep the food here and bring it to the club's kitchen just before the party to start cooking."

"And the problem for them fighting?" Isabelle asked.

"It's simply the clash of upper class mannerisms and casual street eating, kitten," said Purrl indignantly, "Ankha wanted to make some lasagnas while Cherry suggested spaghetti and meatballs."

"Why not a pizza?" Isabelle suggested.

"They fought over the toppings, kitten," Purrl remarked, "and even if one were to agree to the other, they began fighting over whether to go meat or vegan. Even when they agreed on the salad, they fought over the dressing and if they should put croutons or not."

"Roll loves croutons," said Isabelle, "especially ones made from handmade mini breadsticks." Isabelle remembered that from her conversations with Roll. The blonde girl was looking for the recipe for such croutons but still hadn't found one online.

"I actually found the recipe," said Purrl, "But I don't know how we will be able to cook with those two."

BANG-BANG-CLANG! BANG-BANG-CLANG! CRASH

"If you damaged anything in my kitchen, kitten!" Purrl screamed angrily as she rushed inside.

"We gotta go, snappy," said Whitney quickly, "talk to you later." Whitney hung up as Isabelle just let out loud huff. She then saw that Bunnie and Rosie were then shoving the streamers at each other.

"Hey!" Isabelle called, "Quit doing that before you get yourselves all..."

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

"Ugh, what now?!" she bellowed as she picked up her handheld and answered it.

"Yes?" she asked in an irritated.

"We've got a problem here, bonbon," said Lolly, "Margie and I can't decide what to do with Roll's cake. We just can't agree with the design."

"I don't see what was wrong with my design, tootie!" Margie snapped indignantly.

"All you did was plaster it with lots of clothes, bonbon!" Lolly protested, "This is a birthday cake, not a fashion show cake!"

"Hey, Roll is quite the fashionista, tootie," Margie retorted, "having a cake with some of the cute outfits made out of fondant would have been a cute idea!"

"Why can't we just stick with a classic seven layer birthday cake, bonbon?" Lolly snapped, "Why does everything have to have a theme? Let's just keep it simple."

"Roll deserves better!" Margie yelled.

"Yeah, well I believe simple is best!" Lolly yelled back.

"You mean BORING!"

"I'M NOT THE ONE WHOSE BORING!"

"OH YEAH?"

"YEAH!"

"Knock it off you two," said Isabelle, "You two need to..."

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

Isabelle growled inwardly as she switched the call.

"Yes?" she growled through her teeth.

"I can't take anymore, these two are driving me up the wall!" Stitches bellowed.

"Wow, that must be frustrating," said Isabelle in a purely sarcastic tone.

"Yeah, it is, stuffing," said Stitches, "I really want to get a present for Roll that is from both of us, but Sakura and Lemon keep overriding me! Not to mention, they keep teasing me. If I have to bang my head against the wall one more time. My stuffing is gonna start coming out of my head!"

"Is this really something I had to hear about?" she asked, her temper starting to slip.

"Well if you consider the fact that they just got into a brawl over a stupid dress then yes!" Stitches shouted, "Plus to make matters worse, they are pulling both of arms in opposite directions so I can chose a side!"

"You're supposed to agree with me Stitches I'm your girlfriend!"

"Just cause your his gal, doesn't mean you're always right!"

"Sez you, at least I have a boyfriend!"

"Don't make me give you hard lemon pokes!"

"Ooooooh, I so scared of the tiny little lemon!"

"When I'm done with you! You're bones and organs are gonna be found outside your body!"

"Dare you to try!"

"I've got a pocket knife and I know how to use it!"

"HELP ME!"

Isabelle just rolled her eyes.

"I don't have time for this!" said Isabelle, "Sakura! Lemon! Put a..."

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

Isabelle growled angrily in rage as Digby grabbed the phone.

"Give. Me. That. Back." Isabelle threatened in a low, hollow tone. Digby glared at her sternly.

"Go cool off right now!" he said in a low but firm tone. Isabelle tried to stare him down, but his returning glare made Isabelle stand down instantly as she growled and stomped away. Digby watched her head out of the club when he answered the phone.

"Hello?" he asked calmly.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

Digby flinched at his sister's blood curling scream before shaking his head to continue to call.

"Ignore my "little" sister," said Digby, "What's up?"

"We can't decide on what balloons to use for Roll's party, alrighty!" Benjamin complained, "If we can't decide on the color, we can't decide whether or not to use heart shaped or bunny shaped!"

"Let's not forget whose gonna inflate all the balloons, it'sa me!" Alfonso added indignantly.

"We already said that was going to be your job, alrighty," Benjamin protested.

"No! It was your job, it'sa me," said Alfonso.

"Rosie put me in charge, alrighty," said Benjamin, "I make that choice and you are gonna blow up the balloons! Besides, you've got enough hot air in that head to spare anyways!"

"Hey!" Alfonso snapped, "You're the one with hot air in your head, it'sa me! I'm gonna say what I should have said to you months ago. _You_ and _Rosie_? It. Will. Never. Work. Out." Benjamin gasped and then growled in rage.

"Why you-" Digby could hear the sound of them punching and beating each other as he rolled his eyes at them.

"Oh brother!" said Digby as the phone began to ring again and Isabelle returned, still fuming from being so angry. Apparently there was another shopping crisis where Fang and Rudy were clashing over what to get Roll for her birthday. It wasn't a big surprise considering the personalities between the wolf and cat were so different. But the fact they would resort to making such a petty argument about it to the grey shi-tzu found beyond annoying. He just rolled his eyes at the two before just hanging up on them. Isabelle's mouth went agape.

"You...just...hang up?" Isabelle replied in a shallow tone, "You just... _hang up_? WHAT IS WRONG WITH..."

SPLASH!

Isabelle was soon shushed the hard way as a glass of water was tossed straight into her face, making her look like...heh...a wet dog.

"Are you gonna chill out now, "Little" sister," Digby glared. Isabelle just looked at his glare. Inwardly, Isabelle began to vision everyone laughing at her from behind him. Isabelle bit her lips as her eyes watered.

 _Failure! Loser!_

 _Good for nothing!_

 _Will never amount to anything!_

 _You're a disappointment!_

 _She'll never be anything..._

That last comment Isabelle could see was right from her parent's mouths. Soon it became too much as Isabelle burst into tears.

"I'm a failure!" she wailed before burying her face into the club floor and sobbing, "I can't do this! I can't...I can't..." Isabelle just cried herself out. Digby then sighed as her phone went off once more.

"If this is another petty argument I'm gonna..."

"Digby?" Sable replied, shocked at his outburst. Digby soon stopped talking and felt his cheeks color for a few seconds before he recomposed himself.

"S-s-sorry...um...Sable," said Digby, "What's...up?" Sable just sighed to herself.

"Things aren't going well for the party are they?" she asked with concern. Isabelle waved her hands not to say anything as Digby just looked at her before handing her the phone.

"Fine, I won't tell her," said Digby to the yellow shi-tzu, "you tell her." Isabelle just sniffled a bit before putting the phone to her ear.

"H-h-hi?" she asked.

"Is something going on that I need to know?" Sable asked in her motherly tone. Isabelle bit her lip before telling Sable all the conflicts going on, not leaving any details out, including her lost temper. Isabelle was fighting hard not to cry, but she was sobbing by the time she had finished with Sable. The brown hedgehog listened to her sobs for a few seconds longer, waiting for the right moment when she felt Isabelle had calmed down a bit before trying to speak up.

"Isabelle," said Sable, "I'm sorry..." Isabelle eyes widened when she heard that.

"Come again?" the shi-tzu asked, still stunned.

"I'm sorry I had put so much pressure on you about this," said Sable, "This was my idea and I left you to do all the work!"

"You had to," Isabelle whimpered, "Someone has to keep Roll busy and you were the only one who could. If there is one thing that Roll needs more than a great birthday, it's a _real_ Mom! You need to keep her busy so we can give her something really special!"

"I know that," said Sable, "but I didn't expect the whole town to fall apart over it!"

"The town is falling apart?" Sable was then frozen when she saw Roll was now standing right behind her. She had been upstairs when she heard Sable talking, but couldn't hear what the brown hedgehog was saying. She had only heard the last sentence, but Sable didn't know that. Sable felt herself beginning to sweat before she quickly tried to recollect herself.

"I gotta go," said Sable and quickly hung up the phone. Isabelle just let the phone drop from her hands to the floor and sighed in defeat as she lay on the floor.

"Well...that's it," said Isabelle, "Roll will figure this all out and when she finds out about all of this...it's over...her birthday will be ruined...she'll call it all off because of all the fighting. And it's all my fault! Some leader I turned out to be..." Digby just looked at her sadly as Bunnie and Rosie continued to have a streamer war with each other. Digby ignored them for a moment before kneeling down beside her, lifting her to her knees and hugged her gently, even giving her a brotherly kiss on the forehead. However, all that did was make Isabelle cry once more.

"Isabelle please calm down," said Digby, "Everything is going to be okay."

"All I wanted was to give Roll the perfect birthday party," Isabelle sobbed, "but we've only got two days to get everything ready and it's all a big mess. It was supposed to be a surprise and now...it's all over!"

"I'm sure she will have the best birthday ever!" said Digby, "And I'm sure Sable will find a way to keep Roll out of the town. Once again my dear sister, you are expecting too much for yourself. This party doesn't have to be picture perfect!"

"It has to be! For Roll!" said Isabelle in desperation, "I want her to be happy. Life has been so cruel to her! It's not fair! Just because we're geeks and nerds doesn't mean we want to be CONSTANTLY PERSECUTED DAY IN AND DAY OUT! AS IF ALL THE BULLYING WASN'T BAD ENOUGH! IT'S TEN TIMES WORSE WHEN THE BULLYING COMES FROM YOUR OWN FAMILY!" Isabelle couldn't help screaming. But it worked in her favor, Bunnie and Rosie, now covered from head to toe in tangle streamers, stopped fighting to look at her. Isabelle just wiped her eyes and looked at Digby sadly.

"You're talking about yourself too aren't you?" he asked her quietly.

"Maybe... but...remember what happened with her mother," said Isabelle, wanting to focus more on Roll and not her own issues, "the fact her mother ended her life and blamed Roll for it is a low blow. No girl that young should have to deal with something that cruel. It's because of that...that...witch! It is because of _her_ that Roll thinks her birthday is nothing to celebrate. I may have had my lows and depressions, especially after Mom and Dad passed on, but...at least I always could look forward to that single cupcake from you...along with that warm smile and hug...Roll...has never even gotten that much...that's so sad..." Bunnie and Rosie were on the verge of tears as they looked at each other before just feeling ashamed. It wasn't much longer before they slowly tried to untangle each other from the streamers. They did their best not to damage them before walking over to the now defeated Isabelle.

"We're sorry," they said together, "We...didn't mean to fight with each other."

"We wanted Roll's party to be perfect as well, tee hee," said Bunnie.

"Guess we were so focused on what we thought would be perfect, we forgot to work together, silly," said Rosie, "we're sorry..." Isabelle just looked at them sadly before she sighed to herself.

"It doesn't matter..." said Isabelle, "everyone else is at odds with each other and they are just making a mess..." Isabelle just sighed in defeat, wiping her sticky cheeks as Digby knelt beside her and rubbed her back.

"Hey, hey, hey there sis," said Digby, "Come on. I know things are rough right now, but we can pull this off!"

"We?" Isabelle asked, rather defensively too.

"Why else do you think I took time off Sis?" said Digby as a matter of fact, "I knew this was a big task and that you were gonna need some help. I'm always here for you Sis, remember?" Isabelle sniffled a bit before giving Digby a warm smile.

"I...I guess I am the little sister after all," said Isabelle. Digby chuckled.

"I only said that because you were letting your anger get the best of you," said Digby, "we're twins Izzy. One doesn't dominate the other. With siblings, we're supposed to be a team. I want Roll to have a good birthday as well. So we'll get everyone back to together and fix this party as a team!" Isabelle looked doubtful but then noticed Bunnie and Rosie smiling as well. The shi-tzu could feel her determination slowly return.

"Alright," said Isabelle, feeling ready to take back control, "Bunnie! Rosie! Gather everyone back here. We need to discuss a few things and remind them of a why were doing this in the first place."

"Yes maim!" they replied and saluted together before dashing out of the club to find the other. Isabelle smiled, but deep down she was a still a little worried.

Backing up a bit, Sable had just finished her call when she saw Roll right behind her, hair tied half back with her large brown ribbon, and looking at her with a serious look on her face.

"Mom," she said sternly with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Yes sweetie?" Sable asked, trying to be casual. Roll just continued to glare.

"What are you hiding?" she asked, tapping her right foot on the hardwood floor.

"N-n-nothing! Nothing's w-w-wrong sweetie," said Sable, "now why don't you just go take a nice warm bath and I'll..."

"Mom what is going on here?" Roll demanded, "I thought you had me stay here cause you wanted me! Not to pull me away from my job!" Sable really felt backed into a corner before she glared back at her.

"What if I did?" she said sternly, "Maybe I wanted you to just take a nice long break from your responsibilities for the holidays! _Maybe_ I just wanted to have some extra time with _my_ daughter. MAYBE I wanted you all to myself cause I wanted to relive some memories of mother daughter time with you! CAUSE IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED I'VE GOT NOBODY TO SHARE THOSE MEMORIES WITH ANYMORE!" Sable panted heavily and tried her best not to cry. She wanted to make sure whatever cover story she came up with regarding the party was something sincere and she wouldn't be forced to say anything that was half-truth. She knew she was the worst liar of any of her sisters. So...rather than making something up. She figured she just give a more honest excuse. A selfish one, but sincere none the less. It seemed to work as Roll lowered her defenses and just looked at her sadly.

"Sorry," said Roll, "I was just worried about the town. You sounded so worried when I came down just now."

"I'm always a worrywart," said Sable, still trying to stay honest, "but I can assure you that everything is going to be okay. Isabelle just needed to vent a bit. I'm sure now that she's calmed down. She'll sort things out."

"But what is the problem?" Roll asked, not satisfied with Sable's answer, "what's gotten out of hand? and why hasn't Isabelle called me about it?" Sable just looked at her before just sighing in defeat. Roll didn't understand why Sable wasn't just telling her the truth.

"Mom, we promised not to keep secrets from each other," said Roll, "stop stalling and tell me what's going on!" Sable just looked at her with a firm look on her face.

"Roll, do you trust Isabelle?" she asked. Roll blinked a bit at the question.

"Y-y-yeah...I do..." said Roll, feeling a tad awkward at the brown hedgehog's staring.

"Do you trust me?" she asked next.

"Yes..." said Roll quietly as Sable grabbed her arms and held them as she continued to look into the blonde girl's eyes.

"Then please," Sable asked, trying not to plead, "Please just take my word that everything is going to be okay and trust me." Roll wanted more answers, but she decided to concede.

"Okay...I'll take your word for it," said Roll nervously and gave Sable a warm smile. Sable just smiled and kissed the girl on the cheek.

"Now let's go make you a nice bubble bath, then we'll make dinner together, and then snuggle up with a nice movie," said Sable, "You got me that DVD player and I've yet to use it. I needed a movie buddy." Roll giggled.

"Sure thing," said Roll, "Maybe...oh never..."

"Tell me!" Sable demanded playfully.

"Let's have the dinner and movie together," said Roll, "we can wear our pajamas while we eat?" Sable chuckled to herself and nodded in agreement as Roll headed back upstairs to wash and change. Sable's smile soon faded once she heard the water running upstairs.

"Roll trusts me," said Sable, "She's putting her trust in me." The brown hedgehog grew very, very nervous.

"Isabelle...please...figure things out...I just got her trust...

...And I don't want to lose it..."

 **This is to all my nerd/geeks bros and sisters out there. But proud of your brains and knowledge as well your talents! We are the ones who make the future bright! And we writers are the reason sites like fanfiction even exist. They might belittle you today, but when your time comes to shine, they will be regret ever teasing you. Also keep in mind. They come to** ** _us_** **for the good stories they like to read after all!**

 **If you need a good visual of Roll's new hairstyle, look up** ** _Sailor V_** **or** ** _Minako_** **from** ** _Sailor Moon_** **. it's very similar to that.**

 **See you next time! And don't forget your party hats! Hopefully...**


	53. Roll's Birthday Part 3

Roll's Birthday Part 3

It was very late at night when Bunnie and Rosie had rounded everyone up so Isabelle and Digby could speak to everybody. The twins didn't need long to see the damage from all the bickering had caused. Cherry and Ankha looked rather battered. Their dresses were torn and their cheeks stained with black tears since their makeup had smeared from getting so angry to the point of tears. Whitney and Purrl gave them no sympathy, for they were the ones who had scolded the two and had made them cry in the first place. Shenran and Bacon looked rather battered as well. They had tried to break up the fight and most boys know that it is not a smart idea to get involved in a physical fight between two girls. Alfonso and Benjamin were in no better condition, each sharing a few bruises and a black eye for their own little tussle. Rudy and Fang were in the same condition as well, but were fuming angrily to themselves. While no physical damage had been done between Sakura and Lemon, all they could do was exchange glares and huff at each other from time to time with their arms crossed. Stitches had literally broken some of his stitches and looked like a teddy bear that the dog had chewed up and tossed aside. Some of his stuffing was literally on the floor and the twins were surprised to see he was still standing. They could feel all the tension in the room as Isabelle gently made her way towards everyone.

"Okay," said Isabelle, "I am well aware that there has clearly been alot of tension between all of you..."

"A little?" said Bunnie, "Animal War III is about to erupt, tee hee!"

"Thank you...BUNNIE!" said Isabelle, snapping a bit at saying the rabbits name, "and I find all of your anger and disagreements rather ridiculous." Everyone gave her a bitter glare and Isabelle felt very offended.

"Look at all of you!" she snapped, "You're all so determined that you're the one in the right that you've all lost sight of the reason we're all here! We're here because of a certain young lady whose been so good to all of us when life has been nothing but cruel to her. She's done alot for not just this town, but she done alot of each of our own lives. She's been a good friend to everyone here and we all love her for it. Now her special day is coming in less than three days and I want her to see just how special a birthday can be when her friends and family are there to celebrate with her and make her happy. Most importantly, Roll needs to see just how happy you've all made her. We're her family and your behavior today has been anything but! If Roll finds out just how awful you've been to each other, you know what she'll do." There was a brief silence before Lemon stood forward.

"She'll...cancel the party," said Lemon sadly.

"She'll...blame herself for our fighting, even when it wasn't her fault," Bacon added quietly.

"She'll be convinced her birthday isn't worth celebrating, especially after the way we all behaved today," put in Benjamin. The rest of the group just looked at one another sadly. Margie and Lolly burst into tears.

"WE'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!" they bellowed melodramatically as tears gushed out of their eyes like waterfalls and began to ball their eyes out.

"Hey, calm down you two!" said Isabelle gently as they looked at her with water-gushing eyes, "we've still got time to regroup and make this work. But first you need to apologize to one another. It doesn't matter who is right or who hurt one more than the other. You both said and did things you didn't mean...and I know that _as friends_ that neither of them meant to hurt the other right?" Everyone just looked at each other quietly before Lemon began to cry.

"Isabelle is right," said Lemon, "I don't want to hate anyone's blood and guts! I just want little Roll to have a great birthday!" She turned to Sakura.

"I'm sorry I got on your case about being jealous," Sakura cried, "I...I didn't mean to rub my boyfriend in your face. I just think you could find love if you tried."

"I don't really need to try," said Lemon, "I have my family and that is enough for me. I also have good friends who love me too...right?" Sakura let out a little sob but a warm smile as well before they embraced each other. Cherry turned to Ankha next.

"I'm so sorry, Ankha," said Cherry, "guess I just didn't want Roll's party to have so much class that all the etiquette makes it hard to enjoy yourself. I've read enough about royal processions and I don't get how you can stay so calm and relaxed knowing one wrong move can ruin an entire party. I may be able to handle a hustle, but a high class party...I'm out of my league..." Ankha just smiled and hugged her close.

"I'm sure you're more than capable of learning etiquette if you put your mind to it," said Ankha, "and I'm sorry for putting your down. It's not your fault these opportunities weren't open for you. And you're right, we don't need to be so high class with this kind of party. Even the Egyptians knew how to throw a good party and enjoy themselves." Cherry chuckled as they hugged each other close and then apologized for hurting their husbands just because they were being so silly. Soon everyone else was exchanging plenty of apologies and hugs with one another. Isabelle couldn't help but smile.

"Alright then," said Isabelle, "that's much better."

"If we're gonna get this party done," said Digby, "we're going to need to band together and work as a team!"

"Since when are you in charge?" Sakura asked curiously. All eyes were on the grey shi-tzu and nothing else was said. Digby just looked at Isabelle who just hummed to herself.

"Hey, this is a big party and this is a large group," said Isabelle, "I needed help so...Digby and I are co-leaders for the party." Everyone just smiled, showing that they agreed with her decision.

"Alright then," said Isabelle, "Now let's see how we can settle these little issues that were causing all of this ruckus."

"Well for starters," said Lemon, "Sakura and I agreed that we'll each get Roll a gift that we feel comes from our own hearts. We thought we could pool together to get her one big thing, but I think it would be better to just get her something less expensive but from the heart. Price doesn't determine a good gift, but it what you chose to give them cause you love them." Sakura and Stitches nodded in agreement.

"They've got the right idea, mush," said Rudy, "maybe we should follow their example and let's just give her something from the heart. I'm sure she would like anything we picked."

"For once, my friend," Fang chuckled and side hugged him with one arm, "I completely agree with you, cha-chomp." Rudy than chuckled in return as Cherry then got an idea.

"What if we go with the pasta dinner, but have a mix of meat and vegan meatballs so people can choose what they like, what-what?" Cherry asked, "and to make it more upscale, we can find some checkered table cloths, choice silverware, and candle lights for the dinning decor. I think we can work with that. Plus a standard tossed salad and some fresh bread sticks would work too."

"It's a good idea," said Ankha, "but we still need something festive in the club area so the place doesn't just look like an Italian restaurant."

"What if we split the area?" Rosie asked, "One side of the club can be decorated with an Italian flare while the dancing area has something more party-like, silly!"

"And we can combine some of our color ideas!" said Bunnie, "We can put green and white near the dining side and yellow, pink, and blue streamers near the dance floor, tee hee!"

"PERFECT!" they exclaimed with glee as they held each other hands and jumped up and down. Margie and Lolly had finally calmed down and just looked at each other.

"Maybe...we can combine our ideas for the cake, tootie," said Margie, "I can't believe I didn't think about that sooner."

"Same here, bonbon," said Lolly, "in fact...GASP!"

"What's up?" Margie asked curiously.

"What if we decorate each layer with something that Roll loves, bonbon?" said Lolly, "can put the most important things at the top and work her way down? I mean fashion might not be her number one favorite thing, but at least it will get lots of cake space if it's more towards the center of the cake. So it might be to your benefit if it gets a lower layer."

"I like it, tootie," Margie replied as they shared a loving hug and laughed. Isabelle and Digby exchanged smiles with each other.

"Alright everyone, now that we've got a plan," Isabelle continued, "Let's get some rest and tomorrow we can get back to work!"

"And if you need any help," said Digby, "instead of fighting, feel free to call us for assistance like before."

"Even better than that," said Isabelle, "Feel free to call each other. After all, Roll considers us her family. It's time we all started acting like it!"

"YEAH!" everyone shouted in agreement. It was just then there was mysterious knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" said Isabelle, "Everyone, try to hide yourselves before I open up. If it's Roll, we don't want her seeing what we're doing in here." Everyone rushed to get into discreet locations around the club to avoid being seen as Isabelle opened the door and found six young human girls standing outside of the club.

"Hello?" Isabelle asked skeptically.

"We heard someone is in need of a party," said a high pitched but energetic voice, "and we are here to help!" Isabelle looked at them skeptically when Shenran appeared behind them. He only needed one look at the girls and smiled excitedly.

"Hey, you guys!" Shenran exclaimed.

"Do you know these girls?" Isabelle asked as she noticed Shenran's excited smile.

"Couldn't be better," said Shenran excitedly, "These are my sisters and with them here...Roll is gonna get the party she's always wanted!" Isabelle was skeptical until each sisters showed her their special skills and her doubt soon melted faster than a snowman at a tropical beach.

The next day, the party plans went much more smoothly. That isn't to say that there wasn't any problems. But unlike yesterday, Isabelle and Digby were able to act as the very glue that would hold the entire team together. It also helped that most of the conflicts that occurred were primarily minor mistakes and goofs rather than close friends fighting with each other. Plus Shenran's sisters each took a role in providing their own special talents to each of the group and their extra support seemed to keep disputes to a minimum. They also made sure that progress was being made towards getting everything done. Isabelle was also grateful for having her brother around too. Every time she grew worried, he was there to help her calm down and stay focused. By the time the sun had set that day, Isabelle was helping out with the final touches to the party decorations when Shenran's eldest sister, Twilight, arrived at the club. Her traditional outfit was a solid purple sweater with diamond shaped star pattern along the neckline as well as down the sleeves and a magenta star broach on the chest. Her bottoms were a grape and black stripped skirt that had a grey belt with a pastel purple star belt buckle and she wore black pumps with no socks. Her black hair was in a ponytail that had purple highlights in it with a twinkle star hairclip on the side. She was also wearing some purple frames.

"I hope you don't mind Isabelle," said Twilight as she pulled out her own clipboard, "but I went and got the progress reports for everyone else while you were busy here with my own checklist. It pays to be an organizer of the family!" It was just than a girl with pink hair appeared wearing a pink polka dot sweater that had a sapphire broach on the chest with a white belt with a gold balloon belt buckle and a balloon patterned skirt with pink buckle shoes with no socks. Her hair was in a pair of upward curly pigtails that had blue and yellow beaded hair ties in them. She was the youngest of Shenran's family and also the most hyper.

"Oh, oh, oh!" Pinkie exclaimed as she popped out of nowhere, "the party decorations are just about done! Just need one more thing!" She then pulled out a large cannon and went to pull the trigger.

"Pinkie no!" Isabelle exclaimed, fearing the worst when Pinkie pulled the trigger.

TRUMPET BLAST!

Isabelle covered her eyes until she heard the cannon make a "trumpet blast" and not a "boom" like she had expected. She opened her eyes and saw that pink haired girl had simply launched a party banner behind the DJ table with a picture of Roll's head on it saying "Happy birthday!" across the sheet. Isabelle breathed a sigh of relief as Twilight chuckled to herself.

"Not used to my baby sister's party cannon huh?" she laughed, "Well, she is known as the number one party planner in the family."

"Nobody better," Pinkie replied confidently, "now that's taken care of. I'm off to buy my birthday present!" She then bounced away and out the door. Twilight just watched her leave before pulling out her own checklist.

"Okay, so here's the scoop Isabelle," said Twilight, "Margie and Lolly's cake had some ingredient snags, but they were able to correct and are now decorating the cake as we speak. Lemon and Sakura have pretty much taken care of most of the presents..."

"EXCEPT MINE!" Pinkie screamed from far away.

"How does she..."

"Focus Isabelle," Twilight continued, ignoring her, "Purrl, Bacon, Cherry, and my brother have pretty much collected all the ingredients for the dinner and have prepped pretty much everything except for the dough to make the breadsticks and croutons, but that needs to set overnight so we're good to go on that. Plus Applejack made some of her special fizzy apple cider for us to drink too. It's her specialty and...it's non alcoholic."

"Check," said Isabelle, marking her own list.

"Alfonso and Benjamin had finished up with the balloons," Twilight pressed on, "Thanks to Rainbow, they were able to inflate more than enough party balloons. Plus it was Rainbow's idea to go with all the colors instead of just a few."

"What about the type of balloons?" Isabelle asked.

"They had all agreed on the heart shaped and regular shaped balloons," Twilight answered as she scrolled her notes, "but Fluttershy used her "stare" to make them buy and inflate some bunny ones. And she told me that stare was only for dire circumstances..."

"Her "stare"?" Isabelle asked wearily.

"You don't want to know," Twilight said quickly, "Balloons are ready and that's what is important right now."

"Gotcha," said Isabelle as she checked it off her list, "So let's see, the food, the cake, the decorations, and even the presents are ready. I guess the only other thing is the entertainment, which is DJ KK himself. He said he could make it but...oh no!"

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked worried.

"I forgot to remind KK Slider about the party!" said Isabelle, "I don't know if he'll get here in time!"

"Not to worry," said Digby, "I just got off the phone with Fluttershy. After a few stutters, she was able to speak with him and is escorting him home. Thought he constantly asks her why she keeps avoiding eye contact with him."

"Oh Fluttershy," said Twilight, shaking her head as Isabelle just breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, that seems to be about everything," said Isabelle, "I've marked down everyone who said they were coming to the party. I just hope we've got enough room in here for everyone!"

"We should," said Digby, "Dr. Shrunk said this place is big enough to fit 120 people and we've only got about 70 if we count everyone here who said they were coming."

"Good," said Isabelle, "I had said we needed enough food and drink for 100 people anyway and...wait a second..."

"What is it Izzy?" Digby asked worried.

"You said Shenran had six sisters," said Isabelle, "You've mentioned yourself...Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Pinkie. That's only five..." Twilight looked stunned and counted her sisters by finger until she realized something.

"You're right," said Twilight, "I did miss the sixth...and it's embarassing considering she was born right after me in the family. She said something about a dress for the birthday girl and..." Twilight's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. Isabelle didn't need long to figure out what this "sixth" sister may have done.

"She wouldn't!" Isabelle asked fearfully.

"I think she has!" Twilight squeaked before they both screamed, shaking the entire club and leaving Digby on the floor stunned and frazzled.

Back at the Able Sisters, Roll and Sable had just finished their dinner and were now doing something that Roll and Sable had both wanted to do since the day they became mother and daughter.

Splatter paint

Yes, that's right. Sable and Roll had set up a large white sheet against a wall and along the majority of the living room floor and filled some balloons with random colors of paint so they could throw them at the sheet to make some abstract art. Sable had put on a paint's smock shirt with a matching beret and some ankle high demin pants while Roll had her brown beret, canary shirt, and brown pedal pushers and tied her hair into some downward pigtails. Together they began to just have some good, messy fun by throwing paint balloons at the white cloth. Roll was rather surprised at how mischievous Sable was acting as they did their little splatter fest. Sable was the one to throw a paint balloon at Roll's face and even suggested they splatter their feet and use them to "finger" paint the bottom of the sheet. By the time they were finished with patting their feet onto the cloth, laughing as they did so, they were interrupted by a loud knocking at the door.

"I wonder who could that be," said Sable as she stood up and used a cloth to wipe the paint off the bottom of her feet. Roll blinked in surprise when she saw Sable only had to rub her feet a little to get the paint completely off her feet.

"You got the no mess no fuss paints didn't you?" Roll as she sat up and rubbed her feet into some blue paint next to her. Sable just smiled, gave the blonde girl a wink and then answered the door. Sable was then taken aback to see a young girl with long, shiny locks of royal purple hair that went just an inch past her waist with a dark purple puffy hat on her head with white shades that covered her eyes. She was wearing a black blouse that had a wide v-neck that showed her shoulder blades with some netting style black and grey sleeves, along with a black choker colored necklace with a cyan pendent. The top itself had an amethyst broach on the chest. She donned a pastel purple skirt with large amethyst gems and smaller sapphires on it with a cream colored belt that had a diamond belt buckle. Her pumps were purple and, like her sisters, she wasn't wearing any socks or stockings with them. She was also the second oldest sister of Shenran's family line. Sable was rather skeptical, but also curious about her unusual visitor.

"May...I...help you?" Sable asked curiously.

"Greetings darling," she said in a rather aristocratic tone, (or more specifically similar to Scarlet O'Hara), "You must be Sable Able of the Able Sisters yes?" Sable blinked, surprised to see the purple haired girl knew her name.

"That...is me," said Sable slowly as the young girl smiled.

"Well, may I come in?" she asked eagerly. Sable blinked again and recomposed herself.

"Why...why of course," said Sable, "Umm...I would say shoes off please as is the culture around..."

"Oh that's no biggie darling," said the girl as she walked inside and set her pumps aside by the door, "I do some of my best work barefooted and I'm quite used to these freezing temperatures."

"Work?" Sable asked. The girl then looked at her surprised before she realized her mistake.

"Oh, I'm so sorry darling," she replied with pink cheeks, "Here I am babbling about myself when we haven't even properly introduced. My name is Rarity. I'm one of Shenran's older sisters (well not that old) and also a very dear friend of Labelle's." Sable walked up to her skeptically and removed the purple girls shades gently. Sable's glare soon turned into a smile.

"I remember you now!" Sable exclaimed, "we met at the fashion gala Labelle and I saw in the city last month! You helped us get into the show after my sister lost our tickets."

"That would be me," Rarity replied, "and don't you worry about repaying me for that. Any friend of Labelle's is a friend of mine. One of my greatest qualities is generosity and I just wouldn't feel like myself if I could help someone in need or make a difference in someone's life. While it is nice to see the favors returned, doing the right thing has its own reward." Sable smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Well, I am very happy that Labelle had fashion friends with such high values of morality and integrity," said Sable, "It's quite a "rarity" to find these days." Rarity blinked, seeing Sable used her name as a pun before they laughed together.

"Well, then I better start explaining why I'm here then," said Rarity, "You see..." Rarity then looked around. Since Roll had ducked under the table, the purple haired girl thought they were alone. Despite this false sense of security, she leaned into Sable's left ear.

"I was told a certain someone has having her birthday tomorrow," she whispered, "I am here to make your daughter a special dress...for the you-know-what! But I need her measurements. Can you help me?" To her luck, Roll hadn't heard what she said. All the blonde girl could hear was shushing sounds. Sable then leaned away and whispered to her ear.

"What are friends for?" she replied as the girl smiled and Sable gave her a wink before clearing her throat.

"Roll, sweetie!" Sable called, "Are you hiding somewhere?" Rarity felt her cheeks pale a bit, but kept her composure.

"Just behind the table," said Roll, "I couldn't hear what you were saying...just shushing sounds." That made Rarity release a discreet breath, but she was curious to see how Sable would get the measurements.

"Why are you hiding, young lady?" Sable asked, "You're used to meeting new people and making new friends by now."

"Mom, this Rarity person is a fashionista," said Roll, "I look...hideous...not to mention covered in paint." Rarity giggled.

"I may be a fashionista darling, but let me be the judge of whether you are fashion worthy," said Rarity, "now please come out for auntie Rarity please."

"Auntie?" said Roll in surprise.

"She is Shenran's older sister," said Sable, "Don't be rude and come on out."

"I'm not that old," Rarity muttered under her breath. Roll slowly crawled out of her hiding spot, wiping her hand with a cloth so she could iron out the wrinkles of her pedal pushers and shirt. Rarity could tell Roll looked nervous and just looked at her blankly. Roll felt subconscious as it was, but the fact she was caked with dry paint from head to toe didn't help the blonde girl feel less nervous.

"Nice to meet you Miss Rarity," said Roll, giving a light curtsy.

"Slow twirl for me please?" she requested, twirling her finger to emphasize it. Roll just looked at her before doing as she was told. She even tried to flourish pose at the end, but was too meek to do it correctly. Rarity just walked up to her and glared. Then she giggled with glee.

"She's ADORABLE!" she gushed, "Oh what natural beauty! Oh I'm so jealous!" Roll just smiled bashfully as she blushed as she tried to avoid eye contact. Rarity just clapped to herself excitedly.

"Oh her shyness puts my sister Fluttershy to shame!" Rarity continued, "She is just too cute! Oh I can't wait to get started!"

"Get started on what Miss Rarity?" Roll asked curiously.

"Oh please child, call me Auntie Rarity, or just Rarity," the purple haired girl answered, "after all, Shenran is my younger brother."

"Oh yeah...I forgot," said Roll sheepishly, "Guess it's because I've never gotten to meet any of you...until now." Rarity just smiled.

"Well we'll need to arrange a meeting in the near future to get to know each other then," she replied, "but for now. I hear someone is celebrating their birthday tomorrow."

"It's...not exactly a celebration," said Roll, "I'm just having breakfast with my Mom in the city and then do some window shopping." Rarity gave Sable a discreet wink.

"Nevertheless darling," said Rarity, "You should look your best for your birthday. That is why I am here. I want to make you a special dress for your birthday."

"Me?" said Roll surprised.

"Of course darling," Rarity continued eagerly, "every girl should feel like a princess on their special day!" Roll just looked at her feet and shuffled them on the floor. The paint on them had dried so she was just staring at the different colors on her toes.

"I'm no princess Rarity," said Roll quietly, "never have...never will be..." Rarity just gave her a warm smile and grabbed her hand to hold it. Roll looked up and into Rarity's blue eyes.

"Shenran told me about your mother, your...birth mother," Rarity explained, "I must admit...I couldn't stop crying after I heard what she did to you. None of my sisters couldn't help crying. Even Rainbow, though she denies it every time I speak of it." Her last remark was under her breath as Roll just sighed to herself.

"Oh...I see..." said Roll quietly.

"Roll, darling, please listen," Rarity continued, "don't let others tell you how worthy you really are. Your worth is something you always have, even if your own mother denies it so. I'm sure you're coming to discover your own talents aren't you?"

"Yeah," said Roll.

"Tell me them," Rarity asked with excitement.

"Well...organizational skills," Roll began slowly, "Culinary ability, fast learner, a bookworm, leadership...I guess, tri-lingual..."

"Oh what languages?" Rarity asked excitedly.

"Russian and Italian," said Roll, "and...maybe agility...I know extensive amounts of kung fu. But I'm no expert at it."

"That's alright dear," said Rarity, "but you are certainly talented."

"I'm just a nerd in general," said Roll.

"So what?" said Rarity, "Twilight is quite the egghead herself but she also very fashionable too. You should add that to your little resume as well. I can see quite the outfit behind all that paint dear. You've obviously have a fashion sense."

"Yeah," said Roll, "I guess..I am good at making outfits...at least outfits that I know I feel good wearing."

"And that my dear is the true meaning of being a fashionista," said Rarity, "and how a girl shows her inner beauty on the outside. It comes from your heart." Roll just placed a hand on the said area before giving the purple haired a girl a warm smile.

"You're right, it does," said Roll.

"Now that's better, beauty shines more when you smile, darling," said Rarity, "now Sable, do you have a place where I can get started on this young lady's new dress."

"Don't you need..."

"A good designer always has her materials at hand," Rarity cut off as a matter of fact, "Plus the new portable access to your secret storage makes carrying all your materials so much easier."

"Yes it does," said Roll, "Thank you for this Rarity. I hope I can repay your...generosity for all of this." Rarity chuckled.

"Don't worry about it dear," said Rarity, "If I can help you feel beautiful inside and out, then that will be enough for me." Rarity went to give Roll a hug before the blonde girl backed away.

"What's wrong dear?" Rarity asked in a puzzled and worried tone, "I didn't think offering a hug was too bold. After all we are technically family by my brother..."

"No, no, no, the hug was fine," said Roll quickly, "I like giving hugs. It's just...I'm still covered in paint. I didn't want to ruin your dress...it looks like you put alot of hard work and effort into it." Rarity calmed down and nodded in agreement.

"Very considerate of you," said Rarity, "How about you change so I can give you a hug and we can get the measurements for your dress?" Roll nodded before she quickly wiped her feet and rushed upstairs excitedly. Sable chuckled. She had never seen Roll so excited as Rarity placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you for doing this," said Sable, "and for helping with the you-know-what?"

"Oh no trouble at all darling," said Rarity, "After what I heard about the girl, I just couldn't wait til tomorrow to see her. Plus I did need her measurements so I could make sure the dress fits her properly."

"Agreed," said Sable, "Now let me show you where our work room is so you can get started then. Then I'll let you get to work..."

"Actually, I'm hoping you'll stick around," said Rarity, "If I'm going to finish this dress for tomorrow. I'm going to need all the help I can get." Sable was left stunned. Sure, she wanted to help with making her daughter's dress, but she was surprised Rarity even asked for her help.

"S-s-sure," said Sable with a sheepish chuckle, "I...I mean...I'm no fashion designer but..." Sable soon stopped babbling when she saw Rarity browsing her design book.

"Hmm...very basic and hometown for the most part, but there are several patterns here that show the complexity and expertise of a seasoned designer," Rarity pointed out, "besides darling, you hold the key ingredient we need to make this dress an absolute success!"

"What's that?" Sable asked, unsure of what Rarity had in mind.

"A mother's unconditional love," said Rarity, "no child should have to earn their mother's love. It should always be there. And only you can give that to her now." Sable then realized that Rarity was right and narrowed her eyes in determination.

"Then let's do this!" she said firmly and Rarity nodded in agreement. Roll then arrived wearing her winter pajamas in a pastel yellow with her hair fully down and a matching headband. Rarity couldn't resist gushing about how cute Roll looked, making the girl very bashful and shy once more. However, her bashfulness only made Rarity love the girl more. She couldn't stop smiling as she made the measurements for her dress and she and Sable got to work. Well, they got to work once they sent Roll out of the room. They still wanted the finished product to be a surprise.

It was very late at night when Rarity had finished Roll's dress. To say the girl loved the dress was an understatement. Roll was literally crying when she saw the finished product. She couldn't believe that such a beautiful dress was her own. Roll's birthday dress was rather complex but very, very elegant. The sleeves were three-quarter length with pink see through sleeves that had pink heart shaped gemstones along some lacing the ends. The top itself was a nice v neck with white lacing around it and a beautiful diamond heart broach on the chest. (Roll had mentioned she loved Rarity's broach and without another thought, she crafted Roll her very own. Roll even asked why she was given the diamond heart and not just a regular broach like hers. Rarity's answer made Roll's smile and cry happy tears:

"You are alot like a diamond in the rough darling. Everyone treated you like you weren't anything special, but the truth is...you're more special than they ever will be. The heart diamond is a very rare gem, special and unique in its own way. Just like you."

Along the waist was a creamy white silk belt that had a beautiful ribbon bow in the back that was encrusted with pink rubies and sapphire gems in a nice diamond pattern that were placed along the bow. The skirt itself was multi-tiered layers of light and dark pink with some lacing along the edges of each layer that came just above the knees. Rarity and Sable didn't stop there. The entire dress was made of special silk Rarity had made herself and Sable had added a layer of fleece inside to provide warmth so Roll wouldn't need a coat when going outside. They had also made her a pair of custom made cream colored three quarter leggings that Rarity had added a pink gem as cuffs on each leg bottom. And while both girls knew Roll would only use these to enter the party area and not afterward. They had found a pair of cream pumps Roll had purchased and Rarity added some material inside of them to make them more comfortable to wear along with a dark pink gem on the toe of each shoe. Then to make the outfit fully complete...

Oh wait...that's not supposed to be said until tomorrow.

Back to Rarity, who had just arrived back at the club, she was suddenly bombarded with a blast of confetti from a nearby party cannon. She jumped at the sudden blast and she glared.

"Wait a sec...you're not pinkie pie," said Rarity as she saw a pink haired girl with blue eyes standing next to her, but her downward pigtails were straight instead of curled.

"Sorry..." Sakura said giddy, "How did I do Pinkie?"

"Just perfect!" Pinkie exclaimed from behind her, "Rarity never saw you coming! Come on! Let's keep practicing! This surprise has got. to. be. EPIC!"

"YEAH!" Sakura shouted as they dashed away together. Rarity just shook her head with a smile on her face before making her way towards Isabelle and Twilight who were just glaring at her fiercely.

"Evening everyone," said Rarity as she examined the party area, "Looks like everything is going quite well."

"Yes they are," said Twilight sternly, "and what I want to know is: WHERE WERE YOU ALL THIS TIME?!"

"At Sable's house making Roll a dress," the purple haired girl said plainly. Isabelle and Twilight both looked at her with dumbfounded faces as their eyes twitched twice before they exploded.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" they screamed together at her.

"I don't see what all the shouting is about," said Rarity indignantly.

"Sis! We wanted this party to be a surprise," said Twilight.

"It will be," said Rarity, "but it just wouldn't be proper if the girl just showed up in any old dress. What if she...she..." Rarity lowered her voice. "Came in just a tacky old sweater and demins?!"

"And what is wrong with wearing denim?" asked a girl with blonde hair with a southern accent, clearly offended. She had her hair tied into a long downward pony tail that was tied both at the top and at the bottom as well along with a Stetson hat. Her top was light orange with a denim over jacket that had a orange gem broach on the chest. The bottom had a light brown belt with a apple belt buckle with a pinkish-red skirt that had patched apples along the sides. She also had cowboy boots on her feet with no socks. She was the third oldest sibling in Shenran's family.

"Well, nothing if you wanna look like a country bumpkin," said Rarity indignantly, "Applejack, just cause you enjoy farming in the country doesn't mean you have to start talking and acting like a country girl!"

"I can't help it, Sis," Applejack protested, "When you've spent enough time out there. The accent just comes on its own and there's no stopping it! I wear denim to my own birthday parties so don't go sacking my style!"

"If you even call it a sense of style!" Rarity shot back.

"WILL YOU TWO COOL IT FOR A SECOND!" Twilight shouted, "Our surprise party might not even be a surprise thanks to Rarity visiting Roll just a few minutes ago!"

"You visited Roll!" Applejack exclaimed, "Why in the name of apple cobbler would you do something so stupid?!" Rarity just rolled her eyes as two other girls walked up to them. They were actually fraternal twins despite their contrasting appearances and they were both the second youngest in the family. (This meant Shenran was born between the twins and Applejack.) The first girl was Rainbow, who had light blue hair tied in a ponytail with rainbow colored highlights on the lower half of her long blue locks. Her outfit consisted of a light blue top with rainbow three-quarter sleeves. Like her other sisters, she had a red ruby broach on the chest. But instead of a skirt, she had some dry denim ankle high pants that had a white belt n lightning bolt belt buckle with some black pumps on her feet. The second girl, named Fluttershy, (and was the sister Shenran felt the closest too), had long strands of light pink hair similar to Rarity's but was much straighter and the left bangs hung partially over her left eye. Her dress consisted of a yellow top that had see through nude colored three quarter sleeves with vine-like strands along them and yellow ribbons as cufflinks. The top had a pink broach on the chest with a wide v-neck. The skirt had a cream colored belt with a butterfly belt buckle and a two toned folded pink skirt with matching pink pumps with no socks. They had both heard the conversation.

"Nice move big sis," said Rainbow indignantly, "and you say you know how to keep a secret."

"M-m-maybe Rarity didn't tell Roll about the party," said Fluttershy timidly, "you can't just assume the worst cause she saw her."

"Oh what do you know?!" Rainbow barked, making Fluttershy cower back fearfully, "This surprise party isn't even a surprise anymore!"

"Yes it is!" Rarity shouted, "I was able to keep my appearance purely business-related." The five girls and Isabelle just looked at her stunned.

"Can...can you elaborate on that Sis?" Fluttershy asked.

"I just said I heard it was her birthday and as a sign of friendship wanted to help her look beautiful for her day out with her mother," said Rarity simply, "You know I like being generous to others." The other girls just breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

"Wait a second," said Rainbow, "Why is she having a mother-daughter day when her party is tomorrow?"

"Rainbow, it's to keep her busy in the morning," Twilight explained with much annoyance, "the party is at night."

"Oh...right, my bad, heh," Rainbow replied, not able to hide her embarrassment as she fingered her hair sheepishly.

"Well, sorry for jumping the gun on you Rarity," said Isabelle, "I just wanted to make sure the party will still be a surprise."

"Yeah," said Pinkie with Sakura next to her, "I didn't spend the last two hours teaching my apprentice here how to launch a party cannon for nothing you know!"

"Apprentice?!" The six girls all exclaimed.

"Of course," said Pinkie, "You know I can't host everyone's parties out there in the Animal part of the world! Sakura here is gonna pick up the slack. Besides, we both have alot in common with each other.

"We're practically twins..." Sakura began excitedly.

"..who can read each other's thoughts..." Pinkie added.

"...and love to spread laughter..." Sakura continued.

"...everywhere we go!" they said together in perfect sync before they began to dance and sing together. The rest of the group was stunned. The two had only known each other for a couple of hours and they were able to perfectly synchronize with each other.

"Twilight?" Rainbow asked in a high pitched tone.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking at her younger sister with concern.

"One pinkie is bad enough," Rainbow pointed out, "Now we've got two of them!"

"So?" she asked, not understanding her sister's worried tone.

"We just wanna know if this is a sign of the apocalypse," said Fluttershy quickly.

No one dared to give an answer.

The next morning brought in a gentle fall of fresh snow that lightly blanketed the outer cottage of the Able Sister's household. Sable had let Roll sleep with her that night and the former was the first to stir as she saw the snow falling rather steadily outside the bedroom window. She couldn't help but smile.

"A little snowfall isn't going to spoil today," said Sable, hoping for the best as she just relaxed on her pillow as her daughter was still sleeping soundly beside her. She couldn't resist smiling as she brushed some lose hairs behind her ears.

"I love my sweet baby girl," said Sable quietly. Whether Roll heard or not was debatable, but the blonde girl had picked that time to slowly open her eyes and wake up. She just mumbled a bit since she still felt a bit sleepy before her vision cleared and she saw the brown hedgehog smiling at her.

"Good morning sweetie," said Sable, "How does it feel seeing a friendly face first thing today? Happy birthday." Roll smiled at her sleepily.

"Thanks Momma..." she said softly as Sable scooted over so they could embrace each other. The brown hedgehog gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before giggling to herself.

"Are you ready for a fun birthday?" she asked excitedly. Roll just chuckled as she let out a long yawn and stretched a bit before sitting up.

"As long as you're with me," said Roll quietly with a small smile. Sable sighed to herself. She could tell that Roll still felt a little...sad about today. She wanted more than anything to change that. She gently titled her chin so the blonde girl was looking at her.

"Don't be sad anymore Roll," said Sable, "this birthday is going to be different. You are going to have a great day and we are going to have lots of fun together. We'll go eat breakfast, maybe catch a movie, and even do some shopping. You can even pick out something for me to buy you as a birthday present. And don't shoot that last one down. I really want to buy you something, okay?" Roll just smiled rather shyly.

"Okay," said Roll. Sable wasn't satisfied before she kicked off the blankets and grabbed Roll's left leg, sending the blonde girl to her back.

"Mom!" Roll exclaimed.

"You're not too happy," Sable teased, "So Sable gonna make daughter happy. Wheee!" Sable then began to move her finger rapidly against the sole of her foot. Roll tried to resist, but soon the tickling was too much and she was laughing herself silly as she tried to pull her foot away. Sable couldn't help laugh as she continued to tickle Roll for a minute or so before letting go, allowing Roll to catch her breath.

"Now that was much better," said Sable, "the birthday girl has got to be happy!" Roll, still out of breath, just stuck out her tongue at her. Sable returned it before giggling to herself.

"Come on," said Sable as help Roll sit up again, "You get dressed first and then once I finish. I can help you get into your dress and brush your hair so it's nice and shiny."

"Okay," said Roll, "I guess I'll just leave it down for today."

"Whatever you want sweetie," said Sable, "wear your hair the way that will help you feel beautiful on your birthday." Roll pondered a bit as she stroked some strands of her hair with her fingers.

"What if I did that half and half look with a large pink ribbon?" Roll suggested, "That would be really cute with the dress." Sable blinked in surprise. She wasn't 100% about the idea for personal reasons, but she didn't want to make Roll sad or think she disliked her idea.

"Go for it," said Sable, figuring she could see if her idea would work when the time was right. Roll just smiled.

"Great," said Roll, "All go wash up and get ready." Roll then dashed into the bathroom as Sable just listened for the water to come on before gathering her own clothes and went to wash up in the bathroom downstairs. Sable had picked a custom made dress that had a frilly three quarter sleeved white blouse that had a pink necktie with a pastel pink flannel cardigan that was left unbuttoned. The skirt was folded and the same color as the cardigan and came just an inch below the knees and had fleece inside to keep her legs warm. She then added a pair of cream colored pumps just like Roll's but had a pink bow on the toe and a white headband on her head to boot. Lastly was a candy gingham scarf around her neck. She had just tucked her headband into place when Roll arrived downstairs in her dress, leggings, hair tied half back with the ribbon, and her pumps in her hands.

"Oh you really look like a princess," said Sable, "well...almost like one." Roll was taken aback by the latter comment, but rather then get upset decided to find out why.

"Almost?" said Roll, "What am I missing?" Sable just smiled as she walked over the ranch tea table and grabbed a small package. She presented it to Roll.

"My sisters and I all want you to wear this," said Sable, "In fact, Rarity took extra care to make sure this would match your dress."

"Really?" said Roll, curious about what was inside, "What is it?" Sable just smiled.

"That's why they are called surprise birthday presents Roll," Sable explained, "You need to open them to see what's inside." Roll just chuckled shortly before she slowly and carefully began to open the package. Once she saw what was inside, she nearly dropped the package in surprise.

"Momma..." she said quietly in amazement. There inside of the package was a mini golden crown. One that looked like the one worn by a certain mushroom princess. The only difference was that this crown had mostly pink gems on it and the center gem was another diamond heart. Roll just couldn't believe that this crown was for her. She wasn't even sure what to do with it until Sable took it from her hands.

"Remember what Rarity said," said Sable, "You are a princess in your own right. And today, you can be one. Wear this with pride Roll. Because you are very special and unique and your family loves you very much." Roll's eyes twinkled, while she didn't feel like a princess just yet, she did want to wear the crown.

"Okay," said Roll as she gently tried to clip the crown in her head. Sable helped her a bit to make sure it was sure properly secured on her head and smiled. She had been worried that her large ribbon and the crown might have been too much, but it actually just made Roll look even cuter than she already was.

"Gorgeous," said Sable, making Roll giggle to herself, "Now put your shoes on and we can go and have some birthday fun."

"Alright Momma," said Roll, "I like your outfit." Sable smiled as Roll put on her pumps and then they walked out of the house with their hands interlocked with each other. Roll had a great time in the city. They found a cute little cafe for breakfast and even got a free pastry and hot cocoa for her birthday. Next, they found a good action movie to see together at the local cinema. Afterward, they enjoyed a little window shopping together. Sable made sure that Roll picked something out for herself as another birthday present, despite the blonde saying the brown hedgehog didn't need to. In the end, Roll purchased a hardcover book that she had been wanting to buy herself and then they headed home to rest. By then, it was a little after 4pm. When the clock was just a few minutes short of six o'clock. Sable put the big moment into motion.

"Roll," Sable said to the blonde girl, who was enjoying her new book as she sat on the sofa with her legs tucked in and feet bare as usual.

"Yes Momma?" she asked.

"Isabelle said something has come up at Club LOL and she needs your help right away," said Sable, "Hope you don't mind if I come with you." Roll just hugged her.

"I was going to ask if you would," said Roll as she held the brown hedgehog, "You've given me such a wonderful birthday. Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Sable as she hugged her back before mouthing, "and it's gonna get even better." They wasted no time getting their shoes on and heading towards the train. Once they arrived in Animal town, they headed straight for Club LOL. Roll was rather surprised to see the club to dark and quiet.

"That is peculiar," said Roll to Sable as they reached the entrance, "I hope Isabelle is okay." Sable just nodded, but found it harder and harder to keep a straight face as Roll slowly opened the door. She found the place pitch dark as Sable felt around for the light switch. As soon as Sable flipped the lights back on, Roll was blasted twice with confetti from Sakura's and Pinkie's party cannons.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted. Roll was left frozen in place for a few seconds as she scanned the room, seeing that everyone from her town as well as the towns of Shenran's, Lemon's, Bacon's, and Sakura's towns had also come to celebrate her birthday. Even former members from the Uchi gang (minus Silvia) and even Master Yumi and her butler had come to celebrate her special day. (Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack lived in separate towns while Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie lived in Shenran's town.) Roll was left speechless for a moment before she suddenly burst into tears. Roll just cried...loudly and openly. Everyone just looked at each other stunned and unsure of what to do as Sable walked up to her.

"Roll?" said Sable worried, "hey, don't cry. What's wrong sweetie?" Roll took a few seconds to calm down.

"Nothing," she sobbed, shocking everyone once more, "Just...so happy. I mean...all these people...took the time and effort...to make me feel special. I'm...I'm overwhelmed. For years I've been used to celebrating my birthday in a corner with nobody ever caring about it or even giving me just a simple "happy birthday" to me. Now...I have this huge party with all my friends and family. Even people who don't even know who I am...have come all this way to make me feel special..." Roll turned towards Shenran's sisters, who were smiling as tears were pricking their own eyes.

"I don't know how to thank you all," Roll croaked with a warm smile on her face as her tears continued to fall down her face, "just know that I love all of you. Thank you for making me feel so special. I feel so...beautiful..." Roll then just let herself cry for a little longer before everyone began to give her a soft round of applause. Some of them even shedding their own tears and walking up to her to give her plenty of hugs and kisses. Once Roll had calmed down and the hugs and kisses had stopped for now. She turned to everyone and removed her shoes.

"So...let's get this party started," said Roll happily. She was then taken back, when Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, as well as Lemon, Sakura, Shenran, and Bacon all stood before her and kicked off their own shoes at the same time.

"Okay!" they shouted as they posed for her barefoot. Roll laughed, deeply touched they did that just for her. Everyone else laughed as they excitedly took a seat to enjoy the Italian dinner Shenran, Bacon, Ankha, Cherry, Purrl, and Whitney had prepared. To say Roll loved all the food that had been made was an understatement. She had three helpings of the spaghetti and meatballs and a garden salad. She had just finished her last breadstick when she heard the sound of someone burping.

"Huh?" said Roll as she looked around the table. She had asked all six of Shenran's sisters, along with Sable to sit at her table so she could get to know them all. She soon found Rarity blushing heavily and trying to hide her face as Rainbow and Applejack snickered to each other.

"It's okay, Rarity," said Roll, "Sometimes it just comes out. Even a refined lady has to burp." The others just giggled to each other as she just smiled and mouthed "thank you". That was when Isabelle approached.

"Enjoying yourself?" the shi-tzu asked curiously. She soon got her answer when Roll hugged her happily.

"I can't believe you did all of this for me!" said Roll, "Thank you Isabelle!"

"I didn't do it all alone," said Isabelle softly, "Sable had a huge role in all of this and my brother, as well as Shenran's sisters. They were a big help in making sure everything went smoothly." Roll's smile then disappeared.

"So...there was a another argument the other day," said Roll, "and it was because of the party..." Isabelle just sighed.

"Roll, listen to me," said Isabelle, "yes there were conflicts during the party planning, but it was because they wanted to make sure you got the best party you ever had. They just lost sight of working together for a moment, but thanks to Digby and I..., we were able to remind everyone why we were doing this. Because we love you and we wanted to make sure this day was the best day of your life to date. In the end, everyone was able to unite and put together everything you see here. So...yes there was trouble and difficulties, but you Roll...were so worth it." Roll's eyes sparkled. She felt like she was gonna cry again but kept her composure and hugged Isabelle tightly.

"Thank you," she told her softly. Isabelle just smiled and hugged her back. After a few minutes of cleaning and shuffling. Margie and Lolly rolled out Roll's five foot tall seven layer birthday cake. Everyone ooh and ahhed at the cake. It was an all chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream on the outside and ganache in the middle layers. The outside was decorated with fondant cut outs of things that Roll loved the most, including books, cooking, baking, video games, flowers, cute outfits she had worn earlier in the year, and other things. On top, was a fondant made figurine of Komasan and the letters happy birthday on the top. Roll gasped excitedly when she saw the loin dog figure at the top when she felt someone nudge her arm.

"I think he wants to be with you for this," said Pinkie as she handed Roll her lion dog, now dressed on a tuxedo jacket and pants with a pink party hat on his head. Roll smiled as she cuddled the doll happy in her arms. Then she heard Pinkie pull out a trumpet and began to play it so everyone gathered around her. And they all began to sing as Pinkie continued to play a trumpet, some drums, and other instruments all at once.

 _Happy Birthday to you!_

 _Happy Birthday to you!_

 _Happy Birthday dear Roll!_

 _Happy Birthday to you!_

 _And many more..._

Then Roll was blasted a second time with confetti with Pinkie's and Sakura's party cannons as everyone cheered. Roll's eyes twinkled as a happy smile appeared on her face. She didn't wait long before blowing out the candles on the top layer of the cake by standing on a stool and everyone cheered for her once more.

"What did you wish for, silly?" Rosie asked.

"Around here, it's good luck to share, tee hee," Bunnie added.

"I wished...that no matter what life has in store for me," said Roll, "I can learn to embrace all the love and friendship that has been given to me. If I can do that, I'll always feel beautiful...inside and out." Everyone smiled and clapped for her happily.

"Now let's cut the cake!" Pinkie shouted with glee.

"WOO-HOO CAKE!" Sakura screamed as everyone else laughed in agreement. While Roll should have gotten the first piece, she actually chose to serve everyone else their slices first and waited until last before getting her own piece, which was cut my Sable herself. Once everyone had their fill, DJ KK began to play his tunes and they danced the night away. For Roll, this was definitely the best birthday ever.

Roll went to bed late that night, falling happy asleep and thinking about all the people who truly loved and cared about her.

 **It should have been obvious but "animal war" is just a spoof on World War.**

 **Shenran's six sisters are based off of the ponies of the same names from** ** _My Little Pony._** **Yet the human characters in this story are not the same as the ones in the** ** _Equestria_** **movies from the said series. They are completely independent characters and they are siblings to Shenran, which is why they aren't the same age either. The next time they will be seen again is when Roll has a future story arc involving Shenran.**

 **Plus it can be assumed the "power star" on the dress belt buckle and her crown would have been Roll's cutie mark if she had been a pony.**

 **Here's the preview for the next story arc:**

 **Christmas Angel: Roll is spending her first Christmas with the Able sisters and she is putting all her efforts to help Sable prepare for the Holiday festivities. Until she realizes that Tom Nook always spends his Christmas alone, and Roll sees the opportunity to mend a broken friendship, maybe even spark a long overdue romance?**

 **The big confrontation between Sable and Tom Nook is in sight. How will things turn out?**

 **Find out...**

 **Next time!**


	54. Christmas Angel Part 1

Christmas Angel Part 1

It was just a few more days before Christmas and the City was busier than ever. The City being referenced in this case was the Animal part of the world's largest outdoor shopping center. Villagers from all the various towns would come far and wide to browse around for shopping, eating at the restaurants, or even relax with a warm or cool drink at one of the local bakery cafes. Roll and Sable were busy doing some last minute Christmas shopping together and had decided to take a break at one of the mentioned cafes to relax from all the hustle and bustle as well as from standing for long periods of time in lines just to make their purchases. This cafe had a public longue area that had a few sofas and couch chairs for people to sit at as well as traditional cafe tables and chair so one could enjoy a good book or surf the internet as they enjoyed their drinks or even a pastry or sandwich. Despite the crowded conditions, Roll and Sable arrived just in time as some customers had left the large sofa unoccupied. Roll quickly dove belly first onto the sofa and quickly claimed it for her and her mother. Sable just chuckled to her.

"Kind of desperate aren't we?" she teased. Roll just snorted and turned over so she was sitting on her back.

"I'll keep the sofa reserved for us while you get us some hot chocolate and something to eat," she replied. Sable just stood their unamused and not paying attention to her. Roll just rolled her eyes when she realized her mistake.

"Please?" she added annoyed. Sable just smirked as she set their bags on the other end of the sofa to stand in line. Roll just chuckled to herself as she got comfortable. She was wearing a brand new dress that had been giving to her by Rarity herself for her birthday. She was even surprised that she had even gotten a second dress, but Rarity said her princess dress was for the party. The one she was wearing was her gift. It made sense, but Roll was still touched at getting two designer dresses for her birthday. This second dress was part of Rarity's new Sanrio collection. It had a white blouse that had a dark brown bow tie and yellow cardigan with a two-toned brown plaid mini-skirt. It had also come with a mini brown beret and matching pair of brown barrette clips, which Roll used to tie her hair into two upward side pony tails. Since the skirt was a good inch and half above her knees, she added some matching brown three quarter leggings and her brown pumps.

Interestingly enough, Roll found that she felt prettier wearing her brown frames with the outfit. At first she felt like she looked like a geek wearing them, but everywhere they went today, people were giving her complements of how adorable she looked. She didn't mind at first, but after a while, Roll felt rather annoyed at all the attention. Once she saved Sable the other end of the sofa, she slipped her pumps off, gave her toes a little stretch and reclined against the hand rest of the sofa with her legs crossed to wait for Sable to bring her hot cocoa and treat. Roll was busy scrolling through a translated copy of Pikopuri she had picked up at the bookstore when she felt someone run a finger against the bottom of one of her feet, making her yelp and pulled both her feet away.

"You just can't keep your shoes on can you?" Sable teased with both their drinks and a sandwich for two. Roll just snorted.

"You know me Momma," Roll replied, "Besides...I feel prettier when I can take them off. Below freezing weather or not, my feet are hot wearing those things!" Sable just smirked.

"Fine," said Sable, "but keep your feet on _your_ side of the sofa please?" Roll just stuck her tongue out at her before keeping her legs pulled close to her as Sable handed Roll her drink.

"Thank you," said Roll gently, not wanting to be rude despite still feeling a little annoyed. Sable then took a seat and began to read a sewing and crocheting magazine she had purchased. All was quiet as they enjoyed their drinks and the sandwich before Roll felt something bump her foot again. She looked down to see if Sable was trying to tickle her again, but discovered that it was Sable's bare feet that had unintentionally bumped her own. Sable was wearing a red sweater with a ankle high plaid flare skirt with a holly hairclip in her hair. She had also been wearing some brown pumps of her own, but had taken them off to get comfortable.

"Ah-hem," said Roll to the brown hedgehog.

"What?" she asked. Roll then lifted the brown hedgheog's right leg so Sable could see. Sable snorted and pulled her leg away and tucked her skirt down.

"Oh get off my case," Sable retorted, "maybe I just like the way you get comfortable." Roll just glared before they both laughed at each other.

"I didn't know my way of feeling pretty would be so influential to you," said Roll.

"Well, you just look so happy with your shoes off and knees tucked in," said Sable, "I thought I'd give it a try."

"How do you feel?" Roll asked.

"Comfy," said Sable, "and pretty too." Roll just smiled, making Sable giggle. Sable continued reading until she found Roll sitting in front of her.

"What is it Roll?" Sable asked with a bored look on her face. Roll kept smiling before crawled next to her on the inside of the sofa and snuggled into her shoulder.

"Love you Mommy," said Roll as Sable giggled to herself and kissed her forehead.

"You are so cute," she replied as Roll rolled her eyes.

"What?" Sable asked, not understanding why Roll looked so annoyed.

"Everywhere I go today, people are saying how cute I am," said Roll, "I mean sure...I feel really pretty in the new outfit Rarity got for me...but does everyone have to tell me?" Roll just sighed as Sable chuckled to herself.

"You are alot like me aren't you," said Sable, "not used to getting alot of attention from people." Roll just nodded. It was just then someone walked by and cooed excitedly.

"That dress is _so_ totally chic!" said the girl, "Where did you get it?"

"Look up Rarity's Sanrio collection," said Roll plainly as she sat up and didn't bother to smile.

"Thanks," she squeaked, "Sorry, but you just look so cute!"

"No problem," said Roll bluntly as the girl dashed away. Sable bit her lip to avoid breaking out in laughter as Roll just let herself plop onto the opposite side of the sofa on her back.

"Let's face it sweetie," said Sable, "You are that beautiful. People are bound to notice." Roll just rolled her eye before she smiled.

 _Guess being noticed for being beautiful isn't a bad thing_ Roll thought to herself. She had to admit, spending the extra time with Sable was really helping her with not just her self-esteem, but also with their own special bond. She definitely saw Sable as the mother she had always wanted. Yet Sable had become more than just a mother to her, but her best friend. And her number one best friend. (Though Rosie and Bunnie argue they are her number one, Roll wanted to keep peace and let them just believe that).

Later that night, Roll was busy helping the Able Sisters with decorating their Christmas tree. She and Mabel had worked together to find the perfect tree yesterday and they had carried it back to the house together. She still giggled at how Labelle kept saying that a perfect tree had this and that, driving Mabel to shove her into a pile of tied up trees. The irony of it all was, the very tree Labelle fell on was the one they ended up buying.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la," Roll sang softly to herself before just humming the rest as she tried to place the colored bulbs around the Christmas tree. Mabel had just finished stringing the lights (She even had the bad luck of having an entire string go out cause of one bad blub. And Roll surprised everyone by finding it in under ten seconds.) and the blue hedgehog was now putting up some of the toy ornaments that they had onto the tree. Roll marveled as them as Mabel found branches to hang them on.

"I can't imagine how many memories you guys have with those toys," said Roll as she held a very old nutcracker ornament in her hand, "they look vintage."

"Some of them are," said Labelle as she grabbed a gingerbread man, "Our mom gave me this when I was just a baby. I used to hang it on the mini tree I kept in my apartment in the city."

"This drum was the one Mom got me," said Mabel, "I always used to love the drummer boy song growing up. Sable even made me a drum using part of an old wooden keg and stitching cloth over it. I still have it in fact."

"Will you play for me sometime?" Roll asked. Mabel chuckled as she gave the girl a quick kiss on the cheek.

"For you my little niece, anything," she answered as Roll hugged and kissed her back. Labelle then gasped.

"Oh here's Sable's old ornament," she replied. Presenting them an old Christmas wreath that had a picture of Sable as a young girl with a tanooki next to her. Roll didn't need long to recognize the tanooki in the picture.

"Is that...Tom Nook?" she asked. Mabel nodded, but she looked rather sad.

"Yeah," said Mabel, "but...Sable doesn't like us putting this ornament up anymore."

"Oh," said Roll sadly. Labelle and Mabel didn't like seeing the blonde girl so sad and quickly searched the toys for another...happier item.

"Sable also loved this little snowglobe," said Labelle cheerfully, "This one belonged to her mother." Roll took it and just smiled as she gave it a little shake.

"It's beautiful," said Roll.

"Why don't you find a nice place to put it on the tree?" said Mabel. Roll nodded as she looked around for a moment before finding a place near the top of the tree. She then got into her now bare toes so she could try and reach a branch that was clearly too high for her, but couldn't secure the globe on it.

"Mabel have you seen the stool?" she asked her auntie.

"You don't need a stool," said Mabel as she walked up to her, held her by the sides and lifted her up, "See?" Roll laughed as she easily put the bulb on the high branch.

"Thanks Mabel," said Roll, "It's so much fun decorating a tree."

"Probably cause it's your first time," said Labelle as she continued finishing the chain of popcorn, "If...I can say that without bringing any bad memories." Mabel just set Roll back down as the blonde girl just dusted off her dress.

"It's alright Labelle," said Roll, "but that is true. This is my first time with...everything. Picking and decorating a Christmas tree, going shopping for presents, singing Christmas songs, making cookies, and so much more! Plus maybe...maybe Santa will finally bring me a present this year." Mabel and Labelle giggled but then stopped.

"You...you've never gotten a present from Santa?" said Mabel. Labelle just rolled her eyes at her younger sister. She had pretty much grown out of that when she moved to the city. (But it was mostly cause the first Christmas away from home Santa brought her nothing.) Roll just shook her head.

"Then...why...I mean...how do you still believe," Labelle asked, "if he's never given you a present?" Roll just smiled sadly.

"Figured I wasn't worth his time," said Roll, "But maybe...now that I've made something of myself. He'll come."

"Did...you ever write him a letter?" Mabel asked.

"No," said Roll, "I just...felt that unworthy."

"You feel worthy now?" Labelle asked. Roll just smiled.

"That's not my decision to make," said Roll, "but I did send him a letter. I have nothing against him if he doesn't bring me anything. I'd be happy if he just stopped by for some of the delicious cookies and chocolate milk."

"Why chocolate milk?" Labelle wondered.

"Everyone knows Santa loves chocolate milk more than the regular kind," said Mabel.

"Besides, I didn't really ask for a present," said Roll, "I just let him know that I love him and I hope he has a safe voyage...the cookies and chocolate milk are my present to him." Mabel and Labelle just awed.

"You are so sweet," said Labelle as she pulled out a garnish made of popcorn, "Ah! The popcorn strand is ready to go. Just hope someone doesn't try to eat it first.

"I was barely a year old when I did that," said Mabel indignantly, "not my fault I was teething." Labelle just chuckled as Roll gently took the popcorn stand and wrapped it securely around the tree, making sure not to bump the bulbs as she did so. Mabel commented that they should've done that first before the blubs, but Labelle said the young hedgehog was being too impatient. Roll just ignored their bickering and finished putting the garland in place.

"The length was perfect Labelle," said Roll, "it went around the tree from top to bottom." It was just then Sable walked up.

"The tree looks great you guys," said Sable.

"Wait til we turn the lights on first Sis," Mabel replied as she went to hit the stitch on the cord.

"Brace yourself for a house blackout," said Labelle as Roll looked at her puzzled. Sable only rolled her eyes at the comment and then again when Mabel gave Labelle a raspberry and flicked the switch on. The tree lit up and everyone oohed and awed at their work for a minute or so, just holding each other close.

"It's so beautiful," said Roll softly.

"Yes it is," said Sable as they enjoyed the tree for another minute and pulled away. Sable then asked Roll to help her with dinner since the today had also been Isabelle and Digby's birthday. Rather than have a big party, they just decided on a more quiet celebration with Roll and the Able Sisters. Sable and Roll worked together to make a cake as well and the family gave each shi-tzu a present. For Digby is was a special scarf that would help keep him warm when he worked outside at the HHA. Isabelle was given a new dress that Roll and Sable had made together. Once dinner was finished and the twins had left for home, Roll helped Sable wash the dishes and clean up. Sable washed and Roll did the drying. They worked together quietly before Sable noticed that Roll appeared to be in deep thought.

"What'cha thinking about, sweetie?" Sable asked. Roll just smiled at her as she stacked another cleaned plate with some others.

"I guess I was just surprised that Isabelle and Digby only wanted just the dinner tonight and not a party," said Roll, "They deserved a party just as much as I did, even more than I do to be exact."

"Well, I think everyone was pretty partied out from planning yours dear," said Sable, "Not every birthday has to be a big shindig you know."

"Hey, I didn't ask for that party," said Roll, "I was just happy wearing my princess outfit and spending the day with you."

"I know sweetie," said Sable, "but I really wanted you to know that birthdays are something to be happy about, not dread."

"I get that know and thank you," said Roll, "I really am happy to be here with my family and I feel pretty in everything I've been wearing since."

"I'm glad dear," said Sable as they finished the dish washing and Roll put the dishes away. Then Sable began to do some odds and ends as Roll leaned against the kitchen island counter and watched her as she rubbed her left foot against the floor.

"Momma," she said.

"Yes dear," Sable asked.

"So...what is the family plan for Christmas?" said Roll, "You've never told me what you and your sister do for the holidays." Sable chuckled for a moment before putting a finger to her chin in deep though to recollect her thoughts.

"Well on the night of Toy Day, we wait until night time to gather around and enjoy a classic Christmas movie together," Sable began, "then we wait until midnight to open our presents!"

"Why not Christmas morning?" Roll asked curiously.

"When Labelle had her first Christmas, she couldn't wait until Christmas Day to open her presents and she didn't want to go to sleep either," said Sable, "So Mom and Dad decided to let us open our gifts at midnight. I was kind of annoyed at first since I had learned to be patient, but it ended up becoming a family tradition. I carried it on when our parents passed away. Even after Labelle had left, I continued the tradition with Mabel. Now this year I'll get to do it with my baby girl!" Roll smiled, glad that she would get to participate this year.

"So...if presents are opened at midnight," said Roll, "Then...what do we do Christmas day?"

"Well in the morning, we go see what Santa (via Jingle) leaves for everyone under the tree," Sable continued.

"I hope that will include me this year," said Roll.

"It will sweetie," said Sable, "then afterward. We get dressed and have a family party together. Nothing too fancy, it's just us three sisters and Isabelle and Digby."

"What about Tom Nook?" Roll asked. Sable was then stopped in her tracks. She was surprised to hear Tom's name brought up in the conversation.

"What...about him?" Sable asked skeptically.

"Well," said Roll slowly as she fingered the counter and continued to rub her left foot on the floor, "Mabel said he used to come to those Christmas dinners and then he stopped."

"Well...he...he...did leave for the city..." Sable tried to explain.

"But after he came back..."

"I..invited him..."

"But he never responded?" Roll interrupted.

"Nope," said Sable, "So...I stopped and now he does his own traditions and that has been the way it's been ever since." Sable then walked off to wipe the table. Roll just watched her work for a little while before speaking again.

"How many times did he turn you down?" Roll asked her and Sable sighed in exasperation and didn't answer.

"Mom?" she asked again.

"I only asked once okay!" said Sable rather angrily, "I'd had enough of being heartbroken and if I wasn't good enough then there was no reason for me to hold my breath okay! OKAY!" Roll flinched a bit at her yelling, but just stood her ground. She had learned a great deal over her time in Animal Town about friendship and that Sable was just venting and not yelling at her.

"Mom, why only once?" Roll replied, "why...didn't you try again?" Sable just groaned in exasperation. She really didn't want to talk about this anymore.

"I...I have my reasons," said Sable firmly.

"Well...what if you had invited me to something and I didn't come," said Roll, "would you give up on me?" That question hit a mark on Sable's heart. She slowly turned around and faced the blonde girl.

"Of course not," said Sable, "I'm sure if you couldn't make something. At least you would tell me why. Right?"

"and Tom?"

"He never confides in me about anything," said Sable quickly, "not anymore!"

"But why..."

"Roll, please...just...can we talk about something else beside Tom, okay?" Sable asked, nearly pleading. Roll just narrowed her eyes at her.

"You never kept your promise did you?" said Roll, showing her disappointment clearly on her face. Sable just sighed, seeing that Roll was a bit angry at her for breaking her promise.

"Roll," said Sable, "I don't want to talk to him."

"But why Mom?" Roll asked more sternly, "You're not telling me what Tom did to hurt you so badly that you had to end your friendship with him! Did he tell you off? Did he hurt you? Did he...did he..." Roll shuttered, but she had to ask the question, "... _touch_ you inappropriately?" Sable felt her cheeks turn dark red and quickly shook her head to get the color off her face.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, dear," said Sable, "nothing like that. None...of those things. He just...pushed me away..."

"Just...pushed?" Roll asked, "Not...reject you? Like my mom did to me?" Sable just stayed quiet for a moment, unsure of how to answer.

"Well...yes...no...maybe..." Sable stuttered, feeling very uncomfortable about being confronted by her own daughter. She wanted more than anything to tell her it was none of her business and to leave her alone, but she didn't have the heart to say it. Ever since they became friends, Sable had been teaching her the importance of opening up your heart and not holding your feelings inside. Yet she had been doing the exact opposite, at least with Tom Nook.

"Roll, I just can't do it okay," said Sable, "I just can't do it. So please just let this go and don't get involved."

"But Mom..."

"Please?" said Sable, "I'm not strong enough to confront the past like you could. I never was and I never will be..." Roll just looked at her sadly as Sable made her way upstairs without another word. While she tried to hide it, a few tears had come into the brown hedgehog's eyes. Labelle and Mabel saw them and just shook their heads sadly.

"She'll never get pass this if she doesn't confront him," said Mabel.

"I agree little sister," Labelle added, "Sable has so much bottled inside regarding their friendship and...her own feelings about him."

"So...she does love him," said Roll at last. Labelle and Mabel just looked at each other and then nodded together.

"Whether it is romantic or not is not confirmed by any of us," said Labelle, "but their friendship was something very, very special to her."

"So the love she had for him," said Roll, "was that of a true friend that she cared for deeply."

"That is true," said Sable quietly since she had come back downstairs. Roll then took a seat on the sofa. They both crossed one leg over the other as they sat together on the same ranch sofa.

"Tom was my only friend if you recall," said Sable, "we had a very special bond. Since the day we were babies, everyone knew that we were destined to be lifelong friends. I thought our friendship would last forever, but...I was wrong."

"What happened Momma?" Roll asked softly and held her hand. Sable just took a long deep breath.

"It was just after he had come back to the city," said Sable, "Tom had been really depressed and was locking himself up inside his house. You could see just how broken his spirit was by looking at his face. I tried my best to help him, but he ended up having a meltdown. I remember being so afraid. There was my friend, breaking down, tears streaming down his face, ripping the wallpaper of his house with his bare claws. Then he looked at me, face contorted into pure rage. Screaming at me to get out. I was so frightened that I dashed out...right when I heard something smash. To this day I've been convinced that he threw something at me."

"But you don't know for sure do you?" said Roll. Sable shook her head.

"All I knew it that I kept my distance after that," said Sable, "I tried to do small talk with him, but he never wanted to talk to me. After awhile, I just felt more and more unwelcome over time whenever I saw him."

"You did say you tried to invite him over for Christmas," said Roll.

"It was my last real effort to try and reach out to him," said Sable, "but like I said, he didn't want to come. After that, I just gave up on him. It wasn't until after Nookington's was suddenly shut down by a mysterious fire that we even started speaking to each other again."

"Speaking to each other again?" said Mabel in disbelief, "We invite him and Lyle for lunch and tea every two weeks or so! We and Labelle do the talking not you!" Sable just looked away, unsure of what to say.

"I'm so sorry, Momma," said Roll, "I didn't know Tom was such a jerk to you."

"Bite your tongue young lady!" Sable said sternly, "Tom Nook may be to most people as some-self centered, greedy tanooki, but I know differently! I don't blame him one bit for resorting to money for happiness! Tom had a dream and the stupid city killed that dream and his spirit! If I felt like I was left with nothing to my name! I would have done the same!" Mabel and Labelle looked at her dumbfounded.

"So...despite hurting you...you would still defend him?" said Mabel. Sable just sighed to herself as she played with her skirt in her hands.

"I know what you're thinking," said Sable, "She's such a little softie. Look at her defend the very man who abandoned her and broke her heart like a stupid lovesick idiot! Like some stupid, stupid, STUPID IDIOT whose just a DESPERATE AND PATHETIC FOOL WHO LOVES FOR NOTHING..."

"Mom, calm down," said Roll as Sable began to pant as tears streamed down her face. She just wiped her cheeks and quickly wiped them away.

"It's...all in the past," said Sable, "I just gotta...face facts...the Tom Nook that was my friend is gone...and he's never coming back..." Sable then got up to leave when Roll pulled her back down gently.

"Just answer me this one question, Momma," said Roll, "Did you still love him? That is all I want is..."

"Yes, I fell in love with him," said Sable her voice cracking, "Now will you leave me alone please?"

"Mommy..." said Roll hurt. Sable just got and left before heading up to the bedroom without another word. Roll just watched her leave sadly.

"I really wish there was something I could do," said Roll, "I hate seeing Mom so sad. I mean...I just don't think this friendship is as hopeless as either of them think it is."

"So...you think you could bring them back together?" Mabel asked Roll curiously.

"I'm not sure," said Roll, "but...(sigh)...if you guys are going to call me a princess...I'd like to be a princess of friendship." The two sisters just giggled to each other.

"I like that title for you," said Labelle, "You are such a sweetie to begin to with."

"And you're really good a helping friends and family solve their differences and conflicts and love each other," Mabel added, "if there is anyone who can help our sister and Tom Nook mend their broken friendship. It would be you, sweetie."

"I hope you're right," said Roll quietly.

The next morning Roll, hair tied half back with a giant mint bow, wearing a mint green long sleeved shirt with a black-denim skirt and mint three quarter leggings with some black pumps. She was just taking a stroll around main street. While the Able Sister's shop was closed as well as Kicks, the Emporium was still open for business.

"It would make sense," said Roll to herself as she browsed around the shop, "I mean it's only three days before Christmas." She had found that she was able to keep herself busy despite already browsing the shop a few times. This was mostly because she kept bumping into her friends. She also took the liberty of at least trying to play clueless when she saw some of them look rather jumpy around her, which was an obvious clue they were trying to find her a Christmas present. She considered just saying she didn't need a gift, but didn't want another lecture of them saying, in her words, "a hundred and one reasons why you deserve a gift" and just kept her mouth shut. She had even taken her pumps off since the store was nice and warm and she felt more comfortable walking around barefoot than with her shoes on. By the time it was a little after 7pm, she decided to head back up to Gracie since she had just finished dinner and was tired from standing up all day. Once she reached the top, she noticed Gracie just tending to customers so she found a place to sit on one of the counters where Gracie had sold out some of her clothes. She was just stretching her sore left foot when she noticed a snooty hamster walked up to her.

"Excuse me Gracie," said the hamster, "Since when do you resort to selling children in this shop?" Gracie was taken aback by the remark and was ready to for the attack when she saw Roll just smiling bashfully as she sat quietly on the clothes counter, swinging her legs subconsciously with legs crossed at the ankles.

"I don't my dear," said Gracie, "This little girl just decided to put herself on display. (Sigh) I've heard of people wanting to be a part of Gracie fashions, but I've never seen someone go so far as to display themselves." That comment was meant to be a joke, but Roll just blushed a little and looked away.

"Well, she is a cutie," said Hamster, "I recon she'd be the most expensive thing here if she could be sold." Roll just giggled a little.

"Nah," said Gracie, making Roll gasp, before smirking, "You can't put a price on something that beautiful." Roll felt her face heat up tremendously and turned away shyly. The hamster is chuckled to herself.

"Well, she is one lucky young lady," said the hamster, "I'll be seeing you then. Good night Miss Gracie." Gracie gave a nod farewell before sitting next to the rather flustered blonde girl.

"Must you embarrass me?" Roll asked indignantly, "I get it! I'm beautiful, but I'm not the type to flaunt it you know."

"Funny," said Gracie, "cause you're outfit, giant bow, and bare feet say otherwise." Roll's eyes widened a bit before she just sighed in defeat.

"I meant showing off Gracie," said Roll as the giraffe smiled.

"I know, I'm just teasing," Gracie answered, "So...what brings you here?"

"I was just browsing around since I've finished my Christmas shopping," said Roll.

"What'd you get me?" Gracie asked excitedly.

"I'm not telling you," Roll smirked. Gracie tried to pout.

"That would make a good face for Nintendique magazine," Roll remarked. Gracie snorted and lightly shoved her before they both laughed for a bit and Roll just sighed to herself and uncrossed her ankles.

"Something wrong Roll?" Gracie asked curiously. Roll just let out a long sigh to herself.

"Well...it's Sable," said Roll, "I...remember when I told you that they apparently have some sort of broken friendship?" Gracie nodded, but slowly as a clue for Roll to go on.

"She...hasn't confronted him yet," said Roll, "Apparently there was some blowout between the two after Tom returned home from the city. And while they've been able to tolerate each other...things are still very awkward between the two. But not like they can't stand each other, but more like...like..."

"Like they've got stuff on their chest but never tried to deal with it head on," said Gracie, "that doesn't sound like the Tom Nook I used to know."

"I'm sure as a business man he was more head on with challenges than with his heart," Roll replied, "I'm kind of the same way still. But I'm getting better."

"True," said Gracie, "it's nice to hear that you feel beautiful these days."

"Pretty is the better word," said Roll shyly, "I haven't gotten to beautiful just yet." Gracie hummed.

"Baby steps," she answered, "So...I'm guessing you wish they would reconcile with each other?"

"Yeah," said Roll, "I mean...I know you can't force people to be friends or open up, but...I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

"You want to give them the push they need to do it on their own," said Gracie.

"Exactly," said Roll, "I knew you were the right person to talk to about this!" Gracie smiled and gave her a side hug. She normally wouldn't do it during work hours but the boutique for the moment was empty...plus they had gotten close since the giraffe moved to Animal Town. Roll looked up to her as a big sister.

"Well Tom and Sable are both very preserved individuals," said Gracie, "it's going to be hard to find the right time and place where they would be comfortable to talk."

"True, I..." Roll then suddenly stopped when an idea came into her head, "Of course! Why didn't I think of this before?"

"What do you mean?" Gracie asked curiously.

"Christmas is in three days," said Roll, "I can invite him to our family for Christmas dinner."

"Are you sure you should?" Gracie asked, "shouldn't you ask Sable first?" Roll just huffed.

"Well, Mom won't make the first move and desperate times call for desperate measures," said Roll with much determination, but then she sighed in defeat, "oh who am I kidding? They've had lunches before and they still don't talk to each other. I don't know what to do. Sable just gets so depressed sometimes. She seems so..."

"Heartbroken," Gracie guessed.

"Exactly," said Roll as she tucked her leg into her chest and hugged them, "and all because they don't want to open up to each other. Can you imagine how lighter their hearts would be if they would just stop sulking and just open up? I know it's hard to come clean with your deepest and darkest feelings. But...once you do...it really does feel like a weight off your shoulder. It might not solve your problems overnight...but it does help give you hope...hope that those wounds can heal and are not a lifelong scar. I know when I did it, I could see some hope in my life. A hope that I might be special after all."

"You are special and what you are saying is true," said Gracie, "and I'm sure Sable is very happy that you love and care for her so much."

"She's my Mom," said Roll, "She wanted to be. What kind of daughter would I be if I didn't want her happiness just as much as she wants mine?" Gracie chuckled.

"Well, you've always had a big heart," said Gracie, "Just keep up having faith and things will just fall into place. Christmas is the time for miracles after all."

"True," said Roll, "I got to be a princess for a day." Gracie laughed.

"Well you're always gonna be a princess to everyone around here," she replied and Roll smiled, feeling much better. Once it was closer to eight o'clock, she bid Gracie goodbye, put her pumps back on her feet and headed towards Nook's homes. She still wanted to ask Tom Nook a few questions regarding Sable before she went home. She assumed since his office closed up shop around this time that he would have the free time to chat. She arrived inside just as the clock struck eight. However, she had walked into what was probably a personal conversation.

"Come on Tom," said Lyle sternly as he kept poking Tom's personal potbelly, "Every year. Every year since the city. Lock yourself up. All alone. Nobody but you. Especially during holidays. Need to get out. Need to be with family. Need to be with friends. When Lyle is right, he is right. BOOM! Need to stop walling up. Gotta get out there! Spend time with those who care. Those you love. BANG!" Tom just sighed as he rolled his eyes at the river otter.

"Lyle, we've been through this before, yes," Tom replied, "I'm not the same tanooki I used to be. Sure, I'm not the greedy Scrooge people use to think of me, but that doesn't mean that I've learned to forgive myself for how cold I've been to others over the years. Especially...especially to...her..." Lyle just sighed and shook her head.

"Tom," he replied going back to his regular way of talking, "We friends. Been friends. Not just workers. Not associates. Boom. Confront Sable. Yes. Confront her you must. What are you afraid of?" Tom just said nothing, but just looked at his feet.

"I just...I already know that the damage is done," said Tom, "You can't turn back the clock. I'm...not who I used to be..."

"Hmm, you think past self dead," Lyle replied, "but don't think so. Past not dead. Just older. Wiser. Bang!"

"Please Lyle, I don't need to be reminded that I'm a miserable old man," said Tom indignantly.

"Not what I meant!" Lyle replied, "still in prime years. Yes? Yes. Read birth certificate. Not that old. Boom."

"I'll try to forget you said that, yes?" Tom remarked with a glare.

"Ex...excuse me?" Roll replied, making them Tom jumped in shock and quickly waved his hands frantically to recompose himself in a professional manner.

"Ahh, good evening there Miss Roll," said Tom, "You arrived just in time. How may I be of service, hmm?"

"Actually Tom," said Roll, "I arrived just now because I wanted to...umm...well..." Suddenly Roll didn't exactly feel comfortable asking Tom her original questions. She wanted to help Sable, but she felt like she was betraying her by telling the tanooki what Sable had told her last night. Instead of being as direct, she decided to ask him a more...platonic question. Something...that would open up a more proper place for a conversation.

"What is it, hmm?" he asked. Roll just thought quickly for the right words and found just what she was looking for.

"Tom...I...I was just about to head back home since I'm staying with the Able Sisters for the holidays," Roll began slowly, "and...well...I..."

"Yes?" he asked rather skeptically, giving Roll the impression that he had an idea what she was trying to say. However, Roll stuck to her planned question.

"I'm feeling a little lonely and I wanted to know if you wanted to take the train home together," said Roll, "even a independent twelve year old needs a strong man to escort her home in the dark so she gets there safely." Tom just looked a little baffled as Roll discreetly turned her head and made a face to herself.

"I can't believe I just said that," she muttered under her breath so no one could hear her. Tom wasn't sure about what to say and just looked at Lyle with a blank look. Lyle just tilted his head as a clue for him to say something. He found the offer rather cute, but Tom felt a bit suspicious since he had a good hunch Roll had heard what was supposed to be a private conversation. Roll just gave him a shy look before turning away. His blank stare was making her feel embarassed.

"I guess that was pretty awkward," said Roll quietly, now just feeling dumb about even asking, "I'll just see you later Tom." Tom was almost tempted to call the blonde girl out for trying to guilt him, but he knew better. Roll wasn't the kind of girl to guilt anybody into anything. He soon realized she was just embarassed about her little comment about being looked after.

"Very well," said Tom, "Just let me lock things up and I'll escort you home, hmm. (And hopefully the train station is as far as she'll make me go.)" That last part was inside his mouth and luckily Roll didn't hear him as she gave him a warm smile.

"Thank you," said Roll, "I know this sounds sudden, but...I figured you get lonely heading back home by yourself. I thought you would like a little company. If...you don't mind someone like me to hang out with." Tom couldn't help but crack a smile.

"It's not often a cute girl wants my company," said Tom, "(Sable being the only other girl who did.)"

"Huh?" Roll asked, hearing him mumble something but didn't understand the words.

"Nothing, nothing!" said Tom quickly, wanting to drop the subject, "I'll just get my coat and we'll be on our way, yes."

"I'll do it. No trouble. No biggie. Handle things here! Yes I will! Girl needs to get home. Yes she does, BANG!" Lyle replied. Tom just conceded quietly as he grabbed his yellow jacket and then he and Roll headed out of the shop, down main street, and towards the train station. Yet Tom took notice that from the time they left to the time they got on the train. Roll held his right hand and never let go. In fact, she was still holding his hand when they sat down together as their train left the station.

"Umm...Roll?" said Tom.

"Yes Tom?" Roll asked with a cute smile on her face. Tom felt a little bad to say it, but he needed some answers. He pointed down below where she was holding his hand. Roll gasped and quickly let go and put both her hands on her lap.

"Sorry," said Roll, feeling embarassed once more, "It's just...when I held your hand. I felt so...safe. For a moment, I felt I was...holding the hand of my father..." Tom was rather surprised at her explanation as Roll looked at him insecurely.

"Pretty dumb huh?" she remarked.

"Not...really," said Tom, trying not to get a bit flustered at being compared to a father, "I mean...I'm aware of your issues with your mother, but...how were things with your father, hmm?" Roll just sighed to herself quietly, lifting her feet partially in and out of her shoe subconsciously.

"I never knew him," Roll answered, "He walked out on me after I was born. I think my mom sent him away. After that, Isabelle was able to find out that he had died a few years ago, but no one knows what was the cause of it. In the end, he didn't want me either. So...I've never had a father in my life...ever..." Roll wiped her eyes since they had begun to tear a bit from her story. Tom looked at her sadly.

"Well...if holding my hand helped you in any way," said Tom, "then I'm glad I could help you." Roll just smiled as she got comfortable on her seat for a moment before remembering something that she had wanted to talk to the Tanooki about.

"Tom?"

"Yes Roll," Tom answered gently.

"I...I did hear part of the discussion between you and Lyle," Roll confessed, "I hope you know I won't tell anyone about it." Tom just looked at her with a straight face, but inside he was rather worried for a moment until Roll had said she wouldn't say anything.

"Oh...umm...very good then," said Tom, "We'll keep this between you and me, hmm?"

"Sure," said Roll, "I'd think it be better if you told Sable yourself how you feel." Tom's eyes widened in shock for a moment before he shook his head to recompose himself.

"I...uhh...I..." he stuttered.

"Do you hate my mother?" Roll asked with a glare, wanting to know the truth. Tom was a bit flabbergasted for a moment before he cleared his throat.

"N-no," said Tom, "Of course not. I could never hate Sable. Why...does she think that of me?" Roll wanted to say no, but she knew Sable needed to tell him herself.

"I can't say," said Roll, "but I just don't understand why you and her let your friendship fall apart like that. Unless you...didn't think the other was worth it..." Tom's jaw just dropped.

"Not worth it?" Tom exclaimed, "Perish the thought dear Roll! How could you think such a thing, hmm?"

"That's how I'd felt when my mother gave up on me," said Roll, "Must have been something wrong with me..." Tom just felt his heart break.

 _Sable...not worth it?_

 _Not worth it?_

 _I'm not worth it..._

 _Tom, I'm not worth it. I never will be! Never will be!_

Tom felt his eyes water. Remembering the day he had exploded at her. The day their friendship had been lost forever. The day Sable left him to fall apart. Had she abandoned him? Or was it...that he had turned his back on her? He quickly wiped his eyes, not wanting Roll to see the heart ache he was feeling inside.

"There is nothing wrong with you," said Tom, wanting to get the conversation off of himself, "Anyone who can't accept you, they are the ones with the problem."

"So...you don't find anything wrong with Sable?" she asked. Tom sighed. He really didn't want to discuss this, but he could feel Roll's stare penetrating his soul. He didn't know that she had been video chatting with Shenran's little sister Fluttershy to learn her special "stare". It seemed to be working because Tom felt like he had no choice but to talk. He just couldn't ignore her questions without feeling guilty.

"There is nothing wrong with Sable," said Tom quickly, "Sable is perfect." He left it at that, not wanting to go into detail about the past. He should've known Sable would confide in her new daughter about it. That was why he said this next:

"I'm surprised you don't hate me right now," Tom added, "I'm sure Sable has shared our past with you, both the good...and the bad, yes?" Roll softened her glare and nodded.

"Yes, she has," said Roll, "but she's never said anything bad about you. Obviously mistakes were made and possibly things were said that you both regret. But in the end, was it worth just...letting the friendship just fall apart? Wasn't it worth...fighting for?" Roll then added this for personal reasons.

"I'm still afraid that if I ever have a rough patch with Sable," said Roll quietly, "She'll give up on me...and on our friendship." Tom was just left speechless. He just couldn't see Sable as the type of girl who would turn their back on anyone. Even when the whole situation with Labelle happened, he knew Sable never stopped loving and supporting her. It was her own insecurities why it had taken years for the two hedgehogs to reconcile. He didn't have much more time to ponder about it when the train suddenly came to stop in front of the town where the special characters lived. Tom himself didn't reside in this area, but rather in a private estate at the next station. Roll just looked at him as she rose to her feet.

"Thank you for riding with me Tom," said Roll, giving him a light curtsy, "I know it's none of my business but...I just really hope that someday you and Sable will be able to sort things out and be friends again. There is nothing more valuable in this world than a true friend." Tom just looked at her with his tired eyes before giving her a warm smile before he stood up as well.

"Tom?" Roll asked surprised.

"As I recall," said Tom, "you said you wanted an escort home. And this tanooki keeps his word. I won't leave your side until you are safe and sound at the Able Sister's cottage. And besides, I...want to say hello to Sable." Roll's eyes lit up excitedly as he grabbed his hand and almost pulled him out of the train towards the Able's cottage. She was hoping that maybe the two would be able to at least take the first step in mending their broken friendship together. It didn't take too long before Roll knocked on the door and Sable came rushing out and glomped her tightly.

"Thank goodness I was so worried!" said Sable, "Where have you been all this time young lady?"

"In...Animal Town," said Roll as a matter of fact, "I'm the mayor, Momma. Remember?" Sable just glared before she sighed to herself, feeling rather silly for such an obvious fact.

"Well, next time leave a message that you're gonna be out so late," said Sable firmly.

"Sorry, Momma," said Roll as she walked inside, slipped off her pumps, and stretched her toes a bit inside the house, "As you can see, I was in good hands." Sable looked at her puzzled for a moment until she noticed the tanooki standing nearby.

"Oh? Oh! My goodness! Tom! I'm so sorry," Sable stuttered, "Why...why don't you come in? I...I can give you something to warm up for a bit." Tom just looked at her blankly with his tired eyes. Sable had no clue that Tom was just staring at her, inwardly overjoyed to be seeing him face to face at the moment.

"That...would be very nice, thank you," said Tom softly as he made his way in. Roll took his coat and giggled to herself.

 _So far so good_ , She thought to herself. She just smiled as she hung up the coat and turned to head towards the kitchen she saw a certain brown hedgehog giving her a stern glare.

"Roll," she said slowly.

"Yes Momma?" Roll asked with an innocent smile and hands behind her back.

"Why is Tom here?" Sable asked in a whisper, "Didn't I tell you to just drop it?" Roll just looked at her sadly.

"Is he not welcome here anymore?" Roll asked her. Sable was a bit baffled at her question and growled silently.

"Roll, don't do that," she said sternly, "do go turning into Mabel on me!"

"Then answer my question!" said Roll in the same tone, "If you don't want him here, why did you invite him inside instead of sending him off on his merry way? And don't you dare say proper etiquette. I'm not that stupid!"

"You're not stupid at all," Sable shot back in a loud whisper, "I...I just...what did you say to him?" Roll glared as she rested both her hands on her hips.

"I just said that I wanted someone to escort me home," said Roll honestly, "I thought that we would just ride the train to the train station here and then he would leave me to come home alone. But no, he offered to bring me to your house. He said he wanted to see you! What was I supposed to say? No?"

"Well...yes...I mean no...I mean...ugh..." Sable replied, tugging her hair in frustration.

"Look Mom," said Roll, "I never intended to bring him here and _you_ were the one who invited him inside instead of sending him away." Sable knew by now she was fighting a losing battle as Tom approached.

"Is there something wrong Sable?" he asked, "Am I...intruding?" Now Sable really felt like she was backed into a corner.

"No! Not at all!" said Sable with a nervous chuckle, "I was just talking to my baby girl is all. She just had Mommy worried. I...I...I think I left the oven on!" Sable then dashed away and nearly tripped since she had on another ankle skirt and her foot got caught in the material. She quickly recollected herself and headed towards the kitchen corner. Tom just watched her scurry away and just sighed to himself as he took a seat on the nearby ranch sofa. Roll just sighed sadly to herself.

"This is gonna be harder than I thought," said Roll as she just sat on the floor and rubbed her cool ankles a bit with her hands.

Her ankles weren't cold. She just did it to help her gather her thoughts. Don't knock it until you try it.

 **The dress Roll was wearing at the beginning is the Pompomurin dress from the Sanrio amiibo cards. Kudos to you if you've got a set. I'm still looking for my own.**

 **Pikopuri is an actual Japanese Magazine that often features several types of QR codes and designs, especially Animal Crossing. It would make sense the Animal World would have one in public places to read and purchase.**

 **And I am fully aware that I "seem" to be excluding alot of the Toy Day elements by referencing Christmas, but don't worry. Toy Day will take place in this story. Just not the way you expect. Our focus for now is the seemly broken friendship between Tom Nook and Sable.**

 **See you next time.**


	55. Christmas Angel Part 2

Christmas Angel Part 2

Roll just continued to put the bottoms of her feet together as she sat on the floor in deep thought when Sable walked up to her.

"What are you doing down there?" she asked curiously as she knelt beside the blonde girl.

"Oh...just...thinking," said Roll quietly as she held her ankles.

"Not putting yourself down I hope," Sable remarked.

"No, not at all," said Roll, "this is just what I like to do when I'm...thinking. It's how I've always done it, even before coming to Animal Town."

"Why not sit on one of the sofas?" Sable asked, "or a chair or one of the beds upstairs."

"The floor is fine with me," said Roll, "I dusted and vacuumed it today." Sable just sighed, seeing that it was just another of her daughter's little quirks that made her special.

"Very well," said Sable, "but can you give me a hand in the kitchen. I'm making Tom something to eat and a warm drink before he heads for home."

"I thought you were just giving him some tea or coffee?" Roll asked.

"I heard his stomach rumble and volunteered to make him something to eat," said Sable quickly.

"Going to alot of trouble keeping him here," said Roll as a matter of fact, "I thought you didn't want him here." Sable just rolled her eyes.

"Just help me prepare the tea please," said Sable, not hiding the irritation in her tone.

"Okay, okay," said Roll and said softly, "Not my fault you don't want to be honest with yourself." Sable just pointed for Roll to get going. Roll said nothing and headed into the kitchen to get the tea ready while Sable prepared Tom's sandwich. Tom just sat quietly on the sofa, not saying a word. Truth be told, he was a little nervous speaking to Sable. He felt that way every time they had their lunch ins. Actually, he had always felt something inside ever since they were children. He never really understood what that feeling was. Even as an adult, he still struggled understanding what it was that made his heart flutter and caused him to become very shy and insecure whenever he was around Sable. Until he had left for the city, those insecurities had actually mellowed for the most part, but after all that had happened since his return to Animal Town, he felt more insecure than ever. Sable felt the same way, yet she was surprised herself by the fact she kept finding ways to keep him at the house.

 _If I want him out of here, why do I keep finding ways for him to stay...oh not again!_ Sable once again found her feet moving towards the tanooki. She just couldn't fight the urge to try and speak to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked before she could close her mouth and turn away. Tom stuttered several times and nearly tumbled of the sofa when he heard Sable speak to her. Apparently he had been in deep through.

"Yeah! Of...of course," Tom continued to stutter, "I...I was just in deep thought...that is all, yes?" Sable just nodded, but inside she was screaming for her legs to turn her around and leave, but she could not move. She just found it more and more difficult to not speak to him. She never realized how badly she wanted to talk to him. Whether it was insanity or courage that gave her the push to speak, she wasn't sure, but in the end, she knew she had to try. Not just for Roll, or her sisters, but for herself. Yet, for the moment, all she could do was a stare at her feet as she rubbed them together.

"More business I suspect?" she asked, trying hard not to hide her tone of sadness but failed miserably.

"Not exactly," Tom answered quietly and then added, "Life isn't always about business you know." He couldn't help but sound a tad defensive about it, but he regret it when he saw how sad Sable looked.

"Right...of course...how...stupid of me to think otherwise," said Sable as she finally found that ability to turned her feet around so she could head back into the kitchen.

"Sorry" Sable was struck frozen stiff. Tom...said he was...sorry? She was in disbelief and turned around to face him again.

"What...what did you say?" she asked, her voice squeaking a bit when she spoke. Tom just looked at her, his tired eyes hiding any emotions that were raging inside of the tanooki's heart.

"I said sorry," said Tom, "Sorry...for getting so defensive. I...I guess...sigh...never mind Sable...I'm just being an idiot."

"You're not an idiot," said Sable without even thinking, "even you have feelings. What's on your mind, Tom?" Tom just said nothing but just looked away. Once the silence started to make things feel a bit awkward, Sable just chuckled nervously to herself.

"Well, I better get your sandwich ready," said Sable shyly, "I'm sure you're pretty hungry after such a busy day." Tom just nodded as Sable did a quick one-eighty, making her skirt flow effortlessly as she quickly headed back into the kitchen.

"You look nice this evening," he added before clasping his mouth and hoped Sable hadn't heard. She did, but kept her back against him since her cheeks were now a bright shade of pink.

"Thanks," she squeaked, feeling rather bashful as a small smile crept onto her face and went back to the kitchen. She found that Roll had finished prepping the sandwich and was now pouring the tea into a spare cup, even adding some sugar for good measure.

"Everything is ready," said Roll with a smile, "You can give it to him..."

"You take it over," said Sable, still feeling a bit flustered. Roll just looked at her sympathetically but shook her head no.

"You need to do it Mom," said Roll, "what's so wrong that he said you looked nice? I think you look beautiful. I tell you all the time."

"True, but...this...this is...different," said Sable, fingering with her hair insecurely.

"You really like him don't you," said Roll. Sable was ready to burst a loud and stern "no" from her mouth, but as soon as her mouth opened. She felt that someone ripped the voice right out of her throat and she lost her ability to speak...for a moment. She just let out a long sigh before looked at her timidly with teary eyes. Roll could see that Sable wasn't torn or confused...she looked...frightened, afraid, fearful...the blonde girl understood what Sable was feeling. It was feeling of a girl who wanted to have hope, but was afraid to be rejected because they felt the rejection would destroy them from the inside out. She knew very well how it felt to be afraid to say "I love you" to someone and not get it in return. Especially with what her own mother put her through.

"You really do understand my insecurities and fears," said Roll, "knowing you love someone and you don't know if they would even love you back. Most think that fear is just with romance, but it can be for familial or unconditional love too. I know it was for me." Sable nodded, trying not to cry. Roll just kissed her mother on the cheek before taking the tray that had Tom's sandwich and the tea towards the tanooki. Despite being worried about Sable, Roll quickly recomposed herself and put on a brave smile.

"Here you are, sir," said Roll cheerfully as she set the tray before him, "One sandwich fit for a king. And I mean that in a good way." Tom just said nothing but looked at the food with hungry eyes.

"I'm no king, Roll," said Tom simply, "A king is only a good ruler if he has his queen beside her. At least that is how I feel about it." He spoke those words as if they were an ancient truth. Roll maybe only twelve years old, but she had studied enough in her life to know what he was talking about.

"Good marriage advice," she replied, "Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?" Tom just sighed.

"Roll, let's face the facts," said Tom, "Sable doesn't want me here. She probably just felt sorry for me and that's the only reason I even have this food in front me right now. I think it would be best if I just excuse myself and leave. I can just pack the sandwich for home..."

"Tom, please don't," said Roll, "that's not true. Sable is just really shy. You should know that better than I do. You two did grow up together. She is pleased to see you." Tom closed his eyes remembering that good old days when they were like two peas on a pod. It brought a smile to his face for a moment, before is quickly disappeared.

"Yeah...guess something's never change," said Tom, "she was always so cute when she blushed."

"Momma is very cute," Roll replied with a giggle as when Sable zipped up next to her.

"Must you always embarrass me?" she asked with a glare. Roll just smirked.

"You don't need me to do that," she answered, "I'm not the one who glowed like a lightblub when Tom said you looked pretty." Sable just rolled her eyes at the blonde girl before turning to Tom,

"How the sandwich?" she asked as Tom took a huge bite out of it.

"Delicious as always, Sable," he replied once he had swallowed. Sable just nodded before dragging the blonde girl away by the arm.

"Listen Roll," said Sable, "I know you want us to rekindle our friendship and all, but...this situation just far more complicated than you realize."

"Are you sure about that Momma?" Roll answered, "I keep getting the feeling that you're making a bigger deal out of this then you need to. It just seems like there is so much that is left unsaid on both sides."

"Roll," Sable retorted, "Please...just let me handle this." Roll just sighed to herself.

"Mom, if I can be honest..."

"Trust me," said Sable, "I will handle this. I promise you." Roll was stunned at being interrupted but just looked at her sadly.

"I was only trying to help," said Roll, feeling rather hurt, "like you helped me. I'm not trying to force you into talking to Tom. Just giving you a little push in the right direction." Roll then walked away and headed upstairs without another word. Sable just watched her walk away before sighing to herself in defeat. She couldn't help but feel that Roll might be right and she was letting her fears get the better of her.

It wasn't much longer before Tom had finished eating and was standing just outside the house on the front porch. Sable was just standing outside the door, leaning against the edge of the opening as the snow continued to fall quietly as the two just stayed in place for a few seconds. Neither of them were sure about what to say to each other. Despite the chilly air, Sable was just fine without her jacket and had even left her shoes off since she hadn't stepped off the porch.

"So..." Sable began nervously.

"So," Tom replied back before they found it difficult to say anything else to one another.

"So...thanks for bringing Roll home," said Sable slowly.

"Sure...no...no problem, S-Sable," said Tom, "I...I guess I'll see you around then..."

"S-s-sure," said Sable, "We're...closing up til the start of the new year. I want to spend more time with my new daughter."

"Good, very good," said Tom and then ran out of things to say again, "Umm...happy...holidays then."

"Happy...holidays," said Sable as Tom just nodded and then slowly began to leave. Just as he left the fenced area in the front yard, he looked back. He found that Sable was watching him from her front door. When Sable saw he had caught her watching him, she quickly gasped and slammed the front door shut. Tom just sighed and walked sadly away. Sable was just trying to catch her breath before just sliding down the door so she was sitting on the floor. This has caused her ankle skirt to come up to her knees so she feebly tried to tuck it back down but having a hard time since she was sitting on the back of it. She just sat quietly for a moment before she recognized a pair of bare feet walk up to her and squat down in front of her. Sable just said nothing and refused to look at her.

"Mom," said Roll gently.

"You're mother is a coward!" Sable snapped as her eyes waters, "I choked. I just...just couldn't...talk to him! It was just...too hard. I failed. You picked a mother who is a failure! I can't do...anything..." Sable sniffled a few times before Roll just sat on her knees beside her.

"Okay...and are you expecting me to condemn you or something for that?" said Roll, "Confronting your own feelings and heartaches is hard. You were there when I had to confront my mother about my own aches and pains. I nearly lost my nerve...in fact, Momma, when Rosie, Bunnie and Margie were trying to get me to talk. I choked up too! I couldn't speak my mind. I was too scared! You have nothing to be ashamed of Momma. What happened to you tonight, used to happen to me." Sable just looked at her quietly, knowing what Roll said was true.

"Then...how did you overcome that," said Sable, "I'm an adult...and I haven't been able to overcome it. You came and did it within just a few months. I've been fighting for years...with very little success..." Roll pondered for a moment, even adjusting her position so she could hold her feet. Sable couldn't help but chuckle at Roll sitting that way, but then she saw the blonde's girl's face lit up.

"I was able to overcome it," said Roll, "Because I finally just said to myself, "enough is enough". I wasn't going to let her tear me apart anymore. I didn't want to live another day feeling like that anymore. If you don't want me, then that is your loss. I've got enough people in my life who love and accept me and that includes you. You have the same fears, doubts, and insecurities as I do. Why else...do you think I asked you to be my mother? You understand how I felt, and help me finally put my foot down and start believing in myself." Sable just smiled despite the fact she had started to cry a little.

"Roll...have you ever had the fear," she croaked, "the fear that if you have to face one more rejection..."

"...you would fall apart and want to give up even living?" Roll finished for her, "Sadly, I have. You remember when I found those articles of people criticizing me as mayor. Someone even said should be voted out of office and that I really nothing trash. It broke my spirit."

"Oh sweetie," said Sable as she held her close.

"I'm sure what happened between you and Tom broke your spirit didn't it?" Roll continued and Sable felt like she was going to burst into tears, but took a few deep breaths to stabilize herself. Roll just looked at her sympathetically.

"Mommy, why not just let go with me?" said Roll as she hugged her tightly, "you know I love you. Sometimes a good cry really does help you feel better." Sable just chuckled as a few tears did stream down her face but she quickly wiped them away.

"Just not ready I guess," she said honestly. Roll planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Why don't we change into our pajamas to relax a bit more?" said Roll, "I can make some more tea?"

"I'm not really in the mood to do anything right now," Sable replied sadly.

"Not even just sitting near the fire and cuddling," said Roll, "We don't need to talk about this anymore if you don't want to. Let's just cuddle. Plus the tea will help calm your nerves." Sable giggled. She used to hate having people take care of her, but ever since Roll came into her life, she welcomed it.

"I'd like that," said Sable, "And I guess I can see your point."

"About what?" Roll as she looked at her curiously. Sable pointed down and Roll saw that her mother had connected her feet and was holding her own ankles.

"Sitting like this on the floor and holding your bare feet does help you sort out your inner thoughts," Sable answered and Roll laughed.

"I really think we were meant to cross paths now," said Roll, "we are so much like in so many ways, both good and bad. You truly are my real Momma." Sable just smiled, deeply touched as Roll helped the hedgehog to her feet.

"We should start calling you the family Christmas Angel," said Sable, "You know how to bring light to even the darkest of spirits." Roll giggled as she gave her a hug. Sable returned it.

"Thanks sweetie," said Sable, "I'm feeling much better now."

"Good," said Roll, "now come on. Let's change and I'll make you some of that peppermint tea you love so much."

"I thought I used the last of it for Tom," said Sable. Roll smirked as she pulled out a large unopened box.

"I found some in bulk today," said Roll. Sable just giggled excitedly, for her daughter had come through for her once again, in her opinion. Roll was first to change into her winter pajamas in a pastel pink and left her hair in its pony tail with the matching headband. Then she went to get the tea prepared as Sable finished changing. Roll was just waiting for the water to get hot enough when she heard Sable come back downstairs. Roll nearly laughed when she saw that Sable was wearing the same pajamas as her. The only difference was that Sable's pants were a couple inches below her knees while Roll's pants ended right below the knee cap.

"What can I say?" Sable replied innocently, "you look so cute in your pajamas that I wanted my own pair. Hope you don't mind if we look alike?"

"Not at all Momma," said Roll, "Now we can look cute together. Twinsies!" They chuckled together as Sable just cuddled her from behind until the water was ready for their tea. The brown hedgehog really did feel like Roll was her own child. Their bond was so natural. And cuddling and talking to the blonde girl was so easy for her. She felt happier with Roll in her life. Once the tea was ready, Roll brought the tea pot of hot water and two tea cups to the ranch low table so they could just relax together on the sofa. Sable had to admit that after a few sips and allowing the cinnamon aroma to hit her nose that she did feel much more relaxed. Roll just held her hand as Sable just finished her cup quietly.

"I'm sorry if Tom's visit flustered you," said Roll, "I was only trying to see if it would open a door for you guys to finally talk things out and try to find peace with each other. Then you two could be friends again and you...you can finally be happy again." Sable just smiled as she pulled an arm around her and hugged her close to her.

"I know sweetie," said Sable, "and I'm sorry if I seemed rather upset earlier. I was more angry with myself cause I kept getting so flustered around him. I really wanted to speak my mind, but I kept losing my voice. I guess I don't deserve to be his friend."

"I don't agree with that," said Roll, "I...I even asked why, in his words, he doesn't try to spend more time with you when I was sitting with him at the station. I even asked if you were worth his time." Sable was surprised.

"Why...why did you ask him that?" she said with curiosity.

"Because...that's how I felt, regarding my mother, and all those people who hurt me," said Roll honestly, crossing her ankles subconsciously. Sable just nodded.

"And...what did he say?" she asked.

"He said...you were perfect," Roll replied. Sable just blushed lightly.

"I hope that helps you feel better in some way," said Roll, "Knowing Tom does think you're worthwhile. Obviously the problem isn't you."

"Maybe," said Sable, "but...do you really think he would tell me what was really bothering him?" Roll nodded.

"If you keep opening the door to him," said Roll, "and _telling_ him that the door is open."

"I get it," said Sable in exasperation, "but next time. Just let fate run its course. When the time is right, we will talk. But only when fate makes that decision, understand young lady?" Roll just sighed. She had this sinking feeling that it could be a LONG time before Sable ever opened up, but that really shouldn't matter to her. This was her mother and she would support her no matter what.

"Okay," said Roll as she leaned towards her so they could just enjoy the crackling fire together. However their peaceful fire and tea was cut short right away when two familiar sisters arrived home.

"Oh Sable!" said Mable in a very sing-song voice.

"We've got a surprise for you!" Labelle added in the same tone. Sable didn't fight back the urge to groan.

"I'm really not in the mood," she muttered.

"But you will for this type of surprise," said Mabel eagerly.

"Guess who we found at the train station?" Labelle asked her excitedly. Roll just face palmed herself and groaned before she realized something.

"Wait a second," said Roll, "if it's who I think it is...what time is it?"

"It's a little after 9:30pm," Mabel replied. Sable blinked in surprised as she looked at the nearby wall clock and found the blue hedgehog was right.

"You're pretty late," said Sable, "I thought you guys said your movie ended at 8:30?"

"It did," said Labelle, "but a blizzard just hit outside and it slowed the train down a bit."

"To make matters worse," Mabel added, "The bridge leading past this station collapsed due to heavy snow. So anyone who needed to go beyond our town is pretty much snowed in." Sable and Roll gasped together.

"Oh no!" said Sable, "When will they get that fixed?"

"Probably not until after Christmas," said Mabel, "This blizzard probably won't let up until tomorrow morning." Sable groaned inwardly once more when she saw a familiar tanooki appear.

"So...we found Tom Nook sitting alone at the train station," said Labelle as she held the tanooki close, "and we asked him to stay with us until the storm blows over and then he can find a way back home." Tom just waved nervously as Sable just smiled timidly.

"G-Great," said Sable, "he's...he's welcome...r-r-right sweetie?" Roll just turned her head to face the two sisters and Tom, her mother and back again twice before finding her voice.

"S-sure," said Roll with a smile on her face, "I...I...I mean if it's okay. He can borrow my bed since you've been having me sleep with you, Momma."

"I'll just...take the sofa Roll," said Tom, "Me sleeping with four girls upstairs probably wouldn't be a good idea, even if it's a separate bed." Roll just sighed, not seeing the big deal despite having the talk about the birds and the bees.

"Alright," said Roll. Sable just hugged her close to assure her the blonde girl had nothing to feel bad about. Mabel and Labelle just chuckled to each other since they found her offer cute.

"You're heart was in the right place," said Sable, "I'll make Tom some pajamas so you don't have to be stuck in your work clothes while you sleep."

"I don't mind..." Tom protested.

"I'm not taking no for an answer," Sable interrupted, "If you're gonna stay here, you might as well be as comfortable as possible! We have a spare bathroom where you can wash up once I'm done stitching them. Will you help me Roll?"

"Sure Momma," said Roll, "but can I at least get the sofa ready for him? At least he can enjoy the TV/DVD player while he waits."

"I don't mean to intrude..."

"Will you stop apologizing!" Labelle retorted, "As far as I'm concerned, you are still considered family around here and I see this blizzard as a blessing!"

"How?" Sable and Tom said together. Mabel glared.

"You two have been avoiding something between the two of you for years," said Mabel, "I don't think Tom got snowed up here by accident." Roll just looked down at her feet.

"It was my fault!" said Roll ashamed, "I was the one who asked him to bring me home earlier today and now he's stuck here because of me!"

"Roll..." said Sable, not believing her daughter was to blame. Tom rested a hand on Roll's shoulder.

"Roll, the bridge situation happened exactly as the 8:10 train was crossing it," said Tom, "that was the train we were on. If you hadn't convinced me to get off that train, I wouldn't be alive right now! Not that anyone would care..." That last sentence was under his breath, but he didn't know Sable had heard him. Yet she chose not to call him out on it.

"See Roll?" Sable comforted, "If it hadn't been for your kindness, Tom would have been on that train. You saved his life! I told you we should you our little Christmas Angel." Roll just looked at her and then smiled, feeling better. Labelle and Mabel giggled, finding the idea of Roll being an angel adorable.

"Well, glad some good has come out of a bad situation," Roll replied.

"In more ways than one!" Mabel whispered as Labelle snickered. Sable just rolled her eyes at them discreetly before standing up.

"Can you two take the things on the table to the kitchen while Roll and I prepare some pajamas for Tom over here?" She asked with much annoyance. Mabel and Labelle snickered to each other.

"Just don't have too much fun!" Labelle teased.

"EW!" Roll spluttered, "I'm staying with them you know!"

"She doesn't have to..."

"Yes she does," Sable interrupted Mabel, "Not get moving and get the teapot and cups washed at once!" The two sisters just rolled their eyes as they took the tray and began to clean the teapot and cups. Roll rushed up stairs to grab the blankets for Tom and the two sisters soon followed upstairs to change. This left the tanooki alone with the brown hedgehog. Once again, they were at a loss for words.

"I'm sorry I'm intruding so much," said Tom quietly, "I know you don't want me here and..."

"Tom, if that was the case," said Sable, "I wouldn't have asked you to come in earlier tonight or let you stay here. So stop acting like I hate you. Now make yourself at home while I get you some pajamas ready. Do you prefer top n bottoms or a nightshirt?" Tom just shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever is less troublesome, hmm?" he replied. Sable just hummed.

"Top n bottoms it is," said Sable.

"Those the easier of the two, yes?" he asked her.

"No, they're harder," said Sable bluntly as she headed into her work room. Tom was taken aback by her comment but then just shook his shock off and took a seat back on the sofa as he tried to relax a bit. He didn't rest for long before Roll arrived carrying a huge collection of blankets with a pillow on the top.

"These should keep you nice and warm for the night," said Roll as she set them down next to Tom, "Umm...which side of the sofa you want your pillow on?" Tom just looked at her quietly for a moment before answering.

"Makes no difference to me," said Tom, "But are you sure it's really okay that I stay here?"Roll just looked at him for a moment before just giving him a smile.

"If Sable says so," said Roll, "Then you can take her word for it. Our home is your home now, Tom. So you just get comfortable okay. I was really hoping that you would join us for Christmas anyway."

"Actually I was just gonna make a call to Lyle to see if I can stay with him for the holidays in the morning," said Tom.

"You're not going anywhere!" said Sable as she popped out of the work room, "This blizzard is not supposed to let up completely until late Christmas eve! It's been a long time since we've shared a Christmas together and it appears fate has brought us together for a reason. So...let's just make the best of it okay?" Sable couldn't help but raise her voice at Tom. Roll was rather baffled by her mother's determination to keep Tom around, especially since not just an hour ago she was having anxiety with him being here. Tom was left with nothing to say and just looked away. Sable just looked at him sadly.

"Unless you don't want to spend Christmas with me," said Sable before she could stop the words from leaving her mouth. She even clasped her mouth as a clue she didn't want to say that aloud, but it was too late. Tom had heard her loud and clear and walked up to her.

"If you want me here," said Tom, "then I'll stay." He said it so plain and simple, but Sable knew better. She could see it in his eyes. He wanted to be there just as much as she did. Yet she could also see pain in eyes. Whether it had to do with her or something else, she couldn't be sure, but she did know that she wanted to help him. She wasn't gonna just sit in a corner and leave things unsaid. This was her chance to mend their friendship and she wasn't gonna let this opportunity pass her by.

"Thank you," said Sable quietly, "Roll, can you help me with Tom's pajamas please."

"Sure Momma," she replied, "I just finished setting the blankets on the sofa." Sable nodded as Tom headed back to the sofa and Roll followed Sable into the work room. Once Roll had locked the door, she rushed over to the brown hedgehog.

"Momma, are you sure you're okay he's here?" said Roll, "I ask because you were so flustered earlier and..." Sable put a finger over Roll's lips as a clue to stop talking. Roll did, but she still wanted an answer.

"I am," said Sable, "I made a promise to you and I am going to keep it. I've put this off long enough and unless one of us speaks up, nothing is ever going to change. I guess I've come to the point where enough is enough. It's time I stopped thinking of all the reasons why I'm not good enough and actually try to set things right between us."

"Okay," said Roll, "but I really need you to understand something Momma." Sable looked at her as she took a seat behind the sewing machine she had in there.

"Don't just do it for me, or your sisters," said Roll, "Do this...because you want your best friend back. Things might not be the same as they were in the past, but who said that has to be a bad thing?" Sable just listened quietly before giving Roll a warm smile and hugged her.

"I know sweetie," said Sable, "and I appreciate all the support you're giving me. Now let's get these pajamas ready for Tom so he can be more comfortable for the night." Roll nodded as she stood close by for whatever Sable wanted her to do. Within the hour, Sable had made Tom a nice winter blue shirt and matching pajama pants for him to wear, along with a nightcap for good measure. When they had finished, Sable exited the work room and presented them to Tom, who was just sitting alone with Labelle and Mabel, who had already changed into their own pajamas for the night when Sable approached them. Mabel's were a sports tee with knee length sweat pants. Labelle had a night shirt that came an inch below her knees.

"Here you go," said Sable, "These should help you sleep well tonight."

"You...you made this for me?" said Tom in surprise.

"Of course," said Sable, "I mean...did you think I was gonna make you sleep in your work clothes? Heaven forbid! I'm also gonna make you some casual clothes so you can at least wear something warm for the outside and comfortable on the inside for during the day too."

"But my shop..."

"Is closed from now until after Christmas, yes?" she asked. Tom just said nothing but then nodded quietly. Sable noticed how glum he looked and sighed to herself. She thought he was depressed about missing work, but actually he was guilty for even bringing up his shop. Sable just rolled her eyes at him as she handed him the pajamas.

"There's more to life than just work you know," she said, slightly irritated.

"The same could be said for you," said Tom quietly.

"What?" Sable asked, feeling rather offended.

"Never mind," said Tom, "T-thanks for the pajamas. Sorry." He looked away, knowing he probably said the wrong thing. Sable just glared before sighing to herself and sadly walked back into the work room. He noticed Mabel and Labelle glaring at him.

"I get it, bad choice of words," he said angrily, "staying behind a sewing machine all day isn't the same as someone who works and never takes a day off I suppose. Now is there a place I can change into these? Please?" His please was an afterthought to avoid being rude, but the girls just said nothing. They didn't like his tone of voice...until they saw his face soften and saw how guilty he felt.

"There's a spare bathroom over there," said Mabel, "it also has a shower so you can wash up if you want to do it now or in the morning." Tom just nodded.

"Thank you," he answered quietly before Labelle placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything is going to be okay," said Labelle, "the time will come when you two can talk." Tom just said nothing, but they could tell he looked worried as he headed into the bathroom the change. Mabel and Labelle just looked at each other worried.

"Do you think they can finally settle things instead of avoiding each other?" Mabel asked her older sibling. Labelle just took a long deep breath.

"All we can do is hope little sister," Labelle answered quietly, "All we can do is hope." Mabel just cuddled up to her, letting a few tears stream out of her eyes. She had been wanting Sable to confront Tom for years and she was at her wits end waiting for Sable to settle all that baggage she had been stuffing down inside of her. If Sable let _this_ opportunity pass by...Mabel wasn't sure if Sable would ever find happiness or if she would be willing to help her oldest sister anymore.

The next morning, Tom was awakened by lovely scent of what appeared to be fresh muffins baking in the kitchen. He slowly sat up, creaking his back as he tried to stretch a bit before standing up. Sable just watched him do his little stretching before speaking up.

"Good morning sleepy head," she teased, "Did you sleep okay in the sofa?" Tom just blinked his eyes a bit as his vision came into focus. He noticed that Sable was already dressed, wearing a snowy white turtle neck sweater with an ice blue color folded sailor skirt that came an inch below her knees with a white headband that had a bow in the left side in her hair. Tom thought she looked absolutely beautiful, but was afraid to say it.

"Y-yes, I did," said Tom, "Those blankets you gave me were nice and warm. I slept like a baby."

"I could tell," said Sable, "You were always so cute when you sleep." Sable then realized what had come out of her mouth and quickly turned her face away as her face turned bright red. Tom's face was also red as he turned away to avoid drawing any more attention to himself.

"Umm...thanks?" he replied nervously as Sable just cleared her throat a bit before trying to continue.

"Why don't you go get washed up and dressed while I get some breakfast ready?" said Sable, unable to look at him directly due to her still flushed face.

"Alright," Tom answered, "but...where's the rest of your..."

"You mean _the_ family?" said Sable, making it clear he was included, "They already ate and are out playing in the snow."

"I guessing Roll just wore a flat shoe instead of show boots, hmm?" he asked, wanting to find some sort of conversation subject they could talk about.

"That's my daughter for you," said Sable, "she's got a very high tolerance for the cold air. She actually has a buckle shoe so they don't fall off when they go sledding down the hill nearby and they are more secure for when Mabel starts a snowball fight. That blue hedgehog has always succeeded in sneaking attacking me with a snowball for years. I gave Roll best of luck trying to attack her first." Tom couldn't resist chuckling and it brought a smile to Sable's face.

"Glad to see you smiling," she said softly. Tom just smiled back before he realized he was staring and recomposed himself.

"Well...I'll go get dressed for breakfast then," said Tom.

"It's a date," said Sable before she covered her mouth.

"What did you say?" Tom asked, not hearing her completely. Sable just turned away, her cheeks burning.

"I...I said...try not to be late," said Sable with a nervously chuckle, "which probably makes no sense since there isn't a time limit. It's just breakfast after all." Sable wanted to shoot herself at this point but Tom just chuckled to himself.

"It's alright Sable," said Tom, "I'll get dressed and have breakfast with you. See you in a few minutes okay." Sable just glanced over her shoulder, feeling too shy so say anything in fear of letting something else she didn't want to say come out of her mouth.

"Okay," she squeaked as Tom turned to leave. She waited until she heard the bathroom door lock and then she released a sigh of relief as she slid against the side of the kitchen Island and sat on the floor, adjusting her skirt as she got comfortable.

"Why do I feel like I can't control my lips anymore?" said Sable, "Do I love him...more than a friend?" Sable just wasn't sure. Her mind was racing a mile a minute just thinking about it. The idea of her falling for Tom...frightened her.

"One step at a time Sable," she told herself, "Focus on mending the friendship first, feelings...later...much later..."

Within ten minutes Tom had dressed into the outfit Sable had made for him, which consisted of a nicely knitted blue sweater with some chino pants. Sable was waiting for him at the kitchen table with their breakfast as he arrived adjusting his sweater a bit.

"Does it fit okay?" she asked. Tom just looked at her and smiled.

"Perfectly," said Tom, "I'm surprised you got my size so perfectly."

"Well, I had to take this into consideration," she replied, tapping his "potbelly". Tom just snorted.

"I get it," he remarked, "Timmy and Tommy are always telling me to exercise more, but I'm just too busy." Sable chuckled.

"Fair enough," said Sable, "but for now, let's eat. I'm hungry." Tom then found himself being escorted to the table so he and Sable could enjoy breakfast together. The meal itself was rather quiet as they just ate their fill and then Sable cleared the table. Tom even offered to help and Sable just smiled bashfully as they worked together to clear the table and clean up the kitchen.

"And that is the last plate," said Tom once they had finished, "I forgot how we used to make such a good team."

"Indeed," said Sable, "Now that breakfast is out of the way I do have one question in mind..."

"Yes?" he asked curiously as Sable walked up to him with an excited smile.

"Do you wanna make a snowman?" she asked. Tom was a left speechless by her request.

"A...snowman?" he asked, still surprised at Sable's request.

"Why not?" said Sable, "age is just a number and who says we can't have some fun in the snow?" Tom wasn't sure what to think about the idea, but rather than question it. He just sighed to himself.

"If it will make you happy," he replied. Sable bounced on her feet before grabbing his arm and they both headed towards the door. Once Sable found herself some short boots and Tom had put on his black loafers. They headed outside to find a good place to build their special snowman. As with breakfast, they stayed fairly quiet as they gathered the snow into a pair of snowballs and rolled them into the perfect sizes needed for a nicely sized snowman. Tom worked on the bottom while Sable made the top snowball. Once the head was the right size, Tom helped her set it on top of the large snowball. Unlike the snow persons made in the villager towns, this one didn't automatically come to life. So Sable and Tom decorated him the old fashioned way. Fortunately, Sable had brought along some pieces of coal and two buttons for them to make a face. Well, she left Tom to build the face, while she decided to look around for some twigs for arms as Tom did his work. He had just finished when he heard someone approaching.

"Hey handsome," said a rather flirty voice.

"Huh?" said Tom stunned when he felt something cold hit him in the back of the head. He felt his head to find that it was snow. Someone had pelted him in the back of the head with a snowball.

"Very funny," he snorted as he wiped his head clean.

"You're cute when you get mad," said the voice.

"Alright! Who's the wise...ack!" Tom turned to face the direction the first snowball came from and was then beaned again by another snowball to the back of the head. This time the voice began to laugh. Tom then recognized her laugh.

"Sable?" said Tom as he turned around and found her laughing at him, "You...you threw the snowball at me?" Sable just smiled at him with her hands behind her back.

"Not I?" said Sable innocently. Tom just rolled her eyes at her before bending down and began to fiddle with the snow. Sable gasped silently.

"No Tom no!" she pleaded as Tom threw a snowball at her. This one hit her square in the face, sending her tumbling over so she was laying face first in the snow. Tom just smirked for a moment before he heard the sound of Sable sniffling and she hadn't moved either.

"Oh no," he groaned and rushed over to her, "Sable? Sable! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

SPLAT!

As soon as Tom tried to turn Sable over, Sable shot a snowball right at Tom's face, causing it to explode and blanketing his muzzle with fresh snow. Tom looked indignant before Sable lay on her back laughing herself silly. Tom just glared at her before wiping the snow away.

"Two can play at that game, yes!" he said as he bent down to make some snowballs of his own. Sable shrieked as she got up and crawled away as quickly as she could, trying to dodge his incoming snowballs as she tried to make a few of her own. They spent hours tossing snowballs at each other, laughing and enjoying each other's company until Tom lunged at her before she could throw another, sending them tumbling down a small hill. They rolled about a few times before landing into a snow bank together, laughing as Tom landed on top of her. As he got off of her, he looked into her brown eyes. Sable just looked back at him , smiling as he helped her to her feet. She couldn't stop smiling as she held his hand and they just continued to stroll through the winter snow.

By the time the sun began to set in the horizon, the snowfall had picked up outside as well as some cold winds as the second wave of the blizzard came in. So they returned home just as Mabel, Labelle, and Roll had arrived after a fun day at the snow. While the two sisters just glared at the fact Roll said she wasn't cold despite being outside all day, bottom half of her legs fully exposed to the snow in just a buckle shoe. Sable and Tom just walked into the living hand in hand and prepared the fire place. The three just smiled at one another and quietly excused themselves upstairs so Sable and Tom could be alone. Once the fire was crackling on its own, Tom took a seat next to Sable, who just smiled at him peacefully.

"I've really missed this," said Sable, "being able to spend time with you and have fun like we used to...before...before...you left for the city..." Sable suddenly felt her sadness reemerge and she just looked away sadly. Tom just sighed to himself as he looked away.

"I had a dream Sable," said Tom softly, "I wanted to pursue it. I thought I could do anything and I could accomplish anything I set my mind too. But...I was wrong." Sable just turned to listen to him attentively.

"The city...is a very cruel place," said Tom sadly, "Either you make it...or you don't. There is no in between. I was one of the millions who didn't. I tried everything I could do to overcome the hardships, even making decisions I regret, but in the end. I still failed."

"Why...why didn't you reach out to me?" Sable asked, "especially when you were struggling so badly? I could've helped?"

"How?" Tom snapped, "You were busy trying to save your family business! You had to raise Mabel! All alone I might add! What could you have done?!" Sable looked deeply hurt as her eyes began to water, but she could feel her anger surge.

"So it's true!" said Sable, "You do think I'm completely useless!"

"I never said that!" Tom argued.

"You just did!" Sable barked, tears now streaming down her face, "You just said that there was nothing I could do!"

"Because there wasn't!" yelled Tom, "You couldn't save my business from failing, you couldn't help me pay that rent that was months overdue. You couldn't get me the help I needed to turn my bad luck around, or the money needed to do so!" Sable just sniffled as she glared at him fiercely.

"You listen and you listen good Thomas Nook!" Sable said sternly as Tom cringed at being called his full name, "I not might have been able to do all of those things! But I certainly could have given you something that money can't buy. Moral support! Sympathy. Encouragement. And maybe even Love! Yes I said it! LOVE! When you were broken, I could have put you back together! When you lost your hope, I could give you some of mine. Even if it wasn't much, it would still be everything I had to give! I could have been there for you to help you get back on your feet and reminded you that you can do anything!"

"Do you really think that would have made a difference?" Tom asked loudly.

"How would you know?" Sable yelled, now crying as well, "You never even tried! You just pushed me away. First by stopping the letters we promised to write to each other. Then by pushing me away that night I went to see you when you came home! You could have confided in me. I would have never condemned you! Even if you failed, I would still be proud of you and supported you. Because that is what friends do!" Tom just looked at her, feeling his guilty start to surge inside. He didn't know if he was gonna explode or burst into tears. He just turned away, not wanting Sable to see his walls crumble. But Sable took his silence as ignoring her and she began to break down.

"You're no different than anyone else in my life," Sable cried out, "They all just turn their back on me and abandon me. You were my best friend! You gave me hope and you taught me to dream! Then you dumped me into the garbage like the rest! I thought I was special and in the end it was all a lie! All I am to you is just a stupid, worthless, ugly hedgehog!"

"Sable SHUT UP!" Tom screamed angrily, "I am so sick and tired of you saying that about yourself. None of that is true! I just learned that dreams don't always come true."

"Only if you give up!"

"So what if I did!"

"I could have helped you!"

"How, when I broke down and vented, you ran away from me and never came back!" Tom shot back, "That is a great way to tell someone you cared about them Sable! Even if I did say to get out. If you loved me like you said, you would have stayed, but you didn't! You left and never came back!" Sable just looked at him as her tears poured out of her eyes.

"Is that why you pushed me away?" Sable sobbed in a broken tone, "why you turned your back on me? You thought I betrayed you! If you knew you hurt me, why didn't you come and say sorry to me instead of bottling yourself up inside your house? Am I not worth it? Was I too much of a burden to you?" Tom just said nothing and looked away. That was as far from the truth as Sable could get. His decision to pull away had nothing to do with Sable. At least not in the way Sable was accusing him of, but he just didn't know how to tell her the truth, the real truth, to why he pushed away. Unfortunately, Sable took his silence that what she said was true and felt her temper flare.

"And to think all these years I've waited for you to come to me for help," Sable screamed, "I wanted my best friend back. I needed him, but now I know the truth. You just hate me!"

"That's not true!" Tom yelled, "You don't know what I've been through and you don't know how I feel!"

"I would if you just tell me!" said Sable.

"Then what about you!" Tom yelled, "if you needed me so badly, why didn't you say you wanted to talk?! I know I was cold, but I was hurt too you know! You never once said that we needed to talk."

"Like you would have..."

"Yes I would," said Tom, "I would have dropped everything for you, but you never tried! It's not like I wasn't just a walk away! I've been working in Animal Town for years! I've always been here. Why shouldn't I feel like I wasn't worth _your_ time?"

"Are you serious?" Sable shot back, completely taking what Tom had just said over her own head, "You were too busy giving me the cold shoulder and counting up all your stupid little bells! Which are clearly still the most important things in your life and NOTHING ELSE!" Tom glared at her in rage as he roughly ripped out a small pouch containing about 10,000 bells.

"You think _this_ is the most important thing in my life!" Tom said in a shallow tone, "THIS IS WHAT I _REALLY_ THINK ABOUT MONEY!" Tom flicked his wrist and tossed the pouch into the fire, causing the flames to rupture a bit before settling down. Sable gasped in shock before she turned to Tom, who was panting heavily and now in tears.

"You don't know me anymore," said Tom as his voice cracked, "And I'm not gonna stay here either! I'm out of here!" Tom then walked away. Sable just watched him leave, wiping her eyes and unsure of what to do as he headed straight for the door and walked out of the house. Upstairs, Roll and the others had heard all the commotion that had been going on. They were just above the stair case when they saw Tom open the door and leave without another word, his cheeks shining in the dim light from the tears that hadn't stopped flowing. Sable soon appeared, looking outside of the house as Tom disappeared into the freezing, showy night. Roll just couldn't stay quiet.

"Mom," she said firmly, "Don't let him go. Go after him. Don't let it end like this! You love him!"

"LEAVE! JUST LEAVE YOU STUPID WORTHLESS TANOOKI!" Sable screamed at the top of lungs, "I HOPE YOU DIE OUT THERE!" Sable then slammed the door full force and panted heavily as she turned to see Roll and the others just watching her. Mabel and Labelle looked rather shaken up seeing Sable so angry. Roll just glared at her.

This certainly had not gone as well as Roll had hoped. But rather than feel sad, Roll felt angry.

Roll was angry...at Sable.

 **Ok, there was my** ** _Frozen_** **reference for the winter. Please don't ask for another okay. I hear that snowman phrase to the point I've loved to hate it.**

 **Tom is a common nickname for "Thomas" so that just fits in the story.**

 **You all had to expect this little confrontation to be dramatic. I just hope I didn't overdo it. Then again...when you've bottled up years of pain inside. It's gonna come out...and the output is never pretty.**

 **How will things turn out?**

 **Stay Tuned.**


	56. Christmas Angel Part 3

Christmas Angel Part 3

Roll didn't bother to wait for Sable to settle down before she stomped down stairs and walked right up to her, resting her hands on her hips and tapping her foot angrily.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snapped angrily, "You were supposed to release your anger and hurt and then move forward from it. You said you wanted your best friend back!"

" **SHUT UP!** " Sable barked as loud as she could.

"No! I understand that he said some hurtful things to you, Sable, but that doesn't mean you can just let him run off like this and wish his death!" Roll said sternly, "Why didn't you stop him?" Sable growled in rage.

"I said...SHUT UP!" Sable yelled and tempted to slap Roll in the face, but her hand never made contact. Roll flicked her arm upward and blocked her hand, stopping its momentum dead. Labelle and Mabel just gasped in shock as Roll glared at her angrily, tears welling up in her eyes.

"If you ever do that again," she said in shallow and hurt tone, "I will _never_ call you my Mom anymore and I will NEVER have anything to do with you! I was mistreated by a mother once. I won't be mistreated ever again!" Sable just panted heavily, still too angry to realized her near-fatal mistake as she turned away with a huff.

"Just go away!" Sable barked before plopping herself on the sofa with a huff. Roll and Labelle walked upstairs. Mabel just looked at her as Sable just stared at the crackling fireplace alone.

"Sometimes I wonder if you just enjoy being so depressed and miserable," Mabel told her angrily, "I've tried so hard to help you but you push me away every time. I don't know what else to do with you! You just don't want to be helped!"

"I said GO AWAY!" Sable screamed.

"No, _you_ are gonna shut up and _you_ are gonna listen to me," said Mabel sternly.

"WELL WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO!" Sable shrieked.

SMACK

Mabel made a bold move and slapped Sable hard across the face. Sable was left stunned. In all the years they had spent together growing up, Mabel had never struck her before. She was taken aback as she held her stinging cheek and saw Mabel just panting at her, tears flowing down her face like waterfalls.

"Then I'm done with you," said Mabel, "If you want to be miserable for the rest of your life! Then you're welcome to it! But I'm not gonna sit here and watch you destroy yourself. I'm leaving in the morning! And as for the "Able Sisters"..." Mabel air quoted to emphasize her point, "...I QUIT!" Mabel walked away, but not before several sobs escaped her mouth as she rushed upstairs toward the bedroom. Sable was just left stunned, unsure of what to say as she just sat back down on the sofa and said nothing. A minute later, she heard the sound of someone walking down the stairs, followed by a loud sigh, and then a loud slam of the door. Sable didn't turn around and assumed it was Mabel who had left.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sable shrieked at the top of her lungs. She angry turned over the ranch tea table and overturned it. Then she knocked over the ranch armchairs before grabbing her head tightly, even ripping out some of her hair quills before panting heavily, large tears streaming down her face. Her face scrunched up a bit before she finally let out a long, painful, heart-wrenching wail before just tumbling to the floor. She also started pounding the floor with her fists and continued to kick and scream as loud as she could with ugly sobs escaping her mouth. She cried loudly and alone until her voice grew hoarse from screaming so much and her eyes became too dry to produce anymore tears. She just lay on the floor, sniffling and sobbing quietly, not wanting to live another day as she watched the fire crackle in front of her. Then she felt a pair of hands on her side, making her perk up as she turned her head in surprise. There were Mabel and Labelle, just looked at her sadly with tears flowing from their own eyes.

"What...what are you doing here?" Sable asked in a raspy voice, "You...you said you were done with me."

"Only Mabel said that," said Labelle, but her tone showed that she was still hurt by how she had acted before, "Feeling better?"

"No," Sable whimpered, "I ruined everything! I...I give up..." Mabel helped her sister sit up and hugged her tenderly.

"Did you really think I was gonna leave you?" said Mabel. Sable nodded.

"Why not?" said Sable, "I hurt you. I drove Tom away. And...And...oh, I can't believe I actually tried to strike my own baby! I promised myself I would never strike my own child like that! To think I actually tried...terrifies me! I'm a monster!"

"No you're not," said Labelle, "You just held onto the pain for too long. You were gonna hit your limit any day now. We all saw it. That was why we've been wanting you to confront Tom for so long. We didn't want this to happen to you." Sable just sniffled as she tried to wipe her sticky cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," said Sable and then noticed that someone was missing, "Wait! Where's my baby?!"

"She went after Tom Nook," said Mabel simply.

"What?!" said Sable fearfully, "You let my baby go out in this storm!"

"She needed to bring Tom Nook back to the house," said Labelle, "There was no stopping her. Tom won't survive out there trying to walk home in this weather and Roll has the highest tolerance to the cold than anyone I've ever met. She'll be okay out there. She went out there in pumps and her short leggings for crying outloud." Sable knew that was true, but her motherly instincts wouldn't let her just sit there while Roll was braving the blizzard alone.

"I gotta help her," said Sable as she rose to her feet, shoved her boots on as quickly as she could, and rushed out of the house without another thought. Sable tried to move as fast as her feet could take her but the strong winds and the icy cold air were slowing her down.

"Roll! Roll! ROLL!" she tried shouting but the cold air and her dry throat made it difficult for her shout. She didn't even know for sure if Tom had even headed for the train station to find a way back home. Sable could feel the icy winds against her body and she rubbed her arms a bit to keep warm, hoping she was going the right way. Somehow, fate was kind to the brown hedgehog. After ten minutes of trudging through the icy winds and snow, she saw a shadow in the distance. She moved closer to it and saw that it was Roll, pulling Tom Nook through the thick snow by the back of his sweater.

"Roll!" said Sable and rushed to embrace her, but the blonde girl stopped her.

"You can hug me later," said Roll, "Help me carry Tom back to the house. He's unconscious!" Sable nodded as she grabbed one of his arms and wrapped it around her shoulders and Roll did the same with the other arm.

"Thank you," said Roll, panting heavily that one could see her breath escaping her mouth, "Tom is really heavy and I was having a hard time dragging him home all alone." Sable then looked at her daughters exposed lower legs. Roll just sighed.

"Cool, but tolerable," Roll snapped, "I already explained it to you, my legs can handle this blizzard cold weather! My only issue is the bottom of my feet. I even buried myself up to my ankles in snow and I was still comfortable! I even rubbed some snow on my legs and aside from a little cold shock I got over it after a few seconds. So stop bugging me about the fact I'm not in snowboots or any kind of sock or stockings okay!" Sable looked at her sadly, but Roll knew what she was thinking and her glare softened right away.

"Let's get Tom home and then we can talk okay," said Roll, "I love you." Sable just nodded quietly, but did feel a little better hearing Roll say that. Together, they carried Tom back to the house. Even with two people, it took all their strength to get the tanooki back to the house. They were both out of breath when they arrived home and Mabel and Labelle worked together to get Tom on the sofa. Then Roll and Sable sat on the floor to catch their breath and removed their shoes as Mabel prepared some hot coffee and Labelle grabbed the blankets to warm up the tanooki, who was still unconscious. Once Sable had caught her breath, she just sat on her knees next to him. Mabel knelt beside her with a hand on her shoulder.

"This is all my fault," said Sable, "This happened because of me. I don't know what I'll do if he..." Sable could feel her heart break as she buried her face into her hands. While she sniffled a bit, she managed not to cry.

"Sable..." said Mabel gently.

"I'm sorry!" Sable said in a broken tone, "I'm so sorry! Please wake up Tom! Please...I need you! I need you here with me!" The tanooki just continued to slumber quietly. While Labelle had determined that he was still breathing, he hadn't really budged. Sable just looked at him sadly as Mabel rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Sable, I know you didn't mean what you said," said Mabel, "and I also know you didn't mean the hurtful things you said to me and Roll. But this is why we wanted you to confront Tom about all of this. You're letting years of unspoken words poison you from the inside. You can try to fake it all you want Sable Able, but you've never hidden it from me. Roll knows it too, even if she's only known you for less than a year. Can you really look me in the eye and say that you want things to stay as they are?" Sable looked directly into her eyes. Mabel could see the pain and sadness in them and waited for Sable to speak.

"No," said Sable, "He's my best friend."

"Used to be," said Tom as he slowly opened his eyes. Sable gasped in shock.

"You...you're conscious?" she asked. Tom didn't look at her but just stared at the ceiling.

"Yes," said Tom, "I never was really...unconscious per say. I could still hear everything you were saying. I just...didn't know what else to say. I've already done so much damage to you as it is. I thought...maybe...I could just give up. Let the freezing cold end it all."

"What good would that do?" said Sable, clearly upset, "if you had lost the will to live or if you had died out there..."

"I'd be out of your hair forever," said Tom, "You've never have to deal with me ever again. You could finally just...move on." Sable felt her eyes generate new tears as they stream down her face.

"Do you honestly think that is what I wanted?" Sable asked, her tone cracking as she spoke, "cause you're dead wrong!" Tom's eyes widen as he finally turned to look at the brown hedgehog, who had started to cry once more. Labelle and Roll had arrived with the coffee but chose to keep quiet.

"I can't do anything right," said Tom, "I can't do anything to make you happy anymore...why...why do you even want me in your life? I've done so much to hurt you..." Tom's voice broke, just like it did when he came back from the city all those years ago. His eyes became glossy, showing that they wanted more than anything to let go of their tears, but he held them back.

"You can tell me the truth," said Sable, her tears falling slowly down her face, "why did you push me away?" Tom lost his grip in his tears and just looked at her sadly.

"I failed you," he croaked and finally just began to cry and said nothing more than a few sniffles. Sable just looked at him agape for a moment before she wiped her eyes.

"Failed me?" she asked, not fully understanding what he meant. He looked at her with bloodshot eyes that were pouring out fresh tears.

"My dream included more than just being a big business success," he said in a cracked voice, "It also involved you. I wanted success for you just as much as I wanted it for me. I saw all the hours you spent trying to make things work at the shop. I watched how much you suffered, you fought, you cried, and toiled just trying to make ends meet. It drove me to want to pursue my dream further. I wanted to share my success with you and help you with more than just my moral support! I knew that if I could succeed as a business man I could make all the financial woes and pains go away. I could make sure that you never had to struggle to make ends meet, you never had to struggle to feed yourself and your sisters, and you would never be alone in that uphill battle you had to face. I could be the one to help you achieve your dream and give you all the resources you ever needed to do it!" Sable couldn't help but sob again, but a warm smile was on her face. She was deeply touched.

"But I failed you," Tom repeated, "I wasn't able to make my dream come true. I came back with nothing. I promised myself that I would succeed and that you would be at my side to share in all the wealth and the blessings it had to offer, but instead I came back with nothing. Nothing to give, nothing but a broken spirit and broken dreams. My heart ached knowing that you needed me and I had nothing to give you now. That was why I broke down. I didn't know what to say and my anger got the best of me. When you disappeared, I felt like I had ruined everything. So...I wrote myself out of your life."

"Why Tom?" Sable asked.

"I didn't feel like I deserved to be your friend," said Tom, "because I had failed. So...I closed myself off, tried to focus on my own wants and needs. Became the greedy fool everyone saw me as, until I realized that I wasn't happy. I felt worse. I felt cold, heartless, and empty. I may have had enough coins to fill a swimming pool, but I had nobody to share it with. To make matters worse, I treated Timmy and Tommy for years like they were my subordinates rather than children or family. They saw me more as their boss and not...as a father...er...uncle...they deserved so much better."

"Why not father?" Sable asked.

"You hear the rumors they say about us having a history," said Tom, "My reputation was soiled enough. I...couldn't bear to hear people thinking we had...you know...and that I put them to work because...you know how people assume the worst of others."

"Tell me about," said Roll to herself, but was quietly shushed by Labelle and hugged.

"My point is that I didn't want bad rumors spreading about you possibly being their mother," said Tom, "So I faked a story about having a sister and that she left them under my care when she passed. That is why I have them call me Uncle."

"But do Timmy and Tommy..."

"Oh yes, yes, of course," said Tom, "they know where they came from and why I made that decision. People might not see it, but...I do love them as my own sons, even if people say otherwise. They reminded me of what I had given up when I distant myself from you. While they certainty brought some light into my life, it wasn't enough to heal my heartache. Finally, the pain became too much and...I shut down Nookington's."

"So...that's why you no longer run the shop anymore," said Roll.

"I...I have to ask," said Mabel, "Cause if my memory serves me correctly. The shop was damaged by a raging fire. I...guess what we wanted to know was..."

"Yes...I caused it," said Tom, "I purposely set the building on fire...It had become a reminder of what I had to give up in order to have my business. And...I didn't want it anymore."

"So...how did you suddenly change to real estate?" Labelle asked.

"I've always had a love for real estate," said Tom, "Why else did you think the decors for the stores were so nice and clean? It was something I liked just as much as business. As time went on, I wanted to do an interior remodel, but I never had the time since I was too busy running the shop, even with Timmy and Tommy helping out. Sure, real estate does make me even more money than I ever did with Nookington's, but...I just get more satisfaction providing mayors and villagers alike with the house that matches their own personality. Plus the town looks more colorful when the houses can look different and not so generic.

"That is true," said Roll, "They say you are far happier, but...you still get depressed."

"Can you blame me?" said Tom, "I didn't...have my queen to share that success with. Like I told you on the train, Roll. When you're all alone, who would want to be a king?" Sable just looked at him and blushed a little.

"You're talking about me aren't you?" said Sable. Tom just looked at her sadly and nodded.

"I don't know what you heard about me in the city," said Tom, "But dating and meeting other girls to make friends never happened for me at all."

"But Gracie..."

"She was a friend of the family, Sable," said Tom, "I've known her before I met you. We were good friends, but you...you, Sable, are the one that I had a very special friendship with. One that...I really regret I ruined." Sable just looked at him sadly, her eyes now seeing the truth to why Tom had pushed away.

"So...that's why our friendship fell apart," said Sable, "You wanted to...impress me?" Tom nodded.

"You looked up to me, you said I inspired you to work hard and keep fighting, even when things felt impossible," said Tom, "I wanted to keep giving you hope, but when I lost mine. I felt so defeated."

"Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe," said Sable, "that I could have given you hope?" Tom just looked at Sable quietly and looked away.

"I feel so stupid," said Tom, "that I hadn't actually thought you could have helped me. You were right earlier. Even if you couldn't have saved my business. I wouldn't have had felt so empty and hopeless if I had let you help put me back together instead of just driving you away." Sable just nodded, still seeing the sadness in his eyes.

"Tom, I can see that you are sorry for what happened all those years ago," said Sable, "and I do hope you know that I forgive you...for everything." Tom just looked at her with wide eyes before he felt his eyes burst into tears.

"How can you?" said Tom, "I left you all alone to fend for yourself...twice! You needed me and I haven't been there for you. It's because of me you...you can deny it all you want Sable, but I had really hopped to help you break out of your shell so people could see how amazing you are! Instead...I left you alone behind a sewing machine...some friend I am..." Tom just continued to cry, trying not to sob, but failing miserably. Sable just sat next to him and held his hand. He looked up at her as he tears streamed down his cheeks and turned away.

"Don't..." But Tom was cut off when Sable grabbed his cheek.

"What makes you think I would think less of you for crying?" said Sable, "If you regret pushing me away, then stop trying and let me in." Tom just looked at her for a second before he leaned forward onto Sable's left shoulder, burying his face into it before he body started to quiver. While there was no sound, Sable could tell by the moisture forming on her shoulder that Tom had let go and was now crying heavily. Her heart ached from seeing him cry so heavily and soon her own eyes were watering and she just held him gently. Sable turned to her sisters, who were trying not to cry with her. She noticed that Roll was crying openly.

"Why are you crying?" Sable asked, her voice cracking. Roll chuckled as she tried to wipe her eyes, but her tears hadn't stopped.

"Because I love you," said Roll. Labelle giggled to herself as she held her close. Roll just smiled and let her tears fall. Sable was touched as she remembered what she had wanted to say.

"Can...can I be alone with Tom please?" Sable asked quietly. Roll and her two sisters just exchanged glances with each other, unsure of they should leave them alone or not. Tom then leaned off of Sable's shoulder and looked at them with bloodshot eyes and sticky cheeks.

"Don't worry," said Tom quietly, "We're gonna do what we should have done in the first place. Talk things out and try to mend what is clearly a broken friendship. A friendship I clearly broke myself..." Sable just sighed to herself but nodded that she would take care of things this time around. Mabel and Labelle just nodded in agreement as Roll walked up to Sable and kissed her cheek.

"I love you Momma," said Roll sweetly. Sable just smiled at her as Roll turned to leave.

"Roll?" said Tom, causing Roll to stop moving and face them.

"What's up?" she asked curiously as Tom gave her a warm smile.

"Thank you," he answered softly, "for coming after me earlier tonight. I hope you weren't too cold out there." Roll giggled.

"I'll admit, I was cold, but I could handle it," said Roll honestly.

"Next time the weather's this bad, please wear your boots," said Sable. Roll just groaned to herself loudly.

"Did I explain my...oh, fine," Roll muttered, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms to pout.

"Want me to add socks to that?" Sable challenged and Roll sheepishly waved her hands and shook her head. Sable just chuckled at her before they stuck their tongues at each other before Roll headed up stairs. Tom chuckled to himself.

"For a girl who isn't your biological offspring," said Tom, "She acts alot like you when you were her age. She's got your natural beauty and cuteness too." That last sentence wasn't supposed to come out his mouth as they both blushed and chuckled nervously at each other.

"I think you're the only one who thinks I'm beautiful," said Sable. Tom didn't believe that, but he was feeling more confident in speaking up after crying himself out.

"Is that really a bad thing?" he asked her skeptically. Sable lightly shoved him as her cheeks went from pink to red with a smirk on her face.

"No...of course not..." said Sable.

"I really need you," Tom said next, which made Sable blinked in surprise before she looked at him sadly.

"I need you too," said Sable as she sat next to him, "Even with my daughter and my sisters with me, I still feel like something is missing. Like...there's a hole on my heart that can't be filled by anyone else but you."

"I know what you mean," said Tom, "Life just feels so lonely ever since we got distant with each other, but I know one thing for sure." Sable looked at him curiously as she crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward a bit.

"I can't spend another day alone like this," said Tom, "when I stormed out earlier, I had literally given up. I didn't collapse from the cold Sable. I just let my body fall into the snow and I was going to just let the freezing weather consume me." Sable felt her heart break.

"What...what in the name of perfect fruit were you thinking?" said Sable, clearly upset.

"This is my fault, our broken friendship, your anger, your...insecurities, your pains and depression," said Tom, "This was all my doing. And it seemed the damage was beyond repair. Sure, I felt abandoned, but I was the one who pushed you away in the end. I didn't give you a reason to try and help me. I needed you, Sable, but you needed me more. The guilt and the shame was too much."

"But what makes you think freezing to death would solve this?" Sable demanded.

"It wouldn't," said Tom, "but I figured...if you never had to see me again. That would be the best way to do it. I couldn't live knowing I hurt you so much...saying sorry...didn't feel...like it was enough. I just...couldn't bear...to hear you say...you hated me..." Tom could feel himself about to cry again, but managed to keep his composure. Sable reached in, wiping the few tears that had escaped his eyes with her thumb. There were only a few since he had drained most of his tears just a few minutes ago.

"Yes Tom, I was angry," said Sable, "I was hurt and...I was heartbroken. But I blamed myself too...for letting our friendship fall apart. I didn't think I was worth your time. I never thought I was." Tom balled his fists before grabbing Sable by her upper arm and stared dead into her eyes.

"I know I messed up Sable," Tom said in a broken tone, "but I'm going to tell you something I should've said to you a long time ago! Sable, I love you." Sable was taken aback and was left speechless for a moment, but the way he stared deep into her brown eyes told her that he meant that 100%. She panted heavily for few seconds as new tears began to pour from her eyes once more and then she threw herself at Tom, plunging her lips onto his for a long and hard kiss. Tom's eyes nearly popped out of his head before Sable's eyes widened and she pulled away just as quickly. Her new tears falling from her face and her breathing still heavy. Tom was rather perplexed for a moment until he saw how unraveled Sable looked as she calmed herself down. Sable just played with her skirt a bit to wipe the clamminess that had formed on her palms.

"Sable," said Tom, clearly worried.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I just...I just had to! I was tired...tired of not...taking a chance. Just...letting go...and going for it... I've always just...stayed in a corner and not pursued anything for myself. I guess I'm saying...I love you too..." Sable babbled, feeling rather embarassed but didn't look away despite how red her face looked. Tom just said nothing as he scooted closer to her so he could hold her still clammy hands.

"So..." he began.

"So?" she replied with curiosity.

"Does this mean...you are ready to move forward?" Tom asked, "from me not being there for you?" Sable sniffled as she gave him a smile.

"Yes Tom," Sable answered, "but can you forgive me...for not having the courage to be there for you when you were at rock bottom?"

"Yes," they together before they chuckled and Tom gave her a kiss on her lips. It was much shorter and more gentle than the one Sable had given not even a couple minutes ago, but it meant even more to the brown hedgehog as she smiled happy through glossy eyes. Then she scooted closer to him as they embraced each other warmly. Sable's heart leaped in her chest in pure joy as Tom held her protectively in his arms.

"I really was an idiot," he said to himself.

"Tom, enough," said Sable, "the past is past, we've spoken from the heart, and we've forgiven each other. Now let's just move forward from all of this okay?"

"I know Sable," said Tom as he continued to hold her, "I just can't wrap my mind on how I didn't think you could have helped me when I was at rock bottom. Just holding you right now makes me feel so warm and happy inside. Life doesn't feel so empty when I've got you in my arms."

"Same here Tom," said Sable, "I missed this."

"I guess the only question now is this," said Tom, "What do you want us to be?" Sable looked at him dumbfounded as she looked at him with confusion written all over her face.

"I don't understand your question," said Sable honestly, "I mean...we're friends again aren't we?"

"Friends who love each other very much," said Tom, "Alot by the fact we just kissed. Twice I might add." Sable just blushed a bit and looked away bashfully. Tom could sense her tension and pulled her close so she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not gonna force you to take that step," said Tom, "In fact, after what we've been through, I think staying friends for now will allow our feelings to grow and we can get to know each other again." Sable hummed.

"Whitney once told me that a bond between friends is a lovely thing," said Sable, "no matter how long you've been separated. The next time you meet, it will be like it was just yesterday."

"That is true," said Tom, "to some degree. I mean...despite the long time apart. Now that we've settled things. It does feel like we can continue where we left off."

"Uh-huh," said Sable and then her tone grew serious, "but a romantic bond is different. No matter how long you are apart, things will never be like they were before."

"I feel that is a bit pessimistic," said Tom, "which does seem hypocritical for me to say considering I thought the worst about our friendship when we got distant. I mean...I can understand if your trust in me is shaken..."

"No, it's not that at all Tom," said Sable, "I'm just...feeling very vulnerable and we just got our friendship back, but there's still healing that needs to be done. I...I don't think I'm strong enough to make things romantic just yet."

"I see," said Tom, feeling a tad disappointed but understood. Then Sable kissed his cheek.

"But I'm not shutting the door on it either," said Sable, "I've tried to hide my feelings for years. And well...as you can see...I couldn't hold back anymore...and lost some self control..." Sable chuckled sheepishly. Tom just chuckled in return.

"It was just a kiss Sable," said Tom, "it was nice seeing you initiate it. I wasn't even sure you saw me that way."

"Seriously?" said Sable surprised, "everyone in town thought it was so obvious!"

"Well I'm not that good with reading such clues Sable," said Tom, "Your shy and quiet nature is very good at hiding things. Until you did that, I thought my feelings were one-sided."

"I see," said Sable, "Well you were pretty hard to read yourself Mr. Nook. I thought I was kidding myself that you would ever be interest in little me."

"Sable, you're the only girl I find worth dating in this world," said Tom. Sable giggled as her cheeks turned pink once more. Then darker when Tom pecked her cheek.

"Let's compromise," said Tom, "we were best friends once and we can be again. But that doesn't mean we can't date. If people start asking about our "relationship", just let them talk. As long as we are having fun spending time together and letting our feelings grow, who cares what they think?" Sable laughed as she grabbed his arm so he was holding her close and began to rest her head closer to his chest.

"That is true," said Sable, "Friends can go on dates. Besides, I've always wanted to learn how to play golf. Think you can get me in that snazzy country club you go to?" Tom laughed.

"I'll pay for your membership and even your own golf clubs," said Tom, "We just need to have you fitted for both first."

"Deal," said Sable, "But thank you letting us take things slowly. I'd rather not rush into anything, but just know that I do look forward to our first real date and I really do love you."

"I love you too Sable," said Tom, "With my resources, we could do almost anything for our dates. We could see the world!" Sable smiled as she looked at him, shaking her head.

"Keep it simple Tom," said Sable, "I love you, not your pocket book." Tom chuckled.

"That's why I love you so much," said Tom, "but like you said, one step at a time."

"I agree," said Sable, "but we can't deny one thing though."

"What might that be?" Tom asked as he nuzzled the top of her head with his cheek.

"We have a special bond with each other," said Sable, "ever since the day we meet."

"That is true," said Tom, "The minute I saw you as a toddler. I could feel like I was supposed to be a part of your life and vice versa."

"Same here," said Sable, "I mean...you noticed me when I used to think I was invisible. You listen to me when I thought I didn't have a voice."

"And from now on I am going to be there for you like I used to," said Tom, "Just cause we've grown up and have our careers now doesn't mean that we can't make time for each other. If we love each other as much as we showed tonight, we will make it work."

"Absolutely," said Sable.

"And Sable?"

"Yes Tom?"

"If you ever need to talk to me," said Tom, "Please come see me or give me a call. I'll give you my private smart phone number. Only you, and Timmy and Tommy, have access to that. I won't hesitate to drop everything to be there for you. That's a promise." Sable smiled as she looked into his eyes.

"Guess all that hope wasn't in vain," said Sable, "I got what I wanted for Christmas."

"What might that be?" Tom asked.

"My best friend back," said Sable.

"I got mine back too," said Tom, "and I promise I'll never leave you again."

"I know you won't," said Sable, "I know despite your mistakes, you still are an honest tanooki."

"I would like to think so," said Tom, "but I still feel guilty. Should I..."

"Another time and place Tom," Sable answered, "Let's just enjoy the fact we get to spend our Christmas together.

"I heartily agree," said Tom as he gave her a loving squeeze. Sable just closed her eyes and enjoyed being in his arms. Then Tom remembered something.

"Oh, I guess I better mention something," said Tom.

"What is it?" Sable asked softly.

"When Roll was walking with me to the train station," said Tom, "she kept holding my hand, saying that she felt like she was holding the hand of her father. I know Roll is no schemer like your sister, but that was a pretty subtle hint about us being a couple if you ask me."

"Well," said Sable with a smile, "Roll is my daughter, if you want me, you gotta take her too." Tom just smiled.

"It'd be nice to have a daughter," said Tom, "Plus the idea of calling you Mrs. Nook sounds really nice on the tongue, yes." Sable giggled excitedly.

"Someday, Tom, someday," said Sable quietly as she got comfortable once more.

Just as the clock in the living room approached twelve, Sable found herself falling asleep as she headed upstairs to the bedroom. As much as she wanted to stay in Tom's arms forever, she wanted to get some rest since tomorrow was Toy Day and she needed her energy for what needed to get done in the morning, especially after such a dramatic day. Sable reached the top of the staircase as a large yawn escaped her mouth. She then noticed that Labelle, Mabel, and Roll, already in their pajamas, were just sitting on their beds (Roll was on Sable's bed since she had permission to do so.) While the two sisters were just sitting on their beds getting sleepy, Roll was just reading a book. Sable was surprised to see them all awake.

"You waited up for me?" she said quietly as she grabbed her pajamas from the drawer.

"Of course," said Mabel, "We wanted to know if things were okay."

"Yeah," said Labelle, "and...well...we wanted to know..."

"We're just best friends," said Sable and both sisters just sighed and looked at her sadly.

"What?" said Sable, "You guys said I should mend a broken friendship. Not get into a romance with him!" Labelle and Mabel just sighed to each other.

"I know that admitting your feelings to someone can be scary," said Labelle, "but you don't need to hide them in order to mend your friendship."

"Yeah Sis," said Mabel, "Tom should be able to accept you and your feelings, even if he doesn't return them. Otherwise, I would say he's not worth your time." Sable just smiled to the two of them.

"Let me get into my pajamas and then we can talk okay," she asked gently. Her sisters nodded in agreement as Sable headed behind their retro screen to change. Once she was in her pajamas, she gestured for Roll to come sit with in her lap. She cuddled the blonde girl for a second before clearing her throat.

"I might as well say what happened after you two left," said Sable, "Tom told me that he loves me. I got so excited. _I_ kissed him first."

"Sable!" Labelle and Mabel cooed. Even Roll was cooing too.

"Well at first I was very embarassed, crying too," said Sable, "but in the end he kissed me back. So...guess my feelings aren't one sided after all." Labelle and Mabel giggled excitedly. Roll just kept smiling quietly.

"Well that's good news isn't it?" Labelle asked with a wide smile on her face. Mabel nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," said Sable, "So...okay fine! I confess. I'm in love, but..."

"But..."

"I just asked if we could take things slowly," said Sable, "you know, date for a little while before committing and making it official. So we're best friends for now and Tom promised that I can always go to him if needed and that he's gonna change his schedule so we can hang out together and, yes, go out on dates when we have days off." Labelle and Mabel giggled excitedly.

"That's wonderful Sable," said Mabel, "I'm really glad things worked out. Maybe now you can be happy. After all, he loves you." Sable just smiled.

"True," said Sable and then looked at Roll, "and please keep from making remarks about him being a Dad thank you!" Roll blinked in surprise as Labelle and Mabel snickered to each other.

"All I said was that I was happy holding his hand," said Roll, "even an independent lady like knowing a man is looking out for her and to protect her! Hmph!" Roll just pouted as the three sisters laughed and Sable planted a soft kiss on Roll's cheek.

Toy Day had finally arrived and after all the drama from last night, things were much more festive. Labelle and Mabel couldn't help but tease Tom about what he planned to do with Sable on their dates until she wrote an extra long list of grocery shopping for tonight's Toy Day feast so they would go away. The two sisters looked indignant until Sable sent them out the door.

"Why isn't Roll coming with us?" they asked.

"Cause I wasn't pestering Tom and teasing him!" said Roll, "I don't do things like that to Momma!" The two sisters just glared at her.

"Momma's girl" they muttered. Roll just looked apathetic. She was wearing the Festive Dress, with a dark green long sleeved undershirt with black three quarter leggings. Her hair was fully down with a pair of holly barrette clips to keep her hair back.

"I can live with that," said Roll and walked away. Labelle and Mabel both went agape as Sable slammed the door in their faces. Sable and Roll shared a laugh and a hug together.

"Well, I guess petty insults won't be hurting you anymore will they," said Tom, rather impressed.

"Not anymore," said Roll, "Plus I do feel very pretty today too."

"All you're missing is the halo," Tom added.

"A halo?" said Roll puzzled.

"Well, you are the Christmas Angel," said Tom, "You gave me a second chance. Not just at life, but also with someone that I've always felt was close to my heart." He looked at Sable lovingly, causing the brown hedgehog to blush a little, making Roll giggle.

"I was glad to help," said Roll, "I knew that the only way you and Momma could ever mend your broken friendship is if you two just stopped hiding your feelings and just were honest with each other. Sure, you were both hurt by the other, but blaming yourselves was never going to fix anything. Talking things out and not running from it was the only way you guys would ever be able to mend the damage. I mean, things worked out in the end. Plus you two realized that your bond is alot stronger than you two realized. You're more than just friends, your soulmates." The two just looked at each other and blushed , knowing exactly what Roll had meant.

"Why so bashful?" said Roll, "I mean...you both love each other. That's all that really matters." Sable and Tom were quiet for a moment before they exchanged smiles.

"You're right," said Sable, "We love each other and it doesn't matter what others think."

"I'm still wondering what our first _real_ date will be," said Tom.

"You could start by being Sable's date for dinner tonight," said Roll.

"Sweetie, I think he means a date where we go out alone," said Sable.

"Oh, right...sorry," Roll giggled, "but you can least sit together at the dinner table." Sable chuckled as she gave Roll a kiss on her cheek.

"That would work," said Tom as he walked up to Sable and kissed her cheek. Roll just made a face, but didn't say anything. She wasn't going to spoil their happy moment just cause she found their kissing in front of her a little gross.

Later that night, after dinner had been finished and everyone was just gathered around the fire, drinking hot cocoa and singing Christmas carols. Everyone was enjoying themselves and to Sable's delight, Tom sang a few Christmas songs for the group. Roll had to agree that Sable had been right. Tom had a rather nice singing voice. Though she wouldn't exactly put him in any singing competitions for it, but at least he was on key and his singing made Sable smile and that was what was more important to the blonde girl. She went to take another drink of her cocoa when she found her mug had nothing in it.

"Empty," she muttered.

"There's more in the kitchen," said Sable, "Just leave some for the rest of us."

"Same for the marshmallows!" Mabel added.

"Hey, I don't hoard the mushroom like _someone_ in this family," said Roll smugly. Labelle just snickered as Mabel looked indignant until they all heard a loud knocking on the door.

"I wonder who could that be?" said Sable, "Isabelle and Digby said they were going to spend Toy Day alone."

"I'll get it Momma," said Roll as she set her still empty cup on the counter and she rushed over the front door. She opened it and was surprised to see a reindeer wearing a red Santa suit and hat.

"Umm...hello?" said Roll surprised.

"Hello Roll," said the reindeer. Roll blinked in surprise.

"How...do you know my name?" she asked, feeling a bit awkward.

"When you work for the big guy, you gotta know everyone here in the Animal World," he replied, "The name is Jingle, the black nosed reindeer by the way." Roll looked rather puzzled for a moment before his name suddenly rang a bell. Sable had told her about a reindeer that represented Santa Claus for the Animal Part of the word.

"Oh Jingle!" said Roll excitedly, "please come on in! Hey everyone! Look whose here!" The Ables and Tom turned and then gasped when they saw the reindeer.

"It's Jingle!" they all exclaimed and began to crowd him for presents and such. Jingle began to get a bit flustered until Sable budded in.

"Back off you guys," said Sable sternly, "If Jingle needs to see Roll personally, I think there's more to his visit then just giving presents. Besides, he supposed to deliver such things when everyone is asleep." Everyone just calmed down and nodded in agreement as they took a few steps back for the reindeer to recompose himself. Roll knelt beside him.

"I'm sorry Jingle," said Roll, "Are you okay?"

"Sure," said Jingle as he dusted himself off a bit, "Just not too good with crowds. Unless they are the staff workers of course."

"Staff work...oh right, Santa's helpers," said Roll, correcting herself, "So...why have you come to see me? I...didn't ask for anything, but hope he'll stop by for some cookies."

"That is exactly the reason why I'm here," said Jingle, "Santa has seen how selfless and caring you've been throughout the year since you've come to Animal Town. How you've always put everyone before yourself and don't expect anything in return. He's seen how good of a friend you are and how you've helped even restore a broken friendship." The Ables Sisters and Tom all smiled.

"So, as a reward," said Jingle, "he's asked that _you_ help me with the Christmas presents this year." Roll gasped in shock and the rest of the family cooed.

"I would be honored," said Roll, "Just let me..."

"No need," said Jingle as he reached into his pockets and pulled out some sparkling dust, "watch this!" Jingle let the dust swirl on its own and it began to swirl around Roll. She gasped as she was enveloped into a bright light. When it disappeared, everyone gasped in amazement. Roll was now wearing a satin red Santa dress that came above the knees and had the furry white fleece along the edges of the sleeves, neckline, and skirt bottom. It also had a black waist belt with a solid gold belt buckle. Roll was also donning a red Santa had made of the same material with her hair tied into downward pigtails that had green jingle bells tied into the ribbons. Lastly some dark green three quarter leggings and...barefoot?!

"Jingle, her outfit is gorgeous," said Sable, "but if she's going to be outside in the snow. Won't she..." Jingle laughed.

"My boss knows _everything_ about all the girls and boys around the globe," said Jingle, "He's made sure the Christmas magic from her outfit will keep her feet nice and warm so she won't need any." He gave Roll a wink, who just blushed with a sheepish smile. She was deeply touched Santa would go so far as to give her an outfit that would let her brave the night snow barefoot.

"Cool," said Roll shyly, "So...should we get started?"

"Yes indeed," said Jingle, "We have a busy night ahead of us if we want to get the entire village its presents and that includes the other mayors too! We mustn't be late!"

"That's nearly 400 villagers (and that includes villagers from Welcome Amiibo and special amiibo figures mind you)," said Roll, "and it's already eleven! Most of the villagers have probably locked their doors."

"With the magic of Christmas, anything is possible," said Jingle, "Do you believe that?"

"Yes I do," said Roll with much confidence in her voice.

"Then repeat after me," said Jingle, "I can do anything and believe it." Roll closed her eyes, placing both her hands on her heart.

"I can do anything," said Roll with a warm smile. Her body began to glow and when she opened her eyes. She found herself hovering just a few inches in the air.

"I'm flying!" said Roll in surprise.

"How else are we gonna do this job," said Jingle as he began to hover in the air, "Now let's go."

"Okay," said Roll and turned to Sable, "I'll try not to be long. If that time slowing theory I've been studying about Santa's journey is true. I should be back within the hour or so." Sable just chuckled.

"I'll wait up for you then," Sable giggled, "Be careful out there." Roll nodded as she and Jingle flew out of the window, much to Sable's annoyance.

"Next time use the door!" she shouted, but Roll and Jingle were far out of sight. They arrived at their first house and Roll landed softly on the snow covered roof. She couldn't help but shuffle the snow with her bare feet. Laughing happily that she could do so and her feet were not cold.

"Oh how I wish I could do this forever!" said Roll happily.

"Focus please," said Jingle with a chuckle below her, "we've got work to do!" Roll just chuckled nervously as she floated over to him.

"Sorry," said Roll sweetly, "So..how do I...?"

"With this!" said Jingle as she handed her a large white sack to equip. Roll did so and was now holding the sack behind her back.

"Now go inside and give them a present," said Jingle.

"Okay," said Roll, "and I'll try to be as quiet as I..."

"While Sable said otherwise, there's no penalty if they are awake," said Jingle, "Besides, the magic of your outfit will make them think you are the real Santa."

"Really?" said Roll, "that...sounds deceiving."

"Not really," said Jingle, "Santa has alot on his plate already and that is why he always chooses someone who is selfless and pure of heart. That's why he chose you. You are the one worthy of representing Santa. So..."

"It's like he's actually here, through me," said Roll, feeling her eyes sparkle, "I'm so honored. And...I guess I'll know what to give them too?"

"Absolutely," said Jingle, "You catch on pretty quick. Last year's helper was a bit slower to pick things up. They even messed up on the gifts too." Roll hummed as she opened the window with ease and slipped inside of the house. Since the villager was asleep, she dropped off their gift and then closed the window behind her. Then they headed off to the next house. Roll then noticed that someone had left milk and some chocolate chip cookies. She then peeked out of the house to see Jingle.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I don't feel right eating the milk and cookies," said Roll, holding the plate in her hands, "even if the magic lets me consume them all. Can I save them for Santa or..."

"I'll take care of them," said Jingle, eyeballing them hungrily as he took the plate and drank the milk, "Plus Santa did say I could help myself since I helped make the gifts everyone asked for." Jingle then grabbed a cookie and munched on it happily. Roll just giggled before leaving the gift and they went on their way, visiting everyone's house in the town before heading to another. Roll just smiled as she glided effortlessly in the air as the snow continued to fall peacefully around as they moved from house to house as well as from town to town. Most of the time, the villagers were asleep. But Roll bumped into a few villagers who had stayed up late to see her, or Santa to be more precise, and greeted her warmly. Roll had to try hard not to laugh seeing the snooty and cranky villagers act so childish around her when she gave them their gifts. But Roll was enjoying herself, she felt such happiness giving everyone their presents and she always smiled seeing how happy villagers got when they saw her as Santa. Finally, they arrived at the last house and Roll dropped off the last present. Roll smiled in satisfaction as she exited out the window and shut it firmly behind her.

"Well, that's the last one," said Roll and looked at her watch, "and in only 45 minutes to boot!" Jingle just nodded with a smile, but just stared at her. Roll looked puzzled.

"What's up?" Roll asked as Jingle just extended his hand.

"Grab hold of my hand and trust me," he said. Roll blinked a bit but then smiled.

"Okay," said Roll as Jingle pulled her upward and they flew full speed above the clouds. Roll found that she wasn't worried at all. She had complete trust in Jingle as they continued to fly before a large illuminated town appeared in the distance.

"Is that...the north pole?"

"Exactly," said Jingle. Roll just smiled excitedly as they made their way towards a large city that looked like something inside of a traditional snow globe. As they landed softly on the cobblestone streets, Roll wiggled her toes against the smooth stones when she noticed thousands upon thousands of green and red...toads?!"

"Are those toads?" Roll asked, "I thought Santa's helper were elves."

"Tomato Tome-augh-toe," said a nearby toad with a smile before he and the rest of the toads continued on their way. Jingle took her hand.

"Come on," said Jingle, "it's almost time!" Roll just let Jingle pull her forward as they followed the toads towards what appeared to be a large town square. Nearby was a large mansion, bigger than anything Roll had ever seen in her entire life as Jingle pushed his way through the toads so Roll could get to the front of the door. Roll could feel herself become rather nervous and took a step backwards. That was when Jingle noticed how timid she looked.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm about to meet Santa face to face," said Roll, "wouldn't you be nervous?" Jingle chuckled.

"There's nothing to fear," said Jingle, "He's been waiting for you."

"He...has?" she asked. Just then the doors opened and everyone cheered excitedly. There he was...Santa himself! Roll just stood there, her fear melting into pure joy as a smile appeared on her face. She also couldn't help but cry too, but they were from happiness. Santa noticed her crying as he walked up to her. She just stood for a moment, before giving him a polite curtsy. Santa just chuckled his traditional laugh.

"Well...it is a pleasure to meet you Roll," said Santa, "I was watching you at work. You've done a fine job helping Jingle. It is good to know that despite your rough past that you've managed to not let it tarnish your heart and your soul."

"It wasn't easy," said Roll, "and I've been able to find family and friendship. People who love and accept everything about me no matter what, even..." She lifted her foot to prove her point and Santa laughed once more.

"I'm glad Roll," he replied, "I hope you know that I have been trying to reach you for a long time now."

"Really?" said Roll, "So...it wasn't cause I wasn't good enough...that I never got anything from you?"

"Roll, my dear child, you are more worthy than any child I've ever known," Santa answered, "it was the unbelief of your old home that prevented me from reaching you. You're presents somehow were deprived from you and I stopped visiting those places completely. I didn't trust those in charge, including your mother, with the special gift that I had for you. It is also why you're Komasan doll was so beaten up. I'm glad you were able to find it and restore it."

"My real Mom deserves that credit," said Roll honestly.

"Indeed," said Santa, "but my point is that I wanted you to know that I appreciated the fact, despite my inability to give you your gifts, you still believed in me. That's shows true faith. So thank you Roll." Roll's eyes twinkled as she gave him a warm smile.

"Well thank you for letting me talk to you face to face," said Roll, "that alone is a gift!" Santa chuckled.

"Well then," said Santa as he looked at the crowd behind her, "It's time for Roll to receive the first gift of Christmas...or Toy Day as its said where you live." Everyone cheered as Roll just blushed shyly as at all the attention with her hands behind her back and rocking on her bare feet. Santa then knelt beside her.

"I know you didn't ask for a present this year," said Santa, "but this is a gift that had been long overdue." He reached into his coat and pulled out a package, beautifully wrapped and handed it to Roll. Roll looked at the package in awe as Santa gestured for her to open it. Roll slowly untied the ribbon and removed the top when she gasped. There before her was a lion dog doll, but this one was golden yellow with tan belly and brown swirly eyebrows.

"He's adorable!" said Roll and hugged the doll tightly in her arms happily.

"His name is Komajiro," said Santa, "This doll is not just rare, but I've been saving it for the day I could give it you myself. I know he'll have a good home and will be happy to be with his big brother again. You appear to be very good in restoring and mending friendships new and old, Roll. I know you can reunite these two lost brothers together." Roll smiled and gave him a nod.

"Thank you Santa," she replied softly, "Thank you...for everything." Santa smiled back before he noticed the clock was about a minute to midnight.

"I better get ready for my run around the rest of the world," said Santa, "Jingle, if you're done stuffing your face, I need you to escort Miss Roll back home please." Jingle was about to shove another cookie in his mouth before giving Santa a nervous chuckle before putting the sack with the cookies away and nodding in agreement. Santa then knelt beside Roll once more so they were looking eye to eye.

"Just remember Roll," said Santa, "The magic of Christmas lies in your heart." Roll smiled and then gave him a kiss on the cheek, making him laugh in his jolly old way once more.

"Merry Christmas Roll!" he said as Jingle lifted her off the ground. Roll held onto her new doll tightly with one hand as Jingle held the other as he led her away from the town. The toads, or elves, all waved at her goodbye as they flew quickly out of sight. It wasn't much longer before Roll arrived in front of the house. The magic of her clothes was still in effect as her bare feet landed softly in the new snow and her feet continued to remain warm despite them being submerged in the icy tundra.

"Thank you Jingle," said Roll, "I'll always remember this Toy Day."

"I'm glad," said Jingle, "and may you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!" Jingle then did a back flip and vanished into thin air. Roll just sighed as she slowly made her way inside of the house. As soon as she stepped inside of the house, her clothes returned to what she was wearing before hand and the cold air quickly kissed her bare feet bitterly as she closed the door tightly to keep the coldness out of the house. But Roll wasn't at all disappointed that her time being barefoot in the snow was over. After everything that had happened, she couldn't be happier as she looked at her new doll and hugged it close to her chest.

She helped her mother get her best friend back and possibly find a new light in her life. She helped make the village happy by helping Jingle, but the best part was that she got to meet Santa face to face, even receiving a gift from him and being told how special she was.

This was definitely the best Christmas ever.

 **Don't judge Sable too harshly for nearly slapping Roll. She just hit her breaking point after all and when in rage, no one can think straight. But give Roll some props. She stood her ground against Sable. No one is gonna be her hurting this blonde girl anymore.**

 **Whitney's quote about friendship and love is taken from the Animal Crossing Anime Movie.**

 **Hope you liked the little twist I put on Toy Day as well.**

 **I'm a big fan of** ** _The Polar Express_** **and I was inspired by it for the Santa scene.**

 **Here's the next story arc: New Year's Resolution:** **At the start of the new year, Shenran sees that Ankha is depressed. He knows her biggest wish is to discover her family history. When Twilight discovers a temple in the desert holding the answer's his wife seeks, Roll is invited for the adventure. Will Ankha find the answers she seeks about her family's past? And will she like what she finds out?**

 **If you enjoyed meeting Shenran's sisters in Roll's Birthday, they will make their return in Roll's next adventure. Brace yourself for** ** _My Little Pony_** **and** ** _Indiana Jones_** **references. They'll be plenty of them. (FYI: it's not a crossover)**

 **See you next time!**


	57. New Year's Resolution Part 1

New Year Resolution Part 1

It was just a couple of days away before everyone would gather together once more for the big New Year's eve party. Everyone had agreed that they enjoyed being able to celebrate with each other rather than just their own towns. While Isabelle was disappointed about not being able to set up the big display, they all agree that she would be able to still make a smaller countdown for the party, which they agreed Club LOL was the best place to do so. There were some protest from everyone's favorite hustler Redd, but they offered him a good compromise. He would be able to set up his shop at the plaza like normal during the day, then once the party started. He would be invited to take part in the party. While this meant shorter business hours for the fox, the fact he got invited to the party soften his greedy heart and he agreed to the new conditions.

Meanwhile, another heavy snowstorm had also drafted into the area. While it was supposed to die down before the party, nobody in the Able Sister's household was interested in leaving the house since it was too cold and windy to do so. By now, the bridge had been repaired, so Tom was able to return home just yesterday. While Sable was sad to see him go, she had enjoyed having him at the house and they even had not one, but two dates. As much as she wanted him to stay longer, she knew he needed to check his house and such. But before leaving, his sealed a promise to Sable that they would be each other's date for the New Year's Eve party with a long kiss to her lips. While they had shared several kisses of the course of a few days, Sable's cheeks still turned pink every time they did so, causing her sisters to snicker to each other.

That morning, Sable had gotten dressed in a snowy shirt with a white folded mini skirt with light blue leggings that came just halfway down her legs and added a handmade snowflake clip that was pinned on the left side of her head. She was feeling in a good mood that morning when she walked over to Roll and Mabel, who were reclining on opposite sides of the Ranch sofa.

"Morning girls, how are...hey!" Sable was then cut off when she saw Mabel and Roll were wearing the same attires. They were each wearing a chain gang shirt, matching blue headband (Roll had her hair down). The tops weren't the problem for Sable, but rather their bottoms. They were wearing some denim shorts that were folded at the leg to make the length even shorter but still appropriate lengthwise (about 4 inch inseam). However, they had no leggings on.

"How can you two wear short shorts in this weather?" she asked with a demanding tone. Mabel just lowered her book and gave her a bored expression.

"We're not going anywhere," said Mabel plainly.

"It's so nice and warm in here that our legs aren't cold," Roll added as she crossed her legs as she continued to read her own book. Sable just shook her head at the two.

"I can get going barefoot sweetie," said Sable, "but wearing shorts in the middle of winter. My mind just can't make sense of that."

"We get it, we're weird," said Mabel.

"That's just how we roll," Roll remarked, using her own name as a pun. Sable just looked dumbfounded and then just sighed.

"Glad to see your proud of your quirks," said Sable, not resisting a little sarcasm in her tone, "anyway please promise me you'll wearing longer bottoms if you do leave the house."

"I've got some leggings hanging on the armchair, momma," said Roll, pointing to the white three quarter leggings hanging on the top of the sofa, "but I don't think I'll be needed for helping with the New Year's Eve party. Shenran said he and his sisters could handle everything."

"True," said Sable, "but working with your siblings is alot harder that it you think dear Roll. (Believe me I would know.)" Mabel felt indignant, but just kept reading and said nothing.

"True," said Roll, "but Shenran said he and his sister's greatest quality is their teamwork, which is powered by friendship."

"Friendship?" said Sable.

"I used to wonder what friendship could be," Roll sang as she held her book, "until they shared its magic with me."

"Great adventure," Mabel sang with her.

"Tons of fun," Roll continued.

"A beautiful heart," Mabel added.

"Faithful and strong!"

"Sharing kindness!"

"It's an easy feat!"

"And magic makes it all complete!" the two girls sang together and they chuckled to each other. Sable couldn't help but smile.

"Well it sounds like those seven have learned to work together," said Sable, "I guess you two are right. Shenran shouldn't have any trouble getting tomorrow's new years eve party ready to go.

Back at Shenran's club LOL:

"How many times must I tell you not to practice your party cannons when I working?!" Rarity shouted angrily as the confetti blast made her damage the stitching she was mending for one of the table clothes.

"I gotta practice!" Pinkie protested, "This opportunity only comes once a year and the cannon launch has got to be spot on! You hear me! SPOT ON! Plus it's not my fault the stupid weather closed down the trains so I can't practice with my twinsie!"

"Trust me Pinkie," said Rainbow as she walked by with a ladder to hang up the giant disco ball, "The animal world only has room for one of you. Not two!" Pinkie looked indignantly before she fired another cannon blast right into Rainbow's face, causing the girl to lose her balance.

"PINKIE!" Rainbow bellowed before she was sent backwards and tumbled right into Fluttershy, who was carrying a box loaded with stuffed new years eve teddy bears all dressed for the party. She had made them for table toppers for the party. Rainbow cause Fluttershy to fall forward, dropping her box of stuffed animals.

"Ouch!" she groaned as she landed hard on her stomach.

"Ugh, Fluttershy, must you always get in my way!" Rainbow snapped before getting up and walking away with a huff. Fluttershy just sighed to herself as she tried to sit up and brushed her long bangs from her face a bit. She had gotten a skinned knee from the landing and was just fighting back tears when Shenran, wearing a flannel shirt with some chino pants, and some sneakers, knelt beside her.

"I'll get the first aid kit," he said gently, "you just try to calm down a bit and I'll deal with Rainbow. Is anything else hurting?" Fluttershy just sniffled as she stared at her skinned knee and shook her head.

"Why do I have to be such a pushover?" she complained, "just because I don't get in your face doesn't mean my feelings don't matter. Not like Rainbow ever listens to me..." Shenran just chuckled.

"Trust me," said Shenran, "You're not the only one who feels like people don't listen to them cause of shyness. As long as your my little sister, nobody is gonna push you around." Fluttershy smiled as she wiped a single tear from her eyes.

"Thank you," she answered as Shenran stood up and went to find the first aid kit, but not before giving his other little sister a hard shove.

"What the heck?" Rainbow snapped.

"You're the one who knocked Fluttershy over," he said sternly, "and she skinned her knee from the fall! Now if you'll excuse me. I need to find the first aid kit to stop the bleeding!" Rainbow just started before rolled her eyes indignantly.

"Puh!" she remarked, "I get scraps and cuts all the time! What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that Fluttershy doesn't like to get all rough and tumble all the time, sugarcube," said Applejack as she came rolling in a batch of fresh apple cider, "She's dainty and shy as you are bold and brash."

"I still wonder how were even twin siblings," Rainbow muttered.

"You two still know how to be there for each other," Twilight remarked as she walked by with her checklist, "You're there to help her find bravery and push her limits while she helps you deal with your feelings and emotions when you feel like showing them would make you feel weak or stupid. We all know you hide yourself when you feel the need to cry.

"I don't cry, thank you very much," said Rainbow indignantly.

"Right, that's why you were balling your eyes out when we dropped off your pet tortoise at the hibernation center a few weeks ago," said Applejack. Rainbow blushed and turned her head away snooty.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted. Applejack and Twilight just rolled their eyes at her as Shenran walked over and got to work cleaning Fluttershy's knee. Even at seventeen, Fluttershy couldn't help but cry every time the cleaning solution was applied to her scraps and cuts before Shenran gently applied the bandages. Rather than use a traditional sticky bandage. He used a wrap around kind, which made it easier to move about without feeling the material stretch against your wound. (Trust me...that gets a bit irritating until the stinging finally stops). Then he helped Fluttershy to her feet gently before they shared a tender hug.

While Shenran was close with all of his sisters, he was closest with Fluttershy. While the other sisters knew it was due to having similar personalities, they couldn't help but feel a tad jealous from time to time. Well all of them except for Pinkie, who often seemed clueless about their jealousy. This was mostly due to the fact that Shenran and Fluttershy always got along and hardly ever clashed with each other. Plus Fluttershy seemed to confide in him more than her older siblings despite their constant invitations to talk with them over their brother. Rainbow loved to tease the two. Saying that if they hadn't been siblings, they probably would have falling in love and gotten married to each other.

"Are you two gonna get a room or something?" she asked with a smirk. Fluttershy turned her head and gave her twin her infamous "stare". Rainbow instantly bit her tongue and backed down.

"Okay, okay, okay!" she replied with her hands in front of her, "Sheesh! Just messing with you!"

"Well, you've still got a lot to learn about what others consider "funny" Rainbow!" Fluttershy retorted indignantly before walking away to put her teddy bears in the table. Rainbow was left speechless as the others snickered before just conceded with a shoulder shrug.

"Sorry," she muttered, but mostly to herself and everyone else went back to work. Things finally quieted down until they heard someone enter the club. They recognized the golden cat as she entered, currently wearing a light blue winter sweater and some gold bangles on both her wrists. Of course, she had her wedding ring on her finger.

"Hey honey," said Shenran as he walked up to her gave her a light kiss. Ankha said nothing but returned his kiss, but when Shenran kissed her, he instantly could tell that something wasn't right.

"What's up honey?" he asked.

"Nothing, me meow," she replied in a bored tone, "I just came by to see how the decorations are coming."

"Well, we're a little behind schedule..." Twilight began as she adjusted her glasses.

"Oh darling, just because we haven't finished the table cloths and haven't hung to disco ball doesn't mean we're behind schedule," said Rarity as a matter of fact.

"It still should have been done by now," Twilight retorted, "Organization and procedure is what is gonna make sure this New Years Eve party goes smoothly and things don't fall into complete and total chaos! Why else do you think I made checklists for everyone?"

"Oh...we...were supposed to use those?" Applejack asked innocently, "I...uhh...heh...just left mine at home."

"Same here," Rarity added, "You can't schedule creativity, extravagance, glamour..."

"We get it!" Twilight interrupted, "Rainbow?" The blue haired, with rainbow highlights, girl just chuckled and looked away, not wanting to say what she did with it. Twilight glared until she looked over to Fluttershy and Shenran.

"Mine is in my pocket," said Fluttershy.

"I'm using mine Twilight," said Shenran, showing the list she made for him.

"Same here! Same here!" Pinkie shouted eagerly until her party cannon went off behind her, showing _exactly_ how she had used Twilight's list as fragments of white paper came floating down around her. The pink pigtailed girl just giggled nervously with a smile to boot as Twilight grunted to herself. Ankha just rolled her eyes at them.

"I just don't get how you guys even get things done around here," said Ankha, "you guys just seem to clash with each other all the time, me meow." That was when Applejack approached.

"Sure we all have our differences, sugercube," said Applejack, "but we are all a very well oiled machine."

"That's true," said Pinkie, "Everyone says I'm very slippery."

"I think Twilight means that we work together and get jobs done on time Pinkie," Shenran remarked.

"No Duh!" said Pinkie, waving him off, "we all know _that_!" The other's just rolled their eyes at their baby sister as Twilight smirked to herself.

"Shenran is right," said Twilight, "we're more than just siblings. We're best friends and we're bonded together through the magic of friendship!" They all cheered as Ankha just looked rather unimpressed.

"Yeah, yeah, so I've heard," said Ankha, "Honey, will you be much longer?" Shenran just checked his list before answering.

"It should be another hour," said Shenran, "unless you need me right now." Ankha just looked at him blankly.

"I...think you better go big brother," said Pinkie, "I see some emotions in the bottle with that girl."

"Oh what do you know?!" said Ankha before leaving and muttering, "you and your stupid Pinkie sense. Why not just leave me alone..." She slammed the door and Pinkie looked hurt.

"I wasn't trying to...oh great," Pinkie pouted, "now she's mad at me." The sound of a deflated balloon could he heard as her pigtails suddenly lost some their curls. Shenran gave her a side hug.

"Don't worry little sis," said Shenran, "I'll see what's up with my wife. Can you manage on your own Twilight?" Twilight just smiled.

"No problem," said Twilight, "You've done more than your share of setting up little brother. And I'll make sure Fluttershy isn't picked on."

"Don't worry Auntie Pinkie will take good care of whittle Fluttershy," said Pinkie, now feeling better and patting her sisters on the top of her head. Fluttershy looked indignant.

"I'm one year older than you," she pouted to Pinkie, who didn't hear her. Twilight just rolled her eyes while Shenran give his oldest sister a hug and headed out of the club. He wasted no time heading towards his special mansion where he, and his wife, lived. Ankha was just reclining on her customized chasse lounge chair pouting when Shenran came home.

"I'm surprised you even cared to come home at all, me meow," she retorted angrily. Shenran glared.

"Don't go there with me young lady," said Shenran, "I didn't stay like you assumed I would. I came home cause I know you needed me so don't go acting like I don't care about you at all!" Shenran angrily headed upstairs to go change into his pajamas. Ankha just pouted in her chasse before she could feel herself becoming rather guilty. She only sat quietly for ten minutes or so before she made her way upstairs. She found her husband just sitting on the bed alone in the dark. She didn't need the light on to see that he was crying. Ankha just let out a long sigh before she just sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You really hurt me when you do that," said Shenran bitterly as he wiped his tears away.

"I'm...sorry," said Ankha, "I didn't mean to take out my frustrations out on you, me meow."

"Well what is with you lately?" Shenran asked, "Ever since Christmas you've been acting all gloomy and depressed. I mean no disrespect my love, but you were quite the scrooge, especially after I gave you those solid gold bangles as a gift." Ankha just sighed as she grabbed his hand, interlocking her fingers for comfort. She still wasn't sure if she wanted to talk, but she felt like she owed her husband that much.

"Well you know that I am an Egyptian queen," said Ankha.

"Of course," said Shenran, "no wonder you're so beautiful." Ankha just smirked.

"Well, you...you see, me meow," said Ankha slowly, "I've always championed myself as being a member of a royal Egyptian feline bloodline."

"Yes, you've told me...on several occasions," Shenran answered slowly.

"Well, you...you see...the truth is," said Ankha slowly, "I...I don't..."

"Don't what honey?" he asked as he held both her hands in his, rubbing the tops of them, which helped her find her words before she spoke again.

"I have never been able to explore my heritage," said Ankha. Shenran blinked in surprise.

"Really?" said Shenran, "You...you don't even know for sure if you've got Egyptian royal blood?"

"I know that I am an Egyptian feline, me meow," said Ankha, "that much I know for sure, but I don't know what royal line I'm from. All I know is that Egyptian felines were treated as royalty, but I'm not sure just how royal my ancestors really were. It's something I've always wanted to find out and it has been my new year's resolution for years to finally find my family ancestry. But I've never had any good luck..."

"Have you..."

"Every website and family tree analyst that I could find has come up with no real leads to my true family ancestry, me meow," Ankha answered before Shenran could finish, "I've spent hard earned bells seeking this kind of information but other than a few dozen generations, they have only traced my recent family line, not my ancient ones." Ankha just sighed to herself as Shenran tilted her head and gave her a brief kiss.

"I wouldn't give up hope," said Shenran, "Why not ask my big sister?"

"Which one? You've got three of them, me meow," said Ankha.

"Twilight of course," said Shenran, "The girl does research for a living. And once she finds a topic worth studying about. She won't stop at nothing to uncover the answers. I'm sure if you ask her. She would be more than willing to help you out."

"Are you sure?" said Ankha, "No offense my love but I don't think your sisters like me very much. They always look so...disgusted about me."

"They don't disgust you," said Shenran, "They just don't like it when you act snobbish or when you constantly boast about being a royal feline."

"I don't boast," said Ankha indignantly as Shenran gave her a look. Ankha just pouted.

"My point is honey," Shenran continued, "Is that they know you're a royal feline. So there's no need to keep repeating it over and over."

"Fine, point taken," said Ankha, "But do you really think Twilight would be able to help me?" Shenran just smiled.

"She would be your best option," said Shenran, "You can ask her during the New Year's Eve party." Ankha just looked at him worried, but she knew that she had exhausted every other option. Plus she trusted Shenran and knew he would never steer her wrong.

"Alright," said Ankha before just letting her husband cuddle her for a bit before they decided to head to bed for the night.

The next night, everyone from all the towns belonging to Bacon, Lemon, Rainbow, Roll, Sakura, Shenran, and Twilight had gathered about for the big New Year's Eve party. However unlike Roll's birthday party, even the special characters had come to the party. The most surprising was seeing Harvey bring Harriet as his date. It was quite a shocker to everyone, as well as an awkward moment since everyone was staring at the two before Rarity said to let them be. However the biggest shocker was seeing Tom Nook arrive to the party. He usually never showed up for the New Year's Eve parties, but there he was with Sable, who was wearing a stunning ankle length sleeveless gown with black pumps that she had made herself thanks to Tom buying her the materials. Sable had both her arms wrapped around Tom's right arm. All was quiet when they arrived. The other sisters were each wearing a dress of their own. Roll had chosen to wear a black dogtooth dress with matching leggings, pumps, and a large pink ribbon in her ponytail. The three girls had arrived right behind Sable and Tom when they noticed the couple was being stared at.

"So...it's true," said one of the villagers. Sable felt a bit shy and buried her face into Tom's shoulder, but he gently pulled her away and bit gave her a smile. It was a reminder that they weren't gonna care what others said. While they hadn't made the decision yet, they decided to just give the town their satisfaction and bring all the rumors to rest.

"Yes, we're in love and we're together," said Sable plainly. There was a long three seconds silence before everyone cheered, making the two blush before some others gathered around to congratulate them. Mabel and Labelle just smirked to each other.

"If only the second part was true," Mabel remarked before Labelle shushed her.

"Do you think they'd believe that considering she was holding his arm...tightly I might add?" Labelle asked. Mabel just giggled.

"Good point," she replied as they two sisters shared a laugh as Roll walked over towards Shenran's sisters.

"Hey you guys," said Roll as she tucked her pumps into her pockets.

"Hey miss barefoot," Rainbow teased as Roll looked indignantly. Roll also took notice that all six sisters were wearing dresses of the same type, which was a strapless dress that donned a waist belt and a folded flare skirt that was at the knees. Yet they differed in terms of the dress and belt color, accessories, hairstyle, and shoes. Well except for Fluttershy and Pinkie, who were barefoot as well.

"Never mind her," said Fluttershy, whose dress was yellow with a pink belt, hair down with butterfly clip, " _Some_ of us don't mind a little cold flooring beneath our feet!"

"I can handle the cold thank you very much!" Rainbow retorted, "I just chose not to right now!" Her dress was two tones of blue with a white belt, hair was down with a rainbow stripped headband. She also had on a pair of blue converse shoes with no socks.

"Forget the cold people!" Pinkie retorted, wearing a two toned dress in pink with a blue waist belt, hair in upward pom-pom pigtails with ribbons, "we're gonna warm up soon as this party takes off. I'm just looking for my...TWINSIE!"

"TWINSIE!" Sakura exclaimed. She had actually worn a pink and black kimono with the same hairstyle as Pinkie. She had also removed her shoes since she had worn a white sock n sandals to the club. The two girls both screamed, talked over each other for a minute or so before holding hands, laughing, and then bounced away together. Rainbow just looked at Applejack, wearing a orange dress with red waist belt, hair in two downward pigtails and brown loafers on her feet with no socks.

"I'm officially scare of her and for her yall," Applejack muttered to Rainbow. Roll and Fluttershy just looked at the two and each other before giggling to one another.

"Oh there you are darling," said Rarity, her dress in two tones of dark purple with black belt, hair down with a triple blue diamond hair clip, and matching pumps, "I was wondering where you were...and...while you might be wearing one of my competitors dresses you still do look rather dashing."

"Thanks Rarity," said Roll, "But I've got some of your accessories on my outfit." she pointed at her ribbon, which Rarity hadn't noticed until now had pink gems covering it. She couldn't help but smile.

"You know darling," said Rarity, "I was only joshing about the dress. Gracie and I just had a rather enjoyable discussion with each other."

"I know," said Roll, "I just wanted to show that I wore your ribbon for the party. I've worn several of your Sanrio dresses over this past week. I'm just waiting for Spring before I wear the Kiki and Lala outfit." Rarity giggled as they exchanged hugs with each other.

"I don't know if anyone's said anything yet, Rarity," said Fluttershy, "But I do love the dress you made for me. It's beautiful."

"Yes, yes they are," Rarity remarked, "at least you know two understand the golden rules of fashion." Rarity glared over at Applejack and Rainbow, who were just standing nearby with annoyed looks on their faces.

"If you can't accessorize, or find the right shoes, then don't wear them at all," said Rarity indignantly before walking up to Rainbow.

"Honestly, darling," she began with her younger sibling, "Sneakers with a dress. That is so ten years ago!" Rainbow leaned her face into her older sister's.

"They're _your_ Cinnamoroll shoes," Rainbow muttered through her teeth. Rarity looked down, noticing that her converse sparkled in the light from the blue glitter. She felt a light blush cross her cheeks before giving Rainbow a nervous smile. Rainbow just kept glaring.

"Well..." Rarity stumbled, "This is embarassing...(sigh). But I'm not above saying I'm sorry." Rainbow just continued her glare until she noticed that Rarity did look rather embarassed. She softened right away.

"It's okay sis," Rainbow answered, "Guess I'm just not used to wearing something so...girly."

"You do look beautiful Rainbow," said Roll, "and you can take my word for it. Applejack isn't the only one known for sincere honestly." Rainbow just smiled, feeling a little better.

"Thanks Roll," said Rainbow, "Besides, Rarity, Applejack's the one wearing the fashion crisis on her feet."

"Hey, if I can't wear my cowboy boots," Applejack remarked in a threatening tone, "I'm gonna find the next best thing that is comfortable for my feet! Not some tacky, fancy-smancy high heels for me." She then pulled out her stenson hat from her pockets and put it on, much to Rarity's expense.

"I'm wearing a 2 inch pump," said Rarity as a matter of fact, "guess some girls just don't appreciate looking glamorous I suppose." Applejack just mouthed her comment as Fluttershy and Roll giggled to each other at what they saw as petty issues.

"Can we go somewhere I bit more...upbeat?" Fluttershy asked in her soft tone.

"After you," said Roll before they left the three alone and went to grab some punch.

"I hope nobody spiked this," said Roll, "I'm only twelve!"

"Alcohol isn't permitted around here," said Fluttershy, "but Pinkie has a knack for dumping unexpected ingredients into the punch." It was just then Julian arrived to drink some of the punch. He took a large gulp before his muzzle turned red and he exhaled fire from his mouth and dashed away for some water.

"I guess the punch has been spiked after all," said Twilight plainly, her dress was like rarity's but more fuchsia in color with a cream colored belt. Her hair was tied into a bun with a star clip and her glasses and she had removed her shoes.

"Pretty much," Fluttershy added before as she and Roll giggled to each other.

"Don't worry, I've got some sodas over here in the backroom," said Twilight, "just follow me!" Fluttershy and Roll nodded as they followed the eldest sister into the back room of the club. Twilight was about to hand them each a mini bottle when they heard the sound of someone shuffling and sighing underneath the table. Fluttershy yelped as she grabbed Twilights arm.

"W-w-what was th-th-that?" Fluttershy asked nervously.

"I'm not sure," said Twilight, "but it sounded like it came from underneath the table." Twilight then knelt down to look underneath the large cloth that covered the inside. When she lifted the side of the cloth, she found a golden furred cat just sitting alone underneath the table. She was wearing a black knee high dress with a golden forehead headband that had her birthstone in the center.

"Ankha?!" they all exclaimed.

"H-hi you guys," said Ankha timidly.

"What are you doing under here?" Twilight asked curiously. Ankha motioned for everyone to come underneath the cloth. Everyone was unsure until Fluttershy crawled inside.

"I think this must be a personal matter," said Fluttershy, "Plus I don't think she wants anyone knowing she's hiding under the table."

"I'm NOT hiding, me meow!" Ankha retorted, "I'm just...thinking...this was the only quiet place I could find."

"Why not the..."

"Can YOU concentrate with people going in and out of there, not to mention all that flushing, me meow?" Ankha asked Roll and the blonde girl just shrugged her shoulders.

"Touche," Roll remarked as she crawled inside next and then Twilight followed. Since the blonde girl had leggings on, she was able to sit Indian style while Fluttershy just sat with her legs tucked in and Twilight sat on her knees.

"Sure hope Rarity doesn't mind if our dresses get dirty sitting under here," Fluttershy wondered.

"There are things more important than a soiled dress little sister," Twilight remarked as a matter of fact, "It will come out in the wash."

"But material like this is dry clean only," Fluttershy pointed out.

"Never mind!" Twilight bellowed and turned to Ankha, "now why don't you tell us what's bothering you?" Ankha just took a slow deep breath before she looked at them nervously. Twilight looked worried.

"This must be a big deal," said Twilight, "You're usually so confident and well put together around people. I don't think I've ever seen you insecure."

"I'm not insecure, me meow!" Ankha retorted.

"Then why not talk to us in the main room instead of hiding under a table?" Fluttershy pointed out.

"I know alot about being insecure," said Roll, "if we have to be under here for you to talk..."

"Okay, okay!" Ankha snapped, "I need your help! There is said it! Happy now?" Twilight and the others just looked at each other and then at the golden cat with concern on their faces.

"We're not trying to make you feel bad," Twilight reminded her, "we're your family and your friends. You shouldn't feel ashamed to come to us with your problems."

"Yeah, Ankha, we all love you very much," Fluttershy put in.

"You can talk to us about anything," Roll added, "We would never judge or think less of you no matter what the issue is." Ankha just sighed to herself, fingered her dress for a moment before speaking.

"You...you see everyone," she began slowly, "I...I know I've...always bragged about being from a long line of royal Egyptian felines, but...the truth is..."

"You don't even know if your family line if royalty or not?" Roll guessed. Ankha just blinked for a moment before conceding to Roll's speculation. Twilight was a bit surprised.

"Really?" she remarked, "You seemed so sure about it."

"It's just faith since I am an Egyptian feline and most felines in ancient times were considered royalty, me meow," said Ankha, "but I've never been able to fully find out my true family heritage...or least one that dates all the way back to ancient times and such. Every effort I've put has just lead me to dead ends. I...I was hoping...that maybe you could help me." Twilight got an excited smile on her face.

"A chance to study Egyptian history and feline family trees?" she exclaimed eagerly, "Oh you've come to right girl! If there is one thing I love doing more than organizing things, it's research and exploring scientific theories."

"You're not the only one," said Roll, "If you recall, I'm quite an egghead myself."

"I could sure use a helping hand with the research," Twilight and then her eyes sparkled as she got an idea, "Hey, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I sure am!" Roll replied.

"LET'S HAVE A RESEARCH PARTY!" they squealed with glee. Ankha just looked at them with a bored look while Fluttershy looked slightly embarassed.

"This is sad, me meow," Ankha remarked.

"Well...at least they will be happy together helping you find your family tree," Fluttershy pointed. Ankha just rolled her eyes, but deep down she was hoping that they would be able to help her out. That was when Shenran peeked under the table.

"Is this a top secret party?" he asked and then saw his sister, "Fluttershy! Don't tell me you're gonna hide for the countdown again." Fluttershy hated loud pops and noises that came from when everyone shouted happy new year. She would usually hide somewhere to relax when everyone else did the countdown. But this year, Fluttershy was tired of hiding.

"Not this year," she said bravely.

"Really, you'll come do the countdown with us?" Twilight asked excitedly.

"Oh...s-s-sure," said Fluttershy nervous, "but don't be surprised if I get scared. I said I'd go out there, not get scared." Shenran helped his little sister crawl out from under the table and then helped his wife next. Roll and Twilight crawled out on their own, but Shenran still offered them a gentlemen's hand despite them both saying no thank you.

"You can stay with me and Ankha," said Shenran, "that way if you get scared, you can just grab my free arm."

"Sure you won't be busy?" said Fluttershy, "I'd hate to ruin your first kiss of the new year with Ankha. From what she told us, she needs it more this year." Ankha just blushed and looked away. Shenran just lifted the yellow cat off her feet and pecked her lips before setting her down.

"Well I'm glad she spoke to you," said Shenran, "She was little nervous about discussing this, considering how confident she's talked about being a royal feline."

"No worries little brother," said Twilight, "The day after tomorrow Roll and I are gonna get to work finding her roots. We won't rest until we get the answers Ankha seeks. Even if we can't get a perfect family tree, we can certainly find where her ancestors come from and from what nobility."

"That's good to hear, me meow," said Ankha as she rested her head in Shenran's chest, "thank you."

It was a few hours later, everyone had gathered around for the big countdown. Applejack had saved some of her special sparkling apple cider for everyone to drink when the countdown had reached zero. By now Isabelle had set up the countdown so they could all watch the counter hit zero and welcome the new year. She was still a bit disappointed that there wouldn't be any fireworks this year, but she was enjoying herself at the party and was happy to get to spend the new year with all her friends. Soon the counter was down to just a minute before midnight and Fluttershy was very nervous. Shenran put her cider down on a nearby table so she didn't spill or drop it as they waited.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked her gently. Fluttershy just looked at him with watery eyes and nodded bravely. She was determined to stay. Roll slipped a hand into hers.

"I've got your back," Roll said sweetly. Fluttershy felt better as the clock reached the thirty second mark. While she felt better with Roll and Shenran, then the final countdown began and she could feel her nervousness increase.

"10...9...8...7...6..." Fluttershy began to quiver nervously. She was having doubts she could stick around and her head was screaming for her to run.

"5...4...3..." Then Fluttershy could hear people laughing at her. She figured everyone would do that if she ran for a table.

"...2...1..." Fluttershy put her foot down.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed loudly and jumped up and down. Everyone froze and just looked at her. Fluttershy then realized her outburst and bashfully tried to hide her colored face.

"Well...did you expect me to hide or pass out this year?" she asked plainly. Everyone stared and then cheered with her. Fluttershy felt much better and all the shouting and party noise makers didn't bother her one bit as she blew a noise maker herself. Despite being a few seconds late due to Fluttershy's outburst, Pinkie and Sakura both launched their party cannons at the same time and shouted "Happy New year!" and then began to sing and dance.

 _Happy, Happy New Year!_

 _From Me to All of You!_

 _Happy, Happy New Year!_

 _Let's rock this party too!_

 _Happy, Happy New Year!_

 _Get ready to celebrate!_

 _Happy, Happy New Year!_

 _Let's have fun with lots of cake! WHEEEE!_

Right as the song ended, Stitches was brought onto the stage (against his will) dressed in a diaper, bib, bonnet, and a face that showed he was feeling absolutely humiliated.

"Happy new year!" he said in the most dreary and apathetic voice one could think of as Pinkie and Sakura blasted him with a double confetti salute and wide smiles on their faces. Everyone was laughing themselves silly as Stitches chased after the two girls around the stage, mumbling incoherent gibberish as he did so. Soon everyone was enjoying the chase as they laughed themselves silly. Even Ankha was enjoying herself, all the laughter was making her feel much better about her own situation.

"Now I see why Pinkie's greatest quality is laughter," she said, giggling quietly to herself. She planned to thank her later for the laugh once Stitches stop trying to kill her and Sakura.

Just as promised, Twilight had invited Roll over to her mansion the day after New Year's Day so they could get to work on finding Ankha's family history. Roll was amazed at Twilight's house exterior, which had been redone to resemble a beautiful castle. The main room, back room, and basement was loaded with bookshelves of thousands upon thousands of books. One side room had a kitchen n dining area while the other was a luxurious bathroom. Yet, even these rooms had a few bookshelves in them as well. The same could be said for the bedroom which had some classic furniture that had been redone in violet. But Twilight wasn't behind in the times either, all the room had at least one computer and printer in it while the main room had three computers for multiple research projects. Wi-Fi was a no brainer for such a house. Yet the main room was probably the most comfortable to do work since she had a couple of classic sofas and low tables for papers as well as the traditional cup of coffee or tea. Roll was simply amazed as she entered inside the house carrying a backpack that had her notebook, laptop and some other studying materials. She was wearing a plaid cami dress, black three quarter leggings with matching pumps. Her hair was tied into some upward pigtails with a pair of black oval shaped glasses.

"Wow Twilight, it must have taken you a long time to get all of these books," said Roll as she removed her pumps for her feet. Twilight smiled as she did the same with her purple pumps. She was wearing a purple plaid vest, a white long sleeved undershirt with a matching colored plaid skirt with black leggings the same length as Rolls. Her hair was fully down with her purple glasses.

"Thank you," said Twilight proudly, "I just love reading books. It's kind of my passion and to other's an unhealthy obsession." Roll giggled to herself.

"I'm not gonna judge," said Roll, "Until I learned how important friendship was, books were my only friends growing up." Twilight smiled. Until Pinkie was old enough to talk, she hadn't really tried to bond with her sisters or considered them her friends. But she was glad that she did, for they were her best friends and helped her understand friendship. Now she was trying to make as many friends as she could inside and outside her town.

"I see we have something in common," said Twilight, "Now let's see how much research we can get into before our stomachs start begging for us to eat lunch."

"Good idea," said Roll as she adjusted her frames and set up her little study spot at one of the sofas. Twilight looked at her funny.

"Roll, why the glasses?" she asked, "Unlike me, you don't need glasses to see."

"I like to wear them when I study and the black frames go with my dress," Roll explained as she poked the empty holes where the lenses would have been, "I can do alot of things, but deep down, I'm just an egghead like you." Twilight laughed as they soon started getting to work discovering the truth behind Ankha's ancestry. About six hours of searching various books and internet sources, Twilight was feeling rather frustrated as she closed another book loudly.

"Ugh, I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I thought we would find something about royal family lineages of Egyptian felines by now," said Twilight, "I need to find something. I got to! I got to! My Sister in law is depending on me! Get it together Twilight! Just stay calm and..." Twilight noticed all the books she had already scrolled through and her mind was drawing a blank.

"I'M LOST!" Twilight bellowed before buried her face into her knees and dropping her book. Roll then arrived holding a book securely to her chest.

"Geez, pull yourself together," said Roll, "Going crazy isn't going to help anyone." Twilight looked up at her, her hair already getting frizzy from the stress.

"Pull myself together!" Twilight retorted, "we've been at this for hours. My mind is drawing blanks, I'm hungry, and I'm gonna fail my sister in law! Who I don't even think likes me!"

"Now you're just letting your worries get the better of you," said Roll, "Ankha does like you. And she knows that you are trying your absolute best."

"Well my absolute best isn't good enough!" Twilight snapped, "She really wants to know about her family history and other people she asked to help haven't been able to conjure up any information for her. I want to succeed where other's fail! People count on me to get these things done and I need to find the solution...or people will think I'm unreliable and won't let me help them. They'll say I'm a bad friend! They..." Twilight stopped babbling when she saw Roll just kneel beside her and gave her a hug. The purple haired scholar felt a smile come on her face as she hugged the blonde girl back.

"I understand," said Roll, "when you want to be a good friend, the last thing you want to do is fail them, especially when you've struggled to find friends until recent times. You don't want to lose the friendships you have. Even I have trouble with this, but this advice is true. Most of the time, we put more pressure on ourselves and we don't need to. All we can do is our best. Whether we succeed or fail, they will still be our friends. As for our research issues, some famous scholars once said: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong" and "always expect the unexpected"." Twilight laughed in agreement.

"You're pretty wise for a twelve year old," said Twilight, "I'm nearly twice your age and I still forget that...alot. I mean..."

"So you struggle under pressure," said Roll, "no shame in that. You forget that I'm here to. We're doing this together. You're not alone."

"Oh right, true," said Twilight as she fingered her frizzy hair a bit to fix it, "Have...you found anything by any chance?"

"I'm not just holding this book for exercise lifting you know," she pointed as out she held a book that read _Royal Felines and Their Origins_. Twilight gasped excitedly.

"I thought I had a book around here," said Twilight, "Where was it?"

"In the basement," said Roll as she opened the book and flipped through the pages she had bookmarked.

"Put the book down so you can show me what you've found out," Twilight asked excitedly. Roll obeyed as the two girls sat on their knees in front of the opened book.

"According to this chapter," Roll explained, "Egyptian felines in the Animal World are divided into one of six tribes. Each tribe holds a special insignia that determines their identity. The six insignias are: Pyramid, Sphinx, Python, Crane, Sun, and Majestic Feathers. If Ankha is part of any ancient feline tribes, she should have in her possession something that has one of these insignias!" Twilight pondered for a moment.

"Let me give her a call," she answered as she grabbed her smart phone from her vest pocket. There was a couple of rings before someone answered.

"Hello?" Ankha asked drearily.

"Ankha, it's Twilight," the purple haired scholar answered, "We might have a lead, but we need to know if you have any family heirlooms or items that have one of the following insignias: Pyramid, Sphinx, Python, Crane, Sun, or Majestic Feathers." Ankha seemed quiet for a moment, mostly because she was thinking.

"Hold on, me meow," she said quickly before Twilight and Roll heard the sound of some shuffling. Then they heard her gasp and pick up her phone.

"I have this old bangle that has a snake on it," said Ankha, "it was from my grandmother, but she died before I could ask her about it. Guess I should've made more of an effort to go to my family reunions in the past. She gave it to me on her deathbed."

"So your family appears to be part of the Egyptian Python tribe," said Twilight, "we'll report back with any other information we can find."

"Alright, I'll be waiting," Ankha replied as she disconnected and Roll was already busy scanning through the pages for information.

"Oh this is so exciting," said Twilight, "after all this time, we're finally gonna find the answers we've been waiting for!"

"Not much is known about the ancient history of the Python feline tribe," Roll read aloud. Twilight went agape before grabbing her head in agitation.

"Just when I thought things were turning around," Twilight groaned but quickly tried to think optimistically, "Let's not get knocked down here! At least we know what tribe she's from...we can still find something..."

"I wasn't done..." said Roll indignantly as Twilight stopped talking to herself and looked at her.

"Sorry, go on, " Twilight replied apologetically.

"While little information about them is known," Roll continued, "Studies have shown that they originated from the central region of the Layer Cake Desert."

"Layer Cake Desert?" said Twilight surprised, "why does that sound so familiar to me?"

"It was a level in New Super Mario Bros U?" Roll pointed out.

"True, but that's not what I meant," said Twilight as she rose to her feet and pondered for a moment, "Layer Cake...Layer Cake..." Suddenly Roll's stomach grumbled.

"Please Twilight, all this talk about cake is making me hungry," Roll complained, "We still haven't even eating lunch yet and its mid afternoon!" Twilight ignored her and continued mumbling until she snapped her fingers.

"Of course," said Twilight, "Why didn't I think of him before?"

"Who?" Roll asked as Twilight headed for the nearest computer and started typing something on it rather quickly. Roll just looked at her with a puzzle look on her face as she stood beside her.

"Who did you remember?" Roll asked her as the purple haired scholar continued to type.

"I remembered an old villager, and a close friend of mine, that used to live here named Lucky," Twilight explained, "he has a passion for ancient archeological studies. He's been stationed in the Layer Cake Desert doing research for the past couple of years. Maybe he might have some information that could help us."

"Well ask him! Ask him!" Roll added excitedly as Twilight typed up a message to his email and then sent it right away.

"Now all we can do for now is wait," said Twilight when her computer suddenly dinged.

"He's answered already, what luck," said Twilight happily. She clicked on the envelope to open the letter. Roll blinked when she saw the opening.

"Twilight _Sparkle_?" she asked curiously. Twilight suddenly blushed.

"Uhh...heh...that was his nickname for me, we're just friends," Twilight answered quickly before reading the rest of the message. Roll just rolled her eyes as she tried to read the message herself before Twilight squealed and clapped excitedly.

"Oh what good luck indeed!" Twilight said excitedly as she closed the tab before Roll could fully read the reply herself.

"Well since I couldn't read it," Roll replied sarcastically, "what did he say?"

"He says that he had just discovered an ancient tomb that belonged to that very tribe," said Twilight, "he has been studying the surroundings in order to find a way to enter it. But he needs some help."

"Well, I'm down for a little archeological excavation," said Roll, "how about you?" Twilight gave her a determined smile as they exchanged a high five.

"Let's do this!" said Twilight, "Let me see if we can go down there to help him out." Twilight sent him another message. They only had to wait another minute before he sent his response. Twilight was excited once she opened the message.

"He agrees!" said Twilight, "he also says that he'll make extra room so we can see if the rest of the family can help us out."

"Good idea," said Roll, "Shenran said you guys have had quite a few adventures together. I can't wait to be part of this one."

"I better tell Ankha the news," said Twilight, "The answers she seeks are in the Layer Cake desert."

And so the adventure is about to begin

Pinkie appears playing Indiana Jones theme on trumpet.

Ending chapter for now!

 **You can't have characters based from** ** _My Little Pony_** **and not have the current gen song somewhere you know. Plus it was a private request by an anonymous reader.**

 **Please be nice about my version of a Pinkie song. I was a improvisation. Thank you.**

 **Plus those who have seen the series will understand why Twilight's house has the castle exterior. And her study outfit is based loosely off of her Crystal Prep uniform from Equestria Girls.**

 **Plus you can't bash the Mario locations referenced here. According to Gulliver, Ricco Harbor exists in the AC world.**

 **Looks like we're going on an adventure next chapter!**

 **See you next time!**


	58. New Year's Resolution Part 2

New Year Resolution Part 2

To say Ankha was overjoyed was an understatement. Once Twilight had informed her that the secrets of her family history were in the Layer Cake Desert, Ankha was eager to get going so they could get started with the research and exploration. But first, Twilight needed to get the information they needed in order to find Lucky since the desert was primarily unexplored. Shenran just watched as Ankha was already packing her gear in order to get ready for their expedition the minute Twilight said she found Lucky's location.

"Now let me see," Ankha pondered, "Twilight said I should take my bangle with me. I wonder if I should...well I'll take my queen outfit. It might come in handy out there."

"Don't forget your explorer outfit, dear," said Shenran, "yet we should probably bundle up for the night times since it might get cold."

"Current temperatures are very warm in the Layer Cake Desert despite it being winter time," said Ankha, "I checked the weather."

"Sure that's not just the day time?" Shenran asked.

"Honey, the Layer cake desert is located one degree longitude north of the equator," Ankha explained as she showed him the map, "the average temperatures are very warm year around. So sunscreen might be an absolute must, but exactly a warm blanket."

"I just hope Rarity dresses properly," Shenran remarked, "The last time we had adventure, she wore an outfit that ended up in shambles cause it wasn't design for rough conditions."

"Should I even ask about shoes?" Ankha asked, "at least in your case?" Shenran just chuckled.

"You said the fact I rough it barefoot was attractive," he flirted when Ankha threw a pillow to his face.

"Oh shut it Casanova," Ankha retorted but still giggled inside. She figured he would, since he had done it before, but that didn't stop her from worrying about him injuring or even cutting up his feet when they navigated rough terrain.

"Aside from our attires," said Shenran, "are you ready to find out about your ancient relatives?" Ankha just sighed to herself as she just examined her suitcase.

"I just hope that I find what I am looking for, me meow," said Ankha quietly, "why would my family lie to me about our heritage? They say we are part of royal blood, but they don't have any real treasures from our past other than my bangle here! I just hope I can find all the answers to my questions."

"Same here," said Shenran, "Just remember this my love."

"What?" she asked curiously.

"No matter what we learn," he said "I will always love you." Ankha just smiled before she embraced her husband happily. While her worries hadn't fully gone away, having her husband with her made her feel better.

Meanwhile, Roll was busy packing up various things into her own suitcase, by now she had finally returned back to her own mansion as she checked up her essentials that she needed for the trip. Sable was there watching her pack with much worry on her face.

"Did you pack an extra warm sleeping bag?" Sable asked.

"Yes momma," Roll answered as she continued to check her things.

"Extra pajamas and toothbrush?"

"Yes momma"

"Extra durable explorer clothes?"

"Yes momma."

"Shoes?"

"..."

"Roll?"

"Yes...Momma!" Roll replied, getting a bit annoyed at all the questions as she shut her suitcase. Sable just sighed.

"Sorry to be such a nag," Sable answered, "It's just...I'm worried about you. I keep getting a feeling this expedition is going to be dangerous. I want you to come home alive. We need you here."

"I know Mom," Roll replied as she zipped her suitcase, "And I will, but this is something that I need to do. Ankha really wants to learn about her history and Twilight is going to need my brain power in order to uncover the clues to the temple holding all those secrets."

"True," said Sable, "but I'm your mother. I'm gonna be worried about you until you come home."

"I know," said Roll, with her suitcase in hand and slipped on her shoes, "but please don't worry Momma. I'll be careful."

"I know you will," said Sable, "Have a safe trip."

"Alright," said Roll, "Bye-bye Momma." Sable smiled as they exchanged a hug and Roll left her house to head to the train station. Sable just watched her leave from the front door as a small tear left her eye. Roll took the train towards what was the Animal World's version of an airstrip. This was where they would take a private plane to their airstrip located just outside of the Layer Cake desert. Rainbow was there to greet her.

"You're late Roll," she said sternly. Roll just glared back as she examined her watch.

"It's 9:00am on the dot," said Roll, "How am I late?" Rainbow just glared before smiling.

"You need to lighten up, I was just kidding," she chuckled. Roll just smirked and gave her a hard jab in the shoulder.

"Good one Rainbow," said Roll as she headed towards the group. Rainbow just held a brave smile before she turned around to cringe and hold her now bruised arm.

"Ow!" she whimpered while rubbing her arm, "She's stronger than she looks for an egghead." Once Rainbow could tolerate the pain in her arm, she recomposed herself and headed back towards the group who were just chatting and chuckling with each other.

"So...how are we gonna find Lucky, sugarcube?" Applejack asked curiously.

"Lucky is stationed just outside the ruins of the old village where the Python felines used to live," Twilight explained, "Lucky had already been doing some research so he might have more information about their traditions and life styles. Oh, I'm so excited. We get to explore a unknown ancient culture. Think of all the information that is just begging to be uprooted." Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity just rolled their eyes at their sister while Fluttershy, Pinkie, Roll, and Shenran chuckled to each other.

"Just remember Twilight," said Ankha, "We're there to discover my family roots."

"And when we find them," said Pinkie, "We'll throw Ankha one awesome family reunion party!" She shoot her party cannon to emphasize her excitement.

"Pinkie, no one has lived in this village for centuries," said Twilight, "more likely than not, it's probably deserted." Pinkie's hair deflated a bit as she looked shocked and disappointed.

"Party pooper," she muttered. Twilight then got a buzz from her phone.

"Looks like our plane is ready," said Twilight, "Let's get going. To knowledge!" Everyone just looked at her funny before she just grunted annoyingly.

"To adventure!" she chanted with half as much excitement as everyone else cheered with her and headed for their plane. Twilight just sighed in defeat as Roll held her hand.

"I'm liked the first one," Roll said sweetly. Twilight giggled as they linked arms and skipped happily to catch up with the others.

Now as we cross-fade, the orchestrated sounds of violins and trumpets could be heard in a low tone as a worn out map of the Animal world was laid out. A large circle was marked on the location of the Animal airstrip and now a red line was slowly crossing the map leaded towards the destination. For this team was heading south towards the location of the hot and very dangerous Layer Cake desert...

"Pinkie will you stop playing that stupid music!" Twilight bellowed with her red marker in hand over the old map. Pinkie had created a one man band consisting of the very violin and trumpets to play an adventurous tone. Unfortunately, it was breaking Twilight's concentration.

"Sorry, just felt like the right music for what you were doing," said Pinkie with a glare. Since they were aware that the temperatures in the layer cake desert were going to be much warmer. They had already changed into their explorer outfits, which were the explorer hat, tee, and shorts. While the shirts were the same, everything else varied. Shenran's shorts were above the knee while the girls had a four inch inseam in theirs. Their hats had a different color band so they could tell each other apart. Twilight was dark pink, Applejack was orange, Rarity was dark purple (with gems since she stylized herself), Shenran's was brown, Rainbow was light blue, Fluttershy was yellow, Pinkie was light pink (duh), Ankha's was grey, and Roll's was green. Twilight had wanted everyone to wear the same type of sneaker. Only Rainbow, Pinkie, and herself wore a sneaker in their respective colors. Applejack wouldn't wear any shoe other than her cowboy boots. Rarity, despite protests, had worn some dark purple pumps, choosing style over being practical. While Fluttershy, Shenran, and Roll had chosen some slip on shoes, they had already said that unless they found it necessary, they were going barefoot. That was even more impractical, but everyone in the group had the same flaw. They were often too stubborn for their own good. Twilight wasn't going to fight their decisions. For now she was just scanning to map in order to locate Lucky's campsite.

"So..." said Roll as she stretched her toes, "how are we going to get to Lucky? I doubt we are gonna just land the plane right outside of his campsite." Twilight chuckled.

"That would be a hard thing to do," said Twilight, "plus the shifting sands make landing a plane anywhere in the area rather difficult. Our plane will take us just outside the desert near Congo Bongo jungle. Then we'll rent some jeeps to drive us over towards the campsite and then we'll take it from there."

"Sounds like a plan," said Roll, "But I often wonder..."

"What about?" Twilight asked the blonde girl curiously.

"Why is the desert called the Layer Cake desert?" Roll asked curiously.

"Easy," Twilight explained, "the desert sands have shifted so much for thousands of years. As a result, all the rocks, hills, and mountains have various layers of sedimentary rocks that have built up on top of each like layers. On clear days when the winds are light and the skies clear, you can see all the various layers with the naked eye."

"Or it could be that there are giant layer cakes out there that are so gigantically gigantic and humongous that they take up the size of mountains and hills," said Pinkie excitedly, "can you image how much frosting that would take to cover all those cake layers cause I can tell you I've done lots of giant cakes before but these cakes are even bigger than the cakes I've made and..." Pinkie just continued to babble as Twilight just rolled her eyes as she slumped over the map with her hands on her head. Roll just giggled to herself.

Before long their plane landed just outside of the Congo Jungle. Everyone made their way out off of the plane, except for Rarity who was trying to pull her luggage along the dirt road and getting nowhere. She had packed twelve suitcases while everyone else, even Ankha, had only packed one. (Well Shenran had packed Ankha for her since she had tried to do what Rarity had done.)

"Honestly sugarcube," Applejack retorted, "You know by now we're not going to be staying in any luxury hotel out here! Why do you do this to yourself?"

"A girl can never be too prepared darling," Rarity retorted with a strained voice as she tried to pull her luggage behind her but moving rather slowly. Applejack and Rainbow just watched her struggle when Shenran stomped up to them.

"Well don't just stand there looking pretty!" he remarked, "One of you help her, you've all got muscle! Unless you forgot how to use it!"

"Oh don't go getting your apples in a bunch sugarcube," said Applejack, "I just want Rarity to learn a lesson." It was just then Rarity fell to her knees, sweating heavily in the jungle humidity and clearly out of breath. Shenran just grunted angrily.

"I can't just stand here and watch her collapse like that!" he replied as he knelt beside her, but Rarity stood back up, hair now frizzy from her sweat as she kicked off her pumps and dug her bare feet into the dirt, cringing as she said so, but tried even harder to pull her luggage. While it was starting to budge, it was only very slowly. Shenran just sighed to himself.

"Rarity please let me..."

"NO!" she snapped, "I'm gonna prove that I need all my stuff even if it kills me! I'm already owing myself a serious foot bath as it is!"

"I don't want you to die!" Shenran said softly.

"Figure...of...speech," Rarity barked as her rope suddenly broke and she tumbled forward onto her back.

"Rarity, why are you tugging your luggage like that?" Twilight asked, "We're renting some jeeps, you're stuff should fit in one while we pile ours in the other!" Rarity just looked agape before she burst into tears. Twilight was stunned, but also noticed how frazzled she looked as well as the marking on the ground showing she used her bare feet to pull her luggage. She then noticed Applejack and Rainbow just watching and looked away, whistling innocently.

"Did you two give Rarity a hard time again?" she demanded. Applejack and Rainbow just shrugged her shoulders as Twilight just grunted loudly and slapped her forehead. She planned on dealing with them later as Shenran put Rarity's luggage into one of the jeeps. Roll was comforting Rarity with a warm hug to help her calm down.

"Thanks Darling," Rarity sniffled as she rose to her feet and Roll handled the girl her pumps. Rarity just sighed as she pushed the pumps away.

"I can't wear these with such dusty feet," she remarked, "I guess I can trek the desert your way for a while." Roll just giggled to herself.

"Well you are beautiful," said Roll. Rarity just looked dumbfounded.

"Darling, my hair is a mess, my clothes soiled and my feet are all dusty!" she snapped, "You think _this_ is beautiful?!" Roll just smiled as if she was never aware that the purple haired fashionista was yelling at her or giving her a death glare.

"Yes I do," said Roll with smile, "you're a beautiful girl Rarity. Why should petty little things like that bother you? Look at me!" Roll removed her hat and showed Rarity her ponytail.

"I have no clip or ribbon, but I'm beautiful right?" Roll asked her.

"Yes, you are," said Rarity slowly, not understanding what Roll was trying to do. The blonde girl than untied her pony tail and ruffled up her hair so it was down but had hairs sticking out all of over the place.

"How about now?" Roll asked. Rarity just bit her lips before she started laughing.

"Okay, point taken," said Rarity, "I little rough around the edges doesn't soil one's beauty. Thank you Roll. I feel much better now." Roll smiled and just put her hat on, leaving her hair as it is before grabbing Rarity's arm and guiding her towards the jeeps. The first jeep already had Ankha, Shenran, Fluttershy, and Pinkie in it.

"We are gonna take this jeep and you guys can take the second," said Twilight. Rarity made a face as she noticed Applejack and Rainbow behind her.

"Do I have to?" Rarity whined, not wanting to ride with _them_.

"Yes, you have to," said Twilight.

"Hold up there Twilight," Applejack pointed out, "Who is going to drive?"

"Me of course," said Rainbow excitedly.

"Oh please no," Rarity groaned.

"If anyone is gonna drive this here jeep, it's gonna be me!" Applejack shot back.

"You're both wrong," said Twilight as she grabbed the keys and tossed them towards Roll, who caught them.

"ROLL?!" the three all exclaimed.

"That girl is only twelve years old," Applejack protested.

"She's too young to drive," said Rainbow.

"True, but she actually has her license and I trust her not to wreck the jeep!" Twilight shot back as she started the engine, "We'll see you at the campsite!" Twilight then drove away as the two sisters look dumbfounded.

"Are you two slowpokes gonna stand there with your faces hanging out, or are you gonna get on?" said Roll as Rarity took the seat next to her in front, but the fashionista couldn't resist shouting.

"Shotgun darlings!" Applejack and Rainbow just looked at each other before rolling their eyes and climbing in the back seats.

"Buckle up," said Roll as the two older girls just groaned and did what they were told. Roll gave Rarity a wink before she started the jeep and they were on their way at a fairly decent but rather slow speed. Rainbow just groaned.

"I knew this was gonna be a long ride," she groaned.

"Can't you go a little faster?" Applejack complained. Roll and Rarity exchanged smirks.

"You heard the girls, darling," said Rarity as she propped her bare feet on the dash board, "They want to go _slower_." Roll giggled and eased off the gas, making the jeep slow to a crawl. Applejack and Rainbow groaned louder as Rarity and Roll tried not to laugh.

"At this rate, we won't get to the campsite by nightfall!" Rainbow complained.

"Can't you speed up already!" Applejack added with irritation.

"Well you heard the girls, sweetie," said Rarity, "They want fast. Give them fast!" Roll nodded and slammed down on the gas, causing the jeep to lunge forward, causing Applejack and Rainbow to be knocked backwards into their seats. Then they noticed Roll approaching a nearby steep sand hill.

"Roll, slow down!" Applejack said fearfully, but Roll didn't slow down. She ran right off the sand hill, sending the jeep airborne for a few seconds and causing Applejack and Rainbow to scream as the jeep landed with a hard thud and charged forward. Once their hearts returned from their throat's to their chests, Rainbow leaned forward.

"What were you thinking?" Applejack snapped.

"Yeah," said Rainbow, "That...was...totally AWESOME!"

"Let's do that again yall!" Applejack added with a smile on her face.

"Okay," said Roll and Rarity together as the continued at high speed down the sand dunes. Once they were close to the campsite area, they slowed down once they saw Twilight's jeep just coming to a stop since they had taken different routes to the campsite and fortunately arrived at the same destination. Twilight got out of her jeep with Shenran standing next to her as they pulled in to park.

"I saw how reckless you were driving young lady!" Twilight scolded, "I trusted you to drive at a safe speed."

"I was driving at a safe speed," said Roll indignantly as the rest of the girls climbed out of the jeep, "I saw you dune hopping to you know!" Twilight blushed as the other three just smirked at each other. Twilight babbled a bit before grunting.

"Yeah well it wasn't such a good idea after all!" she protested, "Look what it did to Fluttershy!"

"WHOO-HOOO! LET'S DO THAT AGAIN! WHOOO!" Fluttershy screamed aloud before tumbling right out of the jeep. Shenran just laugh before he and Ankha helped the clearly adrenalized girl to her feet.

"Come on, Twilight," said Pinkie, "once Fluttershy stopped shrieking we all had fun zooming the desert!" Twilight wanted to protest but just conceded with a smile.

"Alright, fair enough," said Twilight, "Can I assume things are okay between the three of you?" Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity just huddled up and smiled with Pinkie popping up underneath them.

"Pinkie, why are you down there?" Applejack asked curiously.

"Aren't we posing for a friendship picture?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"NO!" the three girls answered.

"Oh...could've fooled me," Pinkie replied before bouncing away. Twilight and Roll just smiled and rolled their eyes at her before they noticed a dog wrapped up in bandages wearing a explorers outfit of his own but with a fedora hat.

"Twilight Sparkle? Is that you, rrr-owch?" he asked excitedly.

"Twilight _Sparkle_?" Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity cooed with smirks on their faces.

"Shaddup," she whispered to them under her breath as she approached her old friend, "It's so good to see you again, Lucky!" The two shared a warm embrace with each other.

"Well you're looking as beautiful as ever, rrr-owch," he remarked, making her blush as the others just snickered to each other.

"Anyway, this is my family Lucky," Twilight answered, ignoring the snickering, "Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Shenran, his wife Ankha, and our sister in spirit Roll." They all just waved briefly hello as Lucky just smiled.

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet your family Twilight," he replied, "Since you're last message to me, I've been busy trying to study the ancient lands to see if I can uncover any other hidden clues and information that might help us with what you are looking for. Now which if your family is the one who has a possible heritage with the Python felines?"

"That would be me, me meow," said Ankha majestically, "Apparently, my ancestors were members of the Python tribe. I have the bangle right here." Ankha gave Lucky the bangle. He examined the marking a bit and even tapped his teeth on it before examining it once more.

"Is he trying to eat it?" Pinkie asked, "Maybe he should suck on it so it gets smaller and more chewable otherwise he might chip a tooth. I did that once and I seriously advise anyone who loves jawbreakers to never try and break one right away without sucking it. It's hurts like the dickens..."

"We get it!" Roll remarked annoyingly. Lucky then hummed as he continued to hold the bangle in his hand.

"There's no doubt about it, rrr-owch," Lucky pointed out, "This bangle is definitely a original handcrafted jewelry made from this very tribe." Ankha smiled excitedly.

"So it is true," said Ankha, "my family is from this very tribe!"

"It does seem that way," said Lucky, "but we can be more assured about it once we try to venture into the temple, rrr-owch."

"A temple?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Yes, there's a temple nearby that the ancient felines used to write and document their families history," said Lucky, "It was done for years until they were driven from this land due to war and a large desert blight in the area." Everyone started to look around their surroundings and Pinkie than gasped excitedly.

"I was right!" said Pinkie, "See? Just look at that!"

"Look at what...oh...no..." Twilight groaned when she noticed that surrounding them were several large and small mountains that looked just like layered cakes. While she was right about the rock layers, the layers did make the hills and plateaus look like giant cakes. So Pinkie seemed more right about how she speculated the Layer Cake desert would look like.

"They look so good to!" Pinkie exclaimed as she dashed toward one of the plateau cliffs and took a bite. She chewed for a second before she made a face and spat out what was in her mouth.

"Bleh!" she exclaimed and wiped her tongue, "too grainy!" The other's just chuckled at her.

"Oh Pinkie," said Roll with giggle, "Just because the hills and rocks look like cakes doesn't mean they taste like real ones." Pinkie just pouted as the rest of the group continued to laugh.

Later that day, Lucky led everyone into the area where he had set up camp. The area was quite small but extra large tents had been set up. One for Ankha and her husband and the others for the remaining seven girls to all squeeze inside. Rarity was most indignant.

"Do you expect me to sleep on the dirt?" she asked indignantly.

"You should try it sometimes," said Roll honestly, "It's actually very comfortable. Besides you won't be sleeping on the dirt exactly. The tent has flooring on it and you'll be using a sleeping bag to sleep in, not just a blanket and a pillow so...you're actually not sleeping in the dirt." Rarity just glared before she chuckled to herself.

"I don't know if it the desert heat or just the fact you're so cute Roll," said Rarity, "but you just keep convincing me to try new things today. Alright, but I hope there's room for my chasse in there."

"You _still_ pack that thing?" Rainbow exclaimed, "no wonder your bags are so heavy!"

"You know I never leave without it," Rarity remarked as the two sisters just rolled their eyes. Roll just chuckled to herself as she headed toward the main tent where Lucky was doing his research in.

"Hey Roll, wait a second!" said Applejack.

"What's up?" she asked.

"We just wanted to say sorry for giving you a hard time," said Rainbow, "about the driving. You're actually pretty sneaky and cool too."

"Plus I like a girl who knows how to not only be honest, but optimistic," said Applejack, "Do you have any idea how long we've been trying to convince Rarity that getting a little dirty and enjoying nature _without_ her luxuries was fun?"

"Try since we were potty trained and could talk," Rainbow remarked, "that girl can be a little too prissy sometimes."

"Well some girls are," said Roll in Rarity's defense.

"We know sugarcube," Applejack answered, "but Rarity is alot stronger than the gives herself credit for. We've been on plenty of adventures where she managed to use her wit and strength to get out of sticky situations. Plus she likes water and dirt alot more than she give herself credit for."

"So does Fluttershy," said Roll as she saw the girl take her slip-ons off and head into Shenran's and Ankha's tent, "She's alot stronger than she looks too."

"That's true," said Rainbow as Applejack nodded in agreement, "I guess the point is that you're pretty strong for an egghead. What's your secret?"

"High tolerance to terrains and temperatures," Roll explained as she pointed to her bare feet, "As well as regular weight lifting, exercise, and Kung Fu." Rainbow spluttered before laughing.

"Kung fu," she laughed, "you can't be serious." Roll glared before she motioned for Rainbow to come and attack. Rainbow smirked before trying to punch her as Roll effortlessly dodged her attack, grabbed her arm, lifted her into the air and tossed her away like an empty box into the sand face first. Roll dusted her off her hands before heading into the research tent, leaving a dumbfounded Applejack with her jaw hanging out...until Pinkie Pie just smiled and closed it for her. Roll entered the tent to see Lucky and Twilight just chuckling with each other.

"Am I...interrupting?" she asked quietly. Twilight turned around see the blonde girl standing nearby.

"No, not at all," said Twilight, "Lucky was just telling me about a funny situation that happened between the two of us when he was living in my town."

"You...kind of had to have been there, rrr-owch," said Lucky. Twilight just giggled to herself.

"I guess so," said Roll, "If I can ask, you two seem rather close." Lucky just smiled.

"We're best friends," he answered, "We just had different career paths once we graduated with our PHDs. I went into archeology and Twilight here went into scientific research."

"But our research efforts do bring the both of us together unexpectedly," Twilight remarked, "Like this study on the Python felines to be more precise."

"I see," said Roll, "We'll it's nice to have a close friend of the opposite gender."

"Do you have special male friend, Roll?" Twilight asked.

"Marshal," she answered simply, "but he's dating my best friend Bunnie. I'm just getting off topic here. I came to see what Lucky had discovered so far regarding this old city of the Python tribe.

"Well for starters, this land used to be quite fertile, rrr-owch," Lucky explained as he showed them a map that he had created himself, "I've been studying the perimeter in order to determine the size of the city as well as the entrances into it. Apparently, their territory used to be several surrounding acres but the heavy sands have pretty much buried most of the farming land over the past thousand years. I was actually surprised to see that I couldn't find any remnants of a palace for a ruler anywhere."

"Really?" said Roll, "that is interesting, but I thought all Egyptian felines had some sort of royal decent?"

"I had that speculation as well, rrr-owch," Lucky replied, "I figured that all the shifting sands must have either destroyed or possibly buried the royal palace. However, a single temple as well as some of their other buildings have managed to survive. The Lost Temple of the Ancient Pythons I call it..."

"Sounds a bit cliché," Twilight remarked.

"Maybe, but at least it's politically correct, rrr-owch," Lucky remarked before continuing, "it was in this temple that their history was recorded and stored somewhere within its walls. However, only the priests who worked and resided there knew how to access the information."

"I'm sensing alot of life and death challenges and puzzles are afoot," said Roll with her arms crossed.

"Well history and information about the past is considered to be the most valuable treasures in the world," Lucky replied, "who knows what precious secrets are held inside of this temple."

"Well we are sure going to find out soon enough," said Twilight," How soon can we try to enter the temple?"

"First we need to open the main gate to the city, rrr-owch," said Lucky as he pulled out an old scroll and set it on the table, "The scroll belonged to one of the local middleclass men that resided there thousands of years ago."

"How did you get inside if the main gate is still sealed shut?" Twilight asked curiously.

"I climbed over the wall," said Lucky, "but I only did it once, rrr-owch. I split a disk when my rope broke as I was climbing down. Take my advice, sand isn't as soft a landing pad as people think."

"Eugh," Roll and Twilight together with a cringe.

"But I did managed to collect this scroll from the city so I could learn more about their culture and work routines," said Lucky.

"Oh, I bet Ankha would love to see these," said Roll, "anything about her past would help."

"I'll be happy to show this to her whenever she comes out of her tent, rrr-owch," Lucky answered, "However, this scroll only talks about the fact the Pythons lived under a strict dress code, especially when they entered into the temple. Legends say that people who dared to enter the sacred grounds not wearing the proper attire often dropped dead on the spot. No one could explain why."

"You don't really believe that do you?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

"Not really, but...do you really want to take a chance?" Lucky asked. Twilight just smiled nervously. She had learned long ago that just cause something wasn't scientifically proven didn't make it untrue. She learned that from her youngest sister.

"Good point," said Twilight, "What is the attire exactly?" Lucky then pointed to the outfit. It wasn't much different than a typical toga that was just an inch below the knees, but it had a golden yellow belt around the waist and no sleeves on it with some golden fabric around the neckline donning the python crest on the front. The last part was a coin-piece head wig that went over their hair that had a gold headband with a gem stone on the front. Twilight examined the picture and found that there weren't any Egyptian sandals to the outfit.

"What about footwear?" Twilight asked.

"They didn't have any," Lucky pointed out, "not even the upper classes wore them." Roll clapped excitedly as Twilight just rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't that makes you out of date?" Twilight asked with a teasing tone. Roll snorted.

"Being barefoot is always fashionable no matter what the time period is, darling," said Roll, pretending to be like Rarity as she brushed her hair aside. Twilight made a face as Lucky and Roll laughed.

"If we show this to Rarity, I'm sure she could make us each an outfit," said Twilight, getting back on track.

"I'll go get her!" said Roll as she skipped excitedly out of the tent to look for the fashionista. Twilight just smiled. Hopefully Rarity would help perk up now that all those materials she was carrying in her suitcase would be put to good use after all.

By next morning, the outfits were good to go and everyone had gotten dressed into them. The only exception was Shenran. His attire was more elaborate and he had a special pharaoh's hat (not that tacky mask that causes tripping...sorry folks) on his head. Shenran couldn't help but smile as he looked at his wife.

"Well aren't you the most beautiful Queen I've ever seen in my life," said Shenran. Ankha just smiled but just looked at the ruins of the ancient city in the distance.

"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked her gently. Ankha just buried her face into his chest.

"Just...nervous," said Ankha, "the secrets of my family are inside of that city. And all of you are putting yourself at risk just so I can have peace of mind about my family history. Are you sure I'm worth all this trouble?"

"Seriously?!" said a voice as Shenran and Ankha turned to see Fluttershy, fully dressed in her attire and coin headpiece to boot.

"We've all come this way to help you Ankha," said Fluttershy, "I'm foregoing the fact that just the sight of this place shares the living daylights out of me...for you!"

"But...if...if you're so scared, me meow," Ankha pointed out, "Then...why not just stay at the campsite." Fluttershy narrowed her eyes at her.

"I may be scared the entire time we do this," Fluttershy said firmly, "But when my friends need me, I'm always there for them. Besides, if there's any desert bugs and animals in there, you'll need my help to tame them." Ankha just smiled as she gave the pink haired girl a warm hug. Shenran did the same, but gave her a loving squeeze and a brotherly kiss on the cheek.

"I always knew you could be brave," Shenran said to herself.

"Thanks," said Fluttershy before leaning into his ear, "You'll protect me when I get panicky right?"

"Of course," said Shenran, "Pick an arm of your choice whenever you're feeling scared and try not to cut off the circulation okay." Fluttershy giggled sheepishly. She couldn't count the numbers of times when she was frightened she held his arm a little too tightly. The three made their way towards the main group. Roll and Lucky were studying the data the latter had gathered in order to activate the main gate. Fluttershy noticed that Twilight was crying.

"What's up with big sis?" she asked the group.

"Twilight doesn't want to risk entering with her glasses," Pinkie explained, "so she put on some contacts."

"And her eyes aren't used to them," said Applejack, "are you gonna be okay, sugarcube?" Twilight just turned as she carefully wiped another tear from her eyes.

"In a few minutes," she exclaimed, "Sorry."

"No problem sis," said Shenran. "Im sure Roll and Lucky can handle things. Here, keep this little bottle in your pockets. They'll help add moisture so your eyes aren't tearing so much." Twilight nodded as she applied the solution. That was when Roll chose to speak.

"Alright everyone gather around," Roll announced, "Professor Lucky and I have been studying the information he has managed to gather about the city. From what I can tell, the key to accessing the city will require patience and teamwork. So everyone stay together as much as possible."

"Right," everyone said together.

"Lucky knows the way to the entrance to the city, so let's follow him up to that point," Roll continued, "Once we get inside, we're pretty much going to have to wing it until we find what we need to access the temple."

"You mean wearing these tacky garments was only half the battle?" Rainbow replied.

"It might not even be half," said Roll, "Now let's get going." Lucky and Roll were in front with Ankha close behind. The rest of the group followed Lucky until they reached a steep valley where the ancient city was inside of. Ankha marveled at the place.

"I may have never been here in my life time, me meow, "she marveled at the deserted city ruins, "but just being around this place...feels like home."

"It was said that tribe members often felt a connection to this place," said Lucky, "Everyone be careful going down this steep path. It's the only way towards the main gate and it's very steep so don't go too fast." Lucky ventured first with the other's close behind, except for Fluttershy, who nearly slipped just taking her first step and had to retry...once the others had gone after her.

"Come on Fluttershy!" Shenran called out as some of the other sisters did the same. Fluttershy could feel herself getting very nervous as she slowly placed a barefoot on the path and slowly made her way down. Once she found that she could keep her balance, she relaxed a little, but then her foot slipped and this time she could not get her balance back.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she yelped as she slid down the slope, causing a domino effect as she collided with Applejack and then Pinkie pie and so forth so they all crashed landed into a large heap of arms and legs when Shenran surprisingly at the bottom of the pile.

"Oops. Sorry!" said Fluttershy shyly as she sat on the top of the pile. Everyone else minus Lucky either groaned ot glared at her, or did both. Shenran was annoyed, but it wasn't with Fluttershy, it was more at being at the bottom of the pile. Lucky had been fortunate to land outside the pile, but still on his stomach.

"I'm always the fall guy," Shenran muttered.

"Can you stay put while we ladies try to untangle each other up here?" Rainbow asked.

"You're a lady?"

"Shut up Twilight!"

"Could have fooled me!"

"Et Tu Ankha?"

Soon everyone was laughing as they managed to untangle one another and dusted off their dresses. Rarity just sighed to herself.

"I know I'm still beautiful when dusty darlings," Rarity pointed out, "but that doesn't mean I enjoy getting caked in dirt and sand all the time!"

"Better now than later Rarity," Lucky pointed out, "Things could get messy in there." Rarity just felt her eyes twitch.

"Why? Why must I work so hard on my fashion designs only for all my hard work to end in...in...dirt and grime? Oh why? WHY-HY-HY-HY?!" she exclaimed melodramatically as her chasse appeared out of nowhere and she reclined on it. Everyone just looked at her with an apathetic look. Except for Roll, who had a dumbfounded look on her face.

"Uhh...should I ask where that chasse came from?" she said innocently.

"No," the others replied. Roll just rolled her eyes before heading towards the front of the city gate and began to examine the doors. Lucky soon followed as Roll was looking around.

"Be careful Roll," said Lucky gently, "That door is thousands of years old...and it's probably extremely heavily considering it's made out of earliest known compositions of pure iron."

"I can see that," said Roll, resting her hand against it, "and it appears that this door is not your typical: find the key and put it in the lock kind of door. There appears to be some sort of drawing here...just let me..." Roll used her hands to brush off some of the excess sand that had caked up on the walls to reveal a very intricate design.

"What is that?" Applejack exclaimed as she looked at the drawing, "it looks like some sort of blue print or something."

"Exactly," said Twilight, "it's a blue print to how we can enter the city."

"Really?" said Pinkie excitedly.

"What does it say?" Fluttershy asked next.

"It shows that there are three different keys that need to be unlocked," Roll began to interpret the pictures, "The first requires three individuals to press themselves against those three wall paintings and stand still. The second requires three others to unleash...what looks like a special white laser and shine it on that eye of the second key lock. The third says that someone must hold...a garden hoe and a pitch fork?...while...someone in the center holds a sign of friendship or family seal towards the eye at the center of the gate."

"That must be my bangle, me meow!" said Ankha, "But where are we gonna be able to find a pitch fork and garden hoe...like objects?"

"Gotcha covered their partner," said Applejack as she pulled out the two objects from her pockets.

"And you all complained when I had my chasse in my pockets," Rarity exclaimed but no one was listening.

"Now that we've got those items covered, who is going to do what keys?" Twilight asked.

"Why don't you, Rarity, and I do the wall pressing?" said Roll, "Shenran, Ankha, and Fluttershy can hold the items for the second key. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack can work together finding the special white laser?"

"Sounds like a plan to me, sugarcube," said Applejack.

"Hold up everyone, there's one more detail according the drawings here, rrr-owch," Lucky pointed out, "The side keys must be unlocked simultaneously before the center key can be activated. The paintings are easy, but finding a white laser could be tricky."

"Now where in the name of super mushrooms are we gonna find a white laser?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie then began to scoot about and then smiled excitedly when she saw something nearby.

"Oooooo shiny!" Pinkie exclaimed as she dug up the object and flash light into her face and blinded her, "ACK! Too shiny! Too shiny!"

"Is that a mirror?" said Rainbow for a moment, "Of course! The white laser is a beam of sunlight! There must be other mirrors around here so we can use them to direct some sunlight into the key!"

"Of course," said Twilight, "What a clever defense system!"

"What do you mean?" Shenran asked.

"The way the gate need to be opened demonstrates that these felines had a high value for familial harmony within their own tribe," Twilight explained, "accessing the city requires an extensive amount of teamwork. Anybody who wanted to enter the city needs to be able to work and cooperate with each other no matter how long or difficult their works days were. Otherwise, anyone who could cause chaos and disharmony was locked out of the city! How clever is..."

"Wrap it up professor," Rainbow interrupted, "We've got a gate to open!" Twilight felt indignant as Fluttershy patted her back.

"I think what you said was really cool," she said honestly. Twilight felt better and they began to get to work. Rainbow and Applejack wasted no time uncovering the other mirrors, and made sure Pinkie didn't keep blinding herself by looking into them. In fact, once they found the master mirror, they assigned her to find the right angle to get the sunlight redirected towards the gate, which was quite a puzzle in of itself. Fortunately not all the mirrors were stationary so they were able to adjust the movable ones until they were able to get a constant beam on the right key hole, causing the first seal to glow. Rarity, Twilight, and Roll posed into the wall paintings as still as they could to activate the second key. Lucky surveyed everything to make sure that both seals were light up at once.

"Perfect, rrr-owch," said Lucky, "Ankha, Shenran, Fluttershy, do you thing!" Shenran stood on the left side of his wife while Fluttershy was on Ankha's right. They made sure to hold the objects as straight as possible. Ankha then took her bangle and stepped forward, lifted it above her head. The bangle did nothing at first before it floated out of her hand and directed it's python insignia toward the door and gave a bright light, activating the final key. There was slow rumble as something rotated inside the doors before they parted way and opened the gate. Ankha watched in awe as the gates majestically opened the way for them to enter the city. Lucky was most impressed.

"Alright, we're in!" said Lucky, "Come on!" Everyone else quickly dashed inside, while Ankha just smiled excitedly.

"So...it is true, me meow," she said quietly, "I...I really am a true Egyptian feline! And this...this is the home of my ancestors!" Ankha couldn't wait to explore the inside of the city as Shenran smiled and took her hand. This time, however, it was Ankha who pulled Shenran along as they walked inside. Twilight and Roll just marveled at all the dilapidated buildings and roads.

"Just think of all the history that is inside this place!" Roll exclaimed, "Museums all over the world would want just about anything we find here!"

"You can say that again!" Twilight added excitedly, "I've always wanted to contribute to history! Now we have the opportunity of a lifetime!"

"Just don't forget to credit your boyfriend," Pinkie said as she hopped about.

"Sure thing," said Twilight quickly, "now what can we...huh?" Twilight soon realized what she had walked into and noticed everyone minus Roll snickering behind her. Twilight's cheeks went bright red as Lucky just looked away with his own cheeks in the same condition.

"We're just best friends!" she exclaimed, "UGH!" Then she smirked.

"At least I've got a boyfriend!" she shot back, causing everyone to gasp before glaring at her jealously.

"Wait a minute!" said Shenran, "Why am I jealous? I'm a married man!"

"With two wives," Rainbow coughed discreetly, making Applejack snicker until Fluttershy glared at her twin.

"I don't understand the jealousy," said Roll, "I'm sure you girls could find yourself a boyfriend if you stopped teasing her and made the effort!"

"Hey, it's not my fault the last boy who liked me was a total weirdo!" said Fluttershy, "I thought Shenran was gonna kill him every time he flirted with me and wouldn't back off."

"And what about you?" Rainbow shot back, "Why aren't you looking? Twelve is usually the age girls start wanting to be liked by boys." Roll glared but then a mischievous smirk appeared on her face.

"Cause unlike you, I don't need a boy to know that I'm awesome!" Roll answered confidently. Rainbow's jaw dropped and the other girls snickered. Twilight had to turn away cause she was cracking up and gave Roll a high five.

"Alright that's enough, rrr-owch," said Lucky, "If Twilight and I ever do get together, we'll message you (not). Anyway, let's explore around and see if there's anything around here that might give us some clues for entering the temple! Since this place is rather big lets split up and look around."

"Good idea," said Roll, "if you, me, and Lucky each lead a group, we should be able to uncover what we need."

"We can use these!" said Shenran as she pulled out a collection of gold wrist bands, "Thanks to a friend back home and Rarity's fashion skills. These wrist bands looks like traditional arm bangles worn by men and women of the ancient tribe. The right bangle is just for looks, but the left bangle is actually a video-com communicator. We can use these to talk to one another when we discover something or get into any trouble." Everyone was very impressed and wasted no time equipping their new gear and split up. Roll, Shenran, Ankha, and Fluttershy were one group. Rarity, Pinkie, and Twilight were another. Lucky, Applejack, and Rainbow were the third.

As Roll's group headed north, they noticed that the area was filled with various two to three story like buildings with holes in the walls and broken down staircases. They could even see some large pots that clearly had seen better days. Most of them looked cracked and very fragile. Ankha just looked at everything in amazement.

"This must have been where the lower classes used to live," said Ankha, "I wonder where the upper class housing is located."

"Good question my love," Shenran nodded, "I don't see any estates of any sort as we were scoping the outside."

"Maybe there located closer to the temple," said Fluttershy as she looked around. Then something caught her eye when she passed one of the old housing rooms. She peeked inside to find what had caught her attention.

"Hello?" Fluttershy asked nervously when Shenran pulled her away, making her jump.

"I wouldn't go in there Sis," he warned gently, "Who knows how stable that roof is after all this time?"

"I agree," said Roll as she rested a hand on a wall and wiped off the dirt on her skirt, "These rooms are compact, but thousands of years has to have taken its toll on the support. Going inside any of these rooms would be risky."

"I...I...s-s-see," said Fluttershy as she walked away. Shenran then grabbed Ankha's hand before the three others began to continue scouting around. But Fluttershy couldn't just walk away from that particular room and went back to peek inside. She saw the sparkle once more and her body shook nervously.

"Umm...ex...excuse m-me," she tried to call out, but her voice was too soft for them to hear her as they continued to walk away. She sighed in defeat as the object sparkled once more. Then she just took a slow deep breath. Despite Shenran and Roll's warning, she wanted to find out what that object was. She slowly tip-toed inside, taking care not to bump or trip over anything as she made her way inside. She soon found that there was a stone table. On top of it were some coins shinning with the little sunlight that could enter inside. She quietly scooped up the coins, her hands shaking since she was afraid. Then she noticed that the coins were sitting on top of what appeared to be an old scroll with ancient writings on it. She quietly to wipe the dust off, when a large dust cloud hit her nose. That was when Shenran saw Fluttershy. He nearly shouted at her, but then closed his mouth.

"Fluttershy!" he whispered loudly as she was wiping the dust near her nose.

"Ah-ah-ah-ah...achoo!" Her sneeze was as shy and timid as she was. But it was enough to cause the entire area to starting to rumble. Shenran felt his heart rise to his throat.

"Get out now!" he shouted as Fluttershy looked side to side in panic before grabbing the paper and dashing out. The instant she heard the roof cracking she dove for the exit, tumbling out just in time as the entire roof caved in, blocking any further entrance to it. She was breathing rather heavily as Shenran was trying to catch is own breath.

"What were you _thinking_?" he scolded angry as tears left his eyes, "You couldn't have been killed!" Fluttershy just looked at him, trying not to cry herself.

"I...I only wanted to be brave," Fluttershy as she showed him the coins and the paper, "I thought these might help us. See? This seems to be a picture of some Python statue and that is the temple!" Ankha and Roll knelt beside Fluttershy and examined the map.

"There's no doubt about it," said Roll, "whoever lived here must have been a maintenance worker in the temple, for one of the Python statues by the looks of it."

"Nevertheless, me meow, "said Ankha, "Fluttershy, we don't want you risking your neck just to help us. You don't need to prove your brave to anyone here. Next time, tell us you found something."

"I tried!" Fluttershy retorted softly, "but...but..."

"You couldn't speak up," Shenran finished for her, "because you don't like raising your voice. I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just...I don't what to do if anything happened to you. Until Ankha came into my life, you were my best friend." Fluttershy just nodded.

"I'm sorry I scared you big brother," said Fluttershy, "I felt like there was something in there that could help us. I promise I won't do that again. Guess I was just being stupid."

"You're not stupid little sister," said Shenran, "You just made a bad decision." Fluttershy just smiled as she wrapped her arms around his right and rested her head on his shoulder. Roll giggled, finding the sight cute as Ankha just smirked.

"You're not jealous of how close they are right?" Roll asked curiously. Ankha just gave her a smile before asking.

"You two gonna lip lock now?" she asked. Shenran and Fluttershy looked at each other make a disgusted face. Fluttershy then let go of his arm and walked forward.

"Way to ruin the moment sis," she grumbled as Ankha just giggled to herself. She always knew that if she wanted her husband back, that was all she needed to say.

While Roll's group continued searching the residential area, Twilight's group was in the opposite side of the city. Unlike the tall worn down buildings that had been seen by the previous group, this area was surrounded by large area of smaller buildings and various broken down tents with torn materials. Rarity couldn't help but feel disgusted at the area.

"I know this place is thousands of years old darling," she remarked, "but this area is in one desperate need of a cleaning."

"I don't think a simple vacuuming and dusting is gonna fix this place Rarity," said Pinkie, "unless you consider a super-sized, gigantic, mega-super-ultra sucking contraption with nozzles and tubes and..."

"We get it!" said Twilight, "Look you guys. This place might be a dump, but thousands of years ago, it was considered to be the city's very own mall or galleria!" Rarity and Pinkie gasped.

"You mean to tell me that this used to be uhh..uhh...fashion district?" Rarity exclaimed.

"It must have been," said Pinkie as she was digging through some of the rubble, "Look at what I've found!" Pinkie stood up and showed them some silk cloth. While the material is a bit dusty, they were still in very good condition. Rarity examined them excitedly.

"Why these are the finest pieces of silk I've ever seen!" Rarity exclaimed, "Oh just think of the beautiful dresses I could make with this!"

"Not so fast Sis," said Twilight, "If these materials are going anywhere, it's in a museum for others to see." Rarity whimpered as she hugged the silks close to her chest. Twilight just gave her a skeptical glare.

"Rarity, I know how much you would have to make outfits with that," Twilight explained, "but that isn't just any typical silk. It's part of our world's history. Could you really deprive the world of seeing this beautiful silk because you kept it all for yourself?" Rarity just looked at the cloth and sighed to herself.

"I guess that wouldn't be very generous of me would it?" she replied and looked at her older sister, "Alright darling, but...would you mind if I held onto it a little longer?" Twilight giggled and gave her sister a warm nod. Rarity smiled as she carefully stashed the silk into her pockets. Just then pinkie popped out of the old stands.

"Welcome Pinkie's treasures of sand," she said boldly, "we've got some of the finest curios you've ever seen here. From gains of sand to cakey sand and even muddy wet sand, what will it be?" Rarity and Twilight just exchanged looks before giggling to each other and choosing to play along.

"No thanks dear," Rarity answered, "would you have anything else besides...sand?" Pinkie just pondered before her eyes widen a bit excitedly.

"How about this scroll?" she offered and Twilight gasped excitedly.

"We'll take it!" the purple haired scholar replied and went to grab the scroll only for the pink haired girl to pull it away.

"That will be 1000 bells!" she said firmly with held her hand for the money.

"Pinkie, I'm your sister!" Twilight protested, "Now give me the scroll!"

"Hey I'm not running a charity here!" Pinkie said sternly, "Pay up or this scroll stays with me!" Twilight snorted indignantly. Rarity just glared until she got an idea.

"How about a trade, little sister?" she asked, "I've got a little chocobar here." Pinkie gasped excitedly.

"OH CANDY! CANDY! CANDY! CANDY! CANDY! CANDY! CANDY!"

"It's all yours if you give us the scroll," said Rarity slyly, "Now go fetch!" Rarity tossed the candy high into the air.

"WHEEEEE!" Pinkie exclaimed as she tossed the scroll towards Twilight, who caught it, as Pinkie dashed away full speed toward the chocobar before it hit the sand.

"Now that I've got the scroll," said Twilight, "Let's see if it was worth that chocobar you gave Pinkie."

"I WASN'T!" Pinkie screamed as she huffed in rage as she stomped up to the two of them.

"What are you so worked up about?" Rarity asked curiously, "I gave you a chocobar."

"A _white_ chocobar!" Pinkie yelled angrily.

"Well someone is being a bit dramatic," Rarity remarked as Twilight rolled her eyes and began to examine the scroll.

"Dramatic? _Dramatic!?_ " Pinkie barked, "You are talking to a girl who makes candy and bakes for a living as well as throw parties! I know what chocolate is and white chocolate is NOT real _chocolate_!" Now Rarity was rolling her eyes at her. Pinkie just huffed as she continued to eat the candy bar despite saying she had a distaste for white chocolate.

"MMM. This is tasty!" she retorted angrily and stomped away. Rarity just giggled to herself and shook her head when Twilight gasped.

"This is just what we were looking for!" she exclaimed.

"What is darling?" Rarity asked and Pinkie zipped beside them with her lips covered in white chocolate.

"The scroll Pinkie found is the road map into the temple itself," said Twilight, "if I can get Lucky to translate this. We'll be able to find exactly where the history archives are. Now we can find out exactly where we need to go!"

"Instead of just wondering the place and activating the deadly traps like a bunch of idiots!" Pinkie added. Twilight and Rarity just gave her a bored look.

"What?" Pinkie asked innocently, "It's the truth and you know it!" She gave them a squeaky smile as the two girls rolled their eyes at her before smirking to each other.

"Let's get back to the others at the temple," said Twilight, "we now hold the key that will get us to the answers that Ankha seeks."

"Yeah!" Rarity and Pinkie chanted in agreement as the three girls made their way back to rejoin the others.

 **The Song Pinkie was playing was the map theme from** ** _Raiders of the Lost Ark_** **.**

 **Chocobars may be a Yokai Watch thing, but its still a chocolate bar never the less. Plus if you didn't know. White chocolate is considered to be a chocolate imposter by purists because it's not made from cocoa powder, but cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. I like white chocolate so it make no difference to me.**

 **I think this arc will be more than three parts. Hopefully you'll keep reading. The temple trails are next. What will they face and will they survive?**

 **And can I find myself some chocolate? Uhh...never mind.**

 **Anyways see you next time!**


	59. New Year's Resolution Part 3

New Year Resolution Part 3

Back with Lucky's group, he, Applejack, and Rainbow has just arrived at the front of the entrance to the temple. In spite of all the walls keeping most of the shifting sands out of the city, the temple itself was nearly buried. Only the main wall of the temple and a few statues were able to stand majestically over the massive mounds of sand. Applejack gave a long whistle as she surveyed the area before them.

"I guess you were right about this place having some sort of underground for the elite and priests," said Applejack, "Hoo-wee, so much sand and no water to boot."

"Well this is a desert," Rainbow replied as a matter of fact, "not a beach Sis."

"Just saying I wish all this beach had some water close by," Applejack remarked as she wiped her brow. Rainbow soon did the same.

"I agree," said Rainbow, "I think I've still got some water in my canteen!" Rainbow leaned her canteen back a bit and found that it was empty. Rainbow just looked at her canteen with her tongue hanging out and groaned. Applejack just snickered.

"Guess someone didn't ration her water properly," Applejack remarked as she took a drink from her canteen only to find it empty as well. Rainbow just smirked.

"Such a ration expert," Rainbow retorted as Applejack bopped her canteen over the girl's head. Rainbow returned the gesture until they both felt ready to tussle with one another until Lucky squeezed between them.

"Girls, stop it, rrr-owch," said Lucky, "We can find water later, but for now, we need to figure out the best way into this temple. Start looking around for clues while I check the entrance." Applejack and Rainbow nodded, but not before shoving each other at least once. Their search was pretty much quiet. The only thing the group managed to find was a small oasis pond that they could use to boil some extra water for everyone. Within the hour, fresh water was all they had managed to find as they refilled their canteens.

"This is crazy," said Rainbow in exasperation, "the ancient felines must have had no problem getting into the temple! Why are we having such a hard time with this?"

"I'm completely stumped myself, rrr-owch," said Lucky sadly, "I can't seem to find anything that would help us open the gate so we can get inside! And I'm the one who has been studying this place." Lucky just sighed to himself as Applejack knelt beside him.

"Don't give up yet you two," said Applejack replied, "I'm sure Twilight and the rest can find something that could help us."

"That would be true," said Shenran as he, Ankha, Fluttershy, and Roll arrived at the temple base, "Well...Fluttershy found this scroll."

"Fluttershy?" Rainbow exclaimed, "How? Did she just trip over it getting scared of her shadow again?"

"No," said Roll defensively while Fluttershy looked indignant, "She ran out of a collapsing building to get this for us." Applejack and Rainbow stared and then they both laughed.

"That's...that's too funny," said Applejack.

"I'm serious!" said Roll sternly as she hugged Fluttershy close, "You know I never lie!" That got them to stop talking and were left speechless. Fluttershy took the scroll and handed it to Lucky.

"Here Lucky," said Fluttershy, "this scroll appears to have some sort of statue on it. The person must have used to maintain the condition of the statue or something like that." Lucky just examined the scroll before searching around. It was then he noticed two statues just like the ones in the scroll.

"Of course," said Lucky, "Why didn't I think of this before, rrr-owch!"

"What is it Lucky?" Ankha asked curiously.

"Look at the statues, rrr-owch," Lucky pointed out. Everyone looked in the direction and saw two rather large statues guarding the temple. That was when Ankha gasped.

"Wait just a minute there, me meow!" exclaimed Ankha, "Look at the statues closely for a moment here!"

"We can see them, Ankha!" said Rainbow, "what so..."

"Look at the statue on the left versus the right," said Twilight as she and her group arrived at the temple, "The statue on the right is facing north, but the statue on the left is facing west!"

"I see what you're getting at," said Shenran, "According this scroll, found by Fluttershy."

"Fluttershy?" Twilight, Pinkie and Rarity exclaimed.

"Fluttershy," Shenran repeated before continuing, "Thanks to her, we can see that it was a clue to possibly opening the gates of the temple by use of the statues."

"Really?" said Twilight, "show us Shenran!" Shenran knelt down and spread out the scroll for everyone to see as Twilight knelt beside him.

"Look at the statues on this scroll compared to the ones were looking at now," Shenran pointed out. Everyone just looked back and forth a second before Pinkie smiled excitedly.

"I get it!" she said excitedly, "One of the statues is facing us, but they should both be facing each other. That means that there must be a way for us to move the statue that is facing the wrong way and be able to fix it so its facing the other and the two statues are gazing into the other's eyes." Pinkie emphasized her point by grabbing Rarity's head so they were making eye contact.

"Is there a reason you're looking right into my eyes?" Rarity asked annoyingly.

"I needed to show my point and your head was the closest one I could grab," Pinkie explained as she let go of the fashionista's head, "plus people understand me better when I give a live demonstrations anyway."

"I feel so special," Rarity remarked, her tone full of sarcasm as she fixed her headpiece since Pinkie's head grabbing had gotten it a bit out of place.

"You're very welcome," Pinkie replied, giving her a toothy grin. Rarity just rolled her eyes as the others just chuckled to themselves.

"Well Pinkie is right about that, rrr-owch," Lucky replied, "We need to find a way to get the left statue facing south. That might be what we need to enter the temple."

"So we just gotta move that statue," said Rainbow as she cracked her knuckles, "That sounds easy enough..." Rainbow then walked straight up towards the statue and found that there was a large support piece jutting out from the bottom of the base.

"Be careful Rainbow," said Lucky, "You don't want to cause the statue to crumble if you push it too hard, rrr-owch!" Rainbow just grunted loudly as she dug her bare feet into the dusty ground and tried to turn the statue, but the statue was too heavy. She still kept trying regardless.

"Come...nrrgh...on...nrrgh," Rainbow strained as she continued to try and turn the statue but was making no progress.

"Move over partner," said Applejack as she tried to offer her strength and helped her sister try to make the statue move. After a bit, the statue did start to turn a bit, but it was very, very slowly and taking all the strength of the two girls just to make it budge.

"Let me help," Roll said next as she got alongside them and helped them push. Now the statue was beginning to move a little faster, but it was still taking all the energy of these three girls to do so. Shenran wasted no time walking up next.

"Can you make room for one more?" Shenran added as he found a place to push and helped the girls. That did the trick as the statue rotated counter-clockwise into the proper direction within a few seconds. While Shenran was hot, he wasn't too drained since he hadn't had to use all his strength to push. However the three girls were quite drained since they had been pushing longer. Poor Rainbow was soaked in sweat and was having trouble catching her breath as she lay on her back. Applejack and Roll just slumped to their knees with sweaty faces, trying to catch their own breath.

"Don't worry," said Shenran as he presented them an old water skin.

"Where...in...tarnation...did...you...get...that?" Applejack asked, clearly overheated.

"We found them in the old city," said Fluttershy, carrying a water skin too, "as well as a large oasis filled with water. We've cleaned it as well as the skins so we can fill our canteens and have extra water to carry with us."

"We...found...some...too," said Rainbow slowly, pointing towards their pot of now lukewarm water. Twilight smiled.

"Great to see there's plenty of water around here," said Twilight as Fluttershy and Shenran gave the exhausted girls their fair share. Rainbow was slowly fed the water so she could fully regain her breath as well as her strength before Roll and Applejack helped the girl to her feet.

"I could've gotten up on my own you know," Rainbow remarked and stretched a bit to get the soreness out of her arms. Applejack and Roll looked indignant.

"You're welcome," they both muttered.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Lucky pointed out, "But the doors are still sealed shut." Now how are we supposed to get inside of the temple?" Rarity then decided to kneel down and examine the scroll. She then gasped when she noticed something in particular.

"Well would you look at this," Rarity exclaimed as she examined the map.

"What is it Rarity?" Roll asked as she knelt beside her.

"Well take a look at this, darling," the fashionista pointed out, "while the statues are facing each other, someone is depositing something some coins into what could possibly be an offering box of some sort!" Twilight knelt beside her and hummed.

"I can't believe I missed that," said Twilight, "but...how are we gonna offer an offering into the temple treasury? I doubt our bells would be worthwhile." Everyone pondered.

"Umm...excuse me?" said Fluttershy, but her voice was so soft that no one heard her. Then Ankha's face brightened.

"I just remembered something, me meow," Ankha exclaimed, "Fluttershy dear? Don't you still have those coins you found?"

"Y-y-yes, I do," said Fluttershy nervously.

"What coins?" Twilight asked as Fluttershy pulled out the three ancient coins and showed them to her big sister.

"These are the currency of the ancient tribes," said Twilight, "All you have to do is take these coins and deposit them into the offering cup over there! It's simple!" Fluttershy didn't think so and she could feel her bare feet rubbing against each other.

"Go on," said Shenran gently, "you can do it." Fluttershy just whimpered but slowly and surely made her way to the temple.

"Come on," Rainbow complained, "My pet tortoise moves faster than that!"

"Rainbow, shut up," said Shenran, "Fluttershy is risking her life doing this. Anyone would be scared."

"True, if that coin offering is rejected, rrr-owch," Lucky added, "she could die." Everyone gasped and Fluttershy felt all the color in her face fade instantly as she froze. Lucky realized his mistake when he noticed how stiff and petrified Fluttershy looked standing in place.

"Wow...and usually I'm the one who says too much!" Pinkie pointed out as Fluttershy felt tears stream down her face before she was able to make her feet slowly move forward. As soon as Fluttershy reached the offering box, she dropped the coins inside and squatted down, trembling for her life as she waited for a response. Suddenly there was a light rumble and the iron bar gate slowly began to descend into the ground as a slow groan was heard in the distance. Fluttershy looked up, still shaking, as she noticed that the gate had opened.

"It...it worked," she said happily, "I'm...I'm okay! Everyone the gate is open!" The others cheered, each giving her a group hug.

"Nice job little sister," said Shenran as he hugged her tightly, "I knew you could do it."

"Thanks," Fluttershy squeaked, "but next time, somebody else risk their life!" She slumped forward a bit but Shenran caught her so he was carrying her bridal style.

"Easy there Fluttershy," he replied gently, "Come on, you can ride me piggyback style for a bit until your nerves settle down okay." Fluttershy smiled as she climbed behind his back and relaxed her head against the top of his own head as Shenran held her securely. Rainbow scoffed at the sight. While Shenran glared back, he thought it was cause Rainbow was still giving her twin sister a hard time. Actually, Rainbow was feeling a little jealous. She wanted a ride too, but was never going to admit it out loud.

"So...now that we've gotten into this giant temple," Rarity asked, "Anyone know how in the name of perfect apples were supposed to go?"

"You could start," Pinkie began in a low voice tone, "by heading up the stairs to the crypt, grab the book from the skeletons, and pass into the pit of the..."

"Okay!" Shenran remarked as he put a hand over Pinkie's mouth, "someone has clearly been watching too many game shows."

"Obviously," said Twilight, "But I managed to find a map..."

" _What?!_ " Pinkie exclaimed as she tore off Shenran's hand from her mouth, "Hey I'm the one who found that map after Rarity _cheated_ me out of it!"

"I promised you a chocobar and I gave you one!" Rarity shot back.

"White chocolate. Is. NOT. _Real. CHOCOLATE!_ " Pinkie bellowed, "don't you people know anything about chocolate! UGH!" Pinkie then stomped about to cool down. The rest of the group just watched for a second.

"She is right about the white chocolate," said Roll.

"Thank you!" Pinkie replied in exasperation as she wrapped an arm around the blonde girl, "Someone gets it!" Roll just gave the pink haired girl a hug to help her calm down. Pinkie settled right away with a warm smile and hugged her back. Twilight continued to scout the map to find any clues about where to go next.

"Hmm, apparently, the next entrance needs a key of some sort in order to enter," said Twilight as she studied the map.

"From what I have experienced, rrr-owch," Lucky pointed out, "you cannot assume that the key to the entrance is what we're familiar with."

"Come again?" Applejack asked in confusion.

"She means that the key isn't your traditional type of key, me meow," Ankha replied, "it could be anything."

"True," said Twilight as she noticed, "And that is going to make things more difficult."

"Not really," said Pinkie Pie, "Just take a look at this!" Pinkie walked over towards the back wall of the temple. There before her were some pedestals with clay pots on them and a pedestal in the center that had a hole in it.

"Well...this...is...awkward," said Rainbow as Pinkie jumped in front of her face.

"You must smash the clay pots to find the key," Pinkie instructed, using her deep tone again, "that will lead you into the chambers of the sacred..."

"Thank you Olmec!" Shenran snapped, covering her mouth once more, "How do you even know that is what we're supposed to do?"

"Mwook mwat muh mwells" Pinkie muffled.

"What?" said Shenran as he removed his hand from Pinkie's mouth.

"I _said_ look at the walls!" said Pinkie. Everyone did so and found that Pinkie was right. There on the walls was a drawing of a feline smashing a pot and holding a key. Twilight felt her hands shake as she held the map before rolling it up and slamming it into the floor.

"Careful with that Twilight!" Lucky protested as he grabbed the map and tried to iron it out carefully from wrinkles, "that is a 5000 year old historical treasure!"

"Sorry," said Twilight, "but I just can't stand Pinkie! I'm the one who's been studying day in and day out since discovering this place..."

"Not alone mind you!" Roll retorted indignantly. Twilight just glared but then softened in defeat.

"My point is that I...we...are supposed to be the most knowledgeable besides Lucky about this place," Twilight continued, "and yet Pinkie somehow manages to figures things out and it...it just doesn't make sense how she does it!" Twilight just sighed to herself as Fluttershy rested a hand on her shoulder.

"You know Pinkie often thinks differently than the rest of us," said Fluttershy, "That has often helped us find solutions to problems when the rest of us are stumped. You know the way Pinkie's mind works doesn't make sense at first, but she's never steered us wrong."

"I know," said Twilight, "I guess I just hate studying so hard and seeing her look smarter than me."

"I'm not trying to do that silly!" Pinkie pointed out as she zipped towards her big sister, "You just gotta stop relying on the map and survey your surroundings. That's how I learned about the pot smashing! In fact, Rainbow is the one known best at multitasking on one thing but surveying multiple things about her surroundings."

"I always knew you would learn from the best," said Rainbow proudly as the others' just groaned.

"Don't get cocky, me meow," said Ankha, "So who is gonna smash some pots and find the key..."

"Allow me," said Shenran, giving her a arm flux and went up to the first pot. With a fast punch, he smashed it to smithereens. When he saw nothing, he moved to the next pot. Ankha just watched with a smile on her face.

"Isn't the way he smashes pots rather attractive?" she asked rhetorically. The other girls said nothing. Rainbow and Roll just stuck a fingers in their mouths while making a face. When they noticed they had done it together, they snickered to each other and exchanged a high five.

"This must be it!" said Shenran as he produced a metallic rod from one of the pots. He then noticed a hot the same size at the rod in a podium in the center of all the pots. He then pushed the rod into the slot. He waited and saw that nothing had happened.

"Wuh?" he asked as the rest of the girls just walked up to him.

"What's wrong?" Applejack asked.

"Nothing happened," said Shenran, "Could this not be the key?"

"Oh great," said Rarity, "So much for...for...for..."

Suddenly there was a huge rumble and the ground beneath their feet collapsed underneath them like a giant sink hole.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

The floor caved in so quickly that nobody could avoid the massive plummet down into what was a large pool of underground water.

KER-SPLASH!

There was a long five seconds of silence before Roll was the first to rise to the surface and soon everyone else followed, spluttering as they tried to get their bearings and their breaths.

"Over there!" Shenran pointed out with Ankha holding on to him since she didn't learn how to swim. Everyone else waded towards the shoreline and just crawled into the ground. Rarity groaned as she looked at her now drenched outfit.

"Ruined!" she whined loudly, "Just look at me I'm a...a..." Roll stood in front of her, her outfit in the same condition and just posed for her with a confident smile on her face. Rarity soon couldn't resist a smile and giggled to herself.

"Okay, okay," Rarity retorted, seeing Roll's point, "guess not even a soaking wet outfit can take away a girl's natural beauty." Roll giggled back before headed up to the rest of the group.

"Is everyone okay?" the blonde girl asked with concern. The others just groaned a bit before they all slowly rose to their feet.

"Nothing's broken," said Shenran as he examined himself and his wife nodded. The others did the same, except for Fluttershy, who was passed out.

"Guess the excitement was too much for her," said Twilight as she lightly tapped her little sister's cheek, "Fluttershy...wake up."

"Maybe Shenran should give her mouth to mouth," Rainbow suggested, causing everyone to groan and make faces. Luckily, Fluttershy murmured a little and then woke up with a start.

"Am...am I dead?" she asked.

"Of course not," said Twilight, "are you alright?" Fluttershy just looked worried but nodded bravely as she slowly rose to her feet.

"So...where do we go next?" Pinkie asked curiously. Twilight looked around and then checked their map. Despite getting wet, it was still fully intact.

"According to the map, we should head...over _there_!" Everyone in the direction Twilight was pointing, further up the area where they had washed up on was a entrance way into another area of the temple.

"Are you sure that's where we're supposed to go?" Applejack asked with concern.

"I don't see any other entrances," said Twilight, "what about you Pinkie, since you seem to find things I don't?" Pinkie just scouted around, zipping from one end of the area to another before rising to her feet in dramatic fashion next to her elder sister.

"No, nothing, nada, zip!" Pinkie couldn't help but emphasize the P sound with her tongue.

"Guess we don't have much other choice, rrr-owch," said Lucky.

"I agree," said Twilight as she rolled up the map, "I guess if we want to get out of here and back up into the temple. We might as well press forward. It's not like we can go back the way we came in anyway. Come on!" Everyone followed Twilight into the entrance way. Once they walked though, they noticed that they were actually still inside of the temple, but the building itself was still intact.

"The felines must have built the majority of their temple under ground," said Lucky, "With all the shifting sands, they must have assumed that this would be the best area for construction, preservation, and protection of their tribes history and national treasures."

"Enough with the history lesson," said Rainbow, "all this knowledge is giving me a headache. I thought this would be more exciting!"

"You mean tumbling down a hole into a pool of water wasn't exciting enough for you?" Rarity asked the blue haired girl. Rainbow just snorted.

"That was child's play," said Rainbow, "In all the adventure books I read, these temple explorations are much more dangerous and more exciting."

"And that is why they call them _fiction_!" Roll retorted.

"Hey, those stories are real," Rainbow protested, "Twilight and I met the girl who goes through those temples and dangerous areas ourselves!"

"I see," said Roll, completely uninterested until she nearly bumped into Fluttershy, "Whoa, why did you stop?"

"Everyone else did as well," Fluttershy pointed out. Roll looked ahead as Twilight and Lucky were discussing something at the front of the group. Roll tried to be as polite as possible as she made her way to Twilight and Lucky.

"Why did we stop?" Roll asked. Lucky then put a hand in front of her to make her stop moving further. Taking a nearby pebble, he tossed it gently down the rest of the long, but thin corridor. At first it seemed nothing happened as the rock came to a stop a few yards away, but then a barrage of arrows started shooting across the corridor. Some moved left to right and vice versa. A few even shot out from the ground before descending back down at different points. To make matters worse, the arrows hadn't stop appearing. Fluttershy just looked at the sight with shrunken eyes.

"Okay we tried," said Fluttershy simple before walking away, but Ankha grabbed the edge of her outfit to hold her back.

"We have to get through, me meow," said Ankha and everyone gasped.

"How in the hay are we gonna get through that without getting stabbed or punctured," said Applejack, "still think being barefoot is a good idea Roll? Uhh...Roll?" Roll wasn't listening as she was observing the way the arrows were moving about. That was when she noticed something in particular.

"These arrows are not just shooting randomly about," Roll pointed out to everyone, "They are darting and rising in a set pattern." Roll continued to study the arrows as Twilight noticed that what the blonde girl had said was true.

"Okay, good observation," said Twilight, "but we need to still figure out how exactly we are going to get across."

"D-d-d-do W-w-w-we _all_ have to g-g-get across?" Fluttershy asked fearfully.

"According to the map," Twilight pointed out, "Only one of us needs to get across to activate the key. Once they get across they just need to press their hand against this marking." Twilight showed a picture of a seal that had a cat head on it. Roll just hummed to herself as she continued to look at the arrows some more and then nodded.

"I know what to do," said Roll, "But I need..." Roll then turned and everyone else did the same. Apparently, Pinkie was just bopping to some music while everyone else was wondering how to get across and who would risk their life to do so.

"Pinkie," said Roll as she tapped her shoulder, "Can I use that please?" She gestured for the girl's music player. Pinkie smiled and handed it over to Roll. Roll then listened to the tune and looked at the arrows before smiling.

"I'll do it," said Roll, "I've figured out the pattern and this music will help me get across."

"How?" Twilight asked, clearly puzzled, but Roll said nothing as she put the player on speaker mode and played the song from the song. Roll tapped her bare foot on the ground a bit and then...she began to dance through the arrows that were rising, falling, and darting about. Roll just kept a calm smile on her face as she gracefully dodged all the arrows with ease. Everyone just stared at her with their jaws hanging out, except for Pinkie.

"That was pure genius!" Pinkie exclaimed happily, "show those moves girl!" Roll just continued to dance as she easily made her way towards the closed gate. Shenran was rather impressed.

"Who knew the beat to the song "EG Stomp", would match the pattern of the shooting arrows?" Shenran remarked as Ankha just started a Roll and nodded. Just as the stanza of the song was about the end. Roll somersaulted forward, stood up, and pressed her palm onto the symbol Twilight had told her and all the holes where the arrows were shooting closed up and the next door unlocked. Everyone cheered as they dashed down the now cleared corridor and towards the blonde. Pinkie was the first to reach the blonde girl and glomped her tightly.

"That was AWESOME!" said Pinkie excitedly.

"Thanks...except I can't really breathe right now," Roll strained before Rarity glomped her next.

"You rock darling!" she exclaimed and soon everyone else had plenty to say, as well as lots of hugs. Some hugs obviously were more gentle than others. Rainbow gave her a fist bump and a high five instead.

"I'm so proud of you little buddy!" she remarked, "You are definitely cool in my book."

"Thanks," said Roll, "Glad I could help my friends."

"You're family now," said Twilight as she wrapped an arm around her for a light squeeze from the side, "Now we can move on to the next part of the temple. Hopefully we'll reach the area where the history archives is located before nightfall."

"We're making good time," said Shenran, "It's not even been a hour and we've already covered four trails."

"Any possible clues as to how many of these gruesome challenge there are?" Rarity asked worried.

"According to this map there are seven challenges that must be passed or cleared before reaching the heart of the temple," said Twilight, "Apparently, getting into the outer temple area wasn't one of them."

"What?" said Rainbow in disappointment, "I...we...nearly busted our backs moving that stupid statue!"

"Well you can blame who made these challenges later," said Lucky, "If you wanna complain to a dead body should we find them." Rainbow just made a face.

"No thanks," she said with a squeak.

"Now where do we go next," said Twilight as she examined the map, "Good thing this place is still well lit. Otherwise I don't know how we could venture down here and even read the map."

"If this place hasn't been occupied in thousands of years," said Fluttershy, "then...how have those flames remained lit?"

"I don't know," said Twilight, "Maybe we just lucky...now let's see...where do we..." Suddenly they noticed that some of the fire wall lamps had lit up on their own, leading down towards another path. Fluttershy yelped in fright as she grabbed Shenran's arm.

"I guess we go that way!" Pinkie remarked, pointed in the direction of the lamp. Twilight just smiled as she gestured for everyone to follow her as they made their way towards the next challenge. It wasn't much longer before they arrived in a rather small rectangular room.

"Another dead end?" said Ankha.

"No, I think this is where the next trail is," said Twilight, "but...I'm not 100% sure..."

"Oh my!" Rarity exclaimed as she walked toward to a small pedestal that was covered with lots of gems of various types and sizes, "these are absolutely adorable!"

"Rarity, don't touch those!" Lucky called out, "You might..."

Suddenly the ground rumbled and a large wall appeared between Rarity and the rest of the group. Rarity gasped as she dropped the gem in her hands. The wall had not only cut Rarity off from the group, but had sealed her in as well.

"On my goodness!" said Rarity as she pressed herself against the wall, "Twilight? Twilight! Are you alright?"

"We're fine!" Twilight shouted on the other side, "but we're clearly trapped since a wall appeared in front as well as behind us." Rarity was grateful that the wall wasn't so thick that they couldn't hear one another. She still felt rather guilty since her grabbing the gems had made the walls appear in the first place.

"I didn't mean for this to happen!" Rarity said in her defense.

"Well , no use going back now, rrr-owch," said Lucky, "Apparently, if we're going to get anywhere, you are going to need to figure out how we can get out of here!" Rarity felt her face pale.

"M-m-m-me?" Rarity spluttered, "b-b-b-but what am I supposed to do?"

"Look at the wall in front of you," Lucky called out as he and Twilight looked at the map together, "The gems on the wall and the gems you are looking at are the key to solving the puzzle."

"Gems, got it," said Rarity as she dashed over towards the gems on the pedestal and began to examine them and the wall. That was when she noticed something.

"Wait just a minute there!" said Rarity to herself, "the gems I'm holding apparently fit somewhere on this wall. There's areas where the gems can be placed and seem missing. That must be it!" Just then there was a rumbling behind her and she rushed over to the wall.

"What's going on?" she called out.

"The walls are closing in on us!" Applejack shouted and Rarity felt her heart drop to her bare feet.

"If this is time test, I'm guessing failure means one heck of a stomach press!" Shenran called out as he, Ankha, Fluttershy, and Roll began to press themselves against one wall to slow it down, but it was no stopping the walls from closing in.

"I know you wanted me to lose some weight," Pinkie shouted, "but this is NOT how I wanted to achieve it!" Rarity was sweating as she began to panic.

"What...what do I do?" she shouted fearfully.

"Finish the puzzle and hurry," said Lucky, "We aren't exactly slowing the walls down back here!"

"You can do it Rarity!" said Twilight, "we know you can!"

"Otherwise if you fail you're gonna be related to living pancakes!" Rainbow shouted.

"I call chocolate chip for me!" Pinkie shouted out of the blue, but Rarity just rushed over towards the board, trying to stay calm in order to figure out where the gems went before she was too late. She just looked at the gems and then her mind suddenly realized something.

"These gems are all arranged into a very precise pattern," Rarity discovered, "that's it!" Rarity then moved about as quickly as she could sticking the correct gems into their proper places. She put the last gem into place when...

THOOM!

...that sound made Rarity's heart stop. It was the sound of what she thought were two walls crashing together. Rarity just slumped to her knees and began to cry.

"I was...too late..." she croaked. Suddenly, the wall in front of her slid back down and the remaining walls returned to their original positions, revealing that everyone was alright. A large smile appeared on the fashionista's face as she all but ran towards Twilight and hugged her tightly.

"I thank goodness you are all alright!" she retorted as she cried, "I thought I had lost all of you."

"Nah, it was pretty close, but we all knew you would pull through for us," said Fluttershy.

"Yeah, we would have haunted you for eternity if you hadn't!" Rainbow added only to get a hard punch in the shoulder by Roll. This time Rainbow couldn't hide her yelp from the pain she felt afterward

"I wasn't only kidding," she grunted through her teeth as the others just laughed, even Rarity as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. It was then the gem stone wall suddenly split in two vertically and opened the pathway to the next area. Everyone cheered.

"Alright then," said Twilight, "I hope the next challenge doesn't involve us getting turned into pancakes."

"Yeah," said Pinkie indignantly, "There was, like, no maple syrup around here. What kind of sick people have pancakes without maple syrup? That is just...wrong! At least they could given us some butter!" Everyone just rolled their eyes at her babbling before moving forwards down the path. It wasn't much further before they came into another rather large room. This time there were two columns surrounding the blocked entrance to the next area. On the ground was a collection of hexagon tiles that had different markings on them. Rainbow walked up to Twilight, whom the latter had knelt down to examine the tiles.

"This looks familiar," Rainbow pointed out, "I remember a similar trial in one of the books we like to read."

"True, but there is one obvious difference," Twilight replied, "I don't see a pattern to the letters or anything that certain rows have in common. In fact, the letters are all arranged in a honeycomb pattern."

"Ooooh! Does that mean there's yummy delicious and nutritious honey cause I'm starved!" Pinkie ask as she popped her head between them with a wide smile. The two girls just glared at her. Pinkie's eyes just darted between their glares before taking a hint.

"I'll...just go smile over here, heh," she said uneasily, still smiling and side stepped away from the two. They just rolled their eyes before smiling and then Roll approached the two of them with their map in hand.

"According to the map," Roll explained, "there appears to be a picture of a feline that looks exactly like Ankha! That must be the big clue."

"Hmm, a picture of Ankha and a bunch of letters," Twilight pondered until she smiled and snapped her fingers.

"That's it," said Twilight, "this is a spelling challenge. I'm guessing in order to open the next door. We need to cross by correctly spelling the name of person in the picture, which is an Egyptian feline."

"But that is too many letters," said Roll, "I don't think they would make it impossible to jump from one letter to the other...or use the same letter twice." Twilight thought some more.

"You're right," said Twilight, "The actual password appears to only be roughly 9 to 11 letters so what could it be?" Everyone began to think a moment before Ankha gasped.

"Why not P-y-t-h-o-n c-a-t?" she suggested, "That is 9 letters!"

"Sounds good enough for me!" said Rainbow with much confidence, "Look there's a letter P right here!" Rainbow then went to walk on it.

"Rainbow no! NO!" Lucky called out, but was too late. The instant Rainbow stepped into the letter. It crumbled beneath her instantly.

"GAH!" she screamed as she fell through but her momentum was stopped when Applejack managed to grab her by the right arm.

"Hold up there sugarcube!" she called out as she used her strength to pull Rainbow out of the hole and back on solid ground. The blue haired girl looked a bit frazzled as she tried to catch her breath.

"Are you alright Sis?" Twilight asked worried. Rainbow nodded before Twilight shoved her angrily.

"Are you trying to give me grey hair?" she retorted, "You can be so impatient sometimes!"

"S-s-sorry," said Rainbow, startled by her outburst, "but I thought we agreed that the word was Python Cat?"

"It is python cat," Roll answered, "but you forgot one very important detail. These felines didn't write, speak, or _spell_ in English!"

"Oh...heh...right," Rainbow replied feebly, feeling rather embarassed.

"So...what is their native language then sugar cube?" Applejack asked curiously.

"It was originally an ancient form of Arabic, rrr-owch," Lucky explained, "but by the time of the great exile of the tribe from this area. Latin had become the more prominent language of the area. But if I were to speculate, the words Python cat are mostly likely spelled in Arabic using Latin letters."

"I think you're right Lucky," said Twilight, "Fortunately, I've studied reading and translating various languages for years now. If I can recall, Python cat would in Arabic would be...BITHUN SUNUR.

"That sounds about right to me, me meow," said Ankha, "After all, I speak Arabic fluently as a second language."

"So that's what you babble to Shenran when you get mad at him," Pinkie remarked. Everyone snickered as Shenran just looked annoyed as his cheeks went red.

"Don't feel bad big brother," said Fluttershy gently, "You're getting better as speaking Arabic. I hear you practicing all the time." Shenran felt a little better. Twilight just smiled before taking a deep breath.

"Okay...you can do this," she told herself, "Just gotta find the...here it is!"

"Hold up there!" said Applejack.

"Don't!" Twilight warned, "I'll be fine, Applejack. After all, these tiles are too small for two people to stand on! I have to go at it alone!" Applejack didn't like that, but just conceded with a worried look on her face.

"Just be careful darling," said Rarity, "I know we don't show it was much as we like, but...you are the head of this family and we need you alive, big sister." The others nodded in agreement as Twilight smiled and took a deep breath. Then she gently hopped onto the letter B. It didn't break.

"Good," said Twilight, "Now on to the letter "I"!" Twilight found the next letter close by and walked towards it. T was a little further away and Twilight had to jump towards it. Her feet hit the edge of the letter behind her, making it crumble a bit and she nearly lost her balance. Everyone was holding their breath until Twilight regained her balance. The rest of the letters weren't as difficult, but Twilight still had a few near missteps until she reached the final letter, which was R. As soon as she stood on the tile, the letters spelling the two words began to flow in a luminescent blue as the rest of the fake letters just crumbled into what appeared to be a bottomless abyss. Since the last letter was right next to the other platform. Twilight didn't need to worry about hopping as she just walked onto the platform. This activated the trigger for the main gate to slide down and open the door to the next area.

"Way to go big sister!" Shenran called out excitedly.

"And that, ladies and gentleman, is why I call her Twilight Sparkle, rrr-owch," said Lucky proudly when everyone looked at him.

"So...you do like Twilight huh?" Rarity asked with a teasing tone. Lucky just glared quickly before looking away to hide his blush.

"How do we get across?" Lucky called out and ignoring Rarity's question.

"I think you guys just have to hop from tile to tile," said Twilight. Everyone else wasn't too excited about that and Fluttershy squealed and took a few steps away from the tiles. Lucky looked around but found that there wasn't another way cross.

"I guess we don't have much of a choice," said Rarity to everyone else.

"WHEEEE!" Pinkie squealed with glee as she literally hopped from one letter to the next like a child playing hopscotch, "See? It's easy. Come on!" You couldn't prevent yourself from smiling seeing Pinkie hop across and it made everyone feel less nervous when it came to taking their turn to cross the pit. Everyone that is except for Fluttershy, who was still too scared to even try. She was still just quivering alone when Shenran made his way across. He immediately noticed her absence.

"Fluttershy!" he called out, "You need to come over here to the other side!" Fluttershy just whimpered before she looked at him with watery eyes.

"I...I can't do it," said Fluttershy, "I'll fall."

"You won't fall!" Shenran replied, "Now come on! We all know you can do this!"

"Remember what I taught you when it comes to crossing chasms like this, Fluttershy!" Pinkie called out. Fluttershy whimpered a bit before answer.

"Hop, skip, jump," said Fluttershy quietly as she hopped into the first letter.

"And don't look down!" Rainbow added. That was a huge mistake since Fluttershy did look down. Fluttershy felt tears escape her eyes and she began to panic, which also cause her wobble a bit.

"Fluttershy! Fluttershy look at me right now!" Shenran called out firmly. She did so, showing how scared she look as well.

"Concentrate on what you need to do," Shenran told her, "Focus on one step and then the next one. Remember, one hop at a time!"

"O...o...k..." she squeaked as she slowly but surely made her way towards the next letter, which was also the farthest. When she felt like she was going to fall, she screamed and just jumped quickly from tile to tile until she literally jumped into Shenran's arms, knocking him over in the process. But he didn't mind. All he cared about was that his little sister had made it across, despite panicking and feeling scared. He held her tenderly as she cried into his shoulder, her body clearly still shaken up. Rainbow just shook her head at her twin sister.

"Maybe we should've just left her behind," she muttered but Shenran gave her a fierce glare.

"If I hear you mutter one more remark like that," said Shenran angrily, "I'm gonna personally find another bottomless pit and throw you in it!" Rainbow cowered back a bit just said nothing as Shenran stomped away as he dragged Fluttershy with him by the hand. Fluttershy just looked at Rainbow and just lowered her head sadly.

"You know she's right Shenran," said Fluttershy quietly, "I'm completely useless sometimes and I slow every..." Fluttershy didn't finish as Shenran placed a stern finger over her lips.

"No more putting yourself down young lady," said Shenran, "You're way stronger than you think."

"But I looked like such a baby crossing that path!" Fluttershy protested.

"I don't care about that," Shenran retorted, "All I care about is that despite your fears you made it across. And you did all by yourself. That is what is most important here and if Rainbow can't see that, then _she_ is the one with the problem!" Fluttershy just looked at him sadly and just nodded in agreement. She then was startled a bit when she felt a hand on her shoulder and found Twilight beside her.

"He's right you know," said Twilight, "Despite being scared you still push through it, and don't forget. You're not just doing it for yourself, but for Ankha."

"Indeed dear," said the feline with a soft smile, "Thank you for overcoming your fears just for me, Fluttershy." Fluttershy smiled softly as she shared a warm hug with Ankha and Twilight before they joined the rest of the group, who were just waiting patiently. Everyone, except for Rainbow, but she just looked rather glum. Twilight took notice.

"Rainbow, are you..."

"I'm FINE!" she said sternly and turned away. Twilight just shook her head at her before looking at the map.

"Oh boy," she groaned.

"What's up Twilight?" Ankha asked her with concern.

"This next challenge is going to be the toughest yet," said Twilight, "it says that we need to get pass an actual python that has been residing here in the temple."

"That doesn't sound too difficult," said Applejack, "We should be able to get passed a tiny little python."

"You guys don't understand the risk here," Lucky remarked, "Pythons around here can be rather large in size. Even the smallest ones are about 100 inches in length and they are also very strong. You're in deep trouble if one manages to wrap itself around you!"

"Oh...nelly," said Applejack, feeling less confident now.

"Aw come on you guys," said Rainbow, annoyed at their lack of doubt, "No matter how big this snake is. There is only one of it and nine of us..."

"Ten of us Rainbow!"

"Honest miscount!" Rainbow said in her defense, "My point is that we should be able to overpower it with our numbers."

"But we don't want to fight it," said Twilight, "Just show that we mean no harm and just want access to the next part of the temple. As long as we're diplomatic and respectful about it, we should get past it without much difficulty."

"And how are we going to do that darling?" Rarity asked as Fluttershy walked up beside her. Rarity looked at Fluttershy and immediately put two and two together.

"Oh for heaven's sake," said Rarity, "You don't mean..."

"I've handled snakes before," said Fluttershy bravely, "I think I can reason with a python without any trouble. It's...only dragons that I have trouble confronting."

"That's the spirit!" said Twilight with a smile, "Now let's go find this python!"

"Yeah!" everyone else cheered in agreement. They continued down the path leading to a rather large and spacious area. It was definitely the largest room they had discovered beneath the temple and there near the area leading towards the next room was a large python.

Let's rephrase that: a very, very _large_ python!

Fluttershy's pupils shrunk and her jaw dropped as she saw the snake.

"That's no python," she spluttered, "that's giant sized monster!"

"I'll say," said Shenran, "Look at that thing! It's bigger than our mansion." Ankha just looked in shock as she nodded in agreement.

"Forget getting strangled by that thing, rrr-owch," said Lucky, "That thing could just swallow you up whole and have room for seconds and thirds!"

"MEEP!" Fluttershy squeaked before she dashed away for her life and didn't look back.

"Oh Fluttershy," said Twilight sadly. She wasn't surprised to see the girl run for her life and back down. But she had hoped Fluttershy would have at least tried to talk to the snake before running for her life.

"So now what do we do?" Ankha asked, knowing their plan A of having Fluttershy negotiate with the python was out of the question.

"I guess I'll try," said Twilight rather nervously as she made her way towards the python, who was currently sleeping soundly in front of the gate. Twilight plucked up some courage before clearing her throat.

"Umm...excuse me mister python?" she said timidly, "My...my friends and I just wanted to get past so we can help our friend learn about her family history!" The python opened its eyes and just looked at her. Then it gave her a large snort with its nose. The wind was strong enough to send her tumbling back a few feet before she returned to the group, rather frazzled.

"Okay, that didn't work," she remarked as she wobbled back towards them.

"Allow me darling," said Rarity as she made her way towards the snake.

"Oh why hello there you handsome lump of scales," said Rarity, batting her eye lashes at him and trying to be flirty, "Would such a big strong python like yours be willing to help a helpless little lady out? I really want to help my friend but I can't get into the next room. I'm sure someone with such fine scales and muscles would be more than capable of helping me out." She gave him a charming smile. The snake just looked persuaded before he gave her a loud burp into her face.

"BLEH!" she squirmed in disgust and ran back, grossed out and furious.

"What a savage," she fumed as she returned to the group, "at least he could have said no thank you. And for heaven's sake! Hasn't he ever heard of _breath mints_!"

"My turn! My turn!" said Pinkie as she hopped about. Somehow she had wrapped herself into a birthday packaging with balloons hanging from it.

"What the hay?" Shenran said in confusion.

"Who can resist a surprise present!" said Pinkie as she bounced toward the python. Everyone just watched her as she arrived before him.

"Surprise!" she called out.

HIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! CRUNCH!

Everyone cringed as Pinkie limped back towards them, her packing damaged and several of her balloons popped and the one surviving balloon was slowly deflating.

"Well that...wasn't very nice," she whimpered as she arrived back at the group. Rainbow just shook his head.

"Alright, that's it," said Rainbow in irritation, "We've tried negotiation, charm, and...whatever that last thing was...and nothing has worked. I say we show that big bully whose boss." Rainbow then charged for the python.

"Rainbow no!" everyone cried out.

"Hey big fat and ugly!" said Rainbow in her smug tone, "get out of our way!" The python just looked at her bored and went back to sleep. Rainbow just gritted her teeth and kicked him hard in the nose. The python yelped and woke up with a started. He looked at his nose for a moment before giving Rainbow a menacing glare. Rainbow suddenly felt her confidence melt into fear and regret.

"Uh oh," she squeaked.

"HISSS!" the python shrieked loudly, making the area rumble as he went for the attack. Rainbow screamed as she barely missed the python's initial attack. She did her best, but the snake's large size made fighting it nearly impossible. Plus Rainbow found herself spending more time trying not to get surrounded by its long body and avoid being strangled or squeezed to death. Everyone else charged to join the fight and help save their sister. However, they soon realized that they were all in over their head trying to fight the giant snake. As the battle raged on, everyone found they were spending more time dodging the snakes attacks rather than trying to take it down. Then the giant snake whipped its massively sized tail, sending everyone tumbling backwards into the nearby pillar, causing it to crumble into dust minus a small part of the base.

There was Fluttershy!

She had been hiding behind it this entire time. She soon realized that she had been discovered and saw the snake nearby. Then she saw all her friends, who were clearly tired and battered from trying to defeat the python. She then saw python towering over everyone as he licked his fangs and smirked in triumph at seeing everyone knocked off their feet. He looked ready to enjoy himself a nice little feast and had completely ignored the pink haired girl. With him looking so smug and her friends hurt, that was all Fluttershy could stand before her fear melted into anger.

"How dare you," she said in her soft tone, but the strength on her voice grow as she felt her temper hit its breaking point, "HOW **DARE YOU**!" She marched straight up towards the python's face. Since the snake recoiled backwards as she charged at him, this allowed her to walk straight up against its long neck so she could make perfect eye contact with it.

"Listen up you...you giant meanie," Fluttershy said sternly as he gave him her trademark "stare", "You may be big, you might be scary, even nasty. But no one, **NO ONE** , treats my friends or _my family_ like that you hear me!" The snake tried to hiss to try and say something...since only Fluttershy could understand him, she didn't bother to hear to let him finish.

"Don't you but me, mister!" Fluttershy interrupted sternly with her hands on her hips, "Just because you are bigger than us doesn't mean that you can push us around. We're sorry if we disturbed your nap, but we only wanted to get into the next room and we would have let you alone."

"That...that girl with blue hair kicked me!" the python retorted in his dialect in a sorrowful tone

"I know that," said Fluttershy, not softening her stance, "and she was wrong to do that. But that is no excuse for you to come and attack us!" The snake just whimpered as it coward back even more to Fluttershy's stare and stern words.

"Now you are going to be a good boy and open the door for us," Fluttershy instructed, keep her stare and stern tone at him, "Then we'll let you go back to your nap. Do you understand me?" The python tried to act like it didn't hear and rolled his eyes, but it only intensified Fluttershy's stare at him even more.

"I _said_ do you understand _me_?" Fluttershy asked in an even more stern voice. He let out a light whimper, nearly crying, before conceding to Fluttershy's request with a light nod. Fluttershy just smiled as she slid off the snake's belly and back towards the ground. Everyone else had recovered and were cheering for her as she landed on her bare feet.

"Nice work Fluttershy!" said Twilight, "I knew you could reason with him!"

"Oh it's nothing," said Fluttershy modestly, "Sometimes you just gotta be firm and let them know who's in..."

GULP

"FLUTTERSHY!"

Everyone screamed her name as the python quickly changed his face from remorse to devious as he quickly launched at the pink haired girl and swallowed her whole. A large budge could be seen as Fluttershy went about halfway down the throat. Then there was some struggling inside of the python's throat, causing some indigestion before he spat Fluttershy out with a large burp. While Fluttershy wasn't drenched, her clothes and hairpiece were a mess and her outfit was torn and tattered in several places. She slowly rose up, laughing softly. However, everyone could tell by the look on her face as well as her hallow laughter that she was not okay.

"Oh boy," said Shenran. He knew well what that kind of laughter meant and it wasn't going to be pretty as Fluttershy slowly turned to face the python.

"I thought you were my friend," said Fluttershy darkly, "then you decide to make me _your stupid afternoon snack!?_ "

"Well technically it's lunch time!" Pinkie pointed out.

" **SHUT UP!** " Fluttershy bellowed, making Pinkie whimper and hold onto Twilight, "If you don't want to be my friend, well..." The Python hissed her, showing that he no longer was intimidated by her. This made Fluttershy growl with her teeth. Then she shocked everyone by launching herself straight at the python in rage.

"I'll MAKE YOU MY FRIEND IF ITS THE LAST THING I EVER DO!" Fluttershy screamed loudly as she attacked the python. A large dust cloud erupted as they battled against each other. Everyone just stared agape as Fluttershy battled the Python single handedly. About thirty seconds had passed before the python, now battered and looking very fearful, slithered away, whimpering loudly as it did so, trying to get away from the enraged girl. The dusted settled to reveal Fluttershy, her headpiece now on the ground and messy hair down, just growling in heavy breaths and wild eyes.

"You...are _going to_ **LOVE MEEEEEEE!"** She screamed loudly and charged towards it as the python slithered away for dear life.

"GET BACK HERE YOU BIG PILE OF SCALES!" she shrieked as she tried to charge for the escaping python before Shenran grabbed her arms. Fluttershy struggled as he fought to finally pin her down to her knees.

"Fluttershy, stop it!" Shenran retorted sternly as he little sister continued to squirm, "Just let him go! He's not worth it!" Fluttershy just panted heavily as she watched the python slithered away into a large crack inside the temple walls. The doors slowly opened into the next area, showing that the python had kept his end of the deal despite his betrayal. Yet Fluttershy wasn't satisfied as she continued to keep a stern look on her face, gritting her teeth together angrily. She stayed that way even after Shenran let go of her arms.

"Fluttershy," Twilight asked as she slowly approached her with her head piece in hand, "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" she asked hollowly as she stood back up, "Am I _okay_? I'm so sick and tired of being treated for years like some sort of stupid little doormat. Someone who is all: do whatever you want to her and she won't fight back, complain or do _squat_! Well not anymore! If people are going to take advantage of my kindness and label it as being weak and fragile, then you get no more kindness from me! STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" That last statement was made as Fluttershy angrily snatched her hairpiece from Twilight's hands and roughly tried to fix her hair as she stomped away. The rest of the group just looked at each other worried. Ankha was the most upset.

"Is this really worth it, me meow?" said Ankha, "We've been risking life and death. All just cause I wanted to know my family history. I've never seen Fluttershy so angry. It's my fault this happened to her! Maybe we should just go back..."

"NO!" said Fluttershy, who made come back but still had a stern look on her face, "We've come this far and we're not going to turn back because of a stupid snake!"

"Python!" Pinkie pointed out.

"WHATEVER!" Fluttershy snapped, sending Pinkie tumbling onto her back with a squeal and on the verge of tears, "Ankha wants to find her history and we're gonna find it even if I have to venture through this living death trap _myself_!" Fluttershy then glared at Rainbow, who flinched as Fluttershy gave her the "stare".

"Think I'm such a coward," she said angrily, "well I'll show you! I'll show you all! CAUSE FROM NOW ON YOU ALL GONNA LEARN TO RESPECT ME!" Then she turned away and stomped off through the now open gate. The python had peeked out a bit before zipping away as Fluttershy stomped past his hole without another word. The rest of the group wasn't sure what to do when they heard someone sniffling. They turned to see if Pinkie had started crying, but were surprised to see that a small tear had appeared out of Rainbow's eye.

"Why do I feel like everything she just said was at me?" she asked softly.

"Cause you were the one always teasing her and putting her down," said Applejack plainly.

"Thanks for cheering me up," Rainbow replied sarcastically.

"Hey, you know my best quality is honestly," she replied simply as they quickly went to follow Fluttershy as Rainbow just stayed behind. Shenran rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I think you know what you need to do," he said gently. Rainbow just sighed to herself and admitted to Shenran in a quiet tone.

"I know I do. But...why do I feel really scared all of a sudden? Like...I feel all shy and timid now?" Rainbow just grabbed Shenran's arm and held it securely, now trembling. Shenran was a little surprised and now very worried. It was as if Fluttershy and Rainbow had switched personalities.

"Now I'm feeling scared." But he said it only to himself.

 **In case you missed it, I hope you caught the** ** _Legends of the Hidden Temple_** **quotes.**

 **For some, Fluttershy might have seen out of Character in the end, but those who have seen her in the series know that when Fluttershy is pushed to the limit, she gets MAD. If you need an example, watch S1 E26 and S2 E19. S1 E7 was the inspiration for the python scene too.**

 **Guess there will be a part four so stay tuned.**

 **"If you wanna face the Nasty Fluttershy!"**

 **Pinkie get out here! (Shoves her away)**

 **See you next time!**


	60. New Year's Resolution Part 4

New Year Resolution Part 4

Fluttershy now led the group with a stern look on her face as they followed her from behind. Everyone was rather quiet and no one could blame them. The most gentle and timid member of their family just exploded in rage at all of them and it made everyone feel rather uneasy. Rainbow, the most egotistic and outgoing member, was just holding Shenran's arm and hiding her face behind it fearfully, which was not normal for the blue haired girl to do. Twilight grew worried as they entered another area where the path was surrounded by large pools of shallow water and giant cracks in the upper walls and roofs of the area. This allowed the late afternoon sun to seep through so they had light to see where they were going and avoid falling into the water. Shenran noticed Twilight's worry and went to speak to Fluttershy, but not before transferring Rainbow to Twilight's arm since the latter was refusing to let go his arm. Twilight made sure to comfort Rainbow as her little brother made his way towards Fluttershy, who was still fuming.

"Umm...Fluttershy?" he asked as he walked beside her.

"What?" she asked rudely but kept moving forward.

"Do you even know where we need to go to next?" Shenran replied gently. Fluttershy stopped moving forwards before balling her fists.

"UGH!" Fluttershy grunted angrily, "Well don't just stand there! Give me the map!"

"I'm not giving you anything until you calm down young lady," said Shenran sternly with his arms crossed.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Fluttershy yelled in rage as she panted at her angrily. Shenran turned her body so the angry girl could see her reflection in the water.

"Is that what you wanna be from now on?!" Shenran asked sternly. Fluttershy saw her face. She only need to look at herself for a second before a large whimper escaped her mouth and her anger melted instantly. Large tears began to form in her eyes, some of them dripping into the water below.

"I'm a monster," she whimpered as she just let her tears fall. Shenran didn't waste any time embracing his little sister tenderly.

"I'm sorry..." Fluttershy croaked as she broke down and cried onto his shoulder, "I don't know what came over me! I just felt so much anger and hate all at once! I never yell at people! And I don't...go...beating up...any creature, not matter how nasty...they...are...to...me...I...I was just...so...ANGRY!" Fluttershy sobbed softly as Shenran just rubbed her back to help her calm down.

"It's okay," said Shenran, trying not to cry himself and held her close, "I know you were just upset. You were holding in all that anger for years and it was gonna come out sooner rather than later." Fluttershy said nothing as she slumped to her knees and continued to cry. Rainbow slowly walked up to her and snaked her arms around the shy girl from behind while hugging her close. Fluttershy was startled a bit as she turned to face the blue haired girl with wet eyes. That was when she noticed that Rainbow was looking at her sadly.

"I'm so..."

"No Fluttershy," said Rainbow sadly, "I'm the one who should be sorry for what happened."

"But I..."

"This wouldn't have happened if I wasn't so harsh with you," said Rainbow, "I'm used to being tough on myself so that I can strive to be more awesome than I already am. But...that type of tough love clearly doesn't work with everyone. Even I could tell that being so hard on you was tearing you down rather than helping you become stronger and more assertive, but I thought if I kept pushing you, you would finally push back."

"Instead I became a monster," Fluttershy remarked.

"I wouldn't go that far," said Rainbow, "You just...hit your limit. I don't blame for you exploding at me. I haven't been a good sister or a good friend. Maybe if I had been more supportive rather than giving tough love all the time, this might have never happened."

"Maybe," said Fluttershy, "but I'm still sorry...I'm a shy girl Rainbow! I'll never have your type of confidence about myself and telling people off and getting in people's faces is NOT me!" Rainbow just nodded in agreement.

"You're right," she answered, "but you still stick up for yourself. You already know how. You are known as the "stare master" after all."

"Doesn't mean I enjoy using it," Fluttershy remarked.

"Her point is little sister," said Shenran, "You don't have to resort to be nasty to assert yourself. You can find your own way in defending yourself. You can still be gentle and kind while showing others that you are not someone that can be pushed around." Fluttershy felt uncertain but then just conceded with a sigh.

"Alright," said Fluttershy, "if you say so."

"I know so," said Rainbow with a gentle smile, "and if I can confide in you about something because...if you say anything about it, I'll deny it. Seeing you act out in anger really scared me. I thought you were going to beat me up." Fluttershy felt a bit embarassed at first, but then she smirked as she crossed her arms.

"Well," she said softly but also sternly, "If you promise no more teasing me, especially when I'm with Shenran, I won't have to reason to beat you up." Rainbow just looked a bit intimidated before she smiled.

"See Fluttershy," said Rainbow, "You can be assertive and still be you." Fluttershy blinked for a moment before she saw Rainbow was right. Then she embraced her twin happily. The rest of the family just smiled, grateful that Fluttershy was feeling better. Once the twins pulled away, Rainbow whispered something else into Fluttershy's ear. The shy girl just nodded before approaching the rest of the family.

"I'm sorry you had to see me so angry," said Fluttershy sadly as well as timidly, "I wouldn't have gotten so angry if that python hadn't betrayed me like that. I didn't like the idea that someone had taken advantage of my kindness. I am sorry I took it all out on you."

"We're not gonna hold it against you sugar cube," said Applejack, "We know you were upset."

"Remember little sister," Rarity pointed out, "I once had an experience when someone took advantage of my generosity. I was very angry too and I felt like I couldn't trust even my own family not to do the same to me for a while. Being betrayed hurts alot, darling. You don't need to feel bad about that." Fluttershy smiled as the two sisters hugged, then the rest of the family joined in for a group hug. Once they pulled away, they shared a brief chuckle with one another.

"Family once again," said Shenran, "Now...you are 100% sure you'll be okay moving forward Fluttershy?"

"Yes, me meow," said Ankha, "we really don't want to force you..."

"I'll be okay," said Fluttershy brave, "I've got my family to help me when I get scared."

"You got that right," said Rainbow, wrapping an arm around her from the side, "I've got your back sis." Fluttershy smiled, feeling much better, as the rest of the group headed down the path and arrived at a rather large cliff. The cliff appeared to be about seventy feet high but was also twice as long in length. Fluttershy was the first to step forward after examining the wall. She wasn't a big fan of steep climbs, but was willing to try for Ankha and her family. Rainbow just held her hand as Fluttershy took a slow breath.

"Well...let's get this over with," she replied as she went to find her footing when Applejack pulled her back by the arm.

"Hold up there sugar cube," she warned, "I don't think this challenge is as easy as just climbing up to the top." She quickly licked her finger and raised it into the air, allowing the wind to dry it but still kept it in place for about a few seconds and lowered it.

"So...what's up?" Roll asked, wondering if Applejack had discovered anything.

"This appears to be some sort of a teasing wind yall," said Applejack, "it blows suddenly and randomly in hard puffs."

"And that would mean..." Rainbow asked.

"The wind could go from a gentle breeze to hurricane blasts in seconds flat," said Applejack, "Fortunately, my time out on my farm has taught me a thing or two about shifting winds."

"Same here," said Lucky, "Unpredictable winds are quite common here. I suggest we climb this cliff team style. Everyone choose a partner!" Lucky then presented some spare rope from his pockets as everyone picked a partner. Nobody was surprised to see Lucky and Twilight pair up. The same could be said regarding Shenran and Ankha. But the biggest pair up surprise was seeing Fluttershy and Rainbow team up together. Roll had just finished securing her rope with Applejack as the cowgirl cracked her knuckles.

"Lucky's group and mine will head up first since we understand the wind changes," said Applejack, "Everyone move up the wall at a slow but steady pace. If you climb too quickly, you won't be able to anchor yourself when the winds pick up. So keep your ears open for when I call the signal to stop. Don't try anything reckless."

"Yes maim," the group answered together.

"Alright, let's move," said Applejack as she and Roll began to climb. Lucky followed beside her as Shenran did the same. Rarity and Fluttershy did the same behind them as they slowly made their way up the cliff. They hadn't even gone up about four feet when Fluttershy felt her foot slip and stumbled a bit before regaining her footing.

"You okay Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked gently.

"Yeah," she answered, "Some of these rocks aren't stable. My last foothold fell out as soon as my foot landed on it."

"Yikes!" Rainbow yelped as the rock she was holding into broke away but she quickly grabbed another spot to stabilize herself, "(Phew) You weren't kidding!"

"You alright down there?" Twilight called out.

"Just take care where you step," said Rainbow, "This cliff is a bit crumbly in some places."

"Crumbly? like fresh chocolate chip cookie crumbly?" Pinkie asked.

"How can you talk about food at a time like this?" Rarity asked in reply.

"Focus you guys!" Applejack, "I need you all quiet if...FREEZE!" Everyone stopped moving as a hard gust hit everyone by the side. They all could feel their bodies fighting not to be blown away by the harsh wind. As soon as it died down, Applejack gave the cue for everyone to move forward. Everyone took care that they were as quiet as possible so they could hear when both Applejack and Lucky when they called out for everyone to either "FREEZE" or "GO!". Just as they were nearby at the top, the wind changed so quickly that even Applejack was a little late with her signal.

"FREEZE! FREEZE!" she cried out desperately. Everyone did so and managed to secure themselves just in time. Everyone except for Rainbow, who slipped when another rock crumbled in her grip. The blue haired girl wasn't fast enough to secure herself and the wind sent her flying.

"AAAH!" she screamed as she tumbled downward towards the side the wind was blowing.

"Hang on!" Fluttershy yelled as she held her position with all her strength, which wasn't easy since the strong wind and Rainbow's muscle weight was overpowering her quickly. Just when the timid girl felt like her arms and footing were going to give out, the wind died down and Rainbow was able to use the momentum to get back to the cliff and secure herself.

"You okay there Rainbow?" Twilight asked, "I'm going to assume you didn't chance the wind on purpose since AJ was a little late on the call."

"Rainbow's grip slipped just as Applejack said to freeze," Fluttershy explained, "Luckily I was able to keep us both from flying away."

"Great job Fluttershy, now come on up," said Applejack as she and Roll were already at the top of the cliff with Shenran's group not too far behind. Applejack made sure to keep track of the wind since Fluttershy and Rainbow had fallen behind due to the latter's slipping. Lucky, they only had to face one more strong gust before making it to the top together.

"Alright," they said together and exchanged high-fives with each other.

"Great job sis," said Rainbow, "And...thanks for saving my life."

"What are sisters for?" said Fluttershy as they exchanged hugs with each other.

"Good to see those two are getting along," said Shenran as he held his wife close.

"What is better," Twilight added, "Is that we've only got one more trial to deal with! So it won't be much longer before we discover Ankha's family history! SQUEE! I'm so excited!"

"We're so close now, me meow," said Ankha, feeling excited as well, "Let's get going!" Everyone agreed as they made their way towards another corridor towards the next area. It was then they noticed some doors that had a button on it. Next to it was some writing in the Arabic.

"Hmm..." said Twilight, "Let me see if I can translate this..." She looked at the symbols a bit as she tried to translate it.

"What does it say Twilight, rrr-owch?" Lucky asked curiously.

"According to my translation," said Twilight, "It says, and this isn't a perfect translation, but: "to truly trust is to have faith when logic becomes impossible"." Everyone looked at each other puzzled.

"Care to elaborate that professor?" Rainbow asked annoyed.

"Ahem," Fluttershy remarked with a glare. Rainbow just smiled nervously before sighing.

"I mean...I...don't understand what you're saying," said Rainbow, slowly since admitting a mistake was quite a blow to her dignity, "can...you explain? Please?" The blue haired girl looked at Fluttershy, who nodded contently. Twilight bit her tongue to not giggle at seeing Fluttershy make Rainbow behave before recomposing herself.

"It means that whatever we're about to face requires faith to complete," said Twilight, "I'm guessing that logic and dexterity won't be much help in this challenge. Oh boy..." Shenran's family all knew that Twilight was a very logical person at heart. It would drive her crazy whenever she was caught in situations that she couldn't make sense of. A good example would be Pinkie's sixth sense that allowed her to detect near future events via body twitches. Twilight could never figure out _how_ Pinkie was so accurate, but had just learned to accept it. The only thing she could accept was that her younger sister was definitely not psychic.

"Don't worry, we'll get through this together," said Applejack, "Just like we've been doing up to this point." Twilight just smiled as they reached the end of the corridor and all gasped.

"This does defy all logic," said Lucky as he examined the area. In short words, the area was basically a bottomless pit that expanded about sixty feet in length. On the other side was the final gate. Between them was...nothing. There was no rope, no pulley, no...anything. There was no way to get across.

"So...did we reach a dead end?" Fluttershy asked before the gate behind them slammed shut, making her jump.

"I'm...guessing turning back isn't an option," said Rainbow.

"Now how are we supposed to cross?" Roll asked Twilight, who looked more baffled than ever about what to do.

"I...I don't know..." said Twilight, "The clue said we needed to have faith. So...we need to have faith to cross the chasm...it just doesn't make any sense."

"It's not that complicated," said Pinkie.

"Pinkie, you...you...wha-wuh?!" Twilight was left shocked and stunned to see Pinkie was already on the other side of the chasm just bouncing up and down at them.

"Come on you guys!" Pinkie called out, "We've got some history to find!"

"Wait just one apple picking minute there!" said Applejack, "How in the hay did you get over there?" Pinkie snorted and then laughed.

"Well, duh!" she remarked, "I walked across!" Everyone just looked at her in disbelief.

"You...walked across?" Twilight asked, her jaw agape.

"I just said that!" Pinkie remarked, "Now come on!"

"But...but there's nothing between us!" Twilight protested, "Pinkie, seriously, how did you get over there?"

"I already said that I walked across," said Pinkie, "There was no rope, no alternate path, or warp pipe or whatever! I just _walked_ across!"

"But that's impossible!" Shenran replied, agreeing with Twilight.

"You're right," said Roll as she stepped forward, "but remember the clue you guys. You gotta have faith when logic says otherwise. You said Pinkie never steers you wrong. If she said she walked across, then...that's what we gotta do!" Everyone looked dumbfounded.

"So...you're seriously going to tell me that we're going to just _walk_ across a bottomless pit," said Twilight.

"Why won't you people listen to me!" Pinkie yelled in irritation, "That's EXACTLY how I got over here! Now are you gonna stand there all day or are you coming over?"

"Umm..." Everyone replied as they just looked at one another, even Rainbow didn't want to chance it first. Roll just looked at everyone before just sighing to herself.

"I'll go first," said Roll before muttering, "I've heard some people want me killed off anyway so I've got nothing to lose if I fall..."

"Hey, don't say that," said Shenran, "We all love you." Roll just sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Good point," said Roll, "but you did all say when it comes to stuff like this Pinkie never misleads anybody. I trust her. So...if she says we can walk across this chasm...I believe her. So...I'll go first." Everyone wanted to protest but Roll was already heading towards the cliff. They all held their breath as they watched her. Roll was a little nervous as she took her first step...and was surprised to see that her foot felt like it was standing on something. She even look down so see her bare feet were literally walking on air.

"Whoa!" said Roll, clearly impressed as she slowly made her way across but then picked her up her pace before lightly sprinting to the other side.

"Hooray!" said Pinkie as she hopped up and down and embraced the blonde girl happily. Everyone else was left in shock.

"So...you can walk across," said Fluttershy as she moved forward to go next.

"Wait Fluttershy!" said Shenran fearfully.

"I'll be okay," said Fluttershy.

"She's right," Roll called out, "Come on over Fluttershy!" The shy girl smiled as she timidly made her way onto the thin air. After a few nervous steps, she relaxed and made her way across, unaware until she arrived on the other side that Shenran had followed her and Ankha was right behind him. Pinkie and Roll cheered as they gave Fluttershy a warm hug and soon welcomed Shenran and Ankha as well. Though Shenran was holding Fluttershy close for a few seconds since he thought he was gonna lose her before finally letting go.

"Hey, if they can cross..." Rarity began.

"...so can we!" said Applejack, "We're coming over yall! Yee-haw!" Soon the rest of the group made their way across the bottomless pit, each marveling at how surreal it felt to walk thin air like that. Twilight was the only one left, still fidgeting and mumbling to herself in disbelief.

"Come on Twilight!" said Rainbow, "what are you waiting for? Come on over!" Twilight tried to take a step forward but then retracted her bare foot and cowered away from the edge of the cliff.

"I...I...I can't do it!" Twilight whimpered as her eyes watered, "This...just doesn't make sense!"

"It's not supposed to make sense," said Pinkie, "Remember Twilight, Just because something doesn't make sense doesn't mean that it isn't true." Twilight just whimpered as her body trembled a bit.

"Trust me," said Pinkie, "I wouldn't steer you wrong. I love you! You're my big sister! Why would I want to have you die?" Pinkie nearly cried saying that last sentence, but she was trying to prove her point. Now Twilight was crying.

"I just don't get it," Twilight whimpered, "and it scares me. What...what if my doubt makes me fall?!"

"You won't fall, Twilight," said Pinkie firmly, "Trust me! Just...trust me! Stop thinking about it...and just come on over!" Twilight just sniffled before she timidly slid her feet forward. With tears in her eyes, she slowly took a step forward, then another, then another, then another...until she finally made her way towards her family, crying harder as she made her way to her. They all cheered for her as she arrived on the other side and Pinkie gave her a loving, sisterly hug.

"See?" said Pinkie, "I told you would be okay and you were!" Twilight just giggled a little as she wiped her eyes with a soft smile, but she couldn't help but cry due to feeling so frightened. Lucky patted her back for comfort.

"I know that wasn't easy, rrr-owch," Lucky said gently, "But sometimes faith is the only way to keep fighting and moving forward, even when all logic is telling you to give up." Twilight just smiled as she finished drying her cheeks and nodded in agreement. It was just then the final gate opened before them. Ankha was feeling excited and nervous all at once.

"So...the secret to my family's history now lies behind that door!" said Ankha. Shenran held her close as everyone slowly but surely made their way through the gate. They didn't walk far before they reached...a dead end.

"This can't be right," said Roll, "Twilight, is there anything on the map?" Twilight scanned it several times over before lowering it in defeat.

"No...there isn't anything else," Twilight answered, "The map just ends right after the pit we crossed. I...I don't know where else we're supposed to go. Ugh, we've all been through so much! It just can't be all for nothing." Twilight just slumped to her knees and covered her face in shame. Ankha just knelt beside her.

"You did your best," said Ankha, "Maybe, I'm better off not knowing."

"Maybe the history of your tribe is just that they were good at thinking outside of the box," Fluttershy explained, "and that by working together, having trust and faith in each other, they were able to overcome the hardships they faced and that family was what was most important to them. Wouldn't we all agree that this experience has brought us together and we have a new appreciate for each other?" Everyone couldn't help crack a smile hearing that. Even Shenran hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"I think she's right," said Roll, "but still...it would have been cool to have seen some sort of preserved history. At least, something materialistic for Ankha to confirm her family connections here."

"I'll say," said Rainbow, "but still...considering that last test. I feel like we're giving up too soon."

"What do you mean, rrr-owch?" Lucky asked curiously.

"I mean...just because everything points to a dead end," Rainbow continued, "doesn't mean that the secret to the history archive isn't somewhere around here...or the entrance is where one would least suspect it." Everyone was quiet for a moment before Twilight's eyes sparkled.

"You know what little sister," said Twilight, "that...actually makes a lot of sense. I wonder if there's is anything that could be considered a switch or something. Twilight then rubbed her hand against the back wall until her hand suddenly caused one of the stones in the wall to move inward and the room began to rumble. Twilight nervously backed away as the rest of the group huddled together.

"I hope I didn't just trigger a trap or something along those lines," said Twilight. Then the floor split in half like a trap door, causing everyone to fall down the hole.

"GAHHH!" Everyone screamed except for Pinkie Pie who just hung in mid air as everyone else dropped below her.

"WHEEEE!" she squealed with glee as gravity finally grabbed hold on her as she fell down after them. Unlike the last time, the group didn't fall more than a foot before they landed on a steep slope and slid down it. The slide twisted and turned a few times before it deposited them into a large underground chamber. Everyone tumbled into the room one at a time. The girls landed on their backs while Shenran and Lucky tumbled into their stomachs. Roll and Pinkie were the only exceptions. Roll managed to push the upper half of her body forward so she somersaulted as she exited the slide and landed perfectly on her feet. She still slid forward a little from the momentum, but managed to keep her balance. Pinkie, still saying "WHEE!" simply landed on her rear, bounced upward and landed on her feet as well with a pose.

"That was AWESOME!" she screamed, "Can we go that again?"

"NO!" everyone minus Roll replied annoyed as they slowly rose to their feet and dusted themselves off. Ankha than gasped in shock as she noticed the area around them. The room was filled with various objects as well as walls loaded with pictures of Egyptian felines as well. Twilight looked around before smiling excitedly.

"This...this is it!" said Twilight, "This is the archive room! We found it. Everything Ankha wants to know about the python tribe is located here!" Everyone just looked about for a moment. Ankha didn't bother to scan any of the "Treasures" but just headed straight for the wall, which had to records of her family history on them. As they scouted the rest of the room, Applejack noticed something in particular.

"Wait a second here," she said quietly as she looked about the so called treasures, "Is that what I think it is?" She pointed to what appeared to be a chariot of some sort. As Roll and Fluttershy walked up to it, they saw that it wasn't a chariot at all.

"That...that looks alot like the carts you use to carry apples to market," said Fluttershy.

"And take a look at these," said Roll as she held two particular objects in her hands. Rainbow then blinked at them.

"Are...those...pitch forks and a...garden hoe?" the blue haired girl asked in surprise. Rarity just scouted the area and found that some of the other "treasures" were just large clay pots, most of them empty.

"Why...there's not a single gem, or any rare metals of jewels around here!" she exclaimed, "Just old, dusty old pots! They seemed to be filled with soil of some sort."

"There has to be something," said Lucky, "All Egyptian felines are supposed to be some degree of royalty, rrr-owch."

"Apparently not," said a voice in a very dull tone. Everyone turned to see Ankha as she stood before a large wall. Before her was inverted pyramid, showing each insignia of the six Egyptian tribes on it. Three were at the top, two were in the middle, and...the python tribe was at the very bottom of the hierarchy. Twilight examined the pyramid.

"So...this pyramid marked the social status of all six of the feline tribes," said Twilight and then gasped, "And...the python tribe was the lowest of the tribes."

"That would explain all the farming equipment down here," said Applejack.

"According to this wall," said Lucky, "wheat and barley were the primary trade goods for the Python tribe. They relied on providing food and farming products to make their living as well as providing the city with the resources needed to keep it safe and protected. However, they were often invaded by other tribes when food was scare. They didn't have an army of any sort so they were often left with lost resources trying to defend themselves if their enemies figured out their special lock."

"It says here," Twilight pointed out, "That the python tribe didn't even have a ruler. Their government was a elected counsel of middle aged to elderly felines. Not a bad form of government for ancient times, but still...these records say they never had a king or pharaoh of any sort."

"It gets worse, me meow," said Ankha, "as she walked over. The python marking on my bracelet isn't universal. There are alternate markings that represent family occupations within the tribe."

"So...what was your family?" Fluttershy asked curiously. Ankha just looked away, she had discovered the truth, but didn't want to say anything.

"Please tell us darling," said Rarity, "There's nothing to be ashamed of..."

"Look in the pots Rarity!" Ankha yelled angrily. Rarity did so and pulled up some dark brown dirt into her hands.

"That is what my family did!" Ankha replied loudly.

"Darling, pottery isn't nothing to be ashamed of," Rarity replied, "Clay pottery is a very skilled work..."

"YOU DON'T GET IT!" Ankha snapped, "It's not the pot. It is what is inside the pots! That's not just dirt! That's...that's...ancient manure...used to make fertilizers." Rarity's eyes popped out a she looked at the hand that had held the manure.

"I...just...touched...ancient...EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! GET ME SOME WATER! SOAP! HAND SANITIZER! STAT!" Rarity squealed in disgust.

"Forget your stupid hands!" Ankha barked, making Rarity jump, "Do you idiots get it! I'm not a royal feline! I'm the daughter of...of...poo-poo gatherers!" Ankha just slumped to her knees in defeat. Everyone could tell by her face as well as her body that she was devastated. All her life...she had been living a lie. She had thought she was from a family of Egyptian queens, but now she knew the truth. Her family was the one queens sent others to steal from...because they were the lowest of the low in the social scale.

Ankha said nothing for the rest of the trip and she stayed quiet long after they had finally returned home. Apparently getting out of the temple was alot easier than getting in. Once Ankha was ready to leave, they found another switch that opened up a staircase that lead right into the main entrance hall. While they wondered how they didn't see that door before, they soon saw that it could only be opened from their side. Never the less, Lucky still considered their discovery and all the objects they had found worthwhile and made it clear that the entire family would get credit for when he was able to get other researchers to come and archive everything into history books. Plus many museums and historians wanted all the information that Lucky and the group had discovered. Twilight was happy for her "best friend" for all the accreditation and success that was coming from their expedition. However, it was bitter sweet since Ankha had grown more and more depressed once they had returned home. She refused to leave the house and didn't talk to anyone, including her husband. Shenran did his best to be supportive, but Ankha gave him the cold shoulder every time he spoke to her and nothing he did could cheer her up. Poor Shenran felt so defeated one night that he left the house and headed straight for Fluttershy's house.

Fluttershy's home wasn't too far away from where he lived. His house was located near the southern edge of the town while Fluttershy was about half way to Main street. It only took him about a minute before he arrived at the front of her little castle, which had wooden walls and a grass roof so it looked more like a giant tree house than a castle. Shenran only knocked once, before Fluttershy opened the door. Since it was late at night, the shy girl was already in her special winter pajamas, which was basically a very extra large sweater that acted like a short long sleeved nightshirt. It was Fluttershy's favorite since it had a hoodie with bunny ears and a cotton ball tail in the back.

"Oh hello there big brother," said Fluttershy when she noticed how upset he looked, "Are...you..." Shenran said nothing and his tears just began to fall from his eyes. This was when his shy nature would come out because whenever he got emotional he couldn't even make eye contact with anyone, not even Fluttershy.

"Oh dear," said Fluttershy, knowing already why Shenran was even here, "And I thought Ankha would have perked up by now. Come inside big brother. I'll make us some hot cocoa and then we can talk." Shenran only sniffled as Fluttershy guided him gently inside of her house and into a nearby sofa. Shenran was still crying quietly when Fluttershy arrived with their hot drinks. She simply set them down on the zen low table before sitting next to him and wrapped her arms around him so he could hold her. Shenran held little sister gently, crying a little harder at first into her soft pink hair before settling down, just like Fluttershy had hoped.

"Feeling better?" she asked sweetly. Shenran nodded quietly as he wiped his eyes a bit and Fluttershy handed him a mug of the warm cocoa. He took a slow sip of it, letting the chocolate liquid run down his throat before speaking.

"Thank you," said Shenran.

"That's what friends are for," said Fluttershy as she drank her own mug, "Everything is going to be alright."

"I hope so," said Shenran sadly, "I don't know what else I can do to help her, Fluttershy. She won't talk to me. She even turns down my attempts to just...be with her. If she sinks any lower, she could talk herself into anything. I don't want to lose her...it took me forever to get her to open up. I put so much effort to love and support her! Now I'm losing her..."

"Don't say that Shenran," said Fluttershy, "Apparently, giving her some space isn't working. We're going to need to have an intervention." Shenran just sniffled as he continued to cuddle her with one arm while drinking his cocoa in the other, which Fluttershy didn't mind a bit. Once he had finished, she decided to make a call with Rarity via her smartphone. Shenran just sat quietly as Rainbow suddenly came downstairs, hair fully down at three quarter's down her waist, wearing a blue stripped pajama shirt with some matching pants that were an inch below her knees. She and Applejack had decided to stay in Shenran's town for a few days since they were all worried about their sister in law. Twilight and Pinkie were staying at Rarity's place.

"Hey, why is big bro doing here?" she asked.

"Ankha," said Fluttershy as she waited for Rarity to answer her phone. Rainbow just sat next and hugged him from the side. The blue haired girl wasn't sure what to say since she was still new at giving encouragement by comfort rather than tough love.

"Hello?" said a voice that made Fluttershy blink.

"Roll?" said Fluttershy, "what are you doing at Rarity's?"

"She asked me to spend the night," Roll answered, "She apparently wanted me to help her with her upcoming spring collection and have facials."

"Enjoying trying on all her beautiful clothes?" Fluttershy asked, "and her mini-spa treatments?"

"Of course," said Roll, "I'm loving the facials, As for her clothes, I'm not that big on the shoes. You know me." Fluttershy laughed and then remembered why she called.

"Well, I had called because Shenran came to me crying because Ankha is still shunning him," said Fluttershy, "Something needs to be done." Roll just sighed to herself, but it caught Rarity and Twilight's attention.

"I agree," said Roll, "All she's doing is holding what's bothering her inside. She needs to let it out."

"Who needs to let it out darling?" Rarity asked as she approached the phone with Twilight behind her, wearing one of Rarity's sample dresses.

"Fluttershy said Shenran is in tears," Roll replied, "Apparently, Ankha is still pushing him away and its breaking his heart." Rarity and Twilight just looking at each other with concern.

"I think we've left her alone long enough," said Rarity.

"I agree," said Twilight, "Tomorrow, we are going to have a little sister to sister talk."

"Should I..."

"No, Roll," said Rarity, "We need you there two. Shenran and Ankha are like your surrogate brother and sister after all. You are family. We'll need your help too." Roll just nodded and turned to Fluttershy, who could hear the conversation.

"Guess I'll see you in the morning," said Fluttershy, "For now, Rainbow and I are going to give Shenran a little love."

"No offense, but Rainbow isn't exactly the most..."

"She's doing just fine at the moment," said Fluttershy, cutting off Twilight, "We'll see you in the morning." Roll just agreed and disconnected. Fluttershy saw Shenran cuddling Rainbow for a change, making her smile. Rainbow noticed her twin looking at them.

"I...I know I shouldn't make a big deal about it, but..." Rainbow said softly, feeling a little embarassed.

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," said Fluttershy with a smile, even making the gestures as she said it. That was there way of saying they would keep a secret.

"Thanks," said Rainbow before smiling and went back to her cuddling with her big brother. While she definitely enjoyed it, if asked though, she would deny it.

The next morning, everyone got dressed and headed back towards Shenran's house. Rather than knock on the door, they just allowed themselves in, now wearing their traditional outfits (These outfits were mentioned before during Roll's birthday party and they were all barefoot once they stepped inside of Shenran's house.) Roll, wearing another one of Rarity's Sanrio designs of a Hello kitty long sleeved overall dress with a kitty ears that donned the kitty's trademark red ribbon on it, hair fully down, and with white three quarter leggings. While she had worn some brand new blue buckle shoes, she had taken them off when coming inside of Shenran's house. He, as well as his sisters, did the same with their shoes as they walked inside. Ankha was just lying down on her chasse, sulking to herself as she wore her satin red bathrobe that her husband had gotten her for Christmas.

"Knock-knock!" said Pinkie cheerfully as she walked up to her, but Ankha said nothing.

"How are you doing honey?" Shenran asked gently. Ankha just turned over slightly with a glare.

"I'm fine!" she snapped and turned away. Shenran looked a little defeated as Twilight approached along side of her little brother.

"Ankha?" said Twilight, "Are you sure your okay?"

"I SAID I'm **Fine**!" said the Egyptian cat bluntly but refused to say anything else as she sat with her back against them all as she continued to sit on her chasse quietly.

"No you so not fine honey," said Shenran sternly, "You've been even more closed off than ever since we got back from that expedition."

"I told you to never speak of that again, me meow," said Ankha sternly, glaring at him before turning away from the group once again.

"You know," said Roll to Fluttershy, "in no disrespect. Rainbow used to tease that girls like you are more his type and yet the girl he married is more like Rarity." Fluttershy giggled discreetly but Rarity had heard.

"Don't make me take back that dress or throw you out of my house for the rest of your visit here," Rarity warning as Roll looked indignant.

"I wasn't disrespecting you," Roll retorted.

"Roll is just saying that despite Shenran and I bonding so well he married someone who is more like you," Fluttershy added in Roll's defense, "He obviously likes high society girls." Rarity then smiled but it faded when she remembered her rather gloomy sister-in-law.

"Never the less, darlings," said Rarity, "There is only one major problem right now and that is...how can I put this mildly...you've lost your sparkle, Ankha."

"Oh who cares, me meow," Ankha blunted annoyingly.

"I hate to say this," said Pinkie, clearly dreading what she was about to say, "But you've become... _a party pooper_!" Pinkie whispered that last part and covered her mouth as if she had said a bad word, but Ankha couldn't care less about Pinkie's supposed "potty" language.

"How many times do I have to say it?" said Ankha, "Just leave me alone! I don't know if you're all here to cheer me up or what, but...I'm FINE!" Shenran grew indignant. He had had enough of Ankha boxing herself up. Fluttershy could see his distress.

"I'll handle this," said Fluttershy, "come on Roll." The blonde girl nodded as she followed alongside her.

"Ankha look at us right now," said Roll firmly. The golden cat obeyed, but had an apathetic look on her face.

"Ankha, you will _never_ be a royal feline," Fluttershy said straight on with a face of the same tone. Ankha looked dumbfounded, then her face scrunched up.

"WAH!" Ankha burst into large tears and loud sobs. She knew that was true but the truth hurt...too much for her to bear. She couldn't maintain her dignity to it. She broke down sobbing and hiccupping loudly as she grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly to her chest. The others, minus Shenran and Roll, were aghast at Fluttershy, the sweetest of them all, would resort to being so direct. Fluttershy just stood quietly and watch Ankha breakdown with Roll doing the same, but only cause the latter said not to move just yet.

"Whatever did you do that for?" Rarity exclaimed.

"Because she'll never get pass this until she lets it all out," Fluttershy replied, explaining her actions. The fact she stood strong despite her stern approach showed she had learned her lesson about being assertive and direct. Ankha just wailed as she curled up into a ball and continue to weep loudly.

"True," said Roll, "and trust me. Ankha was reaching her limit. It was only a matter of time before she exploded. At least it's with us." Ankha just continued to kick and scream like she was a small child having a tantrum. Twilight couldn't stand to see Ankha like this and quickly pushed Applejack forward and motioned for her to say something.

"Umm..." Applejack stuttered, "it's alright, sugercube. I'm sure the town won't judge any differently now that they know you're family were just manure farmers."

"They all _know_!?" Ankha croaked, "WAH! Now I'll never be able to show my face in public again!" She began to weep loudly once more as Applejack bit her lip. In truth, none of them directly blabbed about the discovery. Correction, Pinkie opened her big mouth to Fauna, Ankha's best friend and sister from another mother. The deer was the one who had introduced Ankha to Shenran and the rest was history. While Twilight covered Pinkie's mouth and dragged her away to shut her up, she had neglected to tell Fauna not to say anything. So within a day or so, the news about Ankha had spread to the point that everyone knew about it. The purple haired scholar knew she was too blame for that, but didn't say anything.

"Nice going Fluttershy," Applejack retorted discreetly to the shy girl, who was still watching Ankha have her tantrum quietly, "How do we get her to stop?"

"She's gotta be done soon," said Fluttershy, "There's shouldn't be much left in there." Ankha wailed again.

"But it doesn't help that she doesn't confide in Shenran as much as she should," Roll add, "I bet she's got a reserve tank that needs to be emptied too." Applejack groaned as Fluttershy just sighed quietly to herself. Fortunately, it wasn't much longer before Ankha had finally stopped wailing and was now just crying quietly to herself. Fluttershy took this time to sit next to her on the chasse.

"Feeling better sis?" she asked in her sweet tone.

"(sniffle) Uh...huh..." Ankha said slowly, but then she burst into tears again. Apparently, Roll's guess about that reserve tank was true. Fluttershy's heart broke. She knew Ankha was disappointed about her family history, but now she could see that the results had been downright devastating for the golden cat. This had not just broken her dignity, but her spirit. The sadness was too much for Fluttershy's fragile heart. Shenran felt the same way as he sat on the other side.

"Oh honey," he croaked before he began to cry with her.

"Oh you poor thing," Fluttershy added, before her eyes began to tear and they were all crying. It immediately set up a chain reaction. Roll then started crying and knelt in front of the golden cat to hug her. Rarity's eyes soon began to water.

"I...I can't stand to see Fluttershy and Roll cry," she whimpered.

"Yeah...(sniff)," Pinkie added as her tears started to fall, "The sight is...heart wrenching!" Soon they were all crying together in one big group. Rainbow just watched trying to turn away, when Twilight heard the sound of sniffling.

"Rainbow...are...are you crying?" she asked surprised.

"NO!" she spluttered, "I...I just had something in my...my...well...(sniffle). DARN IT! Now you've got me all sappy and it...won't...STOP!" Now Rainbow, the least likely girl to cry, was now in tears and dashed into the group. Yet it was mostly just so she could hide her face. Twilight just looked at them sadly until she noticed Applejack lower her stemson hat forward.

"Not you too," Twilight said with worry.

"Nope, I'm good," said Applejack bravely with a straight face. Twilight just sighed before approaching the sobbing group.

"Look everyone," Twilight began, "I know what we learned about Ankha's past is pretty upsetting. And even I understand how it feels to want something all your life and then things just don't turn out the way you'd expect."

"Like when you thought you would become a university professor in history," said Applejack, "but instead you became the mayor of Uni-ville." Twilight blushed discreetly. She had been the one who came up with the town name at the villager's request. She was still surprised that the village had actually liked it and the name stuck.

"Yeah...don't remind me," said Twilight.

"Yeah, well...I'm crying cause _you're_ not crying!" Pinkie sobbed as she grabbed Twilight around the neck, pinning her down.

"Me? What about Applejack?" Twilight exclaimed.

"APPLEJACK CRIES ON THE INSIDE _TWILIGHT!_ " Pinky bellowed.

"It's true," said Applejack as a matter of fact, placing one foot behind the other with a straight face. Twilight just look unamused until Ankha finally found the strength to speak.

"It's...it's okay...Fluttershy...Roll...Shenran," Ankha croaked as she began to calm down, but her eyes were still full of tears, "I'm...I'm okay." Ankha just stood up and wiped her cheeks a bit, but her tears were just continuing to fall as Shenran stood next to her and held her close. Everyone pulled away, those who had been crying wiped their eyes.

"Is she done?" Applejack asked with worry, "I'm just getting a third wind..."

"I...don't...know," said Twilight with uncertainty, "Ankha...are you sure you're alright?"

"Y-y-yeah," said Ankha, "I...I feel better now. Really...I do...Thanks everyone...I don't know what I'd do without all of you." Rainbow snorted before jabbing her arm in a tomboyish manner.

"You better be!" she remarked, "I don't just cry for anyone you know!" Shenran just shook his head at her.

"Leave her alone honey," said Ankha, "Some girls find it easier to cry than others."

"Yeah," said Rainbow as she wiped her eyes, "I always felt silly crying...even if its cause I care. Fluttershy wasn't the only one bullied and when your an athletic type of girl, guys seems to knock you down alot for any signs of...sensitivity." Roll gave her a side hug, which helped the blue haired girl feel less awkward. Shenran just nodded in understand with a smile.

"Besides," said Ankha, "It's not your fault I feel disgraced."

"Disgraced?!" everyone said a once, "What? Why?"

"I've spent my whole life looking down on people, me meow," said Ankha sadly, "I've always acted like I was so regal, so much better than anyone else. I felt proud of being an Egyptian feline. But now that I know the truth, it feels like life decided to give me a harsh slap of reality and everyone is just laughing at me now. To go from being considered a member of a long line of queens to sanitation workers..."

"Uhh, Ankha? Your family made fertilizer," Applejack corrected, "That's farming, not sanitation!"

"At least you make produce, me meow," said Ankha, "My family just gathers animal wastes and turns it into dirt!"

"Ankha that "waste" that you call it," Applejack retorted, "makes some of the finest farming soils in the word and it also helps grow the highest quality fruits and vegetables people eat. Heck, I don't think my apples would be as beautiful and delicious if it weren't for family like yours making that stuff."

"Maybe, but still," said Ankha, "The point is that I often used to boast about my heritage for years. Now everyone knows that I was lying and what I really am. I don't feel so special or proud anymore. In fact, I don't even know what Shenran still wants to stay married to the likes of me!"

"Bite your tongue!" Shenran retorted, "So you will never be an Egyptian queen. So what! My love goes beyond your desire to be a queen Ankha. We share interests in common. We both have an interest in Egyptian culture and other things. Behind all that snooty attitude and boasting was a very sweet and lovable young lady who loves and cares about people. _That_ is the Ankha I married and love with all my heart. What your past was will never changed that. I made that promise to you, remember? Our love will be forever, no matter what we learned in the Layer Cake Desert." Ankha just smiled and embraced her husband happily, but not before giving him a kiss on the lips. The rest of the group just smiled before joining the two into a group hug.

The next morning, Shenran had everyone gather at the plaza. While she had been told it wasn't necessary, Ankha felt this was something she needed to do. So once everyone had gathered around, Ankha took a shy step forward.

"Thank you all for meeting here today," said Ankha, shyly, "I just wanted to discuss something regarding some news that had spread about. I recently took an expedition with my family to the Layer Cake Desert to discover my true heritage. But to my great shock and disappointment, I've discovered that my family is descendants of working class farmers rather than part of Egyptian royalty. It was a huge blow for me because I really did consider myself of royal blood being an Egyptian feline. It's taken me this long to face all of you because I've always been so cocky and snobbish about my heritage, thinking that I was better than everyone else. I was wrong. Even if I had been of royalty, it wouldn't have excused my behavior. I'm really no better than anyone else who lives here. In fact, the family was known for collecting manure and turning it into fertilizer! I'm lower than the rest of you! But my point is...I'm very sorry for all the times I was such a snob and for hurting you with my snooty remarks. I hope in time, you'll come to forgive me." Ankha just lowered her head. She was expecting for the other villagers to laugh at her, but instead. They just walked up to her with warm smiles. Fauna was the first to rest a hand on her shoulder.

"We're not going to hold it against you, dearie," said the deer, "we've all made mistakes and I've always never taken your snootiness too seriously."

"Same here, burrrn," said Drago, who was like a brother to Shenran and was also his best man at his wedding, "We're your friends. It doesn't matter what your past was. You'll always be our queen...and our friend." Fauna nodded in agreement while the other gave her a warm applause. Some even gave her a few hugs, which, unlike in the past, Ankha accepted warmly. Then Fauna placed a handmade tiara on the feline's head. It was just a cardboard one, but Ankha was touched never the less.

"Long live Queen Ankha!" said the other villagers and cheered for her. Ankha just smiled as Roll just watched everything with a smile of her own.

"I guess everything is going to be okay between you and Ankha, big brother?" Roll asked him.

"It sure is Roll," said Ankha as she approached them, "thank you for being such a good friend. Now I know that I don't need to be a queen to feel special. I just need good friends as well as my family." Roll smiled as they shared an embrace with each other. She always felt good when she could help her friends. In fact, she felt better about herself by doing so.

She couldn't wait to see who she would help next.

 **Part of the crying scene was taken nearly direct from s5 e10 of the current gen MLP series. It just fit the scene with Ankha so well.**

 **Anyways, that ends the MLP references and characters for now. (Well Pinkie is begging me to be in the next arc right now, but...we will see.) According to the number of views, people took well to Shenran's sisters, so they might be back in future arcs. But...not all at once.**

 **Here's the preview of the next story arc:**

 **Valentine Romance: Valentine's day is slowly approaching and it has gotten pretty obvious that Benjamin has a huge crush on a certain blue feline. Can Roll help this shy doggy find the courage to admit his feelings and ask Rosie out? Will she say yes? In addition, Marshal is ready to ask Bunnie a very important question, but is she ready for it?**

 **I'm really trying to take your critiques, good and bad, into account so I hope I can really make this "double love story" worth reading. While Roll is taking a sideline to these stories, she will be taking center stage again soon. Hopefully with an arc that people will enjoy.**

 **See you next time!**


	61. Valentine's Romance Part 1

Valentine Romance Part 1

It was a cold February Day in Animal Town. Another snowfall had come to blanket the town with thick layers of fresh snow. The winds felt bitter and the ground was coated in several inches of snow and frost. Roll, who had finally returned back to her home after an extended stay with Shenran and his sisters, just looked outside her window with a rather irritated look on her face. She had picked another one of Rarity's Sanrio dresses to wear that day. This time the My Melody version, along with white leggings, matching bow in her hair half tied and had some pink buckle shoes that were left begrudgingly near her front door. As she watched the snow, she could feel herself becoming less and less in the mood to leave her house.

"Ugh, I am _so_ done with all this ice and snow!" Roll complained, "I can't wait for the day I can just walk outside of my house, not see all this white stuff all over the ground! I also can't wait for the day I can just leave the shoes where the properly belong: in storage and out of my face and my feet can breathe and be free outdoors as well as in! UGH!" Roll kicked her pink buckle shoes away from herself as her two guests, Lolly and Margie just chuckled at her.

"You just need to learn patience, tootie," said Margie as she and Lolly were busy doing some arts and crafts near her low table, "Only a couple more weeks and the snow will be gone."

"Then you can enjoy your barefoot freedom as you call it, bonbon," Lolly added with a giggle and Margie chuckled as well. Roll just pouted as before staring at her toes and then back at the two girls.

"Fine," said Roll quietly as she calmed down, "anyway, what are you guys up to? You never told me exactly why you guys wanted all my arts and crafts materials after we finished breakfast this morning." Margie and Lolly just looked at each other and then at the blonde girl and then at each other.

"I thought you told her, tootie," said Margie.

"I thought you did, bonbon!" Lolly retorted back.

"Neither of you did," said Roll as she approached the table, "Look, I'm not mad and I have no problem sharing my stuff with you and all, but...what is all this stuff for anyway?" Lolly and Margie just smiled at her.

"Don't you remember what is next week?" Margie asked her curiously. Roll pondered for a moment with her hands on her hips before something finally clicked in her memory.

"Oh right," said Roll, "I almost forgot that Valentine's Day is next week. Not like it's really anything I need to get excited about."

"Why is that, tootie?" Margie asked.

"I don't have boyfriend," said Roll, "or any boys that I'm really into for that matter."

"Still don't think you're good enough for one, bonbon?" Lolly asked her.

"No," Roll replied, slowly, "I just don't feel the need to have one. Like I told Rainbow during my trip with Shenran's family to the Layer Cake Desert. I don't need a boyfriend to know that I'm awesome. Guess I'll just treat Valentine's Day like any other day."

"You don't _have_ to just ignore it you know, tootie," said Margie, "Pinkie managed to rent out this giant ballroom located about five miles north from here on some mountain tops. She wants to host a huge Valentine's day party up there."

"Do you need a date?" Roll asked.

"Nope," said Margie, "In fact, Isabelle rented out a limo so me, her, Lolly, and a few other girls were gonna ride there together and hang out as a group."

"Once, we're there, bonbon," Lolly added, "We'll exchange handmade valentines and candies to one another. So...why not join the group?"

"Yeah, tootie," said Margie, "as I recall, you do love chocolate." Roll giggled to herself. She was quite the chocoholic, but she was at least able to control herself when she saw an overload of the tasty treat. She remembered that one time Sakura was forced to pay for a sweets dresser after she had devoured half of it within seconds.

"Okay, I'm in," said Roll, "Besides, I hear Pinkie is the expert on parties so who wouldn't want to miss one hosted by her! I am wondering who she'll blast with her party cannon. I was cracking up when Stitches got blasted at the New Year's party with two party cannons." They all chuckled.

"True. Plus she'll be having her twinsie, who ever that is, helping her too," Margie added.

"Sakura," said Roll with a groan, "that girl is hyper enough and now she's got someone who acts just likes her? That is just scary in my opinion."

"I see," said Margie with a smirk, "So...what would you do if you found someone just like you?" Roll blinked in surprise.

"Could...there really be someone out there like me?" Roll asked, not fully believing it myself.

"You never know," said Margie, "Now come on and make some valentines with us. I'm sure even you would like to give one to Sable." Roll giggled to herself.

"That is a good idea," said Roll, "Plus white and pink are her favorite colors." Margie and Lolly just chuckled to each other as they continued to work on their own valentines. Then an idea came to Roll.

"So...do you have any...boys you might want to send valentines too?" Roll asked curiously. Margie just said nothing as Lolly grew a smirk on her face.

"Margie, hasn't that new dentist you've been visiting caught your eye of interest, bonbon?" Lolly asked. Margie suddenly blushed deep red and just snorted to herself.

"Look who's talking miss I-have-a-crush-on-el-gato-grande, tootie," Margie added. Now it was Lolly's turn to feel her cheeks burn as she just rolled her eyes at the elephant before they just chuckled to each other. Roll just smiled and shook her head to herself. She didn't understand all the fuss about love and such, but then again...she hadn't had the experience of having a crush on a boy before. Despite what others had said, she only went on that one date with Marshal to be his friend. Sure, she liked him, but it was the same way she liked her Komasan and Komajiro plush dolls.

Roll then went to work doing her own valentines. Once she had finished, she put on her pink buckle shoes and headed outside to do her work as mayor. She had just found her money rock when she noticed Bunnie and Rosie giggling and chatting with each other.

"Hey you guys," said Roll as she finished putting her new bells away.

"Hi Roll," said Rosie, "Enjoying the snow today, silly?" Roll just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. The two best friends just giggled to each other. They knew why Roll wasn't completely happy in the snow.

"Just a few more weeks, tee hee," said Bunnie, "anyway, are you looking forward to next week?"

"More for the party and getting lots of chocolate," said Roll, "I'm not looking for a date." Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other.

"We could help you..."

"No you guys I mean it," said Roll, "I have my friends to keep me company and I'd rather just have fun exchanging cards and candies together. Margie and Lolly invited me to join their group."

"Oh yeah!" said Rosie, "That's great. We had forgotten all about the limo ride, silly. Sorry...that's the only reason we didn't say something sooner."

"Yeah...sorry Roll," said Bunnie, "I hope you didn't feel excluded..."

"It's fine," said Roll, "I don't really see the big deal about all this love and such. I mean I don't even have a boyfriend or a crush on a boy yet. So...I was just gonna do my mayor work, read a good book and maybe work on some more research I promised for Twilight regarding shine sprites or something like that."

"No way!" they said together.

"Valentine's Day isn't just about couples and love and such," said Rosie.

"It's not just some excuse commercial companies came up with to make lots of money on candy and flowers?" Roll asked curiously. Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other before rolling their eyes at her.

"That's ridiculous, silly," said Rosie, "Valentine's day can also be a time for families and good friends to say how much they love and care for each other. Using cards and candies of course. Oh I can't wait to see if I get my favorite candy this year!"

"Chocolate?" Roll asked.

"More than just chocolate, silly," Rosie replied, "Chocolate cherry bonbons! MMM! I just love those candies so much! And T&T only seems to sell such candies during this time of the year!"

"Why not just buy one for yourself?" said Roll, "The candies are only a few hundred bells..."

"Why buy a candy that someone else can give to you, tee hee?" Bunnie replied and Rosie nodded in agreement. Roll just rolled her eyes at Bunnie's logic, but kept her smile on her face.

"Moving on," Roll continued, "how are you and Marshal doing lately Bunnie?" Bunnie's cheeks suddenly turned dark red as a shy smile appeared over her face. Rosie snickered to herself.

"You can say that things have been going very well," said Rosie since Bunnie still hadn't found her voice, "You saw how long they kissed at the new year's eve party, silly."

"Oh get off my case Rosie," said Bunnie, her face still red, "He's a good kisser after all, tee hee."

"Really?" said Roll and Rosie together, their smiles showing that they wanted to hear more. Bunnie just rolled her eyes at the two of them.

"Do I have to share everything about our relationship with you two, tee hee?" she asked indignantly.

"Of course not Bunnie," said Roll gently, "I guess...well...you've been dating for a few months now and..."

"We want to know how you feel, silly," said Rosie, "Do you feel a connection to him? More or less confident if he could be the guy for you?"

"We know you would never lead anyone on or anything like that," put in Roll, "but...have you at least lowered your defenses a little...do you feel like you can now?" Bunnie just sighed to herself. That was a very legit question, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to answer it. Roll and Rosie looked concerned as Bunnie just stayed quiet for a long time and didn't answer.

"Are you seriously still confused, silly?" Rosie asked. Bunnie took offense, but Rosie had a look that showed the blue cat was genuinely concerned. Roll felt the same way but she was confused as well regarding Bunnie. Bunnie still just said nothing and looked away.

"I don't understand Bunnie," said Roll, "I mean...you've been dating for a while now and..."

"Do you have any idea how painful it is to put yourself out there and be rejected, tee hee?" Bunnie asked rather sternly. Roll just gave her an annoyed look.

"Seriously?" she replied. Bunnie soon realized how ridiculous that question was for the blonde girl and just smiled apologetically.

"Sorry girls," said Bunnie, "the truth is...I really am falling for Marshal. I'm really, _really_ developing strong feelings for him." Roll and Rosie just smiled.

"But it scares me," said Bunnie quietly.

"Why is that?" Roll asked her gently.

"Well, I just feel like I've lost control of my life," said Bunnie, "I can't stop those feelings from coming. I've tried to embrace them, but I...I feel so...so...vulnerable..." Rosie just gave her a sympathetic hug since Bunnie had become a little unraveled. Roll soon did the same to help Bunnie feel better.

"Have you tried to talk to Marshal about this?" said Roll, "After all, I still confide in him about my insecurities from time to time. Not as much these days, but you know what I mean."

"If there is anyone you can trust, silly," said Rosie, "it's your best friends. Dating or not, Marshal is yours as I recall."

"He's yours too, tee hee," Bunnie pointed out.

"You still get priority," said Rosie, "You are his girlfriend after all."

"Oh...yeah...true," said Bunnie shyly, "We did make it official during thanksgiving. (Giggle) I have a boyfriend and I like him alot!" Bunnie could resist smiling giddily for a second before it turned into worry and insecurity.

"I...I guess I'm still afraid that it won't last," said Bunnie.

"You shouldn't," said Roll, "after all, we've been friends for over a year! You've known Rosie for years. Despite a few disagreements, you never saw any of us just drop you and move on you know."

"You're stuck with us forever, silly," said Rosie, "even when we finally die of old age, we're all sharing the same burial spot!"

"Okay...that's awkward," said Roll uncomfortable and Bunnie made a face.

"Sorry, blame Lemon, she's the one who said that to Kabuki during the party, silly!" said Rosie indignantly as they all laughed. Roll was glad to hear that Bunnie was happy despite some insecurities that she could relate to, at least in terms of fearing rejection.

"So...how about once I'm done finding those fossils, we go check out the shopping?" Roll suggested, "I've stocked up a ton of MEOW coupons as well as bells."

"Then...why do you need to find the fossils anymore?" Rose asked curiously, "Don't you have, like, well over 150 million bells in your account, silly?" Roll just chuckled.

"True, but getting the fossils dug up does help keep the town clean," she replied, "Plus...how are your purses looking girls?" Rosie and Bunnie then dug into their own pockets. Rosie only had a small handful of bells while Bunnie's were empty.

"That's why I keep collecting bells from fossils and money rocks," said Roll.

"You don't have to you know, silly," said Rosie, "We would be happy just window shopping." Roll chuckled.

"Guess I'm just a generous girl," said Roll, "now come on." Bunnie and Rosie just smiled as they got to work searching for fossils. The three already had their own routine for handling such a chore and for the most part, they were able to take care of things within a few minutes or so. Once Roll had finished identifying the fossils, they headed into main street and started to browse around. For the most part, Roll was just window shopping until she remembered something as she was browsing about GracieGrace.

"Say...Rosie?" Roll asked casually.

"Yes Roll?" Rosie asked innocently.

"We were talking alot about Bunnie and her relationships," said Roll, "and...what about you?"

"What...about me, silly?" Rosie replied, not understand where Roll was going with all of this.

"Well, do you have someone special in mind for Valentine's Day?" Roll asked. Rosie just blinked and shook her head.

"Nope," said Rosie plainly and went back to browsing, "Oh! I like this pastel low table! Can I get it?" Roll just looked at her blankly before snapping herself back into reality.

"Oh...sure," said Roll, handing the blue cat the bells to pay for it, "But...you're not looking for anyone. I know you say you're very popular and all. I do believe you, but...why not see about a date?"

"What about you?" Rosie asked, hoping Roll would change the subject, "Are you asking anyone out?" Roll shook her head. Rosie wanted to ask why, but seeing Roll just glare rather than looked depressed meant the blonde girl was getting tired of explaining herself and said nothing. In fact, Rosie smiled.

"Finally believe you're beautiful, silly," said Rosie, "it's about time. I was getting grey hairs."

"Can I see?" Roll asked in a sweet and sarcastic tone.

"Shut up," Rosie replied and they both chuckled.

"Okay, now it's my turn to ask you something about Valentine's day," said Rosie, "Let's say some random boy at the party asks you to be his date? what would you say?" Roll just pondered a bit before answering.

"Depends," said Roll, "does he ask nicely and does he act like a macho idiot. That will determine my answer. And if the latter and he starts stalking me, he'll learn about how I mastered kicking where it hurts." Rosie giggled loudly and Roll laughed as well. She was really warming up to this whole Valentine's day event, finding it more as a great opportunity to party with friends and get lots of candy than finding love. She didn't need to search for it anymore, she had plenty of love in her life and she didn't need a boyfriend.

Not yet anyway.

Roll decided to head back downstairs early when she found that she was a few bells short for a argyle shirt she wanted and was short on bells thanks to Bunnie and Rosie emptying her pockets faster than a jar of cookies. That was when she noticed that Marshal was at the nearby display case looking at something intensely. Roll couldn't help but approach the squirrel to find out what he was looking for.

"Marshal?" she asked gently as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"GAH!" he exclaimed as he did a fast one eighty and leaned against the display case as if he was trying to cover up something. It took about three full seconds before Marshal noticed the blonde girl looking at her with concern and puzzlement.

"Oh...heh...hi there, sulky," said Marshal, trying to keep his voice from squeaking, "I...I didn't see you there."

"Sorry to startle you bro," said Roll, using her new nickname for him, "I was just wondering what you were looking at?" Marshal just darted his eyes quickly for a moment before leaning in toward' s Roll's face.

"Are you alone?" he asked. Roll was puzzled by the question, but just nodded.

"Bunnie and Rosie are upstairs..." she mentioned when Marshal groaned as he slapped a hand over his head.

"I guess I'll just come back later then, sulky," he muttered to himself.

"Why? I..." Then it made sense as Roll just smiled, "Are you getting Bunnie a Valentine's Day present Marshal?" Marshal felt his cheeks turn from pink to dark red and Roll giggled to herself.

"No need to be embarassed," said Roll, "I didn't mean to disturb you. But...wow, jewelry huh? Lucky girl." Marshal just looked behind him and sighed to himself.

"It's more than just jewelry, sulky," said Marshal, "this is...so much more..."

"Really?" said Roll.

"Of course sulky," said Marshal, "Roll...I...I'm in love. I am madly in love with Bunnie." Marshal felt rather shy admitting that, but Roll just smiled.

"Aww, that is so sweet," said Roll, "well...I'm sure whatever piece of jewelry you get her will be perfect. In fact, I heard she really loves ear charms. Sterling silver and white gold if I'm correct..."

"That I can get for her anytime," said Marshal, waving her suggestion off, "I'm here to get Bunnie something extra special, sulky."

"Like what, bro?" Roll asked him curiously.

"I'm..." Marshal looked around a bit before leaning into Roll's left ear, "I'm looking for a ring for Bunnie..." Roll backed away and blinked a few times in surprise.

"A...ring?!" said Roll, "What's so special about..." Suddenly it clicked and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Marshal!" Roll gasped, "Is this ring what I think it means?" Marshal just released a deep breath before giving her a serious look with a small grin on his face.

"I did say I was madly in love, sulky," said Marshal, "I wanna be with Bunnie forever!" Roll just took a step back with her mouth agape for a bit.

"Wow...like...just...wow!" was all Roll could say before she noticed that Marshal was feeling a little uneasy.

"You...you don't think it's a good idea?" Marshal asked her quietly. Roll just bit her lip.

"No! No, of course it is, bro!" Roll replied, "I was just surprised. I mean...you've only been officially boyfriend and girlfriend for a month after all."

"But I've known Bunnie for so much longer, sulky," said Marshal, "I mean sure, I was an idiot for a couple of years, but...we all make mistakes. I loved Bunnie first and in the end, she is the one I feel is supposed to be my girl. I wanna be with her forever. Don't you think she wouldn't feel the same?" Roll just bit her lip. When it came to feelings and such, Roll was bound by what had become "pinkie promises". (Of course they weren't called that by the group until the said pink haired girl showed up.) In other words, what Bunnie shared with Roll earlier that day was confidential and she could not tell anyone about it. Yet she wanted to be able to help Marshal too. Marshal took Roll's silence with much worry.

"You...don't think she would say yes?" he asked sadly. Roll then snapped out of her thoughts.

"Of course I do," said Roll and quickly changed to subject, "Why...don't you keep looking at all those gorgeous rings? I need to make a withdrawal from my account. Those two can really drain your wallet if you give them the chance."

"Ehh...Bunnie is worth it," said Marshal, "Plus she doesn't splurge too often with me, so...it's not as painful, sulky." They both chuckled to each other.

"Alright, see you later than bro," said Roll as she walked downstairs, but as she made her way downstairs and outside to the ABD at the post office. The entire time Roll made her way from one location to the next, she couldn't help but worry about Marshal and Bunnie.

 _I know how much Bunnie means to Marshal_ Roll thought to herself, _But Bunnie is just so...cautious about moving too quickly. Is she ready for...marriage?_ Roll just groaned as she fingered her forehead before collecting her bells from the ABD and making her way back to the Emporium. When she returned to the second floor, she noticed that Marshal was nowhere to be found. Roll just sighed to herself and headed back upstairs where Bunnie and Rosie were waiting for her impatiently.

"Took you long enough, silly," said Rosie.

"What took so long?" said Bunnie, "It shouldn't have taken you half an hour just to get a few bells, tee hee!"

"Well sorry, but I wasn't expecting you all to drain my wallet dry!" Roll shot back and glared at the both of them. Bunnie and Rosie just glared back until they realized their behavior.

"Sorry," they said together.

"Guess we did take advantage of you," said Bunnie, eyeballing her 80K gorgeous item with much guilt.

"Yeah, silly," Rosie added quietly, "But...we'll stop now. You just focus on what you want for the rest of our shopping time together okay." Roll just smiled as she pulled them all together into a group hug.

"It's okay," said Roll, "and I'm glad you appreciate my generosity. Let me just buy that shirt over there and then we can get going."

"Why not these glasses, silly?" Rosie pointed out. Roll just shook her head.

"Just cause I am a nerd doesn't mean I can't be stylish," said Roll, "Those glasses are a little too big on the lenses for me." Bunnie and Rosie just nodded in agreement as they headed out of the emporium. Once outside, they made headed straight for the Able Sisters to look around. They were caught off guard to see Sable greeting them as they walked inside.

"Welcome to the handmade fashion palace of the Able Sisters!" she announced with a cheery tone. Bunnie and Rosie just stared with open mouths until Roll pinched them both in the arms.

"OW!" they said together, rubbing their sore arms.

"Well, there's no need to stare," said Roll, "Momma is finally coming out of her shell." Sable giggled as she gave her daughter a loving hug and a kiss.

"Thank you sweetheart," said Sable, "But to be honest. I still feel uncomfortable doing Mabel's job. I prefer my sewing machine thank you very much."

"Well, I've finished with this set of patterns if you want to trade back jobs, sis," said Mabel as she stood up and placed the last pattern in the stack that was for complete stitches.

"Alright," said Sable, "baby steps I guess."

"Baby steps?" Roll asked.

"I'm having Sable doing greeting and selling for at least one hour twice a week," said Mabel, "Once she gets comfortable, I'll have her come on more often. Maybe one day she'll greet and sell the outfits for the entire day and then we can split the week, alternating Sundays or whatever day works for us."

"That's great," said Roll as the two friends started to browse around, "I'm sure you'll do a great job."

"Oh, she will," said a voice. Roll turned around to see Tom Nook entering the shop, "Hope I'm not interrupting."

"No, she just finished her time as greeter and seller," said Mabel.

"Darn," said Tom in disappointment, "I wanted to see her greet me. I've been helping her with her presentation and vocal skills. I wanted to see how good she sounds. She does have a cute voice."

"Oh Tom, stop it," said Sable, blushing a little, "I'm still not very comfortable doing this yet. Give me some time."

"Very well," said Tom, "but I still hope you're up for tonight's date, hmm?"

"I wouldn't miss it, handsome," said Sable with a flirty smile on her face. Roll just stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"What happened to the "no flirting" rule?" she asked indignantly. Sable just smirked back.

"That rule was _only_ for you and your aunts," Sable replied. Now Mabel looked indignant as she crossed her arms. Roll did the same before sticking her tongue at Sable.

"Now, now, be nice to your mother, Roll," said Tom in a firm but gentle voice.

"Yes...sir," said Roll, with some annoyance clear in her tone, but Tom ignored it as he gave Sable a quick kiss.

"By the way, Tom, what is our plans for Valentine's day," Sable asked. Tom just smirked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he chuckled, "I'll see you later sweetie." Sable just glared, but a smile was on her face as she shook her head and went back to work. While Roll had settled down from feeling annoyed, Sable could tell that her daughter seemed a bit distracted.

"Roll, is...everything alright?" she asked her curiously.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm...okay," said Roll, "Umm...Momma...can...can you come by before you head home tonight. We can talk there in private."

"Sure," said Sable, "Just make sure you're home by the time the sun is down. I'll try to take off early so I can help you."

"I'll be there," said Roll with a soft smile, "thanks Momma." Sable smiled as Roll continued to browse around. Once they had finished, and Bunnie and Rosie teased about Roll desperately needing to go shopping at Kicks for new shoes, they parted ways and the blonde girl went about her business on her own. She hadn't walked far when she noticed a small snowball just sitting quietly along the main path to the river.

"Might as well," said Roll, "but I am getting pretty sick of everyone asking me if I want to build a snowman." Roll then gently used her shoes to make the snowball big enough for her to push with her hands. Then she got to work trying to make the snowball as big as she possibly could as she decided where she was going to set up her snowman.

"Might as well find a spot along the double tile path since it's wide enough for people to get around it," Roll thought to herself when she heard the sound of someone sighing to themselves. Roll stopped pushed her now giant snowball and started to look around. That was when she noticed that Benjamin was sitting by himself on the bench that was placed near the river. She noticed that the young dog looked very sad as Roll approached the said bench.

"Hey Benjamin," said Roll, "Why do you look so glum?" The dog said nothing but just looked at Roll sadly before turning away. Roll just cupped her hands in front of her and looked at him with concern.

"Benjamin?" she asked again patiently.

"It's nothing you can really help me with Roll," said Benjamin sadly, "It's nothing...nothing anyone can really do, alrighty."

"I wouldn't say nothing is impossible," said Roll, "I don't even know what it is that's bothering you."

"But it's nothing you can help me with, alrighty," said Benjamin sadly.

"I'm still your friend Benjamin," said Roll, "And I want to help you. It's what I seem to be good at. Even if I can't help you exactly, I'm here to listen to what is bothering you. Come on. Let's head to my place where we can talk. My sofa is probably alot more comfortable than this cold bench." Benjamin just sighed but chose to go with Roll as he stood up. Roll then took his hand and pulled the yellow dog towards her house. Once they arrived, Roll headed into the kitchen to make her friend some hot cocoa. Benjamin just sat quietly as Roll got to work. He was still trying to process what he was going to say when he noticed two lion dog dolls sitting together in one of the ranch sofa chairs.

"So...why are you two here for counseling, alrighty?" he asked. The two dolls said nothing. Benjamin just hummed.

"Classified huh?" said Benjamin, "yeah, I can respect that. Dog code of honor, am I right?" The two dolls just stayed silent as Benjamin continued.

"Must be nice to have a girlfriend, alrighty," the dog replied, "though I wonder? How do you two share a single girl? I thought that was...unethical around these parts?"

"They're not my boyfriends for starters," said voice. Benjamin felt his eyes shrink as he slowly turned his head to see Roll, holding a tray of hot cocoa and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in which the crust was removed and cut into cute little triangles. Roll was just smiling at him warmly despite his earlier comment. Benjamin just looked rather embarassed.

"How...long...were you standing there?" he asked slowly, still feeling his cheeks burning.

"Long enough to know you were having a conversation with my lion dog dolls," said Roll as she set the tray down in front of them, took a seat and rested her hands in her lap as she looked at him, legs crossed at her bare ankles. Benjamin just said nothing as Roll handed him a mug filled with warm chocolate and a marshmallow floating helplessly in the center. Benjamin just took a sip before speaking again.

"Roll, please don't tell anyone I was talking to two stuffed animals, alrighty," he pleaded quietly.

"Okay, but what's the big deal?" Roll asked him curiously, "I talk to Komasan and Komajiro all the time! Sometimes when you just struggle to talk to people about your problems, confiding in a stuffed animal can really help you sort out your thoughts and concerns. If you are helping you out, go ahead and chat away."

"True, but don't you feel worried about others teasing you about it, alrighty?" Benjamin asked.

"Why should I?" said Roll as she took another drink of her cocoa, "if they've got a problem with it, I don't care. Sometimes I like to confide in my stuff animals. I'm only twelve after all."

"Really?" said Benjamin, not expecting such a firm answer from her.

"Yeah, I've got plenty of family and friends who love and accept me," said Roll, "if others don't like me, then whatever. No sweat off my plate. I know I'm awesome." Benjamin was still taken aback but also very impressed.

"Sounds like you've found your self-confidence, alrighty," he replied.

"Not really Benjamin," said Roll as she set her, "As I said before, I am only twelve and I've still got a lot of growing up to do. But I do know one thing for sure. Sitting around feeling sorry for myself is just a waste of my time. I'm not just some little girl who can dream and have her head in the clouds. I'm the mayor of this town. Everyone is looking up to me to be a leader and they all consider me to be the princess of friendship around here. It's time I started acting like one."

"So...you're helping me cause it's your civic duty," said Benjamin.

"No, I'm helping you because I care about your feelings and I love you," Roll answered with a smile. Benjamin suddenly felt a big uncomfortable.

"Uhh..."

"Friends can love each other," Roll pointed out, "it doesn't need to be romantic, Benjamin." Benjamin then blinked before realizing his stupid mistake.

"Oh, right, umm, sorry," said Benjamin, "Forgive me for being so immature, alrighty. Guess I just got a little worried for a moment."

"Why is that?" said Roll, "I mean...what...what if I did love you like _that_. Pure speculation I might add cause I don't but...well...what would you have to say?" Benjamin just looked at her sadly.

"I'm in love with someone else," he said with glossy eyes, "You're a very sweet and beautiful girl, Roll. I don't see you that way. I'm sorry." Roll just softened. It appeared that her little question had actually gotten the conversation right back to the reason they were having it in the first place. She also noticed that Benjamin looked rather distressed.

"Hey, calm down Benjamin," said Roll gently, "I was just speculating. I mean...you think I'm someone any guy would love to have."

"Of course, alrighty," said Benjamin, "I didn't mean to make you think you weren't. I was just saying that I have feelings for someone else." Roll smiled and gave him a nod.

"It's Rosie isn't it?" Roll said right after without missing a beat. Now can someone check to see if there Splatoon blaster is missing some ink in its container? Because the instant Roll made her comment, Benjamin's face went from blonde to deep red instantly. He couldn't look at Roll after hearing her comment or did he want to confirm it. At least not vocally, his face said the truth for him. Roll just looked at him with sympathy.

"Benjamin?" she asked softly.

"Okay! I do, alrighty!" he snapped, "I like Rosie...alot...I've...I've had a crush on her since she first moved to the Animal Town. I really want...to make her like me. With Valentine's Day coming up I thought...maybe I might have my chance, but...I just get so nervous trying to ask her directly. I've tried to find the courage to ask her out for years now, but I've always lost my nerve."

"You didn't seem to have a problem trying to protect her when we were in that jam at Tortimer's island or when you guys thought you were being chased by a zombie and a vampire," Roll pointed out.

"Rosie denies that she was ever scared, alrighty," said Benjamin, "Obviously, she'd rather forget she needed me to protect her. I don't think she likes me at all."

"I don't believe that," Roll commented.

"I am probably guessing this but, I doubt you've been in love before haven't you?" he asked, "being only twelve?" Roll just sighed to herself and nodded.

"No, I haven't felt that way about a guy before," said Roll, "but that doesn't mean that I can't help you. We've still got time before the big Valentine's Day party. Let me see what I can do okay?" Benjamin just looked quietly and then smiled.

"I knew you would be help me out," said Benjamin, "Alfonso might be my best friend, but he's not exactly very good for advice when it comes to girls. He still thinks that the best solution is just playing it cool. Kid Cat is the same way."

"Do you think that works to get girls?" Roll asked, wanting to hear his point of view.

"Honestly, alrighty," Benjamin answered, "I feel like my best friends were all born in 1954. Even Kid Cat thinks leather jackets are fashionable for crying out loud. There out of date! I mean, everyone says that being yourself is the best approach. I agree but...I just don't know how I can woo Rosie and be myself. I feel so shy when I'm around her, even if it didn't show those two times I saved her and comforted her."

"We'll find a way," said Roll, "I'll do all that I can. Everyone deserves a little love during Valentine's day and I would like to make you happy. Just keep in mind, I can't force Rosie to fall in love with you. All you can do is persuade her to take interest."

"That's what I'm afraid of," said Benjamin, "I'd hate to put my heart on the line and get rejected."

"It's always a risk, Benjamin," said Roll, "and it's not just with romance either. I had to take a chance on everyone here. Fortunately, it was worth it. The best thing you can do is give it your best shot."

"And what if it isn't good enough?" Benjamin asked with worry.

"Just have faith that it will," said Roll, "Rosie isn't the type to be a heartbreaker, even if she acts like she could be from time to time."

"If you say so," said Benjamin, "thanks for hearing me out Roll. You're a great friend."

"Anytime," said Roll, "would you care to join me for dinner? I don't mind cooking for one more."

"Oh...well...I don't want to intrude," said Benjamin shyly.

"Not at all," said Roll, "In fact, do you know how to cook?" Benjamin chuckled.

"You're looking at a dog who learn how to stand up on his legs holding the side of an oven, alrighty," Benjamin answered, "Cooking is in my blood."

"Great," said Roll, "That means we'll eat very well tonight."

"You bet," said Benjamin as they headed into the kitchen and got to work on what ended up being a four course meal for two. They were feeling very stuffed by the time they had cleaned up and Roll bid Benjamin a farewell and a good night. She had just closed the door and reclined on the sofa with a loud sigh when she noticed Komasan and Komajiro just staring at her as she sat up.

"What are you two looking at?" she asked. The two dolls just looked at her before Roll giggled to herself.

"You think I look beautiful?" she remarked, "You like this dress?" She looked at Komasan before smiled at him.

"Why this old thang?" Roll replied with her best impression of a Scarlet O'Hara accent as she posed for the two dolls, "I've worn this simply for ages, darling!" Roll soon blinked wide eyed before shooting an awkward glare at both of the dolls.

"Okay, I think I've been hanging out with Rarity too much," said Roll to herself before chuckling to herself. When she looked at Komasan and Komajiro before blinking in surprise.

"You...both want me to be your valentine?" she asked before giving them a glare, "You two gotta promise to share me! Otherwise no soft serve ice cream for two weeks! You understand!" The two dolls just looked at her before Roll grabbed one with each in her arms and hugged them close to her.

"I love you guys," said Roll, "I can always count on you to make me feel special."

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"The door is open!" Roll called out as she sat on the sofa cuddling her two favorite toys as Sable allowed herself in.

"Hey sweetie," said Sable and then saw her cuddling her toys, "I see you're having a good time."

"I always have a good time with these two," said Roll as she set them on her left while Sable sat on her right. Roll couldn't help but giggle to herself and Sable caught notice of it.

"What are you hiding silly girl?" Sable asked as Roll just stopped her giggling and turned away.

"Tell me!" Sable demanded. Roll just sighed to herself. She could tell Sable she wasn't gonna let her not talk, but she needed to tell someone about this. Roll grabbed both dolls and held them close to her.

"Meet my dates for the Valentine's Day party," said Roll. Sable just looked at her before tumbling into her back and laughed and laughed. Roll just hugged her dolls tightly in her arms and pouted with a long face. Once Sable had finally calmed down, she noticed Roll fuming as the blonde girl held her two dolls tightly.

"Oh ease off, I was just teasing," said Sable.

"Yeah, well I'd take these guys over some random dum-dum any day of the year," said Roll sternly, "No guy is getting my heart that easily." Sable just smiled as she sat up and wrapped an arm around the blonde girl and held her close.

"If only love were that simple, sweetie," said Sable, "But unfortunately, no matter how much you guard your heart, the moment that one guy catches your eyes. You're heart is in their hands and there's nothing you can do to stop it. You can deny it and try to deny the feeling, but when those feelings will never truly go away."

"Voice of experience," said Roll as Sable smirked.

"Of course," said Sable, "You know my feelings for Tom better than anyone."

"I'm...guessing those feelings can make love rather scary," Roll asked her curiously as the brown hedgehog closed her eyes and nodded.

"That is one thing you need to understand about love, Roll," said Sable, "When it's romantic, it's a completely different degree of trust and vulnerability. It also takes a large degree of faith too because romantic love isn't like familial love. The latter is natural. It's always there no matter what, but romantic love...It requires more work, effort, and commitment to make it last. Plus the both of you must be willing to keep that love alive, otherwise...it falls apart." Sable sighed quietly to herself as Roll listened to her attentively.

"Wow," said Roll, "I knew love could be complicated when it comes to romance and such, but...it sounds like a battle that I don't know if I am ready for."

"You need to be ready sweetie," said Sable, "You're at that age where that one guy could come and trust me. It could catch you off guard. It can be just one look at each other and then...BOOM...you find yourself feeling something inside that is exciting and terrifying all at once." Roll just sighed to herself as she just looked at her feet.

"Well, I've got enough on my plate right now that does not involve me getting smitten by some boy I happen to bump into out of the blue," said Roll, "In fact, I'm kind of feeling a little over my head involving some situations involving love with some of my friends here in the town."

"I see," said Sable, she had been waiting all day to hear what had been on her daughter's mind since arriving at the shop earlier that day, "Well go ahead whenever you are ready. Momma is here to listen." Roll giggled to herself as she held Sable's hand before finding what she wanted to say first.

"For starters," Roll began, "I found Marshal looking around the shop. But he wasn't just window shopping, he was looking for a Valentine's Day gift for Bunnie."

"How sweet," said Sable, "Did he ask you for advice on a present?"

"Not really," said Roll, "In fact, I should also add that he was in the jewelry section." Sable's eyes widen before a mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"Well isn't she lucky," said Sable, not hiding her jealousy.

"Oh ease off Mom," said Roll, "I'm sure Tom will get you jewelry soon enough. It's not like he spent a fortune in those pink ruby stud earrings last Christmas and you have _never_ worn again."

"I wore them on Christmas!" Sable retorted.

"But not since then," Roll pointed out.

"Can we get back to Marshal please?" Sable asked annoyingly.

"Fine," said Roll, "So he was looking through the jewelry, and he dropped a big hint at what he was looking for."

"What was that?"

"He was looking at some...rings..." Roll said slowly. Sable gasped.

" _No_...was he..."

"Yes," Roll answered, "he said he loved Bunnie and wanted to be with her forever. I think that pretty much sums up what he was looking for Bunnie." Sable giggled excitedly.

"I haven't seen an actual engagement in town since Cyrus proposed to Reese!" Sable replied, "This is so exciting!"

"I hope it is," said Roll. Sable's smile then flipped over and she looked at Roll with concern.

"What do you mean?" Sable asked.

"Well when I was asking Bunnie about their relationship," said Roll, "She was very...uncertain about how she still felt about him. She said she likes being his girlfriend, but..."

"There was no giddiness or excitement about it," said Sable.

"There was, but she didn't seem as excited about it as I had thought she would," said Roll, "It make me wonder Bunnie is letting her insecurity hold her back in a sense. I mean...you were the same way about your feelings for Tom until you finally confronted him. Then everything that you were holding back gushed over and overwhelmed you."

"I wouldn't say that my feelings gushed over..." Sable retorted.

"Mom, Tom said he could feel you literally smashing your lips against his that night you kissed him," Roll replied, "If you had been more honest with yourself, I don't think you wouldn't have been so desperate for that kiss." Sable felt her cheeks color a bit before huffing to herself. She wanted to retort again, but saw that Roll wasn't teasing her by reminding her of that.

"Well...can you tell if Bunnie is afraid?" Sable asked.

"I wanna say yes, but...," said Roll quietly, "I can't be too sure. She just seems to get very quiet whenever we ask how she feels. That's why I need your help. I'd really hate to see Marshal go out of his way to buy Bunnie an engagement ring, propose to her, and she either says "no" or takes off in the opposite direction. Poor Marshal has already been rejected like that once. I don't think his heart can take that happening to him again. I'd hate to see Bunnie make the wrong decision cause she gave into her fears and insecurities." Sable hummed in understanding.

"And that's not my only problem," Roll continued.

"There's something else?" Sable asked in surprise.

"Poor Benjamin is feeling rather depressed," said Roll, "I think he is sad cause Rosie still doesn't see that he really likes her. And I mean _really_ likes her."

"Seriously," said Sable, "No offense, but Rosie seems to be a bit dense. The boy has dropped plenty of hints over the years and Rosie has yet to take any action on it."

"I don't think she's that clueless about it," said Roll, "She must like him back to some extent. I mean, why else would she look to him for strength whenever she's scared or afraid. He's always there for her."

"True," said Sable, "But has she ever said thank you for his efforts?" Roll had to think and was shocked to find that the answer was...no.

"Oh Rosie," said Roll as she smacked a hand over her face, "You are dense...or just clueless. Prince Charming is right in front of you and you're missing him!"

"Possibly," said Sable, "but how do you know Benjamin is the right person?"

"He's humble and also very smart," said Roll, "he told me he wants to woo Rosie by showing he is good enough for her and not by "playing it cool". Plus instead of listening to the advice of other guys. He came to a girl for advice."

"That's a good sign," said Sable, "and I'm guessing you want to help both of them?"

"Sure," said Roll, "I want Marshal and Bunnie to be happy. I don't want to see Bunnie throw away the chance of happiness because of one bad friend. I also think Benjamin and Rosie would make a very cute couple together. Whether there's love between the two...only time will tell. Plus Benjamin is a good guy. But I don't have any idea on how I can help. I've never been in love or had a relationship yet, but I want to help. They are my friends."

"So you've come to me for help on what to do?" Sable asked curiously.

"Why not?" said Roll, "You've never steered me wrong. Plus you're actually in a relationship that is growing every day." Sable smiled, touched that Roll found her as a go-to for advice and hugged her gently. Plus she was excited as well. For years, she had been the one people had tried to play match maker with. Now she could be the matchmaker for a change.

"Alright Roll," said Sable as she held her close, "I think I know what to do, but need you to listen carefully and do _exactly_ as I say. If we can get some good luck on our side, everyone will be happy by the time Valentine's Day arrives."

"You're not gonna make me sit through one of Katrina's sessions are you?" Roll asked dreadfully, "I got hit in the head the one time I put up with her!"

"Maybe," said Sable and Roll made a long face, causing Sable to laugh before she hugged her close and began to discuss her brilliant plan, which she had entitled.

Love potion number 7

"Why not nine?" Roll asked.

"It's bogus," said Sable, "Plus in my family, seven is a lucky number."

"Oh..."

 **Can you guess who Margie and Lolly's valentine interests are? Their careers and interests are based off of their Happy Home Designer Requests.**

 **And I am well aware that T &T Emporium doesn't sell jewelry, but...do you seriously think people would go internet shopping for engagement rings if they can see them and hold them in their hands? If you did it, good for you, but...I think I'd prefer over the counter.**

 **Also I've dropped a HUGE hint as to the new direction I'm taking Roll as she nears the end of her first year in Animal Town. Up to this point, she's been trying to discover her self-value. Now she's ready to go on to the next level.**

 **But that is another story.**

 **Stay tuned for the next part of this one. I'm sure you'll want to hear about Sable's matching plan? Right?**

 **...**

 **I know you're out there reading this, I can hear breathing...**


	62. Valentine's Romance Part 2

Valentine Romance Part 2

Roll and Sable spent the rest of the evening discussing ways in which Roll could help her friends. Roll was rather surprised to see that Sable's matching making plan wasn't really a plan to get anyone together at all. Instead, the brown hedgehog had just given her some subtle advice on how to get them all to be honest with her and then she could figure out how to get each couple to be honest with each other. Roll didn't feel one hundred percent about the idea, but she was willing to give it try for Sable's sake. When they had finished their discussion and Sable had headed home for the night, Roll washed up and changed into some light blue winter pajamas with a matching headband, she decided just to head to bed for the night. After about an hour of tossing and turning in an effort to try and fall asleep. Roll found that her mind was still concerned about her friends and kicked her covers off in irritation since her shuffling had made her a little too warm for her blankets.

"Ugh, how can a girl whose never been in love be so stressed out about all of this?!" she bellowed as she just stared at her ceiling, "Why exactly am I so worried anyway? I'm not the one who's in love here!" Then a thought appeared to Roll.

"But it is a big deal to see my friends so sad and depressed," Roll continued as her voice softened in understanding, "I know what it's like to want to be loved and afraid those feelings wouldn't be reciprocated. The fear is the same, whether it's romantic or not." She turned towards her baby bed, which now was the sleeping place for both her lion dog dolls. She slowly got out of her bed and walked over to them. While Komajiro appeared to be fast asleep with the blanket over his face, Komasan appeared to be looking at her.

"Now why aren't you asleep?" she asked in a motherly tone with her hands on her hips. Komasan just looked at her innocently before Roll's glare softened as she smiled and scooped him into her arms as she held him close.

"Guess you can't sleep either, huh?" she asked him. Komasan just looked at her and Roll blinked a bit.

"You...were worried about me?" she asked the white loin dog. Roll just giggled to herself as she pretended Komasan was speaking to her.

"Well thank you for thinking of me," said Roll as she sat on the floor Indian style, "but I'll be okay. I guess I'm just hoping that my Mom's idea will work. I'd hate to see any of my friends heartbroken, especially this time of year." Komasan just glared before Roll took offense.

"How would I know about heartbreak?" Roll retorted, "Komasan, I think what my mom did to me counts as heartbreak! What if I had done the same to you?" While Roll knew it was just the moonlight shining through her window, the shine made Komasan's eyes glossy, making it seem he was on the verge of tears. Roll softened as she hugged the doll lovingly.

"I'm sorry," she told the doll, "Guess I'm just cranky cause I need some sleep. Come on. You can stay with me for tonight, but your brother gets a turn tomorrow okay." She tilted his head to make him say yes as she kissed his cheek before climbing back into bed, hugging the white lion dog close to her before falling into a deep sleep. By the time it was morning, the sun was already high into the sky. Roll looked at her clock and saw that it was already near 9AM.

"Oh boy, I must have been tired out," said Roll as she slowly climbed out of bed and got ready for the day. She found her prim outfit along with some grey three quarter leggings, some dark blue buckle shoes for outside, and grabbed a pair of dark blue frames. Once she had her outfit, she took a warm shower to wake up a bit, changed, and then decided to tie her hair into a pony tail with a dark blue ribbon on the side. Then she had a light breakfast before heading out to do her work, or at least that was her plan before she saw Rosie watering some of her flowers in the distance.

"Guess it's time to put that plan into action," said Roll as she checked the rock by her house for bells. When she found it had nothing, she made her way towards the blue cat, trying to keep things casual.

"Good morning Rosie," said Roll in a cheerful tone, "How are you this lovely day?" Rosie jumped since the blue cat had been in deep thought when Roll arrived. Rosie softened when she saw Roll and her outfit.

"Oh I love your outfit, Roll," said Rosie, "it's so cute. And I like the glasses." Roll giggled to herself.

"Thanks Rosie," said Roll casually with her hands behind her back, "So...what'cha doing?"

"Oh just watering some of these flowers to keep them healthy and such, silly," said Rosie, "Even with all the snow, the flowers can still wilt of you neglect a traditional watering. I often wonder how these flowers stay alive in the snow and why the water in my watering can hasn't frozen despite the fact I left it outside for the night? Anyway, I'm just babbling here. Let's talk about something besides me. Did you just wake up? Someone slept in today!"

"I can do that from time to time," said Roll, "The town not going to fall apart if I sleep in once and a while is it?" Rosie chuckled.

"Of course not, silly," Rosie answered, "So what's up Roll?"

"Well..." Roll replied, slowly trying to find the right words to say, "You see...I wanted to know if we could have a girl to girl chat about boys..." That got the blue cat attention as Rosie nearly dropped her watering can.

"Finally!" Rosie squealed with glee, "come on. We can chat over at Brewster's with a cup of coffee, silly!" Before Roll could answer, Rosie grabbed the blonde girl's hand and nearly dragged her over to the Roost cafe. Roll nearly crashed into the front of the counter when Rosie made a quick turn to take a seat and let go of her hand. Once Roll was able to regain her balance a bit, she slipped her pumps off to get comfortable as she took a seat next to Rosie as she pressed her bare feet against the underside of the counter.

"The usual blend?" Brewster asked in his professional tone.

"Yes please," Rosie answered as she gave him the bells, "I'll be covering Roll's tab today."

"Oh Rosie, I can..."

"No!" said Rosie firmly, "I've got ya covered, silly." Roll smiled as she discreetly was stretching her toes.

"Thanks Rosie," said Roll and waited patiently for Brewster to serve both of them their cups and taking a sip before speaking up. However, Rosie had already finished her drink in one gulp.

"So tell me Roll," said Rosie, "what boy has caught your interest recently and when did it happen?" Roll blinked. This wasn't how she had wanted to start this conversation at all! She pondered quietly for a second. Then she remembered that Sable had mentioned a little trick to pry the truth out of someone and decided now was the time to try it out.

"Umm...Benjamin," said Roll simply and Rosie's jaw fell to the floor. Rather than smile excitedly, Rosie looked rather bitter.

"Oh really?" she asked, rather defensively, "Why him? Do _you_ have a crush on him or something, silly?" Roll did her best to hide the discreet smirk on her face as she took another drink.

 _Rosie seems rather...jealous...that I brought him up. This might work to my advantage._

"I don't know," said Roll simply, "But...he is kind of cute...and very sweet. Plus he is also a good cook. What girl doesn't like a man who can cook?"

"I see," said Rosie, not hiding her bitterness in her tone. Roll just snickered quietly as she pushed her empty coffee cup to the table for Brewster to take and wash.

"I...I think I might ask him out to the Valentine's Day party," said Roll, "We do live in the 21st century after all? Why does the guy always have to ask?"

"Roll, this might make me sound like an old feline, silly," said Rosie sternly, "but I think he should be asking you. Not the other way around!" Roll blinked at her in surprise, but on the inside, she was excited to see that her little trick was working.

"But...but he's really, really shy," said Roll, "I mean... _Fluttershy_ shy. I don't think he'll have the courage..."

"Then I guess you're out of luck," said Rosie indignantly, interrupting the blonde girl, "If that boy can't man up and ask you out himself, then he isn't worth your time, silly." Roll gave her a indignant look. Sure, Roll had hoped to plant a seed of jealousy, but that last remark just seemed a bit cruel.

"Rosie," said Roll straight on, "Is his sweet nature just fake and he's really nothing but a big jerk?"

"Don't ever say that about Benjamin you idiot!" Rosie yelled, "He's the sweetest, most gentle, and most handsome doggie I've ever met!" Rosie's eyes nearly popped out and her cheeks turned light pink as well. The blue cat had also turned away to avoid being seen. Brewster just said nothing and continued his work, but Roll could tell he was listening even if he said nothing about it.

"Rosie, is Benjamin off the market?" Roll asked, "Does someone else want to ask him to the party? I still would like to, but...unless he's taken..."

"Uh...uh...no...no he isn't..." said Rosie, stumbling over her words, "I...I mean...why...why would I care if you like him silly? In fact, just... ask him if you want! I don't care, silly! Just go for it. See if I care!"

"You're not kidding anyone Rosie," said Roll firmly, "You were just saying I should just sit on my butt and hope he makes the first move. If he doesn't, just forget it. Then you're saying we should get together that you don't care. The same thing that Bunnie said to you when you were dating Marshal. That's not like you. I thought you would be helping me get together with him instead of dismissing my interest..."

"I like him okay!" Rosie snapped, "Long before you ever showed up, silly! So stay away from him cause he's MINE! You hear me! HE'S MINE!" Roll then blinked a bit before a soft smile appeared on her face. Rosie's face was dark pink and she could barely even look at the girl due to feeling very embarassed. She also felt guilty for snapping at Roll too.

"Thank heavens," she said softly and Rosie blinked before looking at Roll with a puzzled look on her face.

"What?" she asked stunned.

"I never had a crush on Benjamin," said Roll, "I...just wanted you to be honest with me about it. You sound like your smitten over him." Rosie just looked at her for a moment before her eyes watered a bit and her cheeks stayed pink. The blue cat just said nothing before she got up and dashed out of the cafe as fast as she could before she could start crying. Roll was shocked.

"Rosie! ROSIE WAIT!" Roll called out as she followed her outside of the cafe, "Rosie, it's okay! I didn't mean to...YIPE...COLD, COLD, COLD!" Roll hopped about frantically. In her effort to stop Rosie from taking off, Roll had forgotten she had taken her shoes off and had accidentally walked onto the snowy grounds barefoot. Since the cold had shocked her feet a bit, she had lost sight of the blue cat.

"Shoot," said Roll as she stood there, her bare feet ice cold in the snow and her arm crossed over her chest, "Rosie...I...I didn't mean to upset you. I just...wanted to help you." Roll shivered a bit before heading inside so her bare feet could warm up and get her shoes back on. She was unaware that the blue cat was standing behind the cafe wall, panting quietly as she heard Roll squirming and shouting for her. Rather than reveal herself, the blue cat just leaned against the building a bit as large tears streamed down her face. She had barely started running as a few sobs escaped her mouth.

It was a good two minutes later before Roll had warmed up her feet, put her shoes back on, and had walked back outside of the cafe. By now Rosie had taken off somewhere that she knew Roll hardly went to in order to avoid her best friend for the time being. Roll just huffed as she saw the snow around her feet.

"Have I mentioned how much I _hate_ snow?" she asked out of the blue. She knew the answer, but her inability to tolerate snow barefoot is what made her lose Rosie in the first place. Now she wasn't sure of what to do now or if it was worth even trying to track her down.

"I bet Rosie is hiding somewhere so I can't find her," said Roll, "And because of our "pinkie" promises, I can't even tell Ben..." Roll's eyes widened, but then she just shook her head.

"Does Rosie think I...no way!" said Roll, " I would never do that to her! I would never go bragging about something like that unless Rosie said it was okay for me to tell. I know Benjamin likes Rosie and I didn't tell her that she does. I wish I could, but that would break their trust in me. They asked me not too. Well...Benjamin did, but Rosie...it's just implied as part of our girl code. Ugh, now what am I supposed to do?"

"How about stop talking to yourself, sulky?" said Marshal, who had been listening quietly. Roll gasped and covered her mouth.

"I should have just gone home before opening my big mouth," Roll groaned, "Rosie will never let me live this down!"

"About what?" said Marshal, "All I heard was that Rosie is hiding from you, sulky." The truth was that Marshal hadn't been paying much attention to what Roll was saying and just knew by the voice that it was the blonde girl in the first place. Roll just slumped forward and breathed out a large puff of mist from her mouth. For a second there, she had thought she had spilled the beans about what she had learned about the blue cat.

"Oh...it's nothing," said Roll.

"Are you sure, sulky?" said Marshal, "You know you can come to me about anything you know. I'm always here for you." Roll just sighed, unsure of what to do.

"Well, I just...don't want to say too much," said Roll, trying to be honest, "I promise that anyone who talks to me has my confidence that I won't go spilling what they say to me to other people."

"I see, sulky," Marshal replied with a nod, "well you can still give me a general sense of the problem. As long as you don't mention names, you'll still be keeping the secret right?" Roll found that his logic made some sense and she wanted someone besides Sable to talk to about all of this, but she wasn't sure of what to say.

"Can...I organize my thoughts a bit?" Roll asked the squirrel rather sheepishly, "My mind is feeling a bit...frazzled." Marshal just smiled.

"No problem, sulky," said Marshal, "I know you tend to stick with Rosie and Bunnie for dailies...but I was wondering..."

"I have no problem having you with me to help out," said Roll with a smile, "You're the only boy who offers around here. Fang does, but it's very rare."

"Should have dated me when you had the chance, sulky," Marshal remarked with a smirk, "You'd have my services all the time." Roll just made a face and lightly shoved him.

"Marshal, listen," said Roll simply, "You're cute and very sweet, but Bunnie is your girl, not me." Marshal chuckled to himself.

"How true," said Marshal, "Say there sis. How about after we are done with your dailies, you can help me choose a ring for Bunnie? I'm really having trouble picking out the perfect ring for her and I really could use your help. Bunnie hasn't exactly shared with me what she likes in jewelry. I'm hoping you might know." Roll felt a bit hesitant, but then she remembered that Sable had suggested she should do just that with Marshal. Maybe she might even get some insight on his side of his relationship with Bunnie.

"Sure," said Roll, "Let's get started. The sooner we get done, the sooner we can go look for that ring." Marshal nodded as Roll continued to search for her money rock. As she did so, Marshal grabbed his shovel and helped her out with collecting her fossils as well as the excess bamboo that had sprouted around them. Marshal even offered to hold onto her fossils and other items so she would have extra space for any items she might need for favors or her daily initiatives for MEOW tickets. Roll welcomed the offer warmly, especially since she knew Marshal wouldn't just run off with her items and such. Today was definitely one of those days in which the money rock was the last one she checked. Yet she was able to get all the bells out of it and collected them excitedly. Once the fossils were identified and she sold them off, she presented a bag of the money she earned to Marshal.

"Here," said Roll sweetly, "I'm sure this will help you pay off that ring." Marshal was stunned at the offer.

"I...I got this Roll..." Marshal replied gently, feeling a little guilty about taking the money, "That's over 16,000 bells you're giving me, sulky."

"Marshal, Bunnie deserves the best," said Roll, "I know this amount will help you find just the right engagement ring for her. Every little bit counts you know." Marshal just took the bells and looked at the sack before just handing it back. Roll then gave him a stern glare.

"Marshal, when someone give you a generous gift, you need to just stop asking questions and take it," said Roll, "that's something that I've learned myself. Now unless you can give me a good reason that you don't..."

"I think I've changed my mind, sulky," said Marshal and Roll dropped the bag of bells onto the tiled path in shock.

"What?" Roll spluttered, "who...what...where...why?!"

"Just...what you said yesterday," said Marshal, "It's just been bothering me..."

"Marshal!" said Roll in exasperation, "I wasn't trying to dissuade you into proposing to Bunnie! I really wanted you to go for it!"

"But you said she seems unsure about her feelings about me, sulky," said Marshal, "I...I don't want to just put myself out there and she..."

"You're getting Bunnie that ring and you are gonna get down on that little knee of yours and propose to her!" Roll retorted, giving Marshal a death glare. Marshal was taken aback by Roll's glare and just nodded nervously.

"O...okay," said Marshal but Roll just gritted her teeth.

"You told..." Roll was about to shout but then bit her lip and tried to lower her voice so she didn't blurt out the next part to everyone in town, "...you said you loved Bunnie. Why do you want to back out?"

"I'm afraid...she's going to say no," said Marshal fearfully, "I don't think she feels the same way about me. I'm wondering if I'm just pushing my luck by asking. I don't want to scare her off." Roll just listened to him before softening her expression. Despite the snow, she got down on her knees and hugged him close. She had to kneel down because of his short height to hug him properly and Marshal found it embarassing for taller people and villagers to lift him into the air just to hug him.

"I'll do what I can to make sure that Bunnie has no reason but to say yes," said Roll, "You guys are meant to be together. I can tell. Bunnie has been so much happier since you two started dating. I honestly think that hearing you wanna marry her would give her peace of mind. I mean...you obviously want to be with her forever so why not go for it?"

"But what if she says no, sulky?" said Marshal.

"Then that is when you guys should talk to each other," said Roll, "be as open with your feelings as possible. In fact, you could do it before. This is something you guys should discuss together."

"My proposal?"

"No, you and Bunnie understanding how you feel about one another," said Roll, "That might let you know if you both are ready for marriage or if you need to wait."

"I see," said Marshal, "Very wise for a girl who hasn't been in love."

"You don't need to be in love to figure that out bro," Roll retorted, "I'm just using my common sense."

"You told Sable about my plan didn't you, sulky?" Marshal asked with a suspicious look on his face. Roll exhaled loudly.

"Hey, I really wanted to help you and I needed some advice," said Roll, "She is my mom after all." Marshal just laughed as Roll crossed her arms around her chest and pouted.

"It's cool, sulky," said Marshal, "I know that if you would go to Sable about whatever we discussed. I know you and her can keep things confidential until the time is right."

"I am glad you said that," said Roll, "I always felt a little guilty about going to her sometimes..."

"She's your mother," said Marshal, "We all know you confide in her so no biggie. Now come on. I might as well check out the rings anyway. Even if I don't propose now. I know in my heart I want to eventually. Might as well have the ring on hand."

"Good idea, bro," said Roll as she stood up, "Let's get to the emporium." Marshal nodded as they walked side by side into the store. Once they had made their way up to the second floor, they headed straight for their display case. There was a few minutes of silence as they both began to scan around trying to find the right ring for Bunnie. Marshal was just scanning about when he suddenly stopped. There before him a beautiful pink oval shaped diamond with a smaller gem beneath it to make it look like a balloon that rested perfectly on a band made of 24kt gold. Marshal just eyeballed the ring in wonder. Tommy arrived at the counter when he noticed Marshal staring at the ring.

"Would you like a closer look? Yes do you?" The young tanooki asked in a professional tone. Marshal looked up before shaking his head and recomposing himself.

"Oh...umm...yes, sulky," said Marshal, "I wanna take a look at that ring over there please. The one with the pink diamond balloon." Tommy nodded as he gently opened the locked drawer and presented the white squirrel with the ring. Marshal just gawked at the sparkling diamond and just smiled excitedly. Roll arrived as she saw Marshal closely examining the ring with wide eyes.

"Oh wow!" said Roll as she saw the ring herself, "That ring is so beautiful. And you know now much Bunnie loves birthday parties. That would be perfect for her."

"I heartily agree," said Marshal with a nod, "How much for this ring Tommy?"

"The price is 2,400,000 bells," said Tommy, "and I do apologize, but we don't accept credit here. And we don't offer monthly payments plans either. Terribly sorry." Roll's jaw dropped at both the price and the only payment option as well.

"Oh boy," said Roll, wondering if Marshal even had the bells. She was surprised to see the white squirrel hand the small tanooki his shopping card without as much as a hesitation or a blink of the eye.

"My savings account might hurt a bit from this, sulky," said Marshal as Tommy went to collect the bells from the card, "but for Bunnie, it's worth it. You can't put a price tag on true love Roll and she deserves the best...even if it bankrupts me." Roll just gave him a funny look for that last statement before laughing as Tommy returned the card and gave Marshal the ring, which was nestled safely inside of a black velvet box.

"That's all the bells, ooh shiny," said Tommy, "thank you for shopping with us today." Marshal smiled as he held the box in his hands. It was one thing to think about proposing to the love of his life, but to actually have the very ring he would use to do the proposal just made the dream more of a reality. He couldn't wait to get down on one knee and pop the question to the young rabbit. Yet his train of thought was derailed when he felt someone nudging his shoulder.

"Code red, code red," Roll whispered loudly when she pointed discreetly towards the staircase leading downstairs. Marshal felt his heart enter his throat when he saw the Bunnie was arriving on the second floor with Margie along side of her. The two were still talking to each other and hadn't noticed them.

"Oh shoot! She can't see what I got her, sulky!" said Marshal quickly and stuffed the ring into his pockets, He had just removed his hand from the pocket hole when the two friends made their way towards him and Roll.

"Hey there, tootie!" said Margie, "Oh, I see you're wearing your glasses today Roll. Very cute. And smart too!"

"Thanks Margie," said Roll as she adjusted the frames a bit, "They just go so well with this outfit." The two girls just giggled to one another and continued their conversation. Bunnie then noticed that Marshal was just keeping quiet behind Roll and rubbed the side of his pocket.

"Hey there, sweetie," said Bunnie, "What are you doing here?" Marshal suddenly felt his mouth dry a bit. He didn't want to spoil the surprise or make Bunnie suspicious.

"I was...just looking around...kill some time...that sort of thing," Marshal replied as directly as he could, but his voice was stuttering a little. Bunnie then eyeballed the counter where all the jewelry was and gave him a suspicious look.

"I see..." said Bunnie, not believing him one bit, "You wouldn't happen to be Valentine's Day shopping are you?" Marshal then felt like his heart had stopped pumping and he had stopped breathing, but then he saw Roll just talking and laughing with Margie and he got his cover up story together in his mind.

"Actually, I came here to treat my sister to...to something nice," said Marshal quickly, "I mean...why not. She's doing such a good job for the town and all and I...I thought...why not just...buy her something my treat." Bunnie just started but she still wasn't unconvinced as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"You're...getting her jewelry, tee hee," said Bunnie slowly.

"She was just here to get the clasp to her locket fixed," said Marshal, "there's a reason why she hasn't been wearing it lately, sulky." Bunnie then turned around and saw that Roll's neck was bare. Thus making Marshal claim a truthful one, at least to Bunnie.

"Oh...okay then," said Bunnie, "for a second there I thought you were shopping for me. Even after I said I didn't want anything for Valentine's Day."

"Hey, you're my girlfriend," said Marshal, "I don't need Valentine's Day to get you gifts." Bunnie giggled but then gave him a smirk.

"You can't buy my love Marshal," Bunnie pointed out as she leaned her face just inches from his face, "I hope you know that, tee hee." Despite the closeness of Bunnie's face to his own, it actually made Marshal settle down and smile. Even if it causes his white cheeks to turn pink a bit.

"I thought it was already mine, sulky," said Marshal in a flirty tone. Bunnie rolled her eyes at him.

"Sez you, tee hee," Bunnie answered before giving him a brief kiss before pulling away. The two just giggled to each other.

"I love you Bunnie," said Marshal softly. Bunnie just smiled back shyly.

"I know," said Bunnie timidly and looked at the stairs to the third floor, "I...I need to check something at GracieGrace so I'll see you later okay." Marshal just smiled and gave her a nod as Bunnie started to slowly walk away but then picked up her pace as she reached the staircase. By now Margie and Roll had finished, and approached the squirrel. Once Bunnie had gone upstairs, his smile had faded and he was feeling rather upset.

 _Why...why didn't she say it back?_ Marshal thought sadly.

"Is...everything okay, tootie?" Margie asked as Marshal just looked lost in thought for a moment until he noticed the two girls staring at him.

"I'm...fine...Margie," said Marshal quietly, rubbing his arm subconsciously. Margie just looked worried until Roll placed a hand on the elephant's arm.

"I got this," said Roll to Margie before turning to Marshal, "Do you know where Bunnie is bro?"

"She...went...upstairs," said Marshal, keeping his tone the same as Margie just nodded and hurried herself upstairs. Roll just looked at Marshal with a worried look on her face.

"Marshal?" she asked, "Is...everything okay?" Marshal just looked at Roll, his eyes starting to water a bit. Roll could tell he was about to cry.

"Hey, listen," Roll said gently, "Let's get to my house, then you can tell me what happened okay?" Marshal just looked at her quietly before he just gave a small sniffle and nodded as they made their way out of the shop.

"You...you just want an excuse to take your shoes off and be barefoot, sulky," Marshal tried to retort, but his tone was too depressed to crack the joke. However, Roll wanted to lighten the mood and gave him a smirk.

"You know me so well," she remarked in a smug tone, which got Marshal to smile a bit as they headed downstairs. Little did either of them know that Bunnie had been watching from halfway up the stairs. She had seen how hurt Marshal looked and could feel her own eyes brimming with tears.

"Why didn't you say it?" someone asked from behind her.

"YIP!" Bunnie squealed as she turned around and saw that Margie was just looking at her with a serious expression on her face.

"Why didn't you say it, tootie?" Margie repeated, this time more sternly, "Why couldn't you say "I love you" back to him? He's your boyfriend."

"Just because we're together doesn't mean..."

"Bunnie, grow up, this isn't high school!" Margie retorted angrily, "You don't just get together with someone and feel absolutely nothing with them! Can you seriously look me in the eye and say that you don't love him? It is fair that he tells you but you _never_ tell him in return?" Bunnie just bit her lips as her eyes continued to water before she began to cry. Normally Margie would have pulled the crying rabbit into her arms for a hug but Margie wasn't feeling too sympathetic. This wasn't the first time Bunnie had done this and after putting up with it for over a month, the elephant needed answers. Plus she wasn't the only one Bunnie had been hiding her feelings to and Margie had offered to be the one to intervene.

"You can't keep running away forever, tootie!" Margie continued in a louder tone, "You're heart won't let you! Unless you can honestly say you don't feel anything for Marshal, then why lead him on like this!"

"I'm not trying to!" Bunnie wailed.

"Then what is the problem, tootie!" Margie yelled, "You've been doing this to him for weeks. Hiding your feelings and not being honest with him! You saw his face right now! I won't let you hurt Marshal like this. He _truly_ and _deeply_ loves you. If you feel the same way, you need to speak up. Otherwise, you need to just end the relationship now before you break him beyond repair. If you don't trust him to commit to you, then you should have said no when he asked you to be his girl!" Bunnie grunted loudly before dashing away and sobbing as she ran away from Margie. The elephant grunted angrily before she felt her own eyes water as she plopped into the steps to sit down and began to cry herself.

"I'm so sorry!" she sobbed even after Bunnie had disappeared from sight, "I didn't mean that! I never yell at people!" Both Margie and Bunnie shed their own tears alone for the time being.

Now many are probably wondering what happened to Rosie all this time. Well, the little blue cat has been hiding inside of the museum. Roll had actually finished the exhibits to the fossils, fish, and bugs. She was currently working on the art exhibit for the time being, which took longer than expected since Redd was never very consistent with his visits to Animal Town or with the paintings he had for sale. Plus it didn't help that the cheapskate kept bringing legit paintings that Roll already had. She knew it would be a while before the art exhibit would be complete, but back to the blue cat. Rosie had taken shelter in the aquarium part of the museum and had been just sitting on a museum chair watching the ocean fish swim about in the large fish tank. Since she had been there for a couple of hours now, Rosie was reclining on her stomach as she watched the fish swim about.

"Alot of people assume that I like to watch fish just cause am a cat and I like it like that, silly," said Rosie to no one in particular, "but I just find it good therapy when you've got alot on your mind. It's very...soothing..." While that was true, it hadn't exactly help Rosie with her problem. She was still feeling rather guilty over what had happened this morning and for storming out on Roll.

"Why did I just...take off like that?" Rosie asked herself, "it is really the end of the world that I do like Benjamin? And that Roll knows about it? It's not like she would go and tell him. She follows the girl code." She just looked at the fish for a few more seconds before letting out another long sigh to herself.

"I am always bragging about saying that I want to be popular with the boys, silly," Rosie continued, "and that I wanna be miss popular and have guys falling head over heels for me. Do I really just like the thrill of being popular or is it that I just really want something more in my life? Am I really that dense?" Rosie just looked at her reflection in the glass of the fish tank as a small sad look appeared before her.

"(Sigh) Guess nobody's perfect," said Rosie, "But I'm no jerk either. Maybe I'm just realizing that there's more to life than just being a superstar. That I'll never be that beauty pageant queen or rock star or anything of real celebrity status."

"You're realizing that all you want in life is find love and make it last forever," Rosie concluded and then realized that someone was beside her. Rosie turned nervously to see that Bunnie was beside her. The poor rabbit's face was red and puffy from crying even thought it had only been for a few minutes. Rosie took sympathy on her.

"Hey, what happened?" Rosie asked softly as she invited the rabbit to take a seat next to her on the sofa. Bunnie welcomed the chance to sit down as she leaned against Rosie's shoulder. Bunnie could feel her tears began to stream down her face again as Rosie held her with one arm. Rosie had a good idea what was troubling Bunnie. While she wanted to pry the truth out of her too, seeing the poor girl look so broken up and the fact she felt just as broken inside made her stand down. Unlike Margie, Rosie didn't feel that she no longer had the right to call Bunnie out on her feelings. Especially when she had just admitted to herself she couldn't do the same.

Rosie now understood Bunnie's side of the situation.

"Who knew being in love would be so hard, tee hee," Bunnie whimpered after a brief silence.

"Why?" Rosie asked softly.

"I just feel so scared every time I think about Marshal," said Bunnie, "I...I keep having this...this fear that...that..."

"It's not going to last," said Bunnie and Rosie together. Their eyes both widened when they heard each other admit to the same problem. They just looked at each other before chuckling and exchanging a hug with each other.

"It's no wonder were best friends and sisters," said Bunnie, "We understand each other, tee hee."

"That is true," said Rosie, "I feel so stupid that I didn't come to you for help in the first place rather than just sit here and stare at the fish all day, silly."

"Nothing wrong with sitting here and watching the fish, tee hee," said Bunnie, "It's so nice and quiet in here and the dimmed light makes it relaxing too."

"Agreed," said Rosie, "Well...should I start or do you..."

"I'll be okay," said Bunnie, "I really want to hear about you. You've got a good idea what my issue is already. I'm surprised to hear that you have a love problem. You wouldn't be dating someone and not telling me...right?"

"Of course not, silly," said Rosie, "It's more of the fact that...that...I just realized something."

"What is it?" Bunnie asked Rosie curiously.

"I...I've developed a crush...on Benjamin," said Rosie. Bunnie gasped.

"Really?" said Bunnie in shock, "I...I kind of figured that he liked you, but...I never got the impression that you returned the feeling."

"I didn't think I would either," said Rosie, "But...ever since he saved my life and did it again, I've...I've been seeing him differently. He isn't just this silly little puppy that goofs around and chases bugs all the time. He's...he's becoming...a man...an attractive one at that."

"I see," said Bunnie, unable to resist raising the pitch of her tone a bit in excitement. Rosie giggled to herself.

"Yeah, I mean," said Rosie, "He took the liberty to be there for me when I got scared during Halloween, silly. I've...always known he's got a little crush on me..."

"A little," said Bunnie indignantly, "Alfonso tells me he's got it bad. He even said Benjamin's got a love shrine of you in his closet, tee hee."

"And I hear Marshal has one of you," Rosie shot back in a teasing tone. Bunnie blushed and huffed in embarrassment. Rosie laughed and soon Bunnie was laughing too. Once they settled, Bunnie's smile soon flipped over.

"If...if it's clear that they like us and we like them," said Bunnie, "Why are we still so afraid to just...go for it? Especially if our feelings aren't one sided?" Rosie just sighed as she pondered in deep thought for a moment and then looked at Bunnie.

"Because we're afraid that those feelings won't last," said Rosie in a serious tone, "and we'll be left heartbroken, silly." Bunnie marveled at her answer.

"That...was...exactly how I feel," said Bunnie, "but...how would you..."

"Did you really think I didn't have ANY real feelings for Marshal, silly?" Rosie asked Bunnie. Bunnie was just stunned.

"I...I...I really thought you two were just getting me to admit that I liked him, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I...am actually surprised that you did have feelings for him."

"It wasn't until we had our first date that I realized just how awesome he was," Rosie admitted, "he's a real sweetheart and quite the gentlemen too. I really had a great time on our dates. I felt like I was falling in love with him..."

"So...was it because of me that you guys ended everything?" Bunnie asked. Rosie just sighed to herself.

"Well, once we saw how upset we you were getting," Rosie explained, "Marshal and I had a long discussion together. While we both knew we had to end our relationship and break up, I told him the truth. That was when I gave him a long kiss on the lips."

"You kissed him," said Bunnie in a calm tone. Rosie was worried that Bunnie would be angry, but was surprised to see that she wasn't.

"Yeah," said Rosie, "and when we parted...I just felt...bleh."

"Bleh?"

"Bleh," said Rosie, "Like...nothing. No fireworks, no feelings. It was just...a kiss, silly."

"Oh wow," said Bunnie, "I'm so sorry."

"Not as sorry as I was," said Rosie, "Marshal said he got the same reaction and he was crying. I felt so awful. I really wanted something to be there. I wanted to make him happy and...it wasn't meant to be." Rosie felt her eyes water. Bunnie just went to hold her best friend's hand as she began to cry.

"Rosie..."

"I had never felt so guilty and so ashamed in my life," Rosie replied as she continued to cry, "As if making you explode wasn't bad enough, I broke Marshal's heart and it was the worst feeling I ever felt, silly. Since then, I've been so afraid to try and find love again."

"Is that why these feelings you are getting for Benjamin scare you?" Bunnie asked, putting two and two together, "Because you're afraid that those feelings won't last or they'll burn out when you kiss?" Rosie sniffled as she wiped her eyes and nodded.

"I already hurt a boy," said Rosie, "and I don't want to hurt, Benjamin. But these feelings won't go away. I don't know what to do."

"I get it, tee hee," said Bunnie quietly, "I mean...Marshal and I may be in a relationship, but I'm still afraid if it will last or not."

"Well, he obviously feels strongly about you, silly," said Rosie, "but how do you feel? You seem to avoid the topic like a plague and..."

"I love him!" Bunnie blurted out, "but whenever I want to just embrace those feelings...I keep getting this...fear inside of me...and I...I just lose the nerve and...push him away, tee hee."

"So you're afraid to just embrace the feeling, silly," Rosie concluded, "That feelings of being in love only for those feelings to not last and slip through your fingers."

"And if those feelings do die out..." Bunnie added.

"You feel like you'll wanna die," they said together and then looked at each other.

"Guess we...really do have the same problem here, tee hee," said Bunnie, "doesn't matter whether you're just starting or have known each other for a long time. Falling in love is alot harder than people think."

"That is the truth, silly," said Rosie, "I'm...sorry if I gave you a hard time about it, Bunnie."

"Same here Rosie," said Bunnie, "I guess I just wanted..."

"...to see if you could show me how to embrace those feelings and conquer that fear," they finished together and giggled to each other.

"It's no wonder we're best friends, silly," said Rosie, feeling the need to say it again.

"Yeah, we always understand each other, tee hee," Bunnie added, "When we actually take the time to just talk to each other."

"Yeah," said Rosie, "We need to start doing that more often. I think we would get into less fights."

"I'll say," Bunnie replied as they shared a hug with each other. Then Rosie let out a long sigh.

"What's wrong, tee hee?" Bunnie asked as Rosie just looked at her sadly.

"I was having coffee with Roll this morning," said Rosie, "And she started talking about asking Benjamin out for Valentine's Day. I got so jealous that I ended up blurting out that I liked him in front of her."

"So what happened?" Bunnie asked, listening attentively.

"I...ran," Rosie continued sadly, "I just didn't want to talk about it with her, which wasn't right. Roll might not know much about being in love, but...that doesn't mean she wouldn't have cared or listened."

"That's true," said Bunnie, "I guess I haven't really tried to seek Roll for some help either. And the girl is a great listener too."

"Think you're ready to talk to her," said Rosie, "Experience or not, she could still help us out."

"I agree," said Bunnie, "Shall we go find her, best friend?" Bunnie stood up as she faced the blue cat. Rosie nodded.

"Lead the way, best friend!" Rosie added as she stood up as well. They linked arms and skipped out of the exhibit to go find the blonde girl.

By now, Roll had brought Marshal back to her house. As expected, Roll had removed her shoes and had just sat on the ranch floor cuddling Marshal. The white squirrel had nothing much to say but just let his tears do the talking. He may have been an adult, but ever since their first heart to heart together. Roll was someone he felt he could cry without feeling completely ridiculous about it. Once his tears had settled, he just let Roll hold him for comfort until he was ready to pull away.

"Feeling better?" she asked gently. Marshal sniffled and gave her a brave nod. Roll then kissed his forehead, which brought a small smile to his face.

"Thanks, you're very sweet," said Marshal, "(Sigh) But I'm really feeling like maybe the time isn't right to make that proposal right now." Roll looked at him sadly as he took a seat next to her on the floor. Roll just hugged her knees to her chest as she looked at him sadly.

"Did Bunnie say something to you?" Roll asked him gently. Marshal sniffled a bit before choosing to answer.

"I told Bunnie I love you," Marshal answered, "All she could say was...I know...before she practically ran up the stairs to get as far away from me as possible."

"I don't think that is why she took off, bro," said Roll.

"Then why is she still afraid of love, sulky!" Marshal shot back, raising his voice, "I love her and I want to be with her forever. I would never turn my back on her. Even if she did it to me a thousand times. I'll love her forever and I'll love her until the day I die!" Large tears had begun to poor out of Marshal's eyes as he spoke. Roll felt her heart break. She hated seeing Marshal so upset and she could feel her own eyes starting to water. She was about to embrace him again so they could cry together when...

KNOCK-KNOCK

"Hello, Roll!" someone shouted, "are you home?" Roll just sighed as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and stood up.

"I'll be right back okay," she told the squirrel quietly. Marshal just nodded, giving a small sniffle as his new tears continued to fall as Roll ironed out the bottom of her dress and opened the door. There before her was a very sad golden-furred dog looking very glum.

"Looks like I'm going to be nursing alot of hurting hearts today," said Roll aloud.

"Oh...sorry to bother, alrighty," said Benjamin quietly.

"No, never think that, Benjamin," Roll replied, "You guys have always been there for me and now it's my turn. Come on in." Benjamin felt a little hesitant before slowly setting foot inside of the house so Roll could shut the door. He made a beeline for the ranch sofa when he saw Marshal just sniffling on the floor.

"Aww man," said Benjamin sadly.

"Sorry," said Roll, "I was helping out Marshal with a problem and..."

"Things kind of rough between you and Bunnie buddy?" Benjamin asked the squirrel.

"You got it buddy," said Marshal, "I'm guessing you had no luck finding Rosie?" Benjamin just shook her head. Roll just shifted looks between the two before finding her voice.

"Uhh...how do you two..."

"Since the island, Marshal and I have been hanging out with each other alot," Benjamin explained, "He seems to be the only guy who offers any "mature" advice when it comes to girls. I've been going to him about my feelings over Rosie and we've discovered that we share some things in common. He's practically my bro from another mother, second only to Alfonso, alrighty."

"Cool," said Roll, "it's good to know that everyone is becoming friends with each other."

"True, sulky," said Marshal, "but we both have a common goal. Woe our dream girls and make them our soulmates, but we've not having too much luck lately."

"I'm getting the feeling Rosie doesn't want to be with me...ever..." said Benjamin sadly. Roll felt a tug at her own heart, especially since she was the one who had caused Rosie to go into hiding.

"Umm..." Roll began nervously, trying to find the right words to come clean about that but was failing miserably, "I'm going to get some water and then we can talk this out between the three of us when I get back." The two boys just gave her a wave okay as Roll quickly excused herself and made her way rather quickly into the kitchen. Benjamin just took a seat on the floor next to Marshal as the white squirrel just wiped his eyes.

"Glad to know that I'm not the only boy who isn't afraid to cry when he's upset," said Benjamin, "Even Alfonso sometimes makes me feel so stupid when I do. Not on purpose of course, alrighty."

"Hey, I get it," said Marshal, "It's why I came here, sulky. Roll doesn't judge me for crying. I mean, when a guy is upset, he should be able to shed tears without his "manliness" being called into question."

"Oh please," said Benjamin, "All this talk about men being these all macho and tough just sickens me, alrighty. Girls might find it appealing at first, but in time...those attractions don't last in the long run. Sadly, besides you Marshal, I seem to be the only guy who sees that."

"Doesn't Fang?"

"Who knows? He's not exactly the sensitive type."

"He actually is," said Roll as she arrived with a pitcher of water and some glasses, "I've had plenty of deep conversations with him. He just doesn't like opening up to just anyone."

"Gotcha," said the two boys together quietly as Roll poured them each a tall glass and hand it to them. Both boys gave her a soft "thank you" before taking a few sips as Roll got comfortable on the floor as Benjamin set his glass on the nearby low table. Marshal did the same. Roll just watched the two quietly before sighing and chose to speak first. She didn't want to tell Benjamin directly about what Rosie had revealed to her.

"I wanted to apologize to you first Benjamin," said Roll, making both boys stare at her in confusion, "This morning I had bumped into Rosie and while we were having coffee. I...kind of pretended that I had a crush on Benjamin."

"What?!" Benjamin and Marshal said together.

"I just said that I had wanted to ask you out for my date for the Valentine's Day party," Roll explained, "and Rosie got really jealous, even going so far as to say that if Benjamin couldn't ask me out not to waste my time." Benjamin whimpered loudly, holding a hand over his heart and trying not to cry.

"Benjamin, hear me out," said Roll, "The fact that she said that really puzzled me. I mean...why would she be jealous if she doesn't even pay attention to you?" Benjamin just looked at Roll for a moment before something in head starting to turn.

"Wait a minute there, alrighty," said Benjamin, "Now I see where you're getting at. If she were to get all defensive about it..."

"That could mean she does like you, sulky," said Marshal, giving him a friendly nudge on the side with his elbow, "I told you that you're feelings weren't lopsided."

"Well...what else happened, Roll?" Benjamin asked, wanting to hear more. Now Roll had rehearsed this next part in her head a few times and was able to answer his question in just a single sentence.

"When I called her on it, she ran away."

Roll thought that might have dropped a huge hint to the dog and helped him feel better, but instead, Benjamin's eyes water quickly before he began to cry.

"Benjamin, what's wrong?" Roll asked.

"I knew it, alrighty," Benjamin sobbed, "Rosie doesn't want anything to do with me." Benjamin just buried his face into his hands and cried loudly. Roll just sighed to herself as she embraced the dog gently.

"Oh boy," said Roll. She had hoped Benjamin would have felt better if she had said that and not had gotten so heartbroken. She was really feeling the need to tell Benjamin the truth, but she didn't want to break Rosie's trust in her. Roll really felt like she was being pulled in two different directions when she suddenly heard a loud knocking on her door.

"Guess everyone wants to see you tonight, sulky," said Marshal as he tried to rub Benjamin's back to help him settle down. Roll just sighed, but she knew that her heart would not turn anybody away tonight. Roll was wondering how to get Benjamin to let go of her when he pulled away, even though he hadn't stopped crying.

"I...I can just go...I don't want..."

"Stop Benjamin," said Roll firmly as she placed a finger over his lips, "There is no way I'm gonna just throw you out of my house when you need your friends right now. You're feelings matter..."

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"I better get the door before they think I'm not home," said Roll, "Be right back." Benjamin just said nothing as Marshal patted his back for support as Roll opened the door to find both Bunnie and Rosie standing outside.

"Hi girls," said Roll, "What...brings you here?" Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other.

"We need to talk to you," they said together.

"We really could use a friend, silly," said Rosie.

"Yeah, we haven't really tried to confide in you about how we've been feeling lately, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Are you...not busy?" Roll just looked at them. She could see their sad faces and then glanced behind her at the two boys. Now Roll was really feeling in a tight spot. She wasn't sure about what to do for a moment before she finally realized that this situation could work to her advantage.

"I'm going to be honest with you," said Roll slowly to Bunnie and Rosie, "I have some guests here already that needed my help as well."

"Really?" said Rosie impressed, "Guess you really are the go to girl for friendship problems huh?"

"Sort of," said Roll, "But if you don't mind them being here, you can come in and talk." Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other and smiled. Roll thought they could see who it was, but neither girl had bothered to peek inside of her house.

"Well...okay."

"Sure." they replied, not thinking much of it as Roll let them inside. Roll had just shut the door when she noticed that Bunnie and Rosie were standing still, too still for her taste.

"Come on, you guys, take a seat," Roll coaxed as she lightly pushed them from behind to keep moving but then noticed that they were just staring at the two boys sitting on the floor. Roll then realized that both girl hadn't peeked inside of her house before agreeing to come inside and talk with her.

"You...you didn't say that _they_ were your company, silly!" Rosie retorted to Roll.

"I didn't think it mattered," said Roll casually, but she was just trying to play it cool. The blonde girl knew how big a deal it was for all four of them to be in the same room. Bunnie just looked at Roll and then at Marshal. She could tell that Marshal had been crying and Benjamin hadn't exactly stopped either, even with Rosie just standing just a couple of feet away. There was a brief silence before Bunnie just shook her head and tried to leave. Rosie turned to do the same but they were both stopped when they found Roll blocking the doorway. Roll glared at the both of them with her arms crossed.

"Roll get out of the way, tee hee!" Bunnie demanded. Rosie nodded in agreement.

"I thought you wanted to talk to me," said Roll, not hiding her anger at them trying to take off on her.

"Well...we didn't know _they_ would be here!" Rosie replied, "We'll just talk to you alone. Not with _them_ here!" Rosie was trying to whisper, but the two boys could hear everything. Roll could see how hurt they looked and grunted loudly.

"You two are not going anywhere and that is final!" said Roll sternly. Bunnie and Rosie just sighed in exasperation.

"Roll, this is complicated, tee hee," said Bunnie, "You wouldn't understand..." Bunnie then bit her lip as Roll gave both Bunnie and Rosie the "Stare". Both girls cowered back nervously.

"I might not know alot about love," said Roll, "but I do know one thing. You are all making things _way_ more complicated than they need to be. And I get it. Admitting your feelings and the vulnerability that comes with it is very scary. I would know. I felt that way when I had to open up to all of you, but I still did it...because it helped me have some peace of mind knowing that my feelings and my fears mattered to people. You four need to stop just asking yourselves all these questions that you can't answer by yourself. You need to learn to confide in one another and be honest with each other. I know that means different things to each of you, but you know deep down what it is that is bothering you and the only way you're going to get peace of mind is if you just talk to one another. Now you have that chance. So stop running away and just do it. I'm not telling you girls to just walk up the guys and profess undying love with each other and vice versa. I just want you two to be honest with each other and stop keeping those feeling bottled up inside. If you girls are willing to do that, they will be honest with you. Right guys?" Benjamin and Marshal, who were just listening to Roll both stood up together and nodded.

"She's right, sulky," said Marshal, "Bunnie...we seriously need to talk."

"And...I...I have something that I need to tell Rosie," said Benjamin timidly, "Something I've wanted to say...for a long time now..." Rosie felt her lips quiver a bit and Bunnie felt her body tremble a little as Roll made them surrender their spare keys to her house so there was no turning back for either of them. Benjamin and Marshal just looked at their shyness with sympathy.

"Would it help if we admit we're nervous too?" said Benjamin, "I mean...boys have feelings too you know, alrighty."

"Yes we do, sulky," said Marshal, "but we need to do this. We need to learn to be honest with each other." Bunnie and Rosie nodded shyly in agreement, but the tension was thick between the four. Bunnie went to take a seat beside Marshal while Rosie sat down across from Benjamin, but was afraid to look at him. After that, nothing else was said. Roll just sat down between the two couples on her knees, ready to mediate if necessary, but even she was left to wonder.

Exactly who was going to speak up first?

 **There is no turning back now for our two couples and Roll's taken the initiative of staging an intervention. How will things turn out? Can these two couples (at least one confirmed and one potential couple) come clean and be honest with each other?**

 **Tune in next time to find out!**


	63. Valentine's Romance Part 3

Valentine Romance Part 3

The silence continued to drag on as nobody was brave enough to speak up. In fact, the tension was so great that no one could even look at each other. Roll just let out a long groan as she sat quietly waiting for someone to speak up. She had thought an intervention would have been the best way for everyone to have come clean, but instead, everyone had walled up even more than before. She needed to do something. Staying quiet wasn't helping either.

 _What do I do?_ Roll thought to herself, _Nobody seems to want to speak up. Should I intervene or let them just open up when they are good and ready? We've been sitting here for hours and I can't even feel my legs and feet anymore!_

Roll had a right to feel uncomfortable. When they had arrived from Emporium, it had been the early afternoon. Now it was already well past 5pm and the orange sky was giving Roll a clue that night was approaching. Plus let's not forget that Roll had been sitting on her knees for a couple of hours now. Sure, she had gotten up once to use the bathroom, but that had been well over an hour and a half ago. Roll just tried to keep still but her feet started to get numb and it was just too much.

"Ugh, will someone please say something before I completely lose feeling to my legs!" Roll snapped as she slowly untangled her legs and stretched her toes a bit, "Even being barefoot doesn't prevent my feet from falling asleep!" Roll continued to try and bend her legs a bit to get the numbness to stop, but it was a slow recovery. Bunnie just watched Roll stretch with a guilty look on her face.

"Sorry, tee hee," said Bunnie sadly, "we're really just wasting your time right now. It's not your fault we've got this problem."

"Yeah," said Marshal, "I've never pushed Bunnie to speak up because I was afraid I'd drive her away." Bunnie blinked in surprise.

"Wait...is...is that why you...you never got on my case for being so...so..." Bunnie was struggling to find the right word to say, but was failing miserably.

"...Shy?" Rosie asked.

"Yeah...tee hee," Bunnie replied, "did...I mean...are you...really convinced I'm gonna dump you if you try to make me talk or have something to say that is bothering you?" Marshal just looked at her sadly. He figured if Bunnie was ever going to come clean on her own, he needed to be the one to take the first step.

"You clearly don't love me," said Marshal, "otherwise why wouldn't you say it back when I tell you that I do, sulky?" Bunnie just felt her heartbreak as she noticed the Roll was still trying to get the circulation back to her feet. Bunnie didn't want to keep buying herself time, but she really didn't know what to say and seeing Roll so uncomfortable really bothered her.

"Sweetie," said Bunnie, while she tried to keep her composure, her voice cracked a bit, "Roll needs one of your good foot messages. Can you give her one?"

"Bunnie, I promise I would only give you..."

"Please Marshal...for me, tee hee," Bunnie pleaded, "It's our fault that happened to her and you know how to message a girl's feet. I have no problem if you do it just this once...or when I give you permission to do so. We all know that when your legs and feet fall asleep it can be rather uncomfortable." Marshal really wanted to protest but Bunnie was pleading with her eyes. Whether she felt bad or was still buying for time, he couldn't be sure but crawled over to the girl and got to work on her left foot. Roll just released a slow deep breath as she could feel the tingle slowly fade away from the bottom of her foot and her muscles relaxed a bit. Benjamin just watched Marshal do his work quietly before he began to cry.

"Why are you crying?" Rosie asked curiously. Benjamin just sniffled a bit, feeling a tad embarassed but figured he should just be honest about it.

"I just feel really bad about what happened to Roll," said Benjamin, "Here I am just sitting here feeling sorry for myself and she offered all of us a nice warm place to talk things out. This is our fault. We made her sit for so long that her legs and feet went numb. These maybe our issues and problems, but we are making Roll pay for it and that isn't right. It's not her fault I'm a coward when it comes to my feelings and expression my mind, alrighty."

"I agree with that, silly," said Rosie, "Roll shouldn't be paying for our inability to be honest with each other. It's not her fault I can't tell you that I've had crush on you for nearly a year and now I'm falling for you...(GASP)" Rosie's eyes bulged out as she clasped both her hands over her mouth. Marshal just looked over to Rosie surprised and Benjamin stopped crying and looked at her.

"Finally someone just lets it out," said Roll in exasperation, "Maybe now everyone else can do the same." Yet the rest of the group didn't know what to say and just kept looking at Rosie. Rosie felt her entire face turn red hot. As much as Rosie wanted to run, she really had no place to go. In respect to her own dignity, staying put sounded better than taking off and the rest of the group backing her into a corner when she knew she would break down and things would get downright humiliating for her. Also, Rosie was tired of running away. It hurt too much to run from how she felt and she let her own tears fall as she looked at Benjamin with watering eyes.

"Yes Benjamin," said Rosie, feeling extremely shy and nervous, "You...won me over when you showed how brave and protective you could be. I thought it was just my fears that made me go to you when I got scared, but...it wasn't. I...I really like you, silly." Benjamin choked a sob as a warm smile appeared on his face. He was in disbelief.

"Really?" said Benjamin softly as he tried to calm down, "I...I thought you couldn't stand me, alrighty! I thought all I was too you was just a immature, lazy villager." Rosie just sighed to herself as she tried to wipe her tears away and settle down a bit.

"I'll be honest," said Rosie, "I didn't think someone like you was my type. But ever since that treasure hunt back at Tortimer's Island...I've seen a different side of you Benjamin. A side of you that shows that you're not just this little boy with your head in the clouds. You're someone who just wants to enjoy life and have an adventure. I like that. Plus you're actually more mature than I thought you were and when things got tough, you were willing to put your life at risk to protect me. And you've done that twice, even when I could see that you were just as scared as I was."

"I'd give up my life for you any day, Rosie," said Benjamin, "That's how much I like you, alrighty." Rosie couldn't resist a smile.

"I...I kind of figured you like me," said Rosie, "I've noticed the hints, but I...I never said nothing because...well...(sigh)..." The next part was just too painful for Rosie to say aloud. But Benjamin thought it had something to do with him as he sat in front of her on his knees.

"What am I missing?" said Benjamin, "Is it my house? Trust me. I might have the sloppy set, but I actually keep my house very clean. Or maybe I could refine my manners a little bit more or give up collecting Pony Adventure Comic Books and other series. I know I've got some growing up to do, but I can be responsible. Did you know I actually do have a job? It's nothing like a big CEO but it pays the bills..."

"No, no, it's nothing about that," said Rosie, "and for your information, silly. I enjoy the Pony Adventure Comic Books so don't get rid of those! I like a good comic book as much as you do. Plus I'm glad you do have a job. I would have never guessed that. What do you do?"

"I...am I trainee at the culinary institute," said Benjamin, "I take online classes and then do videos of my cooking for class. I...had hoped someday you would like to come and try some of the recipes I've been working on...if you'll tell me what it is that's keeping you away." Rosie felt like she was going to burst but it was as if her brain just shut down and she couldn't just tell him the truth. Plus is hurt more when she heard that he said he was the problem.

"It's just...well..." Rosie wasn't sure how to say it but then she felt someone put a soft hand on her shoulder. She turned to the side and saw that Roll was just smiling at her and giving her a nod, encouraging the blue cat to just tell the truth. Rosie just took a slow breath as Benjamin was looking at her nervously.

"I'm afraid to be with someone, silly," said Rosie. Benjamin just looked a little stunned before recomposing himself.

"What?" said Benjamin, "but...but why Rosie? I mean. Are you worried I would...Do you think I...I would never, alrighty! I would never to that to you. I might not be as mature as the other boys in this town, but Mom taught me right in how to properly treat a girl. I've...I've had a crush on you for years. Even when I try to just ignore the feelings...it...it never would go away. It just kept growing and growing and now...I...I can't stop thinking about you...you're the only girl for me, Rosie. Might sound premature since I don't know you too well, but...you understand what I mean...don't you?" Rosie just began to cry. The blue cat's tears were from the fact both her fears as well as her insecurities was starting to bubble over, but Benjamin thought she was just trying to not turn him down...or let him down easily. Benjamin doesn't claim to understand feelings too well, but wants to learn.

"I mean all of that, Rosie," said Benjamin gently, "I will make you happy for the rest of your life if you give me the chance, alrighty. You mean alot to me, Rosie..."

"But what if it doesn't last?" Rosie shouted at him as large tears poured from her eyes. Benjamin was left speechless.

"What?" said Benjamin, "Why...why wouldn't it last? I can commit! I know I can! I'm sure of it, Rosie!" Rosie tears just fell faster.

"When I tried to get together with Marshal," Rosie sobbed, "I thought it was going to last forever, but it didn't last. As soon as we kissed each other, we found that our feelings had faded out and he was really hurt. I know I act like I wanna be the "it" girl that guys fight over. I thought it was really cool to be the girl that would break men's hearts. But when I had to break a heart, it was the most horrible feeling I ever had in my entire life Benjamin. I don't ever want to make someone feel that ever again, silly! I don't wanna break your heart either! You're too sweet to deserve that!" Rosie then began to cry loudly as Benjamin crawled over and held her hand. Rosie stopped crying when she noticed Benjamin holding her hand gently and giving her a sad look.

"Rosie..."

"Benjamin listen," Rosie croaked, cutting the dog off, "I know you really like me alot and I am flattered, but...I don't wanna hurt you. You're a really great guy and I don't want to get your hopes up and it doesn't work out."

"Rosie, you're worth the risk," said Benjamin. Rosie just looked at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Benjamin," said Rosie sadly, "I said I don't want to hurt you if things don't work out."

"Rosie, that is just stinkin' thinking," said Roll, finally feeling the need to step in. By now, Marshal had finished with her foot message and she could sit on her knees comfortably again, "Just because things didn't work out the first time doesn't mean that they won't work the second time."

"She's right," said Benjamin, "I like you and you said you liked me. There seems less of a risk to me, alrighty. We've got feelings for one another."

"Yeah, right now," Rosie replied, "but...but feelings can change as time goes on and they could fade over time..."

"Only if you let them," said Roll.

"Oh and how would you know, silly?" Rosie shot back, clearly upset and raising her voice at the blonde girl. Roll glared, making the blue cat stand down and give her a sad look.

"Somebody once taught me," Roll explained, "that true love is something you have to fight for. It's not just something that two people find by looking at each other, getting together, and living happily ever after. It's something that requires alot of work, commitment, and pure dedication to the other person. They come first in your life, not yourself."

"You've been talking to Sable again haven't you, tee hee?" Bunnie asked.

"Well it's true isn't it," said Roll as she changed positions so she was hugging her legs into her chest, "Those feelings you have for each other might come on their own time, but doesn't it take alot of time and effort to make sure they don't disappear? Especially during those times when you can't even stand to look at each other? When you really love someone, and I mean really and truly love someone, they don't just let those feelings drop dead like that. In fact, when two people are meant for one another, those feelings just don't die out like that. They might fade, but that is when you fight for your love and you do whatever it takes to keep it alive. If any of you can look at the other and think you can walk away from them without a second thought. Then I'm sorry, but that means there was never any love between the two of you to begin with!"

Bunnie and Marshal looked at each other and Benjamin and Rosie did the same. Roll may not have never experienced love, but she knew what pain looked like. She could see it on all four of their faces. No one of them could see themselves walking away from the person they loved, or in Rosie and Benjamin's case, had feelings for. There was a minute of silence before Benjamin grabbed both of Rosie's hands and interlocked her fingers with his own.

"Roll is right you know," said Benjamin, "There is no way I could walk away from you right now. If you want me gone, you might as well throw me out yourself!"

"Don't say that," said Rosie sadly, "I don't...I don't want to get rid of you or turn you down. I'm just afraid, silly."

"You shouldn't," said Benjamin, "What happened between you and Marshal was different!"

"How?" Rosie asked, clearly frustrated and not understand how this wasn't the same situation.

"Haven't you forgotten that you and Marshal didn't exactly get together?" Benjamin reminded her, "You only dated for a couple of weeks. That's not enough time for any feelings to blossom into love, alrighty. And while you did like him, you did say you were trying to get Bunnie to confess her own feelings. You two initially didn't get together for each other."

"So...are you saying that because I rushed it and we were trying to help Bunnie that...that's why the love just wore off, silly?" Rosie asked.

"Only you and Marshal can answer that," said Benjamin, "but even my Mom used to say love is like a flower. It grows and blossoms on its own time and any attempt to rush that growth often causes it wilt and die."

"Wise mother," Roll remarked.

"And that is true," Marshal added, "But to answer your question, Rosie. I never cried because I was heartbroken. I was just disappointed because we just we're not meant to be. That can happen, but it was probably because my heart was already with someone else. I tried to force myself to move on from Bunnie because I thought she didn't want to be with me. So when I cried Rosie, it was because I felt so stupid thinking I could deny the feelings that I had for her. It never had anything to do with you and I won't let you blame yourself for that anymore. I should have made that clear to you a long time ago too. I'm so sorry Rosie. I didn't mean to make you think you hurt me."

"It's okay Marshal," said Rosie, "I don't blame you one bit. It's not like I had the courage to tell you that you made me feel like that way. I just hated that I couldn't be the one to make you happy. After all, even as friends, you're real sweet and so caring to me. I guess I just want what you and Bunnie have, but I don't want it to be with just anybody. I want it to be with someone special."

"Well...am I special?" Benjamin asked her. Rosie looked at him before sniffling and giving him a small nod.

"Yes, you are," said Rosie, "You are very special Benjamin. I just want it to last. I don't want our feelings to fade out."

"They're not going to," said Roll as she hugged her best friend from the side, "As Marshal said, his heart was with somebody else. Benjamin on the other hand has eyes only for you and you alone Rosie."

"Really?" Rosie asked as she looked at the dog. Benjamin tried to be brave, but it was very hard keeping eye contact with his cheeks turning dark red.

"It's true, alrighty," said Benjamin, "I'd rather try and it doesn't work than you not giving me a chance at all. I don't want to try with anyone else Rosie. It's either you or I stay single right now. Even if I tried to date someone else, I couldn't do it. No girl deserves to be a guy's second choice." Rosie couldn't agree more with that and it made so much sense. She felt silly that thinking that if she avoided them that she was saving him the heart ache. He was willing to wait for her and that just touched Rosie's heart and made some of the fear she had start to disappear.

"You're right," said Rosie, "I was hurting you more trying to ignore you and I was hurting myself by trying to ignore my feelings. But I'm still a little nervous, silly."

"Why is that?" said Benjamin, "I wanna help put your mind at ease, alrighty. Talk to me." Rosie couldn't help but giggle, but Benjamin's voice just made her blue hairs tingle. Plus she liked that he hadn't let go of her hands this entire time.

"I still don't know what will happen, silly," said Rosie, "even I know that not even Katrina can determine what our future will be. In fact, her latest lovely phone message was that my love luck would be poor today. The fact I've got you smitten over me, ready to do whatever it takes to get me to date you shows that my love luck wasn't poor at all. It was all in my head! She just lost her long term customer." Benjamin just smiled and the others just chuckled to each other.

"If we take things at our own pace," said Benjamin, getting things back on topic, "and no force those feelings to be there or blossom for that matter, then we will be okay. Rosie all I care about is your happiness. It's all I've ever cared about since the day I met you. Even if we don't work out, I'm always here to make sure you're the happiest kitty cat in this town. That is a promise, alrighty. Even if I'm not the one you're meant to be with." Rosie just choked a sob as she began to cry, but this time a warm smile appeared on her face. Benjamin's words just melted the blue cats heart and all those fears that had been weighting down were finally disappeared into pure joy. His words confirmed in her heart that his feelings were real. In fact, he already loved her, she could see and feel it in her heart. When the time was right, she knew she could reciprocate it. Benjamin's words had also touched the rest of the group as Bunnie and Roll were crying a little as warm smiles appeared on their faces. Marshal just smiled, but he was trying not to cry, even thought a tear had made its escape, he tried to hide it.

"So I'll do whatever makes you happy," said Benjamin once again, "If you want to give it a try, or if you want to stay friends. Just know that I'm here for you." He then lifted the back of his thumb and gently wiped the tears from Rosie's cheeks. Bunnie and Roll just "awed" at the sweet gesture. Rosie giggled. There was no way she could turn him down now. She wanted to be with him more than ever.

"Then let's do it," said Rosie, "I really like you and you really like me, silly. I wanna start going out with you and then we can see what life has for both of us. One date at a time." Benjamin smiled before he cleared his throat.

"Then I wanna do this the right away, alrighty," Benjamin replied, "Rosie, will you be my valentine?" Rosie smiled.

"Yes, I'd love to be your date...Benji," said Rosie with smile. Benjamin blushed at the nickname Rosie called him, causing Bunnie and Marshal to snicker. Roll just glared and rolled her eyes at them.

"What's your deal?" said Roll, "why can't Rosie give Benjamin a nickname?"

"Yeah, alrighty," said Benjamin, "Benji is way cooler than "Marshal-mallow"." Marshal's eye popped out and his face turned deep red as Roll and Rosie snickered.

"Winter's a Marshal-mallow world!" Bunnie and Rosie sang together as Marshal just grabbed a couch cushion and buried his face into it as Benjamin and Roll laughed happily. Once Rosie calmed down, Benjamin extended a hand for her to shake.

"It's a date then," said Benjamin. Rosie just smiled as she finished drying her eyes.

"Benji, let's make one thing straight, silly," said Rosie, "I'm...a hugger."

"So am I," said Benjamin, "but...I didn't want to...overwhelm..." Benjamin was suddenly stopped in his tracks as Rosie crawled into his arms and hugged him.

"Hold me," she asked sweetly, "Hold me like you never want to let me go, silly." Benjamin just smiled and hugged back, giving her a light squeeze before they just sighed happily in each other's arms. Roll just smiled.

"That is the most adorable thing I've ever seen," said Roll, "if this didn't need to be so confidential, I'd take a picture with my smart phone!"

"I already did," said Bunnie, showing the smart phone in her hands, "but...I won't be posting or sending it to anyone, tee hee."

"Good," said Roll as reclined against the sofa to relax a little, "Now that Benjamin and Rosie have settled things, what about you?" Bunnie just looked at her quietly with a puzzled look.

"Don't play dumb with me Bunnie," said Roll, "you've got something you need to get off your chest. Rosie was able to do so and look how happy she looks? Remember what I said? If you and Marshal are to be truly happy, you've got to be honest with each other and try to work things out. Things are shakey right now because you are not doing that. And I don't want to you see you make a decision that you'll regret for the rest of your life. You need to do what I did, Bunnie. Let go of the past and don't let it stop you from being happy. You can't let Charlotte be the reason you don't get stay together with Marshal." Bunnie just sighed before a stern look appeared on her face.

"You...really think it's that simple, tee hee," said Bunnie, "I mean sure. What happened with Charlotte was just friendship and not an actual relationship, but that must mean that it must have hurt less huh?"

"Umm...maybe..." said Roll nervously as Bunnie grew angrier as she spoke.

"Yeah," Bunnie snapped with a bitter smile on her face, "I mean...it's not like I put myself out there and she...she just dumped everything like it was yesterday's trash!"

"Bunnie, what does this have to do with Marshal?" Roll asked her firmly. Bunnie just looked at her stunned and her face scrunched up in anger.

"Everything," Bunnie retorted, "Do you have any idea what it's like to be dumped like that?"

"I clearly do Bunnie!"

"NO you _don't_ , tee hee," Bunnie yelled as hot tears streamed down her face, "When you offered your friendship to your mother, she immediately turned it down. It wasn't like that with Charlotte. I told her secrets. I cared for her like she was my own sister. We were best friends forever! Then one day she throws it all away like all those years of bonding meant nothing to her! I was humiliated. I never wanted to feel that way again! Rosie and Margie finally convinced me that I had something of value and that I was somebody important and more than just some stupid fad that people dump and move on from! You have no idea how hard it was for me to even get together with Marshal. Yes I love him! I'll admit it. I've been in love with him since Charlotte! Yet he was always into her more than me! What makes you think I want my heart broken again? It would be worse this time because it would be more than just a friend breaking my heart. Someone I thought was very special and yet they wouldn't return my feelings! It would be someone who claims that I was his one and only and yet _he_ was always too busy gawking over someone else INSTEAD OF THE ONE WHO REALLY LOVED HIM WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS FACE THE ENTIRE TIME AND NEVER CARED TO NOTICE! UGH!" Bunnie then lunged herself away from the group onto her stomach, buried her face into the floor, and cried. Loud, ugly sobs escaped Bunnie's mouth as the rest of the group just looked at her sadly. Marshal's heart reached out to her as he slowly walked over to her and knelt beside her.

"Bunnie," said Marshal quietly, "I know that what Charlotte did hurt you alot more than any of us would understand. I know that the three of us were like family too and she ruined it, but you need to understand something Bunnie. I would never do to you what Charlotte did and my feelings for you are as strong as they ever will be. I love you more than when three of us were a group, sulky. I've always loved you. That has never changed!"

"Really?" Bunnie croaked in a feeble tone as her tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

"Yes, sulky," said Marshal, "I could have walked away from you at anytime, but I didn't. When you wanted to leave Castle, what did I do?"

"You...you...came with me," said Bunnie, "Despite me taking out what she did on you and even giving you the cold shoulder for years. You've...still loved me all this time. But...that doesn't change the fact that I'm still you're second choice!"

"That it not true!" Marshal retorted angrily.

"Yes it is, tee hee!" Bunnie as she sat up, "All you could ever talk about was Charlotte this and Charlotte that towards the end of our trio days! You never talked about being interested in the likes of me in a romantic sense!"

"Because you never gave me the impression that you ever did," Marshal yelled, "You never took me seriously! You and Charlotte were always too busy with your girl talk to listen to me or my problems!"

"Only cause you were too busy gawking over Charlotte to pay attention to the very girl who loved you for yourself you idiot!" Bunnie screamed as she panted heavily. Marshal just looked at her quietly before giving her a feeble glare.

"How long do I have to say I'm sorry for being so stupid?" Marshal asked quietly, "I already know I'm a idiot, sulky. I made a mistake falling for the wrong girl, but let me tell you something Bunnie because it's the honest truth." He lightly grabbed her head so they were eye to eye and literally a couple inches apart.

"I loved you first," Marshal said sternly, "but you _never_ seemed to take interest until now. I actually tried to woo you but you were too busy to even give me the light of day. I only tried to woo Charlotte because I thought you didn't care. You weren't the only one who was scarred by what Charlotte did Bunnie. Until Roll entered my life, I because an asocial grump who didn't want to be friends with anyone and my frown because a permanent part of my face! At least you were able to move on and people can tell when you're happy and when you're not!"

"It wasn't that easy, tee hee," Bunnie retorted, her voice still cracking as she spoke.

"She's right, silly," said Rosie, "I had to be _really, really_ persistent to get her to even be my friend at all. She wanted nothing to do with anybody. I guess you could say I wasn't going to give up no matter what. In the end, it took me a year before Bunnie would even acknowledge me as a friend, before she would even trust and confide in me. She still learning the trust people and is doing alot better since Roll came to town. You're the only one she seems to have the biggest issue when it comes to trust and I keep telling her that she shouldn't be holding it inside. You don't seem to be the kind of guy who would break my sister's heart...or any girl for that matter."

"Never, sulky," said Marshal firmly, "I really want to try and show Bunnie that if she trusts in me that I won't hurt her like that. I've never just dismissed her like she did to me. I only made my mistake in moving on because I was really convinced she didn't return the feelings. I promise you Bunnie...my heart and my love is for you and nobody else. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Only you!"

"How can I be sure of that Marshal?" Bunnie asked him, "How can I be sure that you really want to be with me and nobody else? Show me! Show me right now!" Marshal then looked at Roll, who just gave him a firm nod. Marshal took a deep breath before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the black velvet box as he got down on one knee. Bunnie and Rosie gasped.

"I love you with all my heart and soul, Bunnie Lillian Rabbit," said Marshal sweetly, "I made my mistakes and I know that those mistakes hurt you deeply, but my love for you has never faltered. In fact, my love for you was what made me realize how stupid it was to think that my true love would be anyone but you." Marshal opened the box and presented Bunnie the pink balloon diamond ring. Bunnie felt herself slowly breaking down as a few more sobs escaped her mouth. This was just so overwhelming for her. She had not seen this coming.

"Bunnie, I wanna spend the rest of my life with you," said Marshal, "and you will never be lonely or feel this hurt and emptiness ever again. So...Bunnie Lillian Rabbit...will you marry me?" Rosie and Roll awed excitedly as Bunnie broke down as she covered her face into her hand for two seconds before looking at him.

"Yes," she mouth though no sound came from it. Marshal blinked, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him. Roll and Rosie, along with Benjamin leaned forward a bit since they had heard nothing from the rabbit.

"What?" Marshal croaked is disbelief. Bunnie laughed and cried all at once.

"YES!" Bunnie screamed in a high pitch tone, that send the three behind her to their backs, "Yes! I will marry you!" Bunnie then threw herself at the squirrel, knocking him over before they both sat up and Bunnie smothered his face with several kisses to his face. Bunnie couldn't help but repeat "I love you" to Marshal between every kiss or two before Marshal gave her a long kiss to her lips, placed the ring on Bunnie's finger, and then held her tightly as they both just let their tears run out. They both knew that these tears were from joy and not sadness. Roll just smiled as she let her own tears stream down her own face while watching the engaged couple kiss and hug each other happily. She was very happy to see that Marshal's proposal had gone well and Bunnie did return the squirrel's feelings. She was then caught off guard when she heard someone sniffle behind her. She turned around to see that Benjamin was crying a little.

"What?" he asked, "I'm a sensitive kind of guy and that was touching, alrighty." Rosie giggled as she wrapped her arms around his right.

"That's what I like about you the most, Benji," the blue cat commented, "You're not afraid to show your emotions and feelings to people. That will make communicating between us much easier and help me not feel so insecure about my expressing my own thoughts and feelings to you."

"I'm always here whenever you need me, Rosie," said Benjamin, "I mean sure. Roll is great person to talk to as well, but...you know what I mean."

"I do, silly," Rosie answered, "when the problems are about you and me, we should be able to talk to each other. You remember to do the same okay. You can talk to me anytime too."

"Thanks Rosie," said Benjamin, "I can't wait for our first date, alrighty."

"Me neither," said Rosie as they both held hands as they sat on the floor watching Bunnie and Marshal.

"Do...you think...that could be us someday?" Rosie asked out of the blue. Benjamin chuckled.

"Once I get to know you and figure out your dream engagement ring, alrighty," he replied. Rosie just looked at him before they both smiled and hugged each other again. Roll just sighed as she noticed the tray with half empty glasses of water and the pitcher. She slowly rose to her feet and stretched her toes before picking up the tray to wash everything in the kitchen. While she also left so the two couples could have some privacy, she was also looking forward to much needed stretching to help ease the stiffness out of her muscles.

"It was worth it," Roll told herself as she slowly got to work with her dish washing.

Once everyone had settled down and Roll had finished washing everything, the two couples decided to treat Roll out to dinner to say thank you for helping them out. Roll tried to politely decline until Marshal picked up and said he'd carry her to the restaurant and back just so Roll wouldn't have to wear her shoes. Roll was touched by the gesture, but rather annoyed that Marshal carried her to and from the restaurant sack of potatoes style. Plus her muscles were still stiff and she had been looking forward to a nice walk. If they hadn't been so sweet to her and paid for her meal and a dessert, she might have said it hadn't been worth leaving her shoes behind. However, the icy cold air just so good on her bare feet that she was inwardly wishing someone would carry her again, but she would never admit to it. Along the way, Bunnie and Margie were able to apologize to each other. However, Margie saw Roll being carried by Marshal barefoot and got bombarded several questions about where her shoes were and if she had gotten hurt by the elephant. Roll just had a bored look on her face, trying to tune Margie out as the others just laughed heartily. Roll immediately took back her idea of wanting to be carried around.

 _If I ever want to be out here barefoot, I'm just going to have to learn to tolerate walking through the snow_ Roll said to herself, _It might not be possible, but...I do wanna try. I really, really HATE shoes, especially during winter!_

Soon it was the night of Valentine's Day, Bunnie, Rosie, and Sable were all at Roll's house getting ready for the party. While the party attire was supposed to be casual, some of the girls couldn't help but pick out some rather nice dresses to wear for the occasion. Bunnie had picked a red velvet knee high sleeveless party dress that she wore a black cardigan to keep her arms warm and had on some ruby studded ear charms that Marshal had gotten her for Valentine's Day. (He had confessed to her that her engagement ring was supposed to her original gift, but after what had happened, he didn't want to wait til Valentine's day to propose to her. In fact, Bunnie had been with him when she pointed the charms out. While Marshal paid for them initially, she paid him back, no questions asked.) Lastly, she proudly wore her new engagement ring on her finger. Rosie had picked a cute heart patterned sleeveless dress with a jean three quarter sleeved jacket that she left open and added a pink headband that had a large pink ribbon on the left side. Sable had worn something similar to prom gown, but in satin red with even some makeup, matching pumps and some red heart barrette clips in her hair. She was busy adding some touches to Bunnie since both girls had asked her to give them a little make up for their dates.

"I really appreciate this Sable," said Bunnie, trying to keep still while Sable did her work, "I really want to look my best when we make the big announcement at the party, tee hee."

"I think everybody already knows about it, silly," Rosie pointed.

"Only cause you couldn't keep your mouth shut, tee hee," Bunnie retorted as Rosie chuckled sheepishly.

"Well, I was excited," said Rosie in her defense, "I mean...my sister just got proposed to her soulmate after all!"

"He's...he's...my soulmate..." Bunnie was about to retort when she realized what Rosie had said was true. Marshal was the love of her life. So the word soulmate was perfect. It was something she had always wanted. She just smiled shyly as her cheeks turned a light pink.

"I...have...my soulmate," said Bunnie with giggle, "My...soulmate..." Bunnie dazed off with a smile on her face as Sable finished with her eyeliner and backed away. She just looked at the dazed smile that now covered Bunnie's face.

"And...we've lost her," said Sable, "should I bring her down to earth?"

"Nah, silly," Rosie replied as she shook her head, "Bunnie needs her happiness. She's in love."

"Aren't you in love too?" Sable asked curiously and now it was Rosie's turn to blush.

"This is our first date," said Rosie, "We're still at the early stages, but I do know that I really, really like him." Sable chuckled as she heard footsteps. She turned to see Roll had finished dressing for the party. Rather than wearing a dress, Roll had made a custom sakura pink blouse that had three quarter sleeves tied together with a red ribbon, her gold locket around her neck, the black pedal pushers that she wore when working for Brewster, a pink headband with her hair fully down, and to Bunnie and Rosie's surprise. Roll had on a pair of pink heart dangle earrings.

"When do you wear earrings, silly?" Rosie asked in amazement.

"Momma surprised me by taking me to get my ears pierced yesterday," said Roll.

"Cool," said Bunnie, "And how did you handle the piercing process, tee hee?"

"What do you mean?" Roll asked curiously.

"I mean...most professional places usually use a piercing gun or a hot needle," Rosie explained, "and they don't hold back in showing the object they are gonna use on your ears." Roll just looked at them with a very bored expression.

"Yeah, I saw what they used," she answered plainly, "and...what about it?" Bunnie and Rosie just looked at each other and giggled.

"We're just saying that some people can get rather nervous or squeamish when they get their ears pierced, tee hee," Bunnie explained, "they are literally poking a hole in your ear after all."

"Didn't bother me," Roll replied with a shrug, "But I see you're point. Mom fainted during the piercing process. It was embarassing."

"Take that back or no make up for you, young lady," said Sable pointing the mascara brush at her daughter. Roll just chuckled.

"I wasn't going to wear any," said Roll, "I'm just going to have fun and hopefully have something with chocolate for dessert. You all say I'm so beautiful as it is so...make up just feels like an unnecessary thing."

"Not if you use it to just touch up what makes you naturally beautiful," said Sable, "Now sit down please and do tell me you've got some shoes to wear." Roll just stared at her bare feet and looked annoyed.

"Yes Mom," Roll growled as she took a seat and crossed her legs, "They're in my pocket. I'll put them on when we go, but once we get the party they are coming off." Sable just stuck her tongue at her and got to work.

"Luckily, Roll shouldn't take too long to touch up," said Rosie, "It's almost 5pm and the boys are supposed to come pick us up to take us to the limo."

"Never been in a limo before," said Roll as she sat sit for Sable, "I mean sure. I am a mayor, but my little compact car is enough for me."

"Well, now you'll get to ride one like a real politician," said Bunnie, "or should we say a princess, tee hee?" Rosie giggled as Sable gasped silently.

"Sweetheart..."

"Oh alright, I'll go put on my tiara," said Roll, "once you're done with my face. Please no lipstick." Sable grunted a bit since she was going to put a little bit, but respected Roll's request and just added a touch of blush to her cheeks and some mascara around the girls' eye lashes. Roll had just headed upstairs when there was a knock on her front door.

"I'll get it!" Sable called out as she opened the door and found a tanooki, squirrel, and dog nicely dressed in blazers and shirts with matching bottoms to boot. She took notice that Benjamin and Marshal had each worn a matching trilby hat to boot.

"Excuse me miss, but we are here to pick up our dates for the evening," said Tom in a classy tone. Sable looked bored at the three of them.

"Wrong house," she replied and slammed the door in their faces. Bunnie and Rosie burst into laughter before Sable reopened the door. The three boys were still there, but now had glares on their faces.

"There are more polite ways to say you don't want a date, Sable," Tom muttered.

"Oh stop," said Sable, "Just messing with you, now come on in boys." Tom walked in first before he and Sable shared an embrace and a kiss. Bunnie all but ran into Marshal's arms. Despite his small size, he easily lifted his new fiancé into his arms to spin her around, making her giggle before they shared a few kisses with each other. Benjamin was a little more subtle as he approached Rosie.

"Wow," he replied, "I always knew you were beautiful, but...Rosie you look absolutely gorgeous this evening, alrighty." Rosie giggled as she blushed.

"Thank you, you look very handsome yourself, silly," she answered, "I've been looking forward to our date."

"Same here," said Benjamin, "thank you." Rosie just looked rather puzzled.

"For...what, silly?" Rosie asked.

"For being my date," said Benjamin, "I've been really looking forward to this for a long time and I want things to work out between us. I really want to be the one to give you that ring someday."

"But...what if its someone else?" Rosie asked, wanting to hear his answer. He just smiled.

"Then I'll make sure he's the right one for you and help him propose to you, alrighty," Benjamin answered honestly, "As long as you're happy, I'm happy." Rosie's eyes twinkled. She could tell he was being sincere and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Benjamin blinked and blushed soon afterward.

"Wow, not even the first date and I already got a kiss," Benjamin replied, "I'll never wash this cheek again, alrighty." Rosie giggled happily as she cuddled up into his shoulder.

"Is everyone...wait a second here," said Tom as he scanned the room, "where's Roll? She is coming with us to the party, yes?"

"I'm up here," said Roll as she headed back down, "Momma wanted me to wear my tiara to the party."

"Well a princess isn't a princess without her crown," said Tom as he approached her, "Now get your shoes on and we can get going." Roll nodded as she tucked on a pair of black pumps on her feet. Sable then linked her arms with Tom's right while the other two couples just did the same. Tom noticed Roll just standing quietly and lifted his left arm. Roll just smiled as she linked her arms around it and they headed on their way. Once they met Isabelle, she guided them down the pipe to the special area that Roll kept her car and where their limo was waiting. Margie, Lolly, Whitney and Fang (the latter had surprised the former by asking her out this year and she said yes), and Katt were waiting for them. They wasted no time piling into the limo and rode it towards the banquet hall, chatting excitedly about their days and how they were all looking forward to the party.

The banquet hall was located about twenty minutes north of Animal Town and it was actually just directly above the area that was marked off for what was considered to be the "upper class" gated community of the Animal World. It was the also the town where Tom Nook and his two nephews had made their residence in so they both knew the location very well. Roll had only been to the area once during the Christmas break for lunch but it was very beautiful since each house had its own luxury garden and high-end amenities. Roll couldn't help but say Sable was so lucky she'd get to live there someday, only to receive a death glare from the hedgehog to drop the idea from her head. As for the banquet hall itself, it was at the top of the hill overlooking the entire gated town. Roll was the first to climb out of the limo and examine the view, which was easy since the sky was clear that night.

"Wow!" said Roll, "talk about a view! You can see for miles up here!"

"Indeed," said Benjamin as he looked at Rosie, "It's very romantic, alrighty."

"She's talking about the view, not me, silly," said Rosie.

"I knew that, I knew that," said Benjamin sheepishly as both girl laughed as the rest of the group scanned the outside of the banquet hall, which was beautifully decorated in green vines that various pink and white colored string lights around an open trellis that was surrounded with blushes, fountains, marble sculptures, and even a Koi pond that wasn't frozen over.

"I wonder how Pinkie was able to rent out a place as extravagant as this," said Isabelle to KK, who was not just the DJ but also her date for the party.

"Pinkie's got the connections Izzy," he replied, "She's young, but is a well known professional party planner in her own right." Isabelle hummed in agreement as they entered the double doors that lead them to a small lobby area. Another set of double doors led the group into the party room, which was beautifully decorated in various shades of white, pink, and red decorations from top to bottom. While three of the walls were basically large windows, Pinkie had taken the liberty of pasting heart decals and heart streamers over the tops of them.

"This place looks amazing," said Roll, "But where are..."

BOOM! BOOM! PFFFT!

Roll jumped as she got not one but two party cannon blasts shot at her.

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!" Sakura and Pinkie shouted with glee behind each of their own party cannons. Pinkie had a cyan blue party dress with a lacy long sleeved cardigan with white heart barrette clips on her pigtails. Sakura had a similar outfit, but her dress was light pink with red heart barrette clips in her hair that was fully down. Roll just looked a bit annoyed as the two hopped over to the blonde girl.

"Were you surprised?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"We've really mastered the art of the double party cannon!" Pinkie added, "We were in perfect sync that time right twinsie!" Sakura nodded in agree as they just gave Roll toothy smile. Roll just glared at the two of them, rolling her eyes, when she noticed that they were both barefoot.

"Where are your shoes?" she asked. Sakura and Pinkie just laughed.

"Who needs shoes?" Sakura replied indignantly.

"Yeah who said you needed to wear shoes to a party," said Pinkie added with a shrug, "That's like party 101. Duh!" Roll just looked at them funny before both girls went back to their smiles.

"Enjoy the party," said Pinkie happily, "We left our valentines and chocolates for everyone on the tables. You guys can trade with each other whenever you want!" Then the two just bounced away, one behind the other. Roll just watched them hop away as Sable approached them.

"Scary isn't it?" said Sable.

"You can say that again," said Roll before they both laughed before removing their shoes together. It wasn't much longer before everyone else from the other towns Pinkie had invited to party arrived and soon everyone was busy mangling, chatting, and exchanging valentines and candy with each other. Roll had decided to stick with Sable and Tom for dinner when she suddenly heard the sound of someone tapping a wine glass with a spoon.

"Attention everyone," Pinkie called out, "Sakura and I have got a big announcement for everyone!"

"You're both admitting to having a candy addiction and are checking into therapy, stuffin'?" Stitches called out from his seat only for Sakura to whack him in the head with the massive box of chocolate he had given the pink haired girl. Pinkie looked rather annoyed.

"Yeah...not happening," she remarked, "The big announcement is that our friends Marshal and Bunnie have something they want to tell and boy is it a dozy!" Marshal stood up from his chair first and Bunnie nervously followed.

"Ahem...well...uhh...everyone," Marshal began slowly, trying to find his voice, "Many of you have probably wondered...about Bunnie and I...and that we've been dating for a couple of months now. I mean...most of you were there when we became an official couple..."

"GET ON WITH IT BEFORE I TELL THEM!" Pinkie screamed before Sakura glared and clasped her mouth.

"Sorry, we're just bursting because we know what it is and can't tell anyone!" said Sakura, "Marshal please just get to the point before my twinsie here explodes. I forgot to bring a large towel." The others just chuckled, as did the Marshal and Bunnie before the latter held his hand with a warm smile.

"Okay, okay," said Marshal, "My point is that we really do love each other and we do see a future with each other. So I guess what I'm saying is...Bunnie and I are engaged."

A loud "Awww" followed by a cheers as everyone applauded the new couple and a few walked up to them to offer them congratulations. Pinkie and Sakura couldn't resist offering to host them a proper engagement party as the chatting continued. Roll just smiled as she watched the two before noticing that Benjamin and Rosie were giggling and chatting with each other, a good clue that they were having a good time.

"Love is such an interesting thing," she said to no one in particular, "it can be the cause of great sadness but also great joy. It can be pure bliss and utter pain. It is complicated."

"Only if you think it is," said Sable, who had been listening to the blonde girl, "but as you've seen Roll. When people learn to be honest with each other instead of keeping their feelings to themselves, it can allow love to grow and continue to stay strong and lasting, whether it is romantic or familial. The good times will always outweigh the bad times." Roll hummed in agreement.

"I love you Mom," said Roll softly, leaning against the hedgehog's shoulder.

"I love you too sweetheart," said Sable, "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day," said Roll as they exchanged a hug together. While Roll had to admit, she did feel a little envious about the two couples. She still had a great time at the party and got more than her fill of valentine's and chocolates to boot. Yet she couldn't help but say to herself as she watched all the couples dance to a slow number.

"Maybe next year I can find myself a date," said Roll while reclining a bit on her chair with her bare feet extended, "There's gotta be a guy out there who would date a nerdy girl who likes to be barefoot all the time...right?"

"He might be closer than you think," said a voice. Roll sat up and noticed a young boy that appeared to be around 13 years of age. He was donning a very elegant tuxedo and top hat and wore a white mask over his eyes. He was also donning a red rose in his hand. Roll couldn't help but feel her cheeks color when she looked at him, especially since he was smiling at her.

"It's crime to have to cover up such beautiful feet," he told her as he handed her the rose, "especially with a girl as beautiful as yourself. Would you like to dance?" Roll giggled to herself as she took the rose he was holding. She didn't even know the guy and yet she had to admit that she did find him rather attractive.

"Okay," said Roll as he guided her towards the dance floor as they shared a slow dance together. Yet as they danced nothing was said, but that was mostly cause Roll was too mesmerized by his smile. Then the music ended, the boy gave her a slow twirl. Everyone else had been watching them and applauded to two, but Roll didn't seem to notice. She was having fun dancing with her, in her words, mysterious prince. He guided her back to her chair.

"Thank you kind sir," Roll said politely as she took a seat and he knelt beside her. He gave her another smile, making her blush as she gazed into his eyes.

"Always believe in yourself," he told her gently, "for you are meant to be a princess." Roll just smiled at him as he handed her a second red rose for the night before walking away. Roll just cuddled the rose before letting out a long sigh as she tucked it behind her ear. She looked to see where the masked boy had gone and he was nowhere to be found. He had somehow disappeared. Surprisingly, this didn't bother Roll one bit as she made no effort to find him. She just grabbed the first rose and held it securely with her eyes closed.

"I'll see him again," said Roll quietly, "A princess will always find her prince."

Hopefully...she will.

 **FYI: Roll may go barefoot all the time at home, but the girl keeps her feet super clean. She washes them twice a day for crying out loud. You'd be surprised at how spotless the soles of her feet are when they should have a nice layer of brown grime beneath them from walking everywhere with no shoes on for so long.**

 **I pretty much spelled out in the last arc what the Pony Adventure Comics are so let's just leave it at that.**

 **Plus Bunnie's monologue is reference to an incident in "Mr. Grump" which was a reference to players who grow tired of playing Animal Crossing and how the villagers they were best friends get left behind as players move on to other games. Ever wonder how they feel when you stop playing?**

 **As for the boy who danced with Roll, it was just my personal** ** _Tuxedo Mask_** **cameo. If this boy is meant to be something more to Roll...only time will tell.**

 **Here's the preview for the next story arc:**

 **New Change: Roll has lived in Animal Town for nearly a year now and she has grown both in her talents and self confidence. In a dream, Roll is told that her life is about to change forever. And somehow that change involves visiting her old orphanage!**

 **What will the big change be? Tune in next time for the arc that will mark Roll's 1 year anniversary in Animal Town!**


	64. New Change Part 1

New Change Part 1

In the vast dream world:

 _Roll was just walking about, wearing a pink lace dress and crown on her head with her hair fully down, barefoot with no leggings, as she looked about a vast array of clouds._

 _"Hello?" Roll asked, "Where...where am I?" She had to admit this place was beautiful. Pure and fluffy white clouds and the vast cosmos extended as far as the eye could see above her. It was as if she were gazing into a telescope and yet the view extended effortlessly in every direction. She couldn't help but feel so safe where ever this place was. Even if she didn't know how she had gotten there._

 _"Is this what they call the cloud world?" Roll asked herself as she remembered reading about it and its location near the Rock Candy Mountains. Then another thought came into her head and she gasped._

 _"Am...am I...dead?" she asked herself._

 _"Of course not dear," said a voice, making her jump, "You are certainly not dead." Roll turned around and noticed a hedgehog right behind her. Her fur was that of pure gold that shinned like the sun. Her dress flowed like water and the color was as white as pure snow as it extended all the way to her feet. Her sapphire blue eyes sparkled as she approached Roll, who smiled and looked at her in awe._

 _"Who...who are you?" Roll asked curiously as the mysterious hedgehog approached her._

 _"Someone familiar, and yet I'm not," she replied. Roll just looked puzzled until she felt something inside of her._

 _"Yeah," said Roll, "it's like I've known you all my life...and yet...I don't really know who you are exactly. Strange..."_

 _"Not that strange Roll," said the golden hedgehog, "Let's just say that I've been looking out for you since the day you were born." Suddenly a large collection of screen appeared before them, each playing a different video clip of some sort. Roll noticed that all the screen clips were of her. To be more precise, they were her memories. Some of them good, like when she first met everyone in Animal Town, or befriended Sakura and Lemon. Some of her struggles, like when she stood up to her mother and when she fought Sylvia and her former gang. Some of them were memories from before her life in Animal Town. A few of her struggles in the orphanage, but along side of them were some of her un-noticed achievements. Such as when she gave someone her juice box when another child dropped theirs. Or when their favorite coloring book was damaged and she gave up hers and other little acts of selflessness. The golden hedgehog just admired all of Roll's memories with a warm smile on her face._

 _"Everything happens for a reason Roll," said the hedgehog, "There is a reason why you've been through all of this. I hope you realize that."_

 _"Sort of," said Roll, "I mean...the past did make me stronger, smarter, more compassionate, determined, and self-confident...mostly." The hedgehog chuckled._

 _"Let's not forget honesty and humility as well dear Roll," she added._

 _"True," said Roll, "but I've still got alot to learn..." She nodded in agreement._

 _"True, but you've been through quite alot in such a short life," said the woman as she guided Roll down the so called hall of memories, "But I believe that you are ready Roll." Roll looked puzzled._

 _"Ready? Ready...for what?" she asked as they continued to walk side by side when the woman gave her a warm smile as they walked by more of Roll's memories._

 _"You've come such a long, long way," she began to sing beautifully,  
"And I've watched you  
from that very first day._

 _To see how you might grow,  
To see what you might do,  
To see what you've been through,  
And all the ways you've made me proud of you." _

_Roll just smiled at the woman as her own eyes began to water. Whether it was the woman's sing tone or the words she sang or both, Roll had never felt so happy. The memories had even vanished and now it was just her and the woman as the latter continued to sing as they stood effortlessly along a path made of spaced out sparkles._

 _"It's time now," the woman continued, "for a new change to come.  
You're grown up  
And you're new life has begun_

 _To go where you will go,  
To see what you will see,  
To find what you will be,  
For it's time for you,  
To fulfill your destiny!" _

_The woman began to rise into the air and opened her arms. Roll then felt a warm glow lift her into the air. At first Roll was frightened, then the warmth of the light soothed her fear and she soon felt at peace as the bright light engulfed her. Just before the bright light consumed the blonde girl's ability to see, she heard the hedgehog one last time._

 _"Go to the place you once called home!" she commanded, "There you will begin your path...to your destiny!"_

 _Then everything went white._

"GASP!" Roll spluttered as she shot up from her bed and found that she was back home. Now wearing her pajamas, hair still down with its white headband. Yet her hair was clearly due a long hair brushing.

"It was just a...dream?" said Roll as she felt her cheek and found that it was still wet and sticky. She soon realized that this was more than just a dream.

"I gotta talk to Mom about this," said Roll, "What happened was far too real to just be a dream!"

The next morning, Roll wasted no time getting dressed so she could get ready for seeing the Able Sisters before they opened for the day. Today was also a day Roll had been waiting for weeks, for it was also the day the snow had finally melted completely in Animal Town. However, the temperatures were still rather chilly and the ground was still very icy. (Roll tried walking out barefooted to learn that out the hard way.) However, the only issue for Roll was cold ground, not the cold air. So she swapped her pumps for some green sandals with a long sleeve green dress with brown three quarter leggings, and a large pink ribbon with her pony tail. Roll had just finished tying her ribbon into place when she heard a knock on the door.

"Oh no," said Roll, "This is _so_ not a good time for random house guests!" Roll rushed downstairs with her sandals in hand. Then Roll was caught by surprise when she saw _who_ was at the door.

"Um...h-h-hi...Roll..." said a very, very shy girl who was wearing her traditional green and yellow dress with lace see though sleeves, yellow buckle shoes, and a butterfly clip on the side of her long soft pink hair. She was also carrying a small suitcase.

"Fluttershy?" Roll exclaimed, "what...what are you doing here?"

"Can..can...I...come in?" she asked, barely making eye contact with the blonde girl. Roll just stared for a second before shaking her head and recomposing herself.

"Y-yeah, s-sure," said Roll, "of course. You're my friend. Come on inside." Fluttershy just gave her a shy smile as she made her way inside, slowly removed her buckle shoes before setting her suitcase down and took a seat next to Roll on her ranch sofa, brushing the set of bangs that hung over her face a bit.

"Do you want a drink...or have you eaten anything?" Roll offered.

"Oh it's...it's okay," the shy girl replied, "I'm not really hungry...or thirsty for that matter..." Roll hummed as she took a seat next to her, crossing her legs so she could face her. As much as she wanted to see Sable, Fluttershy came first for the time being. Especially since she wasn't expecting to see the girl at her doorstep this morning.

"So...what brings you here?" said Roll. Fluttershy just felt a bit uncertain with what she wanted to say. She wasn't even sure she wanted to say why she had come either. Mostly due to feeling a bit embarassed about her issue, not because she didn't trust in Roll.

"Well...you remember the big Valentine's Day party," said Fluttershy, "We were all there for Pinkie's party?"

"I remember," said Roll, and started thinking about that mysterious boy who gave her the red rose. She had actually pressed it into a book to save it afterward. Fluttershy just saw her dazed smile and sighed.

"At least you had a boy ask you to dance," Fluttershy muttered in a soft tone that she hoped Roll wouldn't hear, but the blonde girl blinked a bit as an obvious clue that Fluttershy was a little jealous. Fluttershy just clasped her mouth.

"Sorry, that was out of line," she remarked quietly, "and that's not what this is all about." Roll just nodded, showing no harm was done by her comment.

"So, while kindness is one of my best qualities," said Fluttershy, "I also have a...I guess decent singing voice."

"Decent?" said Roll in disbelief, "I heard you when we were riding the plane. You've got some nice pipes there girl."

"Thanks," Fluttershy answered timidly, "I really do love to sing. It's something that I love, but when it comes to performing..."

"Bad stage fright," Roll guessed.

"Exactly," said Fluttershy, "I can remember all those times I was in school plays growing up and just getting so scared that I just went stiff. I couldn't sing, I couldn't speak, and I couldn't even move. I always remember the long dragged out silence, everyone staring at me, eventually just laughing at me until I just couldn't find the courage to say my lines or sing my part. I even tried choir one year but during our first performance I passed out just walking out on the stage. After that, I never wanted to perform on stage ever again." Fluttershy began to cry a little as Roll just looked at her with sympathy.

"So...I'm guessing your family is pressuring you to try again with performing," Roll asked. Fluttershy wiped her eyes as she tried to recompose herself.

"They really want to see me show my talent to the world, the singing part that is," said Fluttershy, "But I really don't want to and I really don't feel like I'm ready, or even willing to try again. I kept saying this over and over to them. But they went over my head."

"How?" Roll asked.

"There is supposed to be a fund raising program for abused and underprivileged animals," said Fluttershy, "It's a cause that is very dear to me. Rarity belongs to a barber shop double quartet that is well known in the Animal World for its beautiful singing voices."

"The Toad Bandstands right?" Roll guessed.

"How did you..."

"Whitney is part of the group," said Roll.

"I see," said Fluttershy, "well...one of their female singers suddenly became ill. Rarity kept pushing and guilt tripping me to take her place. I never did say yes, but she just assumed that for the sake of the fund raiser that I would do it and signed me up to perform."

"So you never said yes," said Roll, "She just backed you into a corner. Fluttershy why didn't you just stand up to her and say you didn't want to do it? You've got your stare after all!"

"Roll, let's get one thing straight," said Fluttershy firmly, "My "Stare" is something that I don't use lightly and I only resort to using it under extreme, dire, or last resort circumstances. This wasn't something to use the stare for. Besides, I'd like to say I tried to stand my ground and said I couldn't do it or wanted to, but I was shut down."

"Been there before my friend," said Roll, "So let me guess. Since you don't want to perform, you've come here seeking refuge?"

"That's right," said Fluttershy sadly.

"Does anyone know you were coming here?" she asked.

"Only Shenran," said Fluttershy, "I spoke with him and Ankha before leaving and getting on a train. I left just before sunrise so nobody else could stop me."

"So...you took the train to Animal Town before sunrise," said Roll, "and it's already after 8am, where were you this entire time?"

"Once I got here, I was just taking a nap in the town hall," Fluttershy answered, "I never knew Isabelle carried spare blankets and pillows in Town Hall, but that's not the point. I wasn't going to take you up that early just because I'm a coward."

"You're not a coward," said Roll, "You just have a hard time being brave...at least in respect to your own self-interests that is. I have the same problem. But in the end, when it really counts, you're very brave and you take on your fears even when you're scared."

"I suppose that's true," said Fluttershy, "I...I always knew I'd want to share my singing with people, but...I'm just not ready to try being on stage again."

"Very well," said Roll, "Even I believe you can't force someone into doing something like that. Anyways, you're more than welcome to stay here for as long as you like. You can leave your things upstairs and I'll set up an extra bed. Come on. I'll help you unpack." Fluttershy smiled as she and Roll headed upstairs. The shy girl felt much better once she was able to unpack her things and settle in a bit before she noticed that Roll seemed a little distracted.

"Roll...umm...did...did I come at a bad time?" Fluttershy asked.

"Hmm?" she asked.

"You...seem to have alot on your mind Roll," said Fluttershy, "Care...to take about it?" Roll just smiled, remembering what she had wanted to do before Fluttershy had arrived at her doorstep. She and Fluttershy had gotten rather close since their little adventure to find Ankha's family heritage. In fact, Fluttershy, along with Rarity, were two of Shenran's sisters that she bonded with the most these days. It was no wonder that Fluttershy would come to the blonde girl with her problems. She knew Fluttershy could depend on each her for help and Roll felt the same confidence when confiding in Fluttershy about her own issues.

"Actually, I do have a bit of a problem and could use your help," said Roll, "Care to come with me to Able Sisters? My mom needs to know about this too so I'll explain everything once we get that okay." Fluttershy just nodded with a warm smile.

"This must be pretty serious if you need to speak to Sable about it," said Fluttershy, "I hope it's nothing dire or urgent."

"Well, maybe not dire, but it is very important to me," said Roll, "so will you come with me?"

"Of course," Fluttershy answered with a soft smile. Roll gave her a hug before lightly tugging her arm downstairs so they could go. Fluttershy went to put her buckle shoes back on when she noticed Roll putting on a pair of green sandals.

"I had a hunch you would be putting your pumps away when the snow melted," said Fluttershy, "but the grounds are still rather cold. Sandals are a good compromise."

"Thanks," said Roll, "I did get an extra pair the other day if you want them."

"Oh...well...well I didn't mean to..."

"It's no problem," said Roll as she pulled them from her pockets, "Here, you can save them for warmer weather if you want to."

"My feet are alot like yours," said Fluttershy, "Cold air doesn't bother them. Just walking on icy surfaces. I can wear them today." Fluttershy then pushed her buckle shoes aside and slipped on the sandals before waiting to leave with a cute smile on her face. Roll just chuckled as they left the house and headed straight for the Able Sisters. Since it was not 10am yet, the shop was obviously closed since the front shop lights were still dim.

"Are you sure they're here?" Fluttershy asked curiously as Roll lightly knocked on the door.

"Mom? MOM!" she called out. There was a few seconds of silence before there was turning of the shop door handle and out stepped the brown hedgehog herself.

"Why hello girls," said Sable and immediately noticed their sandals, "I see you're enjoying the first snowless day of the year."

"If the stupid ground wasn't still so icy to walk on, I'd be barefoot and you know it," said Roll indignantly, "but at least my feet can breathe more in sandals so it's better than nothing." Sable just giggled to herself and noticed that Fluttershy was wearing sandals with her long sleeve dress.

"She got you doing it too huh?" she asked skeptically. Roll just glared but Sable ignored her.

"Well...Roll isn't the only one who likes to do that," Fluttershy remarked to herself, "Just...I'm not as confident to go barefoot as openly as she is. Shenran tries to encourage me since I'm happier doing so, but I still get worried people will look at me funny. It took me twelve years to find the courage to admit that I can wear this dress with no socks or leggings whatsoever in the coldest days of winter." Sable hummed in understanding.

"Well did you two just come here to mention you're both fetish and tolerant of the cold, or is there a real reason why you're both here?" Roll just snorted as Fluttershy giggled at Roll's irritated face.

"Actually Mom," said Roll, "I do have an important reason to be here. And it has to do with my...destiny..." Roll found saying that word felt rather awkward on her tongue, but tried not to let it bother her too much. Fluttershy found her interest spark when Roll mentioned the word destiny.

"Maybe I can help," the shy girl replied, "Plenty of my sisters have had those self-doubts regarding what and who they are meant to be. I've certainly had those feelings, too." Roll smiled.

"I wouldn't have brought you with me if I didn't think otherwise, Fluttershy," Roll answered. Sable then allowed the two girls to walk in, while she took note that both girls slipped off their sandals and left them by the door, she just kept her comments to herself about it as they each grabbed a spare stool and took a seat next to Sable as she continued her cross-stitches on the old sewing machine.

"You may begin when ready?" said Sable, "I still gotta work but you know the drill." Fluttershy clearly didn't but Roll just giggled as a sign that she was used to Sable doing this by now."

"I...had this strange dream last night where I was in some sort of cloud world surrounded by all the heavenly bodies," said Roll, "This hedgehog with golden fur and wearing a white dress came up to me. She felt so familiar and yet...I don't recall ever seeing her before in my life."

"Did she look like Sable?" Roll examined the hedgehog.

"She certainly had Momma's beauty," said Roll, making Sable giggle, "but her fur was golden, a very shiny gold too. Her voice was very motherly too. I just felt so at peace when I was with her and I couldn't stop smiling."

"Wow," said Fluttershy, "She must have been your guardian angel!"

"I guess so," said Roll, "Because next thing I know, we were taking a journey through my mind, and everything I've accomplished. And it wasn't just in Animal Town, but since the day I was born. She started singing to me that I've come a long away and that the time has come for a change in my life. That...that it would reveal my destiny." Fluttershy just hummed to herself as Sable stopped sewing and was listening to Roll more attentively.

"Did she say...how?" Sable asked, not intrigued.

"Just before I woke up, she said that I needed to return to the place I once called home," said Roll, "She said that is the first step...then I woke up." Sable just looked at Roll attentively before looking at Fluttershy and then her sewing machine.

"Roll, dear," said Sable, "I think she means that you need to confront one more pain that you have in your heart. One that you haven't exactly dealt with." Roll just looked puzzled until she gasped...

"I...was afraid that is what she meant," said Roll, "Oh boy..."

"What would..." then it clicked in Fluttershy's mind. Roll had told her about her past, including the situation with her mother, "You mean the orphanage?!"

"But...why would I need to be back _there_?!" Roll asked annoyed, "I'm finally moving on from all of that and I've learned that I am important and special because of the family and friendships I have! I don't need to see that place again! I never wanted to go back to that place ever again..."

"Maybe it's just a way to finally let go of the past completely," Fluttershy suggested, "After all, didn't you say you wanted to one day take Sable down there so she could see what you had to deal with back in the day? When you were able to look back at that and laugh...your words, not mine." Roll just sighed long and loudly.

"That is true," said Roll, "but I never thought it would be...no, you're right Fluttershy. This is something I have to do. I'm sick of the past ruining my life and I, for one, am not going to run from it. I'd rather deal with it now. Besides, the guardian angel said that I was there for a reason and that those hardships shaped me into what I am today. Sable...when do you want to..."

"How far is it?" Sable asked.

"It's back in the human part of the world, even farther than the prison my mom was held in was located," said Roll, "It will take at least a couple of hours for the train to get us there. I'll need to see if Isabelle can arrange us a hotel to stay since...I just don't think one day is gonna be enough for this kind of trip. Think you can come with me?" Sable pondered. Things had gotten rather busy with Spring arriving, but this was important to her daughter. Plus she knew alot about the type of dream Roll just had, she had had plenty of them after her parents had died.

"Let me know as soon as Isabelle can arrange us the hotel," said Sable, "How many days do you think we'll be there?"

"I'm hoping no more than three days," said Roll, even if she was just speculating.

"Can I come too?" Fluttershy asked.

"Really Fluttershy?" Roll said, happy for the extra friend for the trip.

"Sure," said Fluttershy, "You need a friend to be there for you. I've never been on my own adventure before. I've always tagged along with one of my sisters or Shenran. Maybe it's time I start showing that I can stand on my own two feet for once. If...you don't mind."

"Not at all Fluttershy," said Roll as they exchanged a hug, "If there is any of my sisters that I want for this, you're my first choice. It means more cause you asked to come on your own and not me begging you to join me."

"I might not be the bravest member of the family," said Fluttershy, "but I'm always there for my friends." Roll just continued to hug the shy girl happily as Sable just smiled at the two before getting back to her work.

Like always, Isabelle wasted no time working on the arrangements for their trip. In fact, everything was all set to go within two days, possibly less if Roll had been timing her. Yet that wasn't entirely a bad thing. After all, what kind of friend would Roll be if she had left for her trip before Rosie's birthday. The blue cat was her best friend after all. She and Fluttershy enjoyed the party and each found a cute dress to give Rosie as a gift. Roll gave the blue cat one of Sable's dresses while Fluttershy had made one for Rosie herself on the fly. (She apparently had a strong knowledge about designing outfits, but never pursued it since she didn't want to complete with Rarity for attention. Her words, not Roll's.) Thus the day after Rosie's birthday party, the three girls got themselves packed and ready to head back to her old town. They made sure to leave on the 7am train so they could get to their hotel early, settle down, and began their visit of Roll's old home right away.

While the weather had warmed up quickly back in Animal Town, the city where Roll used to live had just depleted all its snow not two days ago. But both Fluttershy and Roll had agreed no matter how chilly the weather was back home that they were going to wear their tropical sandals for the first day. But they still bundled up a bit with their outfits. Roll had worn her Gracie cream colored sweater dress with brown three quarter leggings and her sandals. Fluttershy had worn a similar dress, but hers was soft pink with white leggings and her own sandals. Hair-wise, Fluttershy hadn't changed her hair but had just left it down and brushed slightly over her right ear. Roll had tied her hair into a ponytail and had worn her crown. Isabelle had advised her to wear it the first day, but hadn't bothered to explain why other than the fact that she was, at least in Animal town, a princess. Roll had plenty to ask about the political legitimacy of Isabelle's claims, but the shi-tzu said not to overthink it. Just know politically, Roll was the mayor, but her friends and family viewed her as a princess. Roll had enough to think about so she left the issue alone for now and wore the headpiece on her head.

"I don't know why," said Roll to Fluttershy as the shy girl was playing a game on her 3DS as they sat together on the train, "but I feel like I was meant to wear my crown today."

"Why is that?" Fluttershy asked as she continued to play her game.

"When I had my dream," said Roll, "I was wearing my crown too. I wonder if I'm supposed to actually become a "princess of friendship"."

"It's possible," said Fluttershy, "After all, my sister Twilight became one. She might not be a princess by heritage or political standards, but she had certainly earned it by understanding the magic of friendship as well as learning the true meaning of leadership." Roll just listened attentively as she stared at her feet.

"I wouldn't say I fully understand the magic of friendship and leadership," said Roll, "I'm still learning."

"Well, everyone is ready at their own time," said Sable. Speaking of attire, Sable had a dark pink embroidered dress with a tan cardigan and some white pumps. She had also had on the sunhat Roll had given her nearly a year ago. The elder hedgehog had been waiting for the snow to melt so she could wear it again. She had grown to love wearing her sunhat whenever she could leave the town. Roll just nodded at her comment as she noticed Fluttershy in deep concentration.

"What game are you playing?" Roll asked, unfamiliar with the girl's choice.

"It's about how your character inherits their own farm and has to develop it into their own land," Fluttershy answered.

"Sounds like a game Applejack would like," Roll replied.

"She was the one who recommended it to me," said Fluttershy, "I wasn't sure I was gonna like it. But once I saw all the cute animals you could adopt as pets and all the cute bachelors. I was hooked." Roll smiled but then something in particular caught her ear.

"You also said cute bachelors," said Roll, trying not to coo or tease her, "So I'm guessing your character can date and marry?"

"That's right," said Fluttershy with a smile, "I'm dating this guy who used to be a dragon slayer and even carries a pair of dual swords with him. He's so dreamy." Fluttershy giggled to herself before she noticed Roll and Sable just looking at her with smiles on their faces. The shy girl then realized what she had just said and felt her face turn deep red.

"Umm...uhh...yeah..." Fluttershy stuttered before trying to shift her pink hair so her face was hidden, but Sable stood up and tucked something into Fluttershy's head.

"Sable please!" she begged.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing for you to be ashamed of," said Sable as she continued to adjust Fluttershy's hair, "A girl as pretty as you shouldn't be hiding her face behind her hair all the time."

"But I don't want to come off as showy or stand offish," Fluttershy protested.

"Showing your face doesn't mean you're being like that," Roll answered, "I mean come on! You grew up with Rarity for crying out loud. I think you know what my mother is talking about. Plus I like the new addition!"

"What addition?" Fluttershy asked curiously as Sable handed her a compact mirror. Fluttershy gasped when she saw that Sable had added a white headband in her hair that was decorated with butterflies of various colors. Fluttershy smiled as she felt warm tears prick her eyes, but she held them back.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed happily as she embraced the brown hedgehog happily. Sable returned the hug with a warm smile as they continued to chat and enjoy the rest of the ride. It was about an hour later when the train finally pulled into the train station. Sable made sure both girls had their suitcases before they left the train. Sable shivered a bit as they stepped out of their train.

"Ooh, it's a bit nippy out here," Sable replied as she noticed both girl's rubbed their left foot into the concrete ground.

"Feels warm enough for me," said Fluttershy, "what you think?" Roll just kept her left foot for a second before removing her other sandal as Fluttershy did the same. Sable's jaw dropped. Even she could feel the temperatures were much cooler and yet the two girls who wore sandals were willing to walk around without them.

"Seriously?" she asked before two pairs of sandals came at her. Sable caught both as Roll walked smugly away. Fluttershy was the only one who gave Sable a shy, apologetic smile before turning away to avoid seeing her glare and quickly stayed close to Roll. Sable just rolled her eyes at the two before tucking the shoes into her pockets and followed them. Since the girls had put some distance between themselves and the brown hedgehog. Sable nearly lost the two girls as they exited the city's grand station. She arrived to find them standing outside on the sidewalk as Roll was searching through her smart phone as the brown hedgehog caught up with them.

"Don't stray off from me," Sable scolded, "I almost lost you two."

"We're sorry," said Fluttershy, not hiding her guilt, "We are in just a hurry to get to the orphanage."

"Yeah, sorry Mom," Roll added as she lowered her phone, "I didn't mean to act so disrespectful, but you know me by now." Sable just looked at her daughter's bare feet and chuckled to herself.

"I know," said Sable, "I forget how high of a tolerance you are to the cold. I'm surprised Fluttershy has the same tolerance too. But anyway, can we at least check into our hotel before we...what is that?!" Sable pointed over towards a young man holding a poster sign that said "Princess Roll" written on it. Roll noticed the young man holding the sign. The three girls approached him cautiously.

"Umm...excuse me?" she asked curiously. The young man gave her a smile and courteous bow.

"Ah, your majesty," he replied, "Miss Isabelle informed me you were coming. If you'll follow me, I can take you to your hotel." Roll just looked at Fluttershy and Sable, who just shrugged their shoulders, but decided to follow. He led them into a taxi, which drove them to a rather luxurious building. When they arrived, Roll noticed just how high end the hotel was when they arrived at the desk.

"Ahh, you arrived Princess Roll," said the manager, "You and your guests will be staying at one of the finest rooms our establishment has to offer." Before Roll could reply, a bell hop arrived to carry their luggage as they headed into the elevator to what appeared to be the 21st floor. Then they arrived their room. it literally felt like a penthouse. It had a kitchen, living room, and two separate bedrooms that had their own bathroom and more. Once Roll had given the bellhop a generous tip, she closed the door to find Sable and Fluttershy just giggling and enjoying the queen sized beds in one of the rooms.

"I haven't slept in the bed this soft since the time Mom took us girls to that spa weekend a few years ago," said Fluttershy, "unfortunately, we didn't know that Mom would still be paying the bill for it to this very day." Sable looked stunned before shaking her head.

"Why would she do that to herself...financially?" Sable asked.

"Shenran was the first member of the family to get married," said Fluttershy, "Mom had hoped Twilight, Applejack, or Rarity would be first since they were older and Mom has wanted to host a bachelorette party since Twilight had her first date. She really wanted to splurge and nobody could stop her. Plus she had really taken a liking to Ankha and she was determined to make the party the best money could buy."

"I see," said Sable, "Well as for me, I've never had this kind of opportunity before. I figured someday with Tom, but...seems better having it with my daughter and her friend." Fluttershy smiled. Roll did the same before she remembered that she had a very important phone call to make as she sat on the bed next to Fluttershy. It wasn't long before a certain shi-tzu answered.

"Hello, this is Animal Town hall," she replied professionally, "How may I help you?"

"Hello, Isabelle," Roll in a very sweet tone but made Isabelle shutter a bit and chuckled sheepishly.

"I...I guess I've got alot of explaining to do," said Isabelle.

"You got it," said Roll sternly.

"Well...you are our princess Roll," said Isabelle, "So...I...the town just...tomorrow does mark your one year anniversary after all and..."

"Are you saying the _entire_ town pitched in for this?" Roll asked in shock. While they lived in a town for sure, the Animal World did have something that even human towns wished their government did have or need. No taxes.

"Actually, we just secretly harvested all the perfect cherry trees and took them to Bacon's town since last week his Re-Tail was paying double for them," Isabelle explained, "It was enough to cover a four day visit, so you've got an extra day if you wish to use it. It's our gift to you for being such a good mayor and a wonderous friend." Roll just smiled, deeply touched, as a warm tear streamed out of her left eye.

"Just a thank you card would have been enough," said Roll, "You know I hate spoiling myself and being spoiled. I like to work hard for these kind of things."

"Well you have," said Isabelle, "Plus I don't know how difficult things will be at the orphanage so...I figured you should at least have something to enjoy to make healing those old wounds a little easier. So don't be shy in ordering room service, using the pool, or even trying out the spa as much as you want. It's all covered." Roll giggled to herself.

"Well thank you Isabelle," said Roll, "I'll be sure to enjoy myself a little on what is supposed to be strictly a business trip."

"Oh come on now sweetie," said Sable as she sat, "Momma has never gotten to stay at a luxury hotel before."

"Yeah, how about we check out the spa?" Fluttershy suggested.

"Guys, I was going to take you to the orphanage once we unpacked," said Roll.

"What's the rush?" said Sable as she reclined comfortably on the bed, "I could use a pampering."

"Plus if we're going to go barefooted," Fluttershy suggested, "We can at least get a pedicure so our feet are pretty for the trip." Roll couldn't argue with that plus she hadn't had a spa treatment with Sable before.

"Well, if the orphanage floors are as disgusting as I remember them," said Roll, "I might wear my sandals to the orphanage, but never the less. I could go for a nail cleaning and polish...alright fine, but let's not do anything too extravagant okay."

"I always get the simplest package," said Fluttershy, "it's Rarity that always go full treatment."

"I make no promises," said Sable.

"Mom!" Roll exclaimed.

"You heard me," the hedgehog retorted, "If the cost is covered I will go all out!" Roll just rolled her eyes as Fluttershy and Sable chuckled to each other. Once they were unpacked, they spent a good two hours at the hotel spa. Roll had to admit that she really enjoyed herself and the treatment helped her relax since she was very nervous about going to the orphanage. She was glad she had caved into the idea and once they had finished, they agreed to head to the orphanage right after. While it was the afternoon now, Roll wasn't too worried about it as they rode the taxi to their next destination. It would be a good twenty minutes before they arrived since the orphanage was at the opposite side of the city. And as Roll had implied, she had worn her sandals, but now her feet and toe nails were nicely cleaned and even had a nice coat of shiny white polish on them. Fluttershy had done the same, wearing her sandals but her toe nails had pink nail polish. As they rode the taxi, Roll could feel her nerves starting to return. Fluttershy was the first to notice how clammy Roll's hands had become when she went to hold her left hand for comfort.

"Roll...are you okay?" Fluttershy asked gently. Roll just sighed to herself a bit before looking at the girl timidly.

"Just...a...little nervous," said Roll, "I mean...this...this is where I used to live before coming to Animal Town," said Roll, "This is the very place that literally tried to break my heart and soul. I just hope nobody gives me a hard time as we're scouting the place. These children won't hold back teasing people, especially Sable, and all because she's not a human."

"Whatever," said Sable, "I can handle it."

"Are you sure?" Roll asked worried, "Mabel said you used to come home crying cause you got teased alot in your school days." Sable just sighed to herself but nodded bravely.

"I'll be okay," said Sable, "I'm an adult after all. Plus you need me right now."

"We're both here for you Roll," said Fluttershy. Roll smiled as the three shared a group hug. It was just then they arrived.

"666 St Martha's orphanage," said the driver. The three couldn't help but cringe a bit hearing the address to the place. Fluttershy and Sable made their way out of the cab as Roll paid for the ride as well as a tip before getting out herself and adjusting her handbag so nobody could snatch from her as they prepared to head inside. The three girls just looked at the building, feeling uneasy at the sight and size of it. It was about three stories high, but it looked very old. Some of the windows appeared to be boarded up, the paint was peeling all around the walls. Judging by the conditions of both the walls and windows, they looked like the building had been in a fire and the damage had never been repaired and left to waste.

"This is an orphanage?" said Sable, "This building looks like it need to be condemned!"

"Surprisingly it doesn't look any different than when I left the place a year ago," said Roll, "I wouldn't be surprised if the place hasn't changed at all on the inside."

"I've got a bad feelings about this," said Fluttershy nervously.

"You don't have to go inside if..."

"Stop!" said Fluttershy firmly despite her soft tone, "I'm here for you Roll. Yes, this place scares me a bit, but you need me. I going inside with you and that is that." Roll just smiled. This is why she loved the most about her new sister/friend. Despite her fears, she was still there for her friends. Roll just looked at the front door a bit, took a deep breath, and slowly opened the door, causing it to creak loudly before they made their way inside. The door made a loud CLANG even though Roll had shut it slowly, making them all jump at the loudness before recomposing themselves.

"Ugh, look at this!" Sable exclaimed as Fluttershy and Roll looked down. While the floors were clearly made out of tile, they had clearly seen better days. In fact, most of the tiles were black and grey from not being cleaned for so long. To make matters worse, the dirt and grime were so bad that they could even see small mound of grime piled up randomly along the tiles as well as caked amounts of the stuff along the corner and edges of the walls, which matched the coloring of the floors since it seemed the floors had never been cleaned.

"This is disgusting," said Fluttershy, "How could they expect children to live in such a dirty place?"

"And how does the health bureau not shut this place down?" Sable asked, now angry at the sight.

"I've often asked myself that question for years," said Roll, not seeming to be as angry or irritated at the sight as her mother and sister were, "now come on." Sable had plenty more to say but chose to keep quiet as they made their way down the hall towards the office where the headmaster's office was located. They noticed a few children just talking or chatting with each other, but none of them made any eye contact with them. Fluttershy could feel her eyes water at the sight of them. Many of them didn't even look like they had bathed in days. Their clothes looked old and worn, even the sight of them made her cherish her dress since she could tell that their uniforms looked very uncomfortable. She nearly bumped into Sable when Roll stopped before another intersection.

"We better head to the headmaster's office first," said Roll, "I don't want to cause a ruckus cause we're here." The blonde girl just looked at Sable and Fluttershy, who just nodded in agreement with serious looks as Roll guided them towards the headmaster's office. Roll wasted no time knocking on the door. It was a good ten seconds before someone finally opened the door. The headmaster was exactly as Roll remembered her. Tall, white hair tied into a tight mini bun, wrinkly face that held no life or emotion to it, and a formal jacket and shirt, stockings, and high heels that could stab a child in the heart. She just gazed at the three girls with a bored and annoyed expression on her face.

"May I help you?" she asked in a dull but stern tone. Sable fought hard not to glare at her while Fluttershy just looked away. Roll just plucked up courage.

"My mother and I are here to visit the children," said Roll, "mind if we look around?" The headmaster said nothing but just glared at the blonde girl. The elder lady knew who the blonde girl was, yet made no acknowledgement about it. Yet she made the effort to give Sable a disgusted look, clearly looking down at the fact the girl's mother wasn't human. Roll saw the look, but kept her face straight and professional.

"Very well," she grunted bluntly, "Just don't disturb my students." With that she slammed her door shut, not thinking much else about it. Roll just released a loud sigh before turning around to face her mother and sister.

"Well, she seems like quite the bright ray of sunshine," said Sable, not hiding how offended she was in her tone.

"Never mind her," said Roll, "Let's get going!" Sable and Fluttershy nodded in agreement before making their way back towards the hallway where it had split into different paths, one leading outside of the back of the building, another to the entrance, and a fourth leading upstairs to the upper levels.

"So...where to next Roll?" Fluttershy asked the blonde girl curiously. Roll just looked about with a stern look on her face before turning to Sable. Sable looked at her quietly.

"Momma?"

"I'm fine," said Sable, "I won't let her glare bother me anymore. Sorry for my remark earlier." Roll just looked seriously at her mother before nodding in agreement with a small smile on her face.

"Then come on," said Roll, "Let's head to outside. Guess you guys can see the playground...or what was considered the playground for us anyway." Sable and Fluttershy nodded as they followed Roll outside. When the exited outside, they found most of the children were just playing. However, Sable and Fluttershy were shocked. The area was rather small, probably about the size of two basketball courts and it was loaded with what had to be about 500 children or more fourteen and younger. The ground was old, cracked, and uneven. It looked all too easy for someone to trip and injure themselves on such an uneven terrain. One could even see various weeds and other plants growing inside of the cracks that had been clearly unchecked and had not been bothered to be removed. There was even a basketball hoop nearby and they could see some children trying to play basketball despite the hoop being way too high. Other games were marked with very faded paint lines for dodge ball, handball, and four square. While the games the children were playing were quite normal, Sable and Fluttershy noticed a few things in particular. One, some of the girls in one of the corners were using a steel cable for a jump rope. Two, the entire playground was surrounded with thick grey walls and barbed wire, making the place feel like a prison yard than a place children can play in. Three, an elderly lady, which they believed was supposed to be the supervisor, was fast sleep in her chair, not even bothering to watch the children play. Lastly, they noticed a small girl sitting against the dirty building wall just reading a book by herself. There not one single bench anywhere for someone to sit and just enjoy the fresh air. Don't even bother asking about a drinking fountain. The water spiget where a child literally had their mouth on answered that question.

"Are you sure this is a playground Roll?" Sable asked as she watched the children play.

"It looks more like a prison," Fluttershy added, "A dirty prison."

"True," said Roll, "and sadly, I was like that girl over there. Studying my life away and not even wanting to play with the other children because I was too shy."

"I see," said Fluttershy as she bravely approached the young girl who was just quietly reading her book when she noticed some teenage girls walking up to her and snatching the book away from her.

"Hey!"

"What'cha reading ya dweeb?" snarled girl number one.

"Do you ever do anything besides read these stupid books!" the second one mocked.

"So what if I do!" the girl asked meekly. She was a brown haired girl who had her hair in some pigtails that stayed up without any hair ties in them. She had brown eyes with long eyelashes and she was wearing a pair of very old and faded glasses.

"If you keep reading books so much, you'll turn into one!" said a third girl.

"That wouldn't be so bad," the first girl remarked, "then she would actually be useful for something. Like a doorstop!" The other two laughed while the teased girl was fighting back tears.

"Look, I'm just reading and not bothering anybody!" she sobbed, "Just give my book back and leave me alone!"

"Let me think about," said the first girl in mock pondering, "No!" They all laughed and walked away from her book. The crying girl stood up, to get her book back. But the second girl grabbed her, tore her glasses off her face before throwing her back onto the ground with a loud THUD.

"Good luck trying to find us without your _real_ eyes!" the third girl laughed before they walked away. The brown haired girl just cried louder. Fluttershy, Roll, and Sable watched in shock at what had just happened before their eyes. Sable turned to see that the so called supervisor was still fast asleep.

"How can she sleep through all of this?" Sable asked angrily, "That little girl is crying her eyes out And she's _sleeping_!" Sable was about to march up to her when Roll grabbed her hand.

"Don't bother," said Roll, "she's been there since I was here. I even tried to wake up her up when some bullies were chasing me. But she never budges unless it's time to summing everyone back inside for dinner."

"What happened when you tried to call for help?" Sable asked. Roll gave her a sad look.

"No..." Sable whispered in pure sadness.

"They grabbed me and dragged me away...just before beating me up," said Roll, "and they were boys too. I just glad I was never touched." Sable just looked disgusted when she noticed that someone was missing.

"Wait...where's Fluttershy?" Sable called out when she noticed that the pink haired girl was approaching the three girls who had the book and glasses on hand.

"Umm...excuse me," Fluttershy said in her timid nature as she approached them, "Could...could you please give that book and glasses back to that girl? She really didn't do anything to you." The first girl just looked at Fluttershy before snorting.

"What's it any of your business?" the first girl retorted rudely, "Get lost!" The other girls said the same. Fluttershy shut her eyes for a second as before giving all three girls "the stare". The girls immediately stopped talking and cower back.

"Now would you young ladies be so kind and give that girl back her things, _please!_ " Fluttershy asked in her soft, but now stern tone. The three girls were afraid to move.

"I _said_ give the girl back her things!" Fluttershy repeated, raising her voice slightly and intensifying her stare, before they whimpered and rushed over to the girl. Sable and Roll were trying to comfort her as best as they could when they noticed the three girls hastily approaching them. The little girl stopped crying before the girls just pushed the items into her hands and then rushed off, wanting to get as far away from Fluttershy as they could. Fluttershy just watched them take off with a glare before softening her face and walking up to the young girl. She was still crying a little despite getting her things back. Fluttershy knelt beside the girl.

"There, there," Fluttershy said sweetly, "No need to cry. Those bullies won't be hurting you anymore. Not while we're here." The little girl said nothing as her tears started to slow down and she put her glasses back on. It was just then another girl arrived. She was clearly older than the brown haired girl, but not as old as Roll. She had blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail like Roll's, but her hair had a defined wave to it, making it slightly curly. She also had blue eyes like Roll's too, only with more noticeable eyelashes.

"Cream are you okay?" she asked worried, "I was busy beating the boys at four square that I didn't see that those jerks were bothering you and...umm...hi?" The blonde girl noticed the threesome starting at her and felt a little shy herself.

"We were here to make sure your friend was okay," Fluttershy answered, "my name is Fluttershy. This is Sable and this is Roll." Roll and Sable waved lightly hello when the two girls just looked at Roll. Roll couldn't help but stare back. These girl seemed familiar to her for some reason, but...she couldn't put her finger on it. Other then the fact that the blonde girl almost looked exactly like her, minus a few facial differences.

"Roll...is...is everything alright?" Sable asked when she noticed that her daughter was staring and looked a little zoned out. Roll just kept looking at the two girls when she noticed the golden furred hedgehog appear behind them.

"It is here you will begin the path to your destiny," she said majestically.

"My...destiny..." said Roll in a loud whisper.

"You're destiny?" Fluttershy repeated as she heard Roll. Roll then noticed Fluttershy and Sable looking at her funny and shook her head a bit to recompose herself. She also took note that the golden hedgehog had disappeared.

"Oh, umm...nothing...heh...just...got lost in a train of thought," said Roll with a light chuckle. Fluttershy just smiled, but Sable gave her a discreet smirk. Roll knew that look meant she wasn't not going to end her day without explaining what happened to her, but Roll decided she would worry about that later. The girl that had been called Cream giggled.

"That happens to me all the time," said Cream softly, "Sometimes you just get so deep into what you're thinking that you forget everything that's around you." Roll just stared before she laughed. Soon Cream and the other blonde girl were going the same. That was when Sable took notice of something.

 _They laugh as if they've been friends for years_ Sable thought to herself _But...no...there is just no way. Roll was an only child...wasn't she..._ Sable didn't have any more time to ponder her thoughts when their laughter had settled.

"So I know the one with the glasses is named Cream," said Roll.

"Yeah," the brown haired girl replied, "You can image that names I get tagged with because of it."

"Some aren't too bad," said the blonde girl, "Whipped Cream, Coffee Cream, Vanilla Cream..."

"The worst was Hair Cream," Cream remarked as the group chuckled to themselves.

"Well I think Cream is a very pretty name," said Fluttershy, "and aren't you the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Cream blushed as she tried to hide her face behind her book. The blonde girl just rolled her eyes.

"Don't get jealous," said Sable, "You're very cute too. What's your name?"

"My...my name is Kalinka," she answered, "No food related nicknames for me!"

"Well isn't Kalinka also known as a popular song in Russia?" Sable asked her curiously.

"Yeah," said Kalinka, "I'm Russian so it would make sense, plus a bit of Italian."

"Same here," Cream added. Roll blinked in surprise. She wasn't expecting to hear that from the two girls.

"I guess we should also mention," said Kalinka, "Cream and I are sisters."

Now Roll's interests in these two girls had officially peaked.

 **For some the quoted song is just "Celestia's Ballad" from MLP. But to others it's also the song a mother would sings to her child on the day of their high school/college graduation. If you don't get teary hearing this, you don't have a heart. You don't need to be a fan of the show to be deeply touched by this song.**

 **Toad Bandstands is taken from the mini-game of the same name from Mario Party 2**

 **If you couldn't guess the game Fluttershy was playing on the train, it was Story of Seasons. or a AC spin-off of it.**

 **Hope you Caught the** ** _Willy Wonka_** **reference. RIP my friend.**

 **Looks like things have gotten interesting for Roll. What will happen next?**

 **Stay Tuned!**


	65. New Change Part 2

New Change Part 2

So far things had certainly taken an interesting turn for Roll. She had brought her mother, Sable, and sister from another mother, Fluttershy, to the very orphanage that she had lived the majority of her years at. While she wasn't surprised at their shocked and repulsed faces as they looked at just how poor and pathetic the living conditions were, she was surprised to find two girls there who seemed to share not just similar physical features as herself, but shared the same ethical background, which was Russian and Italian. Let's not forget that Cream and Kalinka were both sisters as well. Roll had a lot to think about when she felt someone tap her shoulders.

"Ground control to Roll," said Sable, "It's time to land back on earth now." Roll gave her an annoyed look as Fluttershy, Kalinka, and Cream just giggled to each other. Roll then remembered that they were standing halfway up the staircase to the second floor. Kalinka and Cream had offered to take them to their "bedroom" while Roll hoped to show Sable and Fluttershy where her original "bedroom" was located. Once they reached the top of the second floor, they found the hallway was in no better condition. In fact, some of the flooring had some sink holes in it.

"Can we even be sure that it will support our weight?" Fluttershy asked with worry and was afraid to even step on the floor.

"There's an extra layer of flooring a few inches beneath the tiles," said Kalinka, "I sprained my foot here once when a tile broke in, but I survived."

"You sprained your ankle?" Sable remarked, "Did you get any medical treatment?" Cream and Kalinka just looked at each other and then the hedgehog. Sable's jaw dropped.

"You...can get medical treatment for something like that?" Cream asked curiously.

"Are you kidding..." Sable began with frustration.

"The headmaster and her...minions...as we call them," Kalinka explained, "Don't really look out for us here. We have to learn to survive on our own."

"Ain't that the truth..." Roll muttered to herself under her breath as Fluttershy looked at her and the two girls with concern.

"So...how did you take care of your ankle, Kalinka?" Fluttershy asked, trying to soften the tension that was developing in the air.

"I just tore part of my skirt and bound it myself," said Cream, showing the broken stitching near the front half of her skirt that had broken and hanging threads on it. Fortunately, it had only made her skirt half an inch shorter but no so short it posed a problem, "Course I was scolded for destroying my skirt though... but was else was I supposed to do? Luckily I've studied alot of first aid so I knew what to do for the most part."

"I see," said Roll, "So...what grade are you guys in?" Kalinka and Cream just shared some warm smiles.

"We're advanced," said Kalinka, "I just graduated Valedictorian of my high school class." That made Roll's jaw drop, even Sable and Fluttershy were very impressed.

"I'm a high school junior," said Cream, "but at the rate I'm doing with my classes, I should be a senior by the start of Summer." Roll just couldn't believe it. Both of these girls were prodigies just like her. Roll was beginning to feel more and more suspicious about the two, but then noticed a very familiar door in the distance.

"Wait!" Roll called out, making the rest of the group stop moving.

"What is it?" Cream asked.

"What's wrong?" Sable asked.

"This...this was my room," said Roll quietly. There was a good three seconds of pure silence before Sable approached her.

"You don't have to..."

"Yes...I do..." Roll replied sternly before opening the door. Sable followed behind her as Cream and Kalinka looked puzzled.

"Her room?" Kalinka asked curiously.

"That's right," Fluttershy answered, "Roll used to live here not too long ago. I take it you never bumped into each other?" Kalinka and Cream just looked at one another before quickly shaking their heads. Fluttershy felt like they weren't being entirely truthful but decided to keep her mouth shut. She didn't like confrontation, nor did she want to start one. The three simply walked inside and found Roll knelt beside one of the corners of the room. She had removed her sandals despite the filthy grime coated floors and was sitting on her knees with what appeared to be the darkest and dirtiest room corner anyone had ever seen. While there were some lights inside, it was still a pretty dim light and most likely made reading or writing at night difficult.

"It's just how I left it," Roll said quietly and even laid down, disgusting Sable.

"Roll that corner is disgusting!" Sable retorted, "How can you walk on all this grime without your sandals and even lay down on this? This is like living in a dumpster!"

"You're right it is!" Roll snapped angrily, "But unlike you, this was all I had until I moved to Animal Town. This might seems like just some dump to you! But this was paradise for me! Remember, until I could walk, my home was a closet. Afterward, it was a trash can! At least this means I can sleep indoors without a draft! A place I could be barefoot without scratching or cutting up my feet! Most importantly, light and a roof over my head!"

"But where's your bed?" Fluttershy asked and Roll laughed hollowly.

"What bed?" she exclaimed in a tone that was purely angry and sarcastic, "You saw how many children live in this building! It was first come, first serve! Why else do you think I lay down just now? This was my bed!"

"Please tell me you at least had a blanket," Sable remarked. Roll smirked before kneeling down and pulled a filthy looking rag that wasn't even big enough to cover her body. Sable and Fluttershy gasped. Cream and Kalinka said nothing.

"Now you know how my legs can handle the cold," said Roll as she dropped threw the rag back into the grime, causing a few dust clouds but not enough to cause coughing or sneezing. Sable was just in deep shock as she turned to notice Cream and Kalinka just looking rather bored.

"Do...do you guys sleep like this in your room?" she asked. The two girl just looked at her casually.

"Mostly," Cream answered, "but sometimes we manage to share one of the beds." She pointed to a bed that was closet to her. The "beds" as Cream had called them didn't look anything like a bed at all. They looked more like examining tables people used in a hospital with one very old and flattened pillow. She didn't even want to get started at the sight of the blankets, which looked like brown rags. She couldn't fathom just how old both the bed, pillows, and other items were.

"Do you at least have pajamas?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes," said Kalinka as she opened a closet filled with old and thin tee shirts that were extra large in size.

" _That's your nightgown?"_ Sable exclaimed in shock. She grabbed one to examine it and it was so thin and baggy that she could literally see Fluttershy on the other side.

"How do you keep warm with this?" said Sable, "And is there even enough of them in here?"

"There's plenty," said Kalinka, "The trouble is that many of them are one size fits all. Poor Cream barely fits in one and alot of the younger children often share one because they are so baggy." Sable could feel her temper and patience thinning out dramatically. Fluttershy also looked rather disgusted as well.

"Roll, before I made you your pajamas..."

"I actually was given a nice care package by the conductor before arriving," said Roll, "It came with some donated items that included a nightgown and a sleeping bag. Like I said Sable, I came to Animal Town with nothing. I felt like nothing. Now you can see why." Sable just gave her a stern look before turning towards the two other girls.

"Do you feel the same way?" she asked. Kalinka grew rather quiet but Cream just shook her head.

"I have hope someone will come and adopt us someday," said Cream, "then I can go to college and follow my dream in becoming a botanist!"

"Cream, get real," said Kalinka, "people come in here every day. If they didn't want us when we were little kids, then they won't take us in now."

"That is just stinking thinking," said Cream as Kalinka rolled her eyes.

"You are so clueless sometimes," she muttered. Cream felt indignant and was about to retorted when Fluttershy got in between them.

"Umm, if you don't mind me asking," Fluttershy budded in to prevent another argument, "how old are you two?" Cream and Kalinka stopped glaring with each other just smiled.

"I'm eleven," Kalinka replied proudly.

"I'm nine," said Cream, "But I'll be turning ten on March 9th. What about you Roll?" Roll was a little taken aback by the question, but then she realized that she hadn't even introduced herself at all and that both girls had learned her name from hearing Sable speak it.

"Hey, I didn't even tell you guys who I was," said Roll, "Sorry about that. I was just caught up in all the memories around here. (though it's more like nightmares if I'm honest) Ahem! Anyway, my name is Roll and to answer your question Cream...I'm twelve years old. I've also graduated high school and are taking a few college classes online."

"I see," said Kalinka, "Are...you a princess?" Roll then looked at her crown and just sighed to herself.

"Legitimately, not really," said Roll, "But to them...and _everyone_ else back home, I pretty much am now since they did officially crown me!" Kalinka just nodded, noticing that Roll didn't seem to take the idea of being a princess with as much enthusiasm.

"Don't like being a princess?" she asked.

"It's not that I don't," said Roll, "I'm actually the mayor of Animal Town. But despite all the nice clothes and crown, I don't like living such a pompous or conceited lifestyle. I'm really just simple girl at heart whose worked hard for what she has." Kalinka couldn't help but smile.

"That's good to know," said Kalinka. She had been rather skeptical about Roll until she saw how humble she was. Kalinka could feel herself warming up to her. Cream didn't share the uncertainty and skepticism that Kalinka did. She liked Roll already and even said so when they were heading inside earlier that day.

"Well, at least you've got a family who loves you," said Kalinka, but then bit her lip. She hadn't meant for that part to slip out. Cream could feel the tension return to the room and quickly went to do some type of damage control.

"Umm...how about we head back to our room?" said Cream, "We can chat some more before visiting hours were over?"

"Visiting hours are going to end soon?" Fluttershy asked when she noticed that the clock read a little past four in the afternoon.

"Yeah," said Kalinka, "They don't allow visitors past dinner time."

"Probably to hide the crud they feed them," said Sable under her breath.

"Enough," Roll snarled, elbowing the hedgehog in the side, "Lead the way you guys."

"What about your..."

"I need to give my feet a good wash before I can put them back on," said Roll, "Besides...I...like walking barefoot...everywhere I go...It's kind of my thing..." Kalinka and Cream just stared, making Roll feel a little uncomfortable. Then they both smiled.

"We do too," said Kalinka in response, making her gasp.

"Yeah," said Cream, "Just...we aren't allowed unless were in our own room...or its after visiting hours. We get scolded doing so."

"I'll vouch for you," said Roll, "even I remember how uncomfortable those socks and shoes were. (I was singing the hallelujah chorus when I could throw them away for good.)"

"It's okay," said Cream, "The headmaster is really scary when she gets mad. We'd rather she leave us alone."

"I agree with that one," said Kalinka, "anything she dislikes sets her off. I remember getting a good lashing..."

"Lashing?!" Sable exclaimed.

"She means...yelling," Cream corrected.

"That's what I meant," Kalinka retorted indignantly, "just for tripping on a sink hole in front of her. She's always crabby and nobody know why."

"I see..." Sable remarked, getting a bitter look on her face again.

"So...how about that bedroom?" Roll asked, wanting to change the conversation since Sable looked steamed and fit to explode. The two girls nodded in agreement before they left the room and headed across the hall. Cream and Kalinka's bedroom wasn't in any better condition, but at least they had a bed, if one could call it that, to sit on and chatted away until someone appeared in and sternly said visiting hours were ending soon. Sable balled her fists angrily as the person disappeared.

"I'll tell you when visitors hours end you..."

"O-kay!" Fluttershy budded in, pressing a hand over Sable's mouth with a sheepish chuckle, "I think it's best we get going."

"But...will we see you again?" Cream asked, her eyes becoming glossy. Kalinka was about to scold her young sister for begging, when Roll gave Cream a hug.

"I'll be back," said Roll, "That's a promise." Cream smiled as they rest of her family said good-bye and thank you before making their way out of the room.

"Wait! Fluttershy!" Kalinka called out. The shy girl stooped walking as she noticed both girls flinch over something and then Kalinka grabbed two plastic baggies and placed something inside of each.

"What is it?" Fluttershy asked in confusion. Kalinka then handed her the baggies.

"Please give this to Roll," the young blonde girl requested, "She'll...know what to do with them." Fluttershy noticed that inside was a couple of strands of their hair. One was blonde while the other was brown.

"Umm...okay..." she replied confused as she tucked the baggies into her handbag before saying goodbye once more and left. Kalinka waited a few seconds before sitting on their shared bed with a loud sigh. Cream had already kicked off her shoes and was aggressively trying to pull off her long socks as she sat on their shared bed.

"Do...do you think Roll is..."

"I don't know," Kalinka answered before Cream could finish and took her shoes off as well, "I mean...she had quite a lot in common with us. Same ethnicity, same advanced intellect, some of the same physical features, even our need to be barefoot! And that last one certainly isn't something just anyone would like to do."

"That's true," said Cream, "I...I can't believe we never knew she was here! Just three doors away!"

"Yeah...and the headmaster never said anything either..." said Kalinka. Cream felt herself whimper.

"That means...they really would try to tear us apart for adoption!" she cried as a few tears streamed down her face, "If Roll is who we think she is, they've already sent her off. You or me could be next!" Kalinka wasted no time pulling her socks off and tugged Cream into her lap and held her close.

"I won't let that happen," said Kalinka, "they would have to go through me before that ever happen!"

"I don't want you to die!" Cream sobbed. Kalinka just snorted to herself.

 _Even death would be better than this place_ But she said it to herself. Then realized that it would leave Cream alone and instantly regretted it. She just closed her eyes as a pair of tears streamed down her.

"Please...Roll..." she whispered quietly, "If...if you really are our big sister...please...come and save us from this horrible place..."

It was a good hour later when Roll, Sable, and Fluttershy finally arrived back at the hotel. Before Roll could even call for a taxi, Sable pulled Roll to the closest location that had a bathroom and requested that Roll get her feet scrubbed before they headed back home. Roll just sighed but conceded considering how upset Sable looked. It was a good half an hour later before Sable deemed her feet clean enough before letting her put her sandals back on and they called a taxi to take them home. All the while, Fluttershy was just eyeballing her handbag, wondering when she should tell Roll about the girl's little "memento". Eventually they arrived back in the hotel and headed straight for their room. Roll wasted no time kicking her sandals off near the side wall of their entrance with a huff.

"Okay, the weather is warm enough to put those away for good," said Roll as she curled her toes into the carpet and walked towards the sofa and took a seat. Sable just removed her own shoes and cardigan more quietly before just sitting on the sofa adjacent to the one Roll was sitting on. Fluttershy removed her own sandals before taking a quiet seat between the two. While she had wanted to give Roll the baggies, she had gotten quiet for her own reasons. Roll just took notice at the two and their grumpy faces before just smiling.

"Geez, I seem to be handling our visit a lot better than I thought I would," said Roll as she crossed her legs. No one said a word. Sable just glared while Fluttershy just kept to herself.

"Fluttershy, are you alright?" Roll decided to ask first, feeling confronting her first would be easier since the shy girl wasn't known for venting, "You seem rather quiet...and that's saying something." Fluttershy just looked at Roll with a light glare.

"I'm sorry Roll," said Fluttershy calmed, "But I'm just feeling...so...so...PEEVED!" The last word came as a outburst before Fluttershy's eyes bugged out and she clasped her mouth in shock and embarrassment. She noticed Sable just looking at her.

"I'm sorry, please forgive my language," said Fluttershy in a very apologetic manner, "I'm just really upset with what I saw today."

"I see," said Roll plainly.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Sable snapped, finally unable to keep quiet any longer, "That place is a dump and that's no condition for young children to be living in. It's disgusting. The people there don't even care about the children at all. They just let them run amok!"

"Not really," Roll remarked in their defense, "Trust me. The headmaster was a force to be reckoned with. She had zero tolerance for trouble."

"Does she know about all the bullying that goes on?" Fluttershy added in a stern tone.

"Probably," said Roll.

"And what her take on it?" Sable asked, very curious about what Roll's opinion was about it. Roll just sighed.

"Pretty much survival of the fittest," said Roll.

"So she could care less as long as they don't disturb her," Sable concluded angrily, "so if they beat someone to death or did some _heinous_ crime it wouldn't have mattered cause as long as they didn't _bother_ the headmaster!" Roll just looked away before Sable's jaw dropped.

"I can't believe this!" said Sable, "I can't believe you're acting like this is no big deal!"

"Well what was I supposed to do!" Roll snapped, now standing up, "I told you what happened to me there. I hid myself behind books! I slept on the floor to not be a bother to anyone. I even ate the scraps on people's food trays just to avoid competing for my next meal. I WAS BROKEN MOM! When you're reduced to that, BEING KILLED BY BULLIES WOULD HAVE BEEN BLESSING!" Sable and Fluttershy gasped as hot tears streamed down her face.

"Don't you think people didn't try to expose what was going on there?" Roll continued, her voice cracking a she continued to cry, "The last child that was known to do so...he disappeared, never was seen again. Whether it was coincidental or some sort of "accident", no one could ever find the truth. They might be lazy with us, but they certainly knew how to cover their tracks. Especially when health and regulations were done on the place. In fact, I don't think such government workers ever showed up to the place. How the headmaster did that I'll never know! But when you live there, it's not uncommon to feel completely powerless! WHY ELSE DO YOU THINK I DID NOTHING BUT JUST ACCEPT IT!" Roll slid to her knees before she began to cry. The inner pains of being back at the orphanage finally coming to the surface as Roll just let herself cry. Fluttershy knelt next to her and cried as well.

"Oh no don't!" Roll pleaded.

"Stop!" Fluttershy retorted in a cracked tone, "You'll never get past this unless you let it all out. I already told you. I cry because that is how much I love and care about my friends. I'm not afraid to show how much I care. Why else do you think my greatest attribute is kindness?" Roll just let herself cry and Fluttershy sobbed with her as they held each other for dear life. Sable wasted no time sitting down and hugging them, crying quietly for moral support. It wasn't much longer before Roll settled down and they broke away.

"Thanks you guys," said Roll, "I guess I needed that." Sable smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I love you my daughter," said Sable sweetly. Roll giggled to herself.

"Feeling better?" Fluttershy asked sweetly.

"Yeah," Roll sniffled as she wiped her eyes, "much better. I'm sorry I got you so angry Mom, but...that is what I went through and it's a part of me."

"I hope you still don't feel that helpless anymore," said Sable. Roll just looked at her before she realized that she didn't have to feel that way anymore.

"No, I don't," said Roll as she stood, "I'm the mayor of my own town. With my position, I can finally do something about that place. I can make a difference. There's just one issue..."

"What might that be?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well for starters," said Roll, "If I do take a stand to whistle blow this place, what is going to happen to all the children living there?"

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked, "You would be doing everyone a favor and helping them by exposing the place, right?"

"I think I see where you're getting at, Roll," said Sable, tapping her chin, "Governments and such have become quite cold and unsympathetic in their methods to take action. The best they might do is just condemn the building altogether, which would probably be best, but..."

"But..." Fluttershy finished, understanding Sable's point, "...it would put all those children out in the streets with no place to go!"

"Or just another dilapidated building," said Roll, "They would have no place to go and they would blame us for taking away their home. Yes, the place is a dump, but...it's still their home. Even I can understand that." Sable just pondered to herself before pulling out her smart phone and started to scroll through it.

"What are you doing Mom?" Roll asked curiously.

"I'm contacting Isabelle," said Sable, "I want to see if there's anything she can do in regards to that orphanage. She might be able to help us navigate all this red tape and maybe find a way that we can get some of these children to new homes."

"That's a good idea Mom," said Roll, "I mean...I might not be the mayor here, but maybe Isabelle can pull some strings so I can speak to the mayor of this city myself or something. I might be able to get some action done if I'm able to speak to them personally."

"But what about Cream and Kalinka?" Fluttershy asked, finally seeing the right time to bring them up in the conversation.

"What about them?" said Roll, "if this intervention plan works, we might be able to help them find homes too!" Fluttershy looked a bit offended and Roll gave her a puzzled look.

"Did...did I say something wrong?" Roll asked curiously. Fluttershy just kept glaring until she took a deep breath to recompose herself.

"Roll...when you met Cream and Kalinka," Fluttershy began with a serious tone, "didn't you find something about them was...different? Like...you connected with them rather easily?" Roll just looked blankly for a moment before thinking to herself a bit.

"Well...yeah...I did...," Roll pondered aloud, "they both were advanced intellectually. They were both of Russian and Italian descent, Kalinka had the same hair color and blue eyes as I do, Cream had she same nose shape and dimple, even the same chin as me, but...wait a minute here! Are...are you implying?"

"It sounds far-fetched, but..." Fluttershy replied, "...you did keep staring at each other..."

"...and when you talked to one another," Sable added, "you three acted like you've known each other forever. It was like...you've always known each other. I could sense a bond between the three of you..." Roll just looked back a forth between the two before shaking her head.

"But we haven't!" Roll retorted, "I've never seen either of them before in my life! And besides, Jacqueline..."

"Ah-hem," Sable coughed sternly.

"Fine, my _biological_ mother," Roll continued, spitefully adding the correct term, "she hated children! She loathe them completely! I should know! Why in the name of Nintendo would she even bother trying to have a second child? Or even a third? That woman's hated children far too much to try and find a _replacement_ for me!"

"That might be true Roll," said Fluttershy and soften her voice, "But...you've had the talk...and she was a grown woman..." Roll just stared before making a disgusted face, grunting angrily.

"It's bad enough that she was a heartless jerk," Roll replied angrily, "but now I have to add that she was probably a harem as well! Ugh, that woman makes me sick!" Roll just let herself collapse into the sofa again with a plop, causing her legs to bounce into the air a bit as she tried breathing exercises to calm herself down. Sable just stayed beside her and fingered Roll's hair a bit to help her relax. Fluttershy just took a seat beside her and just wait for Roll calm down, keeping quiet and just giving her a supportive smile. Roll was grateful for the silence and after about ten minutes she finally felt her temper mellow out so she could release a long breath from her mouth and sit up as she untied her ponytail and let her long hair fan behind her.

"Okay, let's just order some dinner," said Roll, "I need some time to think and I hungry." Fluttershy was about to speak but just closed her mouth and looked away. It was enough to get the attention of both girls, who felt that they didn't want to deal with any more surprises.

"Did you have something you wanted to say Fluttershy?" Roll asked firmly. The shy girl said nothing but just played with her hair for a bit. Roll just gave her a disapproving look.

"You're hiding something," she pointed out.

"It's...it's nothing..." said Fluttershy quietly. Roll took offense.

"Don't lie to me," said Roll, clearly upset, "Now what's going on?" Fluttershy just sighed as she got up to grab both the baggies as well a 12 inch bunny plush toy that had a pink hood over the ears. Fluttershy kept inside her handbag for personal reasons.

"Is that a...My Melody doll?" Sable asked as Fluttershy held it close before sitting down.

"Yeah," Fluttershy replied, "Shenran got it for me when he and Lemon took a trip to the town of Akihabar since Lemon loves anything Anime. I've always had a love for rabbits and bunnies so...he surprised me with this doll. She's my little companion. Sort of how Roll has her Komasan and Komajiro dolls." Sable chuckled as Roll just sighed impatiently waiting for Fluttershy to tell her what she was hiding. Fluttershy didn't wait too long between cuddles to put the two baggies on the table. Roll just looked at the baggies, not really seeing the big deal until she picked them up and saw that hair strands inside of them.

"Are...are these?" Roll asked, unsure of how to say it. Fluttershy just nodded.

"Yes," she answered, "These are samples of Cream's and Kalinka's hair."

"So...is...it...true?" she asked, feeling her hands shake a bit, "Are...are..."

"They didn't say," said Fluttershy, "All they said was that you would know what to do with this if they gave them to you. I'm guessing they've got their suspicions too." Roll just looked at the baggies before she felt her eyes water.

"Roll..."

"This is just too much..." Roll whimpered as she began to cry, "I may or may not have sisters Mom! Not just one, but two! How else am I supposed to feel? Happy? Angry?"

"Angry?" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"Well at my mother!" said Roll, "it's bad enough she rejected me, but to go and have two more children and dump them too! Isabelle's been checking my family history this entire time. She said her research came up empty! How could Kalinka and Cream not have been discovered? It's just doesn't make any sense!"

"But how can you be sure they are related to you?" Sable asked. Roll glared as she wiped her eyes for the second time that evening.

"Mom...can you seriously look at them and not think that those two girls are not related to me?" said Roll, "didn't you see sense some sort of connection? How many girls share all those things we have in common? And when have you met someone who feels the need to go barefoot everywhere they go?" Roll lifted a foot to prove her point. Sable opened her mouth and then closed it. Despite her doubts, she did agree with everything Roll had said.

"I didn't mention this before," Roll continued, "But I saw that golden furred hedgehog when I looked at them. She repeated what she had told me in my dream a few days ago. That they would guide me to my destiny. But...is that really what my destiny is? A big sister?" Sable just chuckled before pulling her daughter into another hug.

"I wouldn't say that being a big sister is your destiny," said Sable, "but...it might be the next stage you need in order to move in the right direction to grow and mature."

"I see," said Roll, "but...am...am I even ready to be a big sister?" Sable giggled.

"You're looking at a woman who has two little sisters herself," Sable replied.

"Same here!" said Fluttershy, making both girls look at her.

"But...I thought Rainbow was born first?" Roll asked. Fluttershy just snorted as she closed her eyes.

"When we were being born," said Fluttershy, "The doctor said I was ready to come out first, but he said Rainbow pushed me out of the way so she could go first. So in that sense, she was born first, but what only me, Mom, and Dad know is that I was already out when Rainbow cut me off. So...I'm actually older...by five seconds." Both girls were surprised.

"Why have you never told her about that?" said Sable. Fluttershy just shrugged her shoulder.

"Rainbow has a bit of an ego," said Fluttershy, "while it needs a good check every now and then, it's very heartbreaking when it gets shattered in any way or form. I don't like seeing her spirit so broken. Because she keeps things to herself, when she cries, she CRIES. I'd rather she just believe she's older cause it makes her happy and when she's happy. I'm happy." Sable just smiled and Roll did the same.

"That's an example of a good sister," said Sable. Roll hummed in agreement.

"So...what should I do next?" said Roll, "I mean...there is a way to find out for sure..."

"Leave it to me," said Sable and grabbed her phone, "I'll head back to Animal Town on the next train in the morning so Isabelle can get to work. Plus maybe she can help in doing something about that broken wreck you called an orphanage."

"So...you're gonna leave me and Fluttershy in the city?" Roll replied.

"Of course," said Sable, "It be a waste to not take full advantage of what this place has to offer. Especially since the town gave you the stay here as a gift. In fact, I seem to recall that someone who is interested in adopting can have the day with them. So..."

"We can see Cream and Kalinka again," said Fluttershy excitedly.

"There's just one problem," said Roll, "I'm only twelve years old. Sure, that makes no difference back home, but people around here might not believe that I have any authority because I'm so young. I can't exactly say I'm legally qualified to adopt anybody. Though I don't want to leave Cream and Kalinka there to rot either."

"Don't forget that you're a princess," said Sable.

"Is that really going to make a difference?" Roll snapped, "Only in Animal Town am I..."

"Not true," said Sable, "You were addressed as a princess when we first arrived. That means that you are legally acknowledged as one around here."

"Except for the headmaster," Roll muttered.

"Well then, we'll just have use your position and power to our advantage," said Fluttershy as she grabbed a phone and made a call. There was a curious silence before the phone rang a bit.

"Excuse me, miss headmaster," said Fluttershy, "My client Princess Roll Koritsa is interested in an adoption, but she would like to spend more time with the children she is considering for the adoption." There was another moment of silence.

"Cream and Kalinka," Fluttershy replied before more silence.

"Oh I'll tell you why you should consider her to adopt them," said Fluttershy, "You know those health codes you're behind on...I'm sure you'd like to not have her report them to the Heath Bureau." Roll and Sable blinked at each other before a wide smirk appeared on Fluttershy's face.

"We'll pick them up in the morning," said Fluttershy, "Good night." Fluttershy just smirked in triumph as she hung up the phone as she gave them both an OK sign with her fingers. Roll looked at her skeptically. Even Sable rested her hands on her hips.

"I never knew you could be so crafty," said Roll. While she looked at the shy girl skeptically, she was inwardly very impressed at how Fluttershy handled herself. Fluttershy just giggled to herself and just kept smiling.

"It's like you said Roll," said Fluttershy, "I gotta learn to be assertive in my own little way. You just gotta know what's it takes to motivate people to do what you need them to do." Roll just chuckled and Sable did the same before finally dialing up room service to they could finally eat. Now that they had a plan, it was time to feed their starving stomachs and get some rest. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

Sable left very early the next morning to take an early train back home, leaving the two girls on their own. While she knew she could trust Roll and Fluttershy to stay out of trouble, she still gave them both a motherly warning for good measure before leaving for her train and got two large eye rolls in return. Roll and Fluttershy just took their time since they weren't picking up Cream and Kalinka until 10am and the clock barely was reaching 9am as they were finishing their breakfast.

"That was very delicious, thank you," said Fluttershy as their server was cleaning up their dishes, "tell the chief he did such a marvelous job!" Their server just smiled as Roll gave her a nice sized tip before she left, leaving the girls to get ready for the day.

"Should we go with a dress?" Roll asked as she searched her portable secret storage for an outfit.

"We don't need to be that formal for a day out," said Fluttershy, "I was just gonna wear a pink pullover sweater with a white tank top underneath and some pedal pushers that are made from the green cargo pants your mother makes with this pink bunny ear headband that Rarity made for me with some white shades. As I said last night, I love rabbits." Roll giggled.

"I like that idea," said Roll, "but I'll wear my hair half back with my tiara with the same outfit...if you don't mind me copying you."

"Not at all," said Fluttershy, "we can be twinsies!" Roll giggled to herself, liking that idea very much.

"What about...shoes?" Roll asked, making a face just saying that "s" word to the shy girl.

"I was thinking some green flip-flops, but we can just keep em in our pockets for places that require them for service and such," Fluttershy suggested.

"I'm down with that," said Roll, "Let's get ready!" Fluttershy smiled and they didn't take too long to get dressed and they made their way out of the hotel with their shades above their heads. They were then surprised to see that there was a white limo waiting for them once more.

"Greeting your majesty," said the driver with a bow, "My name is Scott and I'll be driving you to where ever you desire for the day." Roll just blinked a bit. While she was more surprised by the limo, but also surprised by the fact that their driver didn't that much older than Fluttershy.

"Umm...I don't recall asking for a private limo," said Roll, looking at Fluttershy, who was just smiling innocently.

"Fluttershy?"

"Isabelle called me to say it's all part of the gift," said Fluttershy, "But it's just for today. Anyway, let's just enjoy it. He's already here." Roll noticed that Fluttershy was staring at the driver and just rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Fine," said Roll, "but I hope Cream and Kalinka don't see me as conceited seeing us pulling up in a limo."

"I'd like to think of it as you showing your status as an official princess to that stupid headmaster who has a hole bigger than the ocean in her heart!" Fluttershy replied, raising her voice before realizing her outburst and cowering back.

"Yeah...let's get go..." she finished in her timid nature. Roll just giggled quietly to herself as they exchanged a handshake with the driver before climbing in. Though Roll had to tease Fluttershy at least once for making goo-goo eyes at him.

"Scott's kind of cute," Fluttershy whispered to Roll. Roll just said nothing but rolled her eyes again with a discreet smirk on her face. Apparently Scott wasted no time showing off his knowledge of the city streets. Using what he called a "short cut", he got the two girls to their orphanage a few minutes early. Fluttershy and Roll quickly tucked on their flip flops before getting ready to exit the limo.

"We'll be back soon so keep the motor running okay," said Fluttershy casually.

"Sure thing," Scott replied with a wink. Fluttershy blushed with a cute smile on her face before exiting the limo when she noticed Roll smirking.

"You seem very comfortable talking to Scott," she teased. Fluttershy just looked annoyed before feeling her cheeks color a bit as they made their way to the entrance. Roll hid a light giggle before following Fluttershy inside. They found that Cream and Kalinka were already waiting for them in the lobby with a the stern faced headmaster just standing with them. Fluttershy and Roll just made their way inside, returning the glare the headmaster was giving them.

"I expect them back by 5pm, no later," she said, leaning forward as if she was making a threat. Fluttershy and Roll just looked bored until the headmaster huffed and just walked away without another word. Fluttershy just watched her leave for a bit before turning to face Cream and Kalinka, giving them both a warm smile.

"Now that she's out of our faces," Roll replied, "let's get out of here and have some fun." Cream just smiled but Kalinka wasn't as enthusiastic.

"Why?" she asked, making everyone stop moving to face her.

"What do you mean?" Roll asked curiously.

"Why?" said Kalinka, "Why go out of your way for us?" Roll just looked at her before just giving her a warm smile.

"I just want to be your friend," said Roll, "and get to know you more. Now let's get going. I'm sure you girls would like to have some fun in the city instead of just being cooped up all day trying to study." Kalinka just looked a bit skeptical and just smiled before following the rest of the group outside. Cream had already taken off for the limo with Kalinka catching up to her.

"Oh wow!" said Cream when she saw the limo outside. Kalinka just gave Roll a smirk.

"Simple girl huh?" she asked. Roll just huffed and rolled her eyes behind her shades.

"I honestly just walked out of the hotel we were staying at and here it was," said Roll, "anyways, Fluttershy seems to have a crush on the driver so it kind of worked out." Fluttershy just glared before getting inside with Roll and Kalinka behind her. As they pulled away, Cream and Kalinka noticed that Fluttershy and Roll had taken off their flip-flops and tucked them into their pockets.

"We won't be needing those anymore," said Roll, lifting her leg and giving her toes a wiggle, "right Fluttershy?"

"Nope," said Fluttershy, "thanks to you I finally have the courage to try and stay this way." The two giggled to each other before they looked at Cream and Kalinka, who had been staring. Fluttershy and Roll just chuckled to each other.

"We...did say that we liked going about our daily business barefooted," said Roll, "You don't need to copy us. It's just who we are."

"Right," said Fluttershy, thought she felt a little sub-conscious from their staring.

"Can...well..." said Cream, rubbing her shoes together. Cream's shoes were old scratched up brown buckle shoes while Kalinka had a worn out brown and (dirty) white stripped sneakers. Each had long knee high brown socks with them as well as their skirts were an inch above the knees despite the early spring weather.

"Go ahead," said Roll, "we won't tell the headmaster about it. We want you guys to relax while you hang out with us. So go ahead. You can just leave them in the limo so you won't have to worry about losing them." Cream and Kalinka smiled before they excitedly tore off their socks and shoes, setting them aside as they lifted both their legs and wiggled their toes.

"Freedom!" they shouted with glee and laughing. Roll just blinked.

"I...had no idea you two hated shoes so much," Roll pointed out. The two girls stopped laughing and looked at her with warm smiles.

"We've always been that way," said Kalinka.

"Yeah," said Cream, "Our mother never put shoes on us. I don't remember even owning a pair until we were both put in here."

"That is true," Cream added as she scratched, "Our mom never cared about putting shoes or sock on us. I can't say we blame her though. These socks are murder."

"And my shoes barely fit my feet," said Kalinka, "Even wearing them without the socks doesn't help that much." Kalinka lifted her foot and showed the red marks that were around her ankles, showing that Kalinka had tried wearing her shoes without them. Cream had similar marks, plus she had a some red patches on her legs where the material of the socks had left a rash. Fluttershy gasped.

"Scott stop the car at the nearest pharmacist ASAP!" she ordered in a firm tone. Scott nodded as he continued until they stopped at the said shop. Fluttershy wasted no time dashing in, paying for some ointments and creams for rashes and such, and then dashed out into the limo. Once Scott had driven off, Fluttershy knelt beside both girls. Cream and Kalinka shyly huddled up to each other.

"Don't worry," said Fluttershy, "I know this might be a bit bold, but...those rash marks won't get better unless I put these creams on them. Don't they hurt?" Kalinka just said nothing as she pulled her legs into her chest, careful to keep her skirt tucked down as she did so. Cream was a little taken aback but bravely put her legs out in front of Fluttershy.

"I trust you," Cream said softly. Kalinka was shocked, but Fluttershy just smiled as she got to work. Lightly putting the cream on the rashes on her legs. Apparently Scott was a great driver, keeping the ride as smooth as possible so Fluttershy could do her work. After about a minute, the cream had cleared the rashes and Cream sighed as her legs and feet didn't feel so dry or irritated anymore. She smiles as tears streamed from her eyes and dove into Fluttershy's arms, nearly knocking the shy girl over.

"Thank you," she replied as she continued to cry in her arms. Kalinka just smiled as she relaxed herself and lifted her feet before her.

"I'm...ready for my turn," said Kalinka uneasily, "if Cream can trust you...so can I?"

"I'll do it," said Roll, "A big sister should look out for the younger ones after all."

"Big sister?" Kalinka exclaimed. Roll blinked when she realized what she said and coughed to recompose herself.

"N-n-never mind," said Roll, "I just want to help you." Kalinka just stared for a moment before smiling and let Roll tend to the rashes on her ankles. She had to admit that the cream really did sooth the irritated skin around her ankles and gave Roll a smile to say thank you before the Roll and Fluttershy sat back down in their seats.

"So...what else are going to do?" said Cream, "Besides being nursed for our rashes." Fluttershy and Roll giggled to each other.

"How do you two feel about a spa treatment?" Roll asked, "My town residents surprised me with a special stay at this high-end hotel since it's been one year since I moved there."

"Cool," said Kalinka, "I've always wanted to go a spa."

"I thought you were more of a tomboy," said Cream.

"Doesn't mean I can't like spas!" said Kalinka, "I'm athletic, but I'm also a girl too. I like looking pretty and stuff like that. Even if I get teased about it." Fluttershy giggled.

"My sister Rainbow could learn from you," said Fluttershy, "She's very tomboyish too, but doesn't like showing her girly side too much." Kalinka hummed until the limo arrived back at the hotel. They wasted no time getting a basic spa package and Cream and Kalinka enjoyed it greatly. They were all chuckling happily when they exited the hotel, feeling very refreshed and rejuvenated. While Cream had her hair back in her pigtails, Kalinka had left her hair untied, showing how thick and curly it was as her hair flowed halfway down her back. The shampoo and condition had made her hair shine like gold, making her proud to leave it out of its ponytail for the day.

"Man, I so could get used to that," Kalinka remarked as she stretched her arms and toes contently.

"Yeah," said Cream, "That bubble bath was so heavenly. And I enjoyed getting my finger and toes nailed cleaned too." She looked at her own bare feet and smiled happily.

"Yeah," said Kalinka, "You're lucky to get even a shower back at the orphanage and they only last two minutes too so you had to hurry to wash up. Sometimes without even any soap and you can forget the shampoo!"

"That is just terrible," said Fluttershy softly and Roll nodded in agreement, but she was still deep in thought. Both girls had mentioned that they had a mother who never put shoes or socks on their feet. And she could tell they enjoyed being barefoot just as much as she did. They had even said quickly that they had been put into the orphanage. A clue they may or may not have been taken away from their mother.

"This is just getting to coincidental," said Roll to herself, "These girls have so much in common with me. Too much in common with me."

"You mean you're mother did the same to you?" Cream asked since she had heard Roll loud and clear. Roll realized her mistake and felt a bit flustered before recomposing herself.

"What do...you mean?" Roll asked slowly.

"Did your mother abuse you?" Kalinka asked curiously. Roll just felt a lump in her throat before she took a deep breath.

"Fluttershy and I had made some plans to take you girls to the city park for a picnic," Roll answered, trying to change the subject...for now, "Let's get going there and...I'll answer your questions okay?" Kalinka couldn't help but feel suspicious as Cream just smiled.

"Sure thing," said Cream innocently, "I'm getting pretty hungry."

"I hope the food isn't too extravagant," Kalinka muttered, not in the mood for a lesson on manners and such. Fluttershy just smiled.

"I didn't think peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, potato chips, fruits, and cookies weren't too high class," Fluttershy commented. Kalinka instantly lowered her defenses and her mouth watered. Cream's mouth did the same.

"Oh let's get going so we can eat!" they said excitedly. Fluttershy just smiled as Roll did the same, but she had to try hard to hide her nervousness. The limo ride for the rest of the trip was rather quiet for the most part. Though Fluttershy couldn't help but start a conversation with Scott. Kalinka and Cream just listened to the conversation, giving a few snickers and giggles as they tried in their own way to get Scott and Fluttershy to set up a date. Roll just watched the little episode contently, but she was just trying to think about what she was going to say during the picnic. She wanted to answer Kalinka and Cream's questions during lunch. She was still in deep thought long after they had sat down and began to eat. Even when she felt a potato chip hit her forehead.

"Huh?" said Roll as she was snapped out of her train of thought.

"Kalinka what was that for?" Fluttershy asked, surprised by the sudden move by the blonde girl. Even Cream looked at her older sister with curiosity. Roll just sighed to herself and fingered her ankle.

"I wanted Roll to answer my question," said Kalinka. There a long pause as Roll just looked at her feet before she finally could answer.

"My mother hated me," Roll began slowly, "She didn't want to take care of me and she never had me wear shoes from the time I was born to the time I was just a little over three years old. Then she had enough of me and tossed me into a trash can. Someone found me scavenging for food and I was sent to the orphanage you guys are living at now." Kalinka and Cream just listened attentively while the latter munched on a chocolate chip cookie.

"I was dumped into a cardboard box when I was only a few weeks old," Kalinka explained, "I literally grew up searching through garbage and trying to find scraps for food and such. I never saw my mother and then one day someone saw me and they put me in the orphanage." Roll just nodded as they both looked at Cream.

"I was left on a door step when I was a newborn," Cream explained, "They say I had just been born and I was left to waste away in a basket. To make matters worse, the people who found me didn't want me. They dumped me at a police station, where I was taken to a hospital where I was nursed until I was about one year old and then put in an orphanage. Apparently Mom didn't want us either, she just dumped us like yesterday's garbage."

"At least you were able to be nursed and fed properly," said Kalinka, "the doctor wasn't even sure I would live past age three because I was so malnourished."

"I don't know what's more painful," Roll added quietly, "being dumped when you're too young to remember it or actually having your mother throw you out and dump you to your face and remembering it." Kalinka and Cream just looked at her quietly.

"Do you have any visible scars from the abuse?" Roll wondered as she pulled her pedal pusher bottoms to show her scar just above her right knee cap. Kalinka lifted her bangs and showed a large scar on her forehead.

"They say it was probably from a gash I got from being dumped into the box that never healed or mended itself correctly," Kalinka answered, "after all. I wasn't even a week old when I was abandoned." She then looked at Cream who just looked very shy and insecure.

"You don't have to answer Cream if you don't..."

"No, Roll," said Cream, "I have a scar too, and unlike you guys I can't hide it. It's as clear as day on my face!" Roll looked puzzled for a moment before she realized what Cream was implying.

"No..." Roll exclaimed as Fluttershy gasped. Cream nodded.

"When they found me, they said my eyes had an infection from being out in the cold air," said Cream, "I wear glasses because she scarred my eyes permanently. I'll be a four-eyes forever!" Cream began to cry a little as Kalinka held her close. Fluttershy wasted no time handing the girl a tissue.

"Well I think you're very pretty with glasses," said Fluttershy, "They show just how smart you look."

"And that I am a nerd," Cream replied quietly. Roll felt her heart reached out to the brown haired girl. She understood that insecurity completely.

"How bad is your sight without them?" said Roll, "are you completely blind or..."

"I can see where I'm going, but I can't really read anything," Cream explained, "So...I guess I should be grateful I am not tripping over myself like a klutz." Roll just giggled, making Cream feel better as she proceeded with another question.

"What about your father?" Roll asked next.

"Abandoned," said Cream, "Probably dead too." Kalinka nodded as a clue that she shared the same answer. Roll just hummed quietly as Fluttershy was just sobbing to herself.

"Fluttershy?" Cream asked quietly as Kalinka looked at her as well in confusion.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I'm just...just feel so sad...no child shouldn't have to go through this. I've never heard of a mother who could be so awful to their own children. Your pasts are so...heartbreaking."

"Mother?" Kalinka asked, "Don't you mean...mothers?" Fluttershy stopped crying when she realized her slip-up and slapped both her hands over her mouth.

"Umm...I just remembered," said Fluttershy, wanting to not say anything more, "I...w-w-wanted to give Scott his share of the goodies...that...I packed. Yeah...heh...he's...he's been so nice and I want to make sure he gets a nice lunch so...I'll be right back."

"Make sure to ask him out!" Cream shouted, trying to be encouraging.

"Okay!" Fluttershy called out, not even realizing what Cream had said until after she dashed away to leave Roll alone with the two girls. There was an awkward silence for a moment before Kalinka cleared her throat.

"Do...you have any idea what happened to your mother?" Kalinka asked Roll curiously. Roll just looked at her quietly.

"My mother was arrested and spent the rest of her life in prison," Roll answered, "Just last year I tried to reach out to her and she...had died." Kalinka and Cream gasped before they looked at each other.

"Our mother was sent into the prison too," said Kalinka, "We managed to do some research about her without the headmaster finding out."

"How did you do that?" Roll asked curiously.

"Cream here is a technological genius," said Kalinka, nudging the brown haired girl lightly with her elbow, "She had no problem bypassing the schools records without getting caught." Cream blushed but also looked rather guilty.

"I still feel what we did was wrong," said Cream, "That skill is only for dire circumstances. Like Fluttershy's stare." Roll nodded in agreement.

"So other than that," said Kalinka, "we were never able to meet with her."

"It's pretty much too late," Cream added, "She died not too long ago as well." Roll just blinked in shock before she felt a small tear left her eye. Another clue had spawned about them possibly being related. She just had to ask one more question.

"Girls, listen," said Roll, being as direct as possible, "Do...do you know what month your mother passed away?" Kalinka and Cream just exchanged some nervous looks before sighing to each other.

"From what Cream had researched, it...it was...in December," said Kalinka. Roll felt herself fighting back tears.

"Do...do you know her name?" Roll asked, her tone getting very shakey. Now Kalinka was getting a bit shakey. Cream felt the same way. Apparently, there was anxiety forming on both sides of the conversation.

"Her...her name was Jacqueline," said Kalinka slowly, "Jacqueline Koritsa." Roll felt her hands shake and her throat became super dry. She was fighting hard not to cry, but that was the confirmation point right there and it was as clear as day. Roll opened her mouth to speak when her smart phone went off.

"H-h-hello?" said Roll, her voice quivering as she answered it.

"Roll? Are...are you okay?" said the voice. Roll took a few deep breath to try and calm herself down before trying to speak again. It was Isabelle on the other line.

"N-n-not exactly," said Roll, "I-I..."

"This is about that DNA test isn't it?" Isabelle replied.

"DNA test?" Cream asked, hearing the conversation, before it clicked in her head, "Is that why Kalinka? Why you ripped some hair out of..."

"SHUSH!" Kalinka scolded in a whisper, wanting to hear the conversation, but getting a glare from the brown pig-tailed girl. Since they could hear, Roll put the phone on speaker before answering.

"Yes," Roll said quietly, "While I've had my suspicions, you probably have the biggest confirmation to prove whether it is true or not?"

"What is true?" Kalinka asked curiously. Roll looked at them sadly.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Roll, "We're both of Russian and Italian descent! Our mothers were cruel to us and our fathers abandoned us. They are now both dead. We're both prodigies and advanced in school despite our young age and we've got a love to be barefoot everywhere we go! I bet we can handle it on everything minus cold rain and snow if that is correct!"

"It...actually is..." said Kalinka, "Cream struggles walking in snow with bare feet, but...I can handle it...for a minute or two..." Roll nodded before getting back to Isabelle, who had been listening quietly to them.

"Sable arrived pretty early this morning," Isabelle explained, "I had been worried that something had gone wrong until she had explained what had happened. I'm already hard at work getting a claim filed post haste so we can crack down on the negligence of that orphanage you and your two friends live in so I'm on that. As for the DNA results, I actually knew someone from my days in college who knows how to do extensive testing on such matters and can do it ultra quickly!"

"Considering you graduated at over 15 universities, I'm not entirely surprised," Roll replied. Kalinka and Cream felt their jaws drop in shock.

"Over...fifteen universities!" Kalinka exclaimed.

"Even as advanced and egg-headed as I am," said Cream, "I was only considering two! A standard university and culinary school." Kalinka just gave her a look before Isabelle continued to speak again.

"So...as I said before, my friend works really quickly," said Isabelle, "don't ask why or how, he just does. And I just got an email right now from him with the results. If you...are ready for them." Roll just looked nervously at her two friends, who were giving her serious glares. By now Fluttershy had returned, holding a little card in her left hand.

"Scott is such a sweetie," she remarked as she sat back, "He even gave me his phone number so I can call him..." The shy girl then noticed all the tension at their picnic blanket.

"What's...going on?" she asked slowly.

"Fluttershy?" Isabelle called, "Are you there?" Fluttershy looked around until she saw Roll's phone between herself and the two girls.

"I'm...I'm here," said Fluttershy as she sat back down, "Did...something happen?"

"I have the results for the DNA test," said Isabelle, "Thanks to a friend of mine, I am able to work quickly. Roll had gotten a little quiet when I said that I have the results right here. I'm guess she put the speaker on so Cream and Kalinka could hear the results as well." Fluttershy looked up and noticed that all three girls looked rather anxious. Roll was shaking a little, Kalinka was looking rather impatient while Cream played with the hem of her torn skirt. Fluttershy just took Roll's hand.

"Roll?" she asked gently.

"I'm...I'm ready," said Roll, "I guess I'm just...overwhelmed."

"Why?" Kalinka asked in a defensive tone, "Don't want us for sisters?" Roll looked devastated and Kalinka instantly regretted her comment.

"Sorry," said Kalinka, "Guess I've got issues with rejection..." Roll's lips quivered a bit, ready to cry, when she quickly recomposed herself.

"Me too," Roll croaked, "Isabelle, put this issue to rest. I think I know the answer but...please...tell me if it is true. Are Kalinka and Cream my sisters?" The next seven seconds were probably the longest the four girls had ever waited in their lives. Even Fluttershy was sweating a little, anxious to know the truth herself. Isabelle took a long breath as she scanned the results.

"Roll?" she asked slowly.

"Yes, Isabelle?" Roll asked eagerly.

"According to the results..." Isabelle began slowly before completing the statement.

"Kalinka and Cream are your sisters," she finished, "from the same mother AND father."

For Roll, everything went black.

 **Akihabar is just a shorten version of the city of Akiharbara, a district of Tokyo where they sell alot of Anime merchandise.**

 **And I know rash creams and such don't work that quickly, but bare with me. If the medicine packs instantly cure bee stings and such, then other packs are gonna work the same so bear with it.**

 **Well I pretty much dropped all the clues to the truth to the very end of the story. the DNA test pretty much sealed the deal. And yes I know, a DNA test usually takes more than a day to process and such but this is Isabelle after all. The power puppy who can do anything she sets her mind too. The fact she got the results so quickly is a testament to how awesome Isabelle is. Don't tarnish it when you make your reviews.**

 **The story isn't finished yet. So stay tuned.**


	66. New Change Part 3

New Change Part 3

It was a good half an hour later before Roll murmured a bit and started to wake up again.

"Ugh, what happened?" Roll asked wearily as Fluttershy was hovering over her with a worried look on her face.

"Oh thank goodness are you okay," said Fluttershy as she helped Roll sit up a bit.

"What happened?" Roll asked again, this time feeling less woozy.

"You passed out," Cream explained, "right after Isabelle said that we were your sisters. Full 100% blood related sisters to be exact."

"Like we needed a DNA test to prove it," Kalinka remarked, "The more we discussed our past with you. The more it was as clear as day."

"True," said Cream, "But a DNA test is what will matter with the headmaster, not what we have in common. You know she listens to nobody unless there's tangible proof in front of her face."

"I know," Kalinka conceded, hating the fact the headmaster made her feel so helpless before turning to Roll, who was clearly still overwhelmed to speak. She wasn't going to wait for Roll to pull herself back together before asking the big question.

"So what now?" she asked. Roll blinked in surprise, even Fluttershy was stunned by Kalinka's question.

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked, "The whole reason we brought you out here was find if you girls were related to Roll or not...and to adopt you."

"So...if the tests were false..." Kalinka began.

"The adoption offer would still be on the table," said Roll, "We're friends now after all."

"You sure about that?" Kalinka asked skeptically, "we've barely known each other for a day."

"Roll is mine," Cream muttered quietly. Kalinka just rolled her eyes.

"Hey, listen," said Roll, "I understand Kalinka."

"Understand what?" Kalinka demanded.

"Why you hate me right now," Roll replied. Kalinka blinked. It was as if Roll had seen right through her. Did she...really...hate Roll? That might be a strong word...but...she could feel some anger inside, especially now knowing the older blonde was her sister.

"After all," Roll continued quietly, "I wasn't even there for you. I was spending more of my time pitying myself and asking why my life was so messed up to even bother to find you guys..."

"Roll stop!" Fluttershy cut off, "Until we met these two, you said you were an only child who was rejected by her mother straight to her face!" Kalinka softened a bit hearing that.

"Really?" Kalinka exclaimed. Roll nodded, her tears hidden behind her shades.

"I never knew that I had two sisters," she explained, "I've been having Isabelle search for any possible relatives and until you two showed up, all my efforts have been pretty much empty handed. Aside from the two of you, we have no living relatives."

"Who is this...Isabelle exactly?" Kalinka asked with her arms crossed.

"She's my secretary, but more than that, one of my best friends," said Roll, "She befriended me when I first arrived in Animal Town." Roll went on to explain how she was "accidently" mistaken as the new mayor and how Isabelle helped her adjust to her new position. And how she had learned on her own how to be a good leader as well as how she apparently become a "princess" to everyone in town overnight. She also included what had brought her to the orphanage in the first place. Kalinka and Cream just listened carefully until Roll had finished her explanation. They really had nothing to say for a while before Kalinka just looked at her with a serious look on her face.

"So...what happens now?" said Kalinka, feeling the need to repeat her question, "Do you expect us to just come with you and we all live happily ever after?" Fluttershy was taken aback by her harsh tone while Roll just sighed to herself.

"Well...do you expect me to just stop seeing you altogether and leave you behind?" Roll asked to respond to Kalinka's question. Kalinka just softened before grunting loudly.

"I just don't know what to think about all of this!" said Kalinka and grunted again. Roll just sighed to herself.

"Well I don't want you guys living in that dump anymore!" Roll said firmly, "Even if you were just two random girls who needed a home and a family. That is why I didn't just say hi to the both of you and move on because I know how that felt. Why else do you think I'm going out of my way to spend time with you guys?"

"Pity?" Kalinka asked and got shoved rudely by Cream.

"Hey!"

"Listen Kalinka!" Cream snapped angrily, "Roll already explained herself. None of this was her fault and you can't blame her for not being there for us. She didn't even know we existed this entire time and if she had, I know she wouldn't have abandoned us! I know you're angry about Mom! I am too! But you can't take that anger out of Roll! She's not the one who wronged us. She didn't abandon us! She's here now, wanting us to be our friend. Not sisters, but friends!"

"That's true," said Roll sadly, "I can't make you be my sisters and I wouldn't force you to make me yours. In fact, I can't force you to take my offer either. The decision is up to you guys, but do know that I really want to make up for the time that I lost with you. And I am very sorry for not being there for you, but I do tell the truth. I _really didn't know_ that I had two sisters. And I can't believe that Mom would be so awful to all three of us. Or the fact that she would even have another child if she hated me so much. Obviously she didn't try to replace me, otherwise she would have kept one or the both of you. But Cream is right. I'm not like her. I want to be your sister. Besides...I love you guys." Cream and Kalinka just looked surprised.

"That's not possible!" Kalinka snapped, "You can't just love us! You don't even know us!"

"She doesn't have to," said Fluttershy retorted, "it's called unconditional love. It doesn't need a reason or time to exist. Roll felt that you two needed someone to love and care about you and she wants to give that to you and so much more! I want to as well!"

"She's right," said Roll, "I wish more than anything I could turn back the clock so we could have been together much sooner, but I can't. All I can say is that I am here now and I want to open a whole new world for you all. A place where you can be more than just the children we are viewed as. Where I live, we are treated as adults who have the freedom to work hard and pursue our own dreams. Or in my case as well as yours, find who we are and discover how special we are despite a harsh past." Kalinka just sighed to herself as Cream just looked at her big sister with curiosity.

"Do you think this will make up for the fact you haven't been there for us until today?" Kalinka asked with a hint of bitterness in her tone. Roll just looked at her sadly.

"No," said Roll, "but I've said nothing but the truth. I really didn't know that I had sisters and I really want to get you guys out of that place."

"Because of pity?" Kalinka called out, "Because you feel like you owe it to us?!" Roll was deeply hurt by her remark and began to cry.

"Is it wrong that I don't want to abandon you guys and doom you to spending the rest of your life in that dreaded place?" Roll wept, "What are you gonna do once your sixteen years old and they throw you out like the others that don't get adopted? You don't deserve a life like that! I can't believe you think I'm so shallow!"

"Listen Kalinka," said Fluttershy sternly, "Roll feels very bad about all of this and if you're angry, it better be for the woman you called your mother and not at her! Roll is nothing like her. She's a loyal and true friend who loves and care deeply for anyone who lets her welcome them into their life. She will always put you ahead of herself and she will always be there to listen to your feelings and opinions. She has every quality that you want in a true friend and sister: honesty, laughter, kindness, generosity, loyalty, and even a bit of magic."

"Magic?" Cream asked curiously.

"The magic of friendship," said Fluttershy, "when all her efforts seem to not be enough, her friends rally behind her to give her the strength to do even the impossible. It's that magic that has allowed her to develop a town that would put this city to shame. Help my sister-in-law overcome life and death to discover her family history. It also helped Roll fight a gang of thugs who outnumbered her 8 to 1 and she defeated them despite being beaten to the point where a normal person would have been rendered unconscious. She even helped mend two broken friendships that developed into true love. One couple is now dating and the other is engaged. It is these qualities, not any political or legal nonsense. That makes her the princess she is today!" Kalinka listened attentively but her body language showed that she was still on defense. Roll was rather touched by Fluttershy's words. She realized that she was right. That was the reason she was considered a princess. It was because she was a true friend. And it made her realize something else.

"Fluttershy is right," said Roll, "I don't feel any obligation about any of this. All I see is two girls who need an escape and an opportunity to find their own dreams. The fact that we are sisters is just a bonus, because that means that I can love and care about you without is sounding awkward because we've just met. We're family! And if you don't agree with that, then I'm gonna work my butt off to make sure that we become one. Finally, I'm not forcing you into any of this either."

"Really?" Kalinka and Cream asked, the former softening her stance further.

"No," said Roll, "I won't force you to come with me. The decision is up to you. Just know that I care because I want to and for no other reason. Don't ask why anymore. I just do. That's who I am." Kalinka and Cream just nodded in agreement. The rest of the picnic was rather quiet until Fluttershy pulled out a deflated beach ball and tried to blow it up herself. However, when she got winded after only a few puffs, Roll took over and was able to fully inflate the ball. She, Cream, and Fluttershy just played catch for the rest of the afternoon while Kalinka just sat and watched from the picnic blanket. She still didn't know what to think about everything that they had learned today. Once it was close to 5PM, Scott drove them back to the orphanage and dropped them off just outside the entrance. By now, they had put their socks and shoes back on their feet before they had even exited the limo.

"So..." said Roll slowly.

"So..." Kalinka asked curiously.

"Will two days be enough for you think things over?" she asked. Kalinka just sighed to herself as she gave them a weak nod. Roll smiled.

"We'll see you in two days then," said Roll.

"Why not tomorrow?" Cream asked sadly. Roll just smiled.

"Remember when Isabelle called back on our way home," said Roll, "She got me an appointment with the major of the city. So...I'll be pretty busy, but don't worry. Everything is going to be okay. I'll see to it myself."

"If you say so," said Kalinka, doubtfully.

"I know you will," said Cream, showing more optimism as she waved goodbye to Roll and Fluttershy as they drove off. The clock had just struck 5PM as they had shut the door. The headmaster was there, glaring at them.

"Cutting it kind of close girls," she snarled.

"We were inside when it stuck 5..." Cream began.

"SILENCE!" the headmaster snapped, making Cream whimper and cower behind Kalinka. Kalinka had flinched at her harsh tone, but showed no fear.

"Now get upstairs and be ready for dinner!" she yelled before stomping away with a loud "Clomp-clomp-clomp" of her heels. Kalinka just held Cream close before they made their way to their room, ignoring everyone who saw them walk by. They were in no mood to talk to anyone as they headed into their room. Kalinka just plopped into the bed. It felt more uncomfortable then ever since they had gotten to sit in a soft limo seat and spa chairs. Cream, no longer feeling scared, just stood before her with a glare on her face.

"What?" Kalinka asked apathetically.

"Do you seriously need to think about their offer?" Cream asked, rather angrily. Kalinka just blinked a bit before looking away.

"Tell me the truth! Do you..."

"I don't hate Roll okay!" Kalinka barked, "Can you serious tell me that you don't feel overwhelmed about all of this! All three us are sisters and we were all in the same building just a few doors apart and we never knew that we were related to each other! I still don't understand how our mother could be so cruel! It's bad enough she rejected us, but the fact she did it three times and tore us all apart?! It just makes me so sick to my stomach!"

"But what does that have to do with Roll?" Cream asked sternly, "Why should she be your scapegoat for what Mom did to us?"

"I'm not making her my scapegoat!" Kalinka yelled, "You don't know how I feel so just back off!" Kalinka just lay down on the bed with her back against her little sister. Cream just glared before taking a step forward.

"Are you really gonna make me chose?" said Cream.

"Chose what?" Kalinka retorted angrily.

"Are you gonna make me chose between you and Roll?" Cream clarified and Kalinka just looked at her in shock.

"I don't want to live another day in this place!" said Cream sadly, "being bullied and mocked for being smart, fighting and scrapping for food and just a place to sleep! I want to live my own life! I want to go pursue my own dreams. Roll might not be offering us a mother and father, but she is offering something even better. Freedom! A chance to live our own lives. Do you know how many children wish for such an opportunity!"

"So what? Are you gonna leave me here alone!" Kalinka yelled. Cream began to cry.

"That's why I don't want to have to make that choice," Cream croaked, "I don't want to leave you here alone. I want you to come with me and together so we can live our lives and get to know our long lost sister. I want to do that together! But...(Sniff) Tell me Kalinka. What if I said that I wanna go? Are you strong enough to let me go or do you want me to stay with you?" Kalinka felt her anger surge, but was able to tone it down a bit, but let this slip her tongue.

"We promised that we would stick together," Kalinka retorted, "What if I said I don't want to go?" Cream looked at her sternly before answering in a low tone.

"Then I would turn Roll down," She replied. Kalinka blinked.

"But you said..."

"We made a promise to each other," Cream replied, cutting her off, "and I'll keep it. But unless you can give me a real legitimate reason to turn Roll down. I'll always remember that as a lost opportunity because you chose to be selfish!" Kalinka was taken aback by Cream's remark. The brown haired girl had nothing else to say before taking a seat on the floor in her usual corner and began to study, not even giving her older sister a second look. Kalinka just sat quietly for a few minutes before turning her back away from her sister, trying to hide the tears that began to stream down her face.

The next day, Cream and Kalinka still weren't speaking to each other. Cream just went about just studying as Kalinka just lay on the bed with her uniform on. Since they hadn't left the room, they had kept their socks and shoes off. They had put them on to catch something for breakfast, but afterward they had wasted no time removing them and had just gotten comfortable in the room. They couldn't say that they were left alone completely. Plenty of the other children were whispering and snickering around them, some of them wondering if they had blown their chance for adoption and rubbing it in their faces. But neither Cream or Kalinka seemed to care as they just ate in peace before returning to their room and tuned out the others until they realized they weren't going to get a response and left. It was the same drill for lunch as well and then they returned to the room without another word. It was only an hour after they had returned before Kalinka just started to cry.

"Alright, alright! I can't take it anymore!" she snapped as she sat up from their bed. Kalinka just continued to cry, pounding the mattress. At first it seemed that she was left to weep alone, then was surprised to see Cream hugging her tenderly.

"I'm sorry," Kalinka cried out, "It's not that I don't want to go with Roll. I just don't think there's anything out there for me."

"What?" said Cream in shock.

"It's too late for me!" Kalinka sobbed, "I've already been broken Cream! I don't have a future and I'm not special. At least you've still got hope inside. Mine is already gone. There's nothing for me here and there's nothing for me out there either!"

"Kalinka," Cream replied, feeling her eyes water.

"I love you Cream," Kalinka continued, "You're my sister and I want you to be happy. Even if it means letting you go..."

"NO!" Cream shouted as she hugged her older sister tightly, "Now you listen to me. You may have given up on yourself. But I haven't given up on you." Kalinka pulled away, even though her tears hadn't stopped.

"You...haven't?" she asked hopefully and Cream shook her head.

"Never," said Cream, "I love you very much and I won't leave you either. I believe that there is a future out there for you Kalinka. We can find your dream together and I know Roll will be more than willing to help you as well. I believe in you and I know she does too."

"How?" said Kalinka.

"I just know," said Cream, "I can see it in Roll's eyes. Everything she said yesterday is sincere. Don't you remember that I was barefoot? If there was anything fake about what she told us yesterday. I would have detected it!"

"Oh yeah," said Kalinka, "I...I forgot that you have a talent for detecting lies using your bare feet."

"It's easy to forget I can do that since we have to wear shoes around here so much," said Cream, "it's not perfect, but I know that it's pretty effective with what I've been able to do in developing it."

"That's true," said Kalinka with a long sigh as she just wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "I'm sorry for being such a jerk yesterday. I was overwhelmed...and I took out my frustrations on you and Roll. I just wanted answers to why we got separated like that and why Roll wasn't able to find us sooner."

"Well she did say that she barely had the resources a year ago," said Cream, "and I'm guessing despite being advanced that she's not as technically inclined with computers as I am."

"I guess," said Kalinka, "I didn't mean to question her integrity or sincerity. Even I could see it, but I was just...angry. I guess I could have just been honest instead of keeping it all inside."

"Would you discuss it with her the next time we meet her?" Cream asked her. Kalinka sniffled and gave her sister a nod.

"Yeah," said Kalinka, "I feel better talking to someone instead of just sulking on this bed all day. Roll did say she cared about us. I guess I'd be willing to try. She probably understands how I feel better than I gave her credit for. After all, she did grow up here too and she know that this place can break you on the inside. Like I said before, I might be more of a tomboy, but...I still sensitive inside. I could use a friend where I could open up and not feel so stupid about it."

"That is why I didn't want you to turn this opportunity down," said Cream, "we've got a chance to get out of here and you can show your softer side without being judged. Why not go for it?"

"But I don't know what's out there or what will happen" Kalinka retorted, admitting her fear of the unknown, "Cream...I'm scared." Cream just interlocked her fingers with the blonde girl and smiled.

"Then let's find out together," said Cream. Kalinka just smiled before embracing her little sister warmly.

"You know," said Kalinka, "I sometimes don't get how you're so mature being younger than me, but I am grateful that you are." Cream giggled.

"It's not maturity," said Cream, "you always said that one of my greatest qualities was empathy." Kalinka hummed.

"That is true," said Kalinka, "You're pretty good at understanding people's feelings and emotions. So tell me...what is my greatest quality?"

"Loyalty to those you value the most," said Cream, "It's why I look up to you as my big sister." Kalinka's smile widened as she hugged Cream tightly, even kissing her forehead. Cream returned her hug happily before Kalinka began to tickle the little girl on the sides. Kalinka laughed as well as they began a little tickle war with each other.

"Hey you guys!" said a couple of children who shared the room with the two girls. Sadly though, Cream and Kalinka knew neither of their names.

"What's up?" Kalinka asked as Cream had just pinned her down for some revenge tickling.

"Did you hear the news?" one of the girls replied.

"Some people just arrived and arrested the headmaster!" another boy replied.

"WHAT?" Kalinka exclaimed as she sat up. She moved so fast that Cream yelped as she tumbled off the bed and into the floor.

"Sorry Cream," said Kalinka quickly, only getting a glare in response, "Some people came and arrested the headmaster?"

"That's what I said goldie locks!" the girl repeated, "they arrested her and all her "minions" as well."

"You should have seen it!" said the boy, "They had to taser her just so they could drag her out of her office! And that language that came out of her mouth..." The boy shamelessly went on to say nearly every foul word that he heard the headmaster say. Cream and Kalinka just tuned him out and rolled their eyes. Some of the children didn't seem to have an issue having a potty mouth, but Cream and Kalinka hated such language passionately. They promised each other not to use such words in conversation.

"Okay, we get it!" the other girl snapped, having heard her fill of the foul language herself and shoved a old worn pillow in his mouth, "the point is that we have to pack our things right now."

"Pack our things," Cream exclaimed.

"But...where are we going?" Kalinka asked. The boy, who spat out the old pillow, and the girl just shrugged their shoulders as a tall male with dark shades appeared inside the room.

"Sorry to intrude," he replied in a professional manner, "but this building has been deemed unsafe for living conditions. We are requiring everyone to pack up their things and evacuate the area as soon as possible so make sure not to leave anything valuable behind."

"Y-y-yes sir," Kalinka replied as he left and said the same thing in the next room. Cream and Kalinka just exclaimed worried looks before gathering what little they had to consider "possessions" before they went to put their socks n shoes on. Kalinka just looked at each other.

"They might say something if we leave barefoot," said Kalinka, "but they might not say much..."

"Let's not risk it," said Cream, "We don't need to be interrogated or made a public spectacle." Kalinka nodded in agreement.

"I can see it now on the evening news," said Kalinka, "two girls forced to be barefoot due to child neglect. While the headmaster deserves that kind of negative publicity, being barefoot for us has nothing to do with neglect."

"That's true," said Cream, "Plus we don't need to salt the wound. She's getting what's coming to her now." Kalinka nodded in agreement before she tied her hair into a ponytail. Other than her clothes, she didn't have anything she would call a possession. Cream, however, had a old, raggedy rabbit doll that had been given to her from the location she had been cared for as a baby. Other than her clothes, that was it. Only a small pocketful had a tote bag or a sack on a stick to carry what they had out of the area. Cream and Kalinka held hands to make sure they weren't separated as they made their way out of the building. They were shocked to see the place surrounded by several police cars and several dozen yellow school buses had lined up in the streets. Several of the children were already filling up each and every one of the yellow buses that began to take them away. Cream and Kalinka were rather nervous as they just boarded the next available bus.

"Where are we going?" Cream asked Kalinka fearfully.

"I don't know," said Kalinka quietly, "but I promise that we'll stay together."

"Okay," said Cream, wrapping her arms around Kalinka's right for extra security. Kalinka just held her little sister close as the bus filled up and they were on their way to who knows where. It was a good twenty minutes before the buses pulled into a rather large parking lot that belonged to the city's indoor stadium. The city was home to a professional basketball team, which the name was unknown to either of the two girls as the buses pulled up to the entrance of the stadium. Once the bus came to a complete stop, someone else dressed in the same attire as the man they had seen earlier walked inside.

"Everyone we need you to form some straight lines as you exit the bus and do not wonder away from us, is that understood?" he said firmly. Most of the children, including Cream and Kalinka, nodded without question before slowly making their way out of the bus. Cream hadn't once bothered to relax her grip on her sister's arm as they got in line.

"We need everyone single file," someone told Cream. Cream quivered fearfully as Kalinka slowly got Cream to stand in front of her.

"Sorry," said Kalinka bravely but also timidly, "We're sisters. We don't want to be separated." This particular sunglasses wearing person was a woman. She gave them both a smile.

"Don't worry," said the woman, "We'll make sure that is taken into consideration."

"Consideration for what?" Kalinka asked, but then the line began to move before she could get an answer. Kalinka and Cream had no choice to follow everyone as they made their way into the stadium. They were immediately guided towards the bottoms of the basketball court and had them all the children fill up the bleachers so that the entire center court seats were loaded with every child that lived in the building. Cream and Kalinka were surprised to see so many children had even existed. They were aware by the cramped and competitive conditions that the building was overcrowded, but they had no idea that things were this bad. The orphanage building was meant to only hold just over 400 people. Their looked like nearly 1000 children between the ages of two and fifteen that were sitting on the bleachers alone. They weren't the only ones who were anxious about what was going on. Cream was then startled when she felt someone tapping her shoulder. She turned to see the three girls that had bullied her for years. They were all crying and looked clearly shaken.

"I think this is it," said the first girl, "I...I'm sorry for being so mean to you."

"Same here," said the second girl sadly, "I guess I was just jealous cause you're so smart. I wish I had your brains."

"And the truth is," the third girl sobbed, "I like your glasses. It's why I tried to take them all the time. Anyway, we're sorry!" Cream just listened to them and noticed their tears before giving them smiles.

"I forgive you," said Cream kindly, "And don't worry. Everything is going to be okay." The three girls didn't believe her, but they still smiled at her attempt to comfort them. A few more seconds later a middle aged woman wearing a smartly dressed suit appeared before them all. The children instantly went silent as they watched her enter the room and stood before them all. The woman gave them all a bright smile.

"So these are all the children of St. Martha's Orphanage," said woman, "I must admit that I am quite surprised to see so many of you were able to take residence in such a tiny building. I am the mayor of the city." She noticed that many of them were nervous and some were crying.

"Don't be afraid everyone," said the woman gently, "None of you are in trouble. In fact, the only ones I'm charging any crimes to are the adults who were supposedly in charge of the orphanage. It was a great shock for me to see that such a building had gotten away with such neglect to both the living conditions and the children living inside of it. Fortunately, someone managed to address me directly about the problem and after a brief discussion with her, I immediately did everything in my power to take action. It is unfortunate enough that many of you are orphans for reasons that even I could never understand, but that doesn't mean that you should be doomed to live in such disgusting and vile conditions. That is why I have placed an executive order to execute those who were in charge and permanently shut down the orphanage." Most of the children were shocked. They weren't sure if they should feel relieved or not. Until Kalinka made a brave move.

"If the orphanage is shut down," she asked out of the blue, "then what happens to the rest of us?" Some of the students around her nodded in agreement. The mayor just smiled.

"That is what my new friend is going to explain," said the mayor as she turned to welcome her special guest, "your majesty?" Cream and Kalinka nearly did a double take when they saw Roll, dressed in a Grey jacket with black blouse, grey formal skirt and black pumps on her feet with her crown on her head and her hair tied into a pony tail. Beside her was Fluttershy wearing the same outfit, but holding a clipboard in her hands and had a pair of grey glasses on her face. The two girls could tell that she was acting as Roll's secretary.

"Greetings to you all," said Roll in a bold tone, "My name is Roll Koritsa and I was once a resident of the very orphanage you all had called your home. For years I never felt like I could do anything about the circumstances and living conditions there. However, life had been good to me and I was able to find a place where I could learn to stand on my two feet and have access to not just a way to help all of you, but to pursue my own dreams. Now all of you can do the same. My secretary, Miss Fluttershy is here with a list of towns in which you too can learn to live your own life and pursue your own dreams.

"But I don't want to leave my friends," one boy protested in the crowd.

"You don't have to," said Roll, "the towns are not just one child each. If you and up to three of your friends wish to move into the same town. It can be easily arranged." That got some smiles on the children's faces and some of them began to chatter excitedly.

"For those of you just want to have a family of their own" Roll continued, "That is what they are here for." Suddenly a large crown of adults containing both married couples and single parents began to enter the area and filled up the center court behind the mayor and Roll.

"All these parents would love to make you a part of their lives," said Roll, "and they are all individuals who will love you and help you in your dreams as well. Either way, no child will leave this building without finding a place, or a family, that they will call home!"

"HOORAY!" the children all cheered and applauded for Roll as they quickly filed out of the bleachers. While most of them made their way towards the group of adults to find a parent to adopt them, a pocketful made their way to Fluttershy, hoping to find a town where they could make a life of their own in the Animal part of the world. Cream and Kalinka approached Roll immediately. Roll just gave them a smile.

"This is why I couldn't meet with you guys today," said Roll, "thought I have to admit. I didn't expect the mayor to take actions this quickly, but it was for the best. After all, it's one less day in that horrid place. To make things even better and soften the painful memories there, the mayor is going to have the building knocked down. But we don't need to be around to see that do we?" Cream and Kalinka just shook their heads, smiling as they did so.

"Have you thought about my offer?" said Roll, "Or would you rather..."

"Don't!" Kalinka said sternly, "There is no way we could go anywhere else but with our big sister." Roll's eyes sparkled as a wide smile crossed her face. Kalinka enveloped her into a tight hug before she began to cry openly.

"I'm sorry I was such a jerk yesterday and..." Kalinka was cut off when Roll placed a finger over her lips.

"You don't have to apologize for anything," said Roll gently, "What we learned was overwhelming and I know that you were just upset about that and not because of me." Kalinka's tears continued to stream down her face as a few sobs escaped her mouth.

"I'm a broken girl Roll," said Kalinka, "I feel so useless and my future seems so empty. How...how did you overcome it?" Roll just smiled.

"I had friends who loved and supported me, even when I felt at my lowest," said Roll, "You're destined for great things Kalinka. Cream as well. And I'm going to do everything I can to help you believe in yourself and find your dreams. That is a promise, not because I'm your big sister. But because I care and I want to help you." Kalinka smiled at Roll with watery eyes. Cream was now crying as well before the three just gathered together to share a group hug. Today had turned out to be the best day of their lives.

"How soon can we head to...where do you live?" Cream asked curiously once they pulled away. Roll giggled.

"Animal Town?" Roll replied, "Oh I've still got a day or two here in the city. But...that doesn't mean you're stuck here. You can come back and stay at the hotel were in. I'll take care of the extra expenses if necessary. I'm sure you two would like to sleep in a _real_ bed for once in your life." Cream and Kalinka just nodded with excited smiles as Roll and Fluttershy continued their work. It was very late before everyone else had been taken care of." Fluttershy went to see about getting the select few who were willing to start a new life in the Animal world to their train. Roll decided to escort her new sisters home.

"Wait a minute!" said Kalinka before they entered the limo.

"What's wrong?" Roll asked worried.

"Umm...do they have umm..." Cream stuttered as she pointed to her socks and shoes. Roll giggled to herself as she nodded and held out her hands. The girls wasted no time tearing off the ugly socks and shoes and gave them to Roll, who walked over to a nearby recycle bin and dumped them in.

"I never thought the day would come that I could ditch those stupid things for good," Kalinka replied with a sigh.

"Me, too," said Cream with just as much relief in her tone. Roll just laughed as she remove her own pumps as they piled inside the limo. Scott, who Fluttershy had asked personally to come back as their driver again, drove the three girls home. Roll was very grateful for the hotel manager since He graciously did not add any additional charge for their two new guests (probably cause they were only staying one more night). The three girls were clearly exhausted as they walked inside to their room.

"Thank goodness I was so worried," said a voice, startling Cream and Kalinka as they held into Roll in surprise. Roll actually smiled when she saw who it was, already dressed in her pajamas.

"Mommy!" Roll exclaimed, causing the two girls to go agape. Roll and Sable exchanged a warm hug with each other. Roll didn't take long to notice the two girl's staring faces.

"Momma, this is Cream and Kalinka," said Roll, "My two younger sisters." The two girls stopped gawking as Sable approached.

"Well it is a pleasure to meet with all of you," said Sable, "My name is Sable and I hope you like your new home in Animal Town." Kalinka and Cream just smiled.

"Same here," said Cream, "So...you're Roll's adopted Mom?" Sable chuckled.

"Yes I am," said Sable, "But that came after Roll moved to Animal Town. We just started as friends and soon I just fell in love with the girl and she wanted a mom. I was still surprised she chose me. I'm actually rather shy and...insecure." Cream smiled.

"Would...you take us both?" Kalinka asked hopefully. Sable smiled.

"If that is what you want," Sable answered, "I would love to, but the decision is yours alone. Roll had a choice and I wouldn't force you to..." Kalinka wasted no time enveloping the hedgehog in a tight hug, crying as she did so. Cream soon did the same.

"Guess I'll tell Isabelle to get the papers ready once we get home for that," said Roll. Kalinka and Cream just nodded, tears flowing and happy smiles on their faces.

"Thank you...Mom," Kalinka croaked as Cream smiled. Sable pulled them back into another hug and just held them for another minute or so...until she remembered Roll standing outside the group hug and gestured for her to join in.

The next morning, Sable, Fluttershy, and Roll had packed up from the hotel. While Cream and Kalinka didn't really have much, other than the former holding her rabbit doll that Fluttershy deemed as even more kawaii than her own My Melody, they still enjoyed getting to have a nice hot shower and hair wash. Sable couldn't stop giggling at how appreciative the two were of just having hot water, plenty of soap, and even shampoo to use for washing. It brought back memories of when Roll discovered the joys of having such basic necessities, reminding her and the blonde girl not to take such things for granted. Once they had washed and dressed, they headed to the train station via a taxi, much to Fluttershy's disappointment. Yet she couldn't focus too much about her disappointment for long. Once they had reached the station, Sable had been chatting privately with Roll, leaving her with Cream and Kalinka.

"I wonder what's going on?" Kalinka asked curiously.

"You don't think she's reconsidering?" Cream said in a panic.

"No way," said Fluttershy firmly, "You two are family now. But nevertheless, it must be serious if they have to discuss this on their own." Then they heard the P/A system above them.

TRAIN FOR ANIMAL BORDER IS NOW DEPARTING AT STATION 7!

"Oh my goodness!" said Fluttershy, "Come on!" They quickly rushed over to the group who had already started running for their train. They had just stepped into the platform when they heard the final whistle call.

"WAIT! WAIT!" they called as they made the jump into the train just as it began to move. Once they were safely inside the passenger car did they try to catch their breath.

"That...was...too close," Sable panted, "Sorry about that everyone, usually I'm really good at keeping track of time."

"It's okay," said Kalinka bravely, "You and Roll looked like you were having a serious discussion."

"Hope you're not reconsidering us," Cream added.

"Heavens no!" Sable exclaimed, "Let's all find a seat and then I'll be happy to fill you in on what I was discussing with your big sister." Cream and Kalinka nodded as they took a seat near the middle of the train. Once they had time to relax, catch their breath, and the conductor had checked their tickets, Sable recollected her thoughts to address everyone.

"I was speaking to Roll earlier because Isabelle had done some more research regarding Cream and Kalinka," said Sable, "especially regarding how you all are actually related and not just half sisters." The three girls, who had decided to sit together with Roll in the middle of the younger two and they all nodded for Sable to proceed as Fluttershy sat next to the hedgehog.

"According to Isabelle," said Sable, "Your mother hated children, but she loved your father deeply. He actually had never abandoned her, but he had been unjustly thrown out of the home once she found she was pregnant with Roll. She blamed him for what had happened, which isn't right considering it takes two to have a child, but your mother was never one to accept responsibility for anything. That point is that your father may have disappeared on you Roll, but he actually had made the effort to come back into your life."

"Really?" said Roll surprised.

"Yes," Sable replied, "He tried desperately to get your mother to welcome him back into his life. She had even welcomed him after it had been nearly six months after you were born. She had originally told your father you had died..."

"Okay, how do you know what she thought?" Kalinka asked, "There's no way even someone in authority could have details about her past that precise!"

"That is true," said Sable, "but your mother did leave behind a journal. A journal that contained everything from the time of Roll's birth to her final days in prison. It was discovered recently in the cell she was in not too long ago. Isabelle sent me the journal so I could read it and try to answer your questions regarding your mother. I wouldn't advise any of you to read the journal though, it's pretty gruesome. Nearly 80% of the content is cussing and swearing from what I've read."

"Then...you'd better just summarize it for us," said Cream, shuttering at the thought of reading such a book.

"Yeah, we get it, she hated us," said Kalinka, trying not to cry, "We don't need to read the exact words."

"I already heard her exact words to my face," Roll added, "I don't need to read them either." Sable just nodded to their request.

"So far from what I could comprehend, and cleanse," said Sable, "your father tried to woo your mother again after he heard about Roll's supposed "death". A few months after you were born, they had gone out. It was then she became pregnant once again. She was furious and beat him senseless before ejecting him from the house once more. Ironically her journal says the exact date each of you were born on. Roll's guess about her birthday was perfect. She was born December 17th."

"Woah, that's just...scary..." said Roll.

"The hospital that nurtured me actually had my birthday on record," said Cream, "So I know for sure I'm March 9th, which is just a little more than a week from now!" Sable giggled.

"We'll make sure to celebrate," said Sable, getting back to the topic at hand, "So just like with Roll, she couldn't kill the child in her womb. It even said that you were actually born inside of the apartment on December 6th. How your mother managed to do that is beyond me, but to skip the gruesome details, she basically took Kalinka, drove out somewhere and dumped her...in the streets to put it cleanly. Like Roll, I noticed that she didn't even give you a name." Kalinka looked devastated.

"I...I thought she had given me at least that much..." she whimpered.

"Don't feel too bad Kalinka, "said Roll, "I got my name cause I was seen stuffing a cinnamon roll in my mouth as a three year old."

"I remember the nurses calling me Cream because they saw an empty canister of whipped cream inside my basket," Cream replied, "talk about no effort or creativity."

"Uh-huh," Kalinka and Roll nodded in agreement as Sable just sighed at the three of them.

"I happen to love all of your names," said Sable, "There may not have been any love in how you got them, but they are still special because they are _your_ names." Roll just smiled, as did the other two girls.

"So...basically Mom and Dad tried to get back together and she got pregnant with Kalinka and things went south from there?" Cream asked.

"Yes," said Sable, "Your mother pretty much dumped Kalinka just hours after she was born."

"Hours?" Kalinka croaked, "I thought it was at least a week or two."

"Nope," said Sable, "After that you're father kept his distance, it wasn't until another year before he tried again to woo her. Again she couldn't deny her feelings for him and clearly hadn't learned her lesson either because that was how she got pregnant with Cream."

"Mom doesn't sound very bright, does she?" Cream remarked and the other girls shook her head in agreement.

"That wasn't even the worst of it," said Sable, "let's just say that I learned how your father died."

"How did he die?" Roll asked bravely, dreading just what had happened.

"Your mother killed him," Sable replied, "She beat him to death for what happened. I'd rather not say the details since its pretty gruesome. And Cream wasn't that far off from why she need glasses. Your mother did damage your eyes, but it was how she tossed you into the basket she dumped you in that caused your eyes sight to be imperfect. I'm guessing you're more aware of what was damaged. But I will say this. The fact your eyes still developed properly despite weak vision is a miracle in of its self. You could've been permanently blind from the way she stuffed you into that basket." Cream just sighed and nodded. Kalinka was about to request information about how their Mom killed their father, but she saw how shaken Cream looked and chose not to. She figured she could ask Mom (yes mom...not Sable, mom!) about it later alone.

"How did she even get away with that?" Roll asked curiously.

"She didn't," said Sable, "I'm sorry to say Roll that you being dumped into a trash can was never the reason why she got life in prison."

"It...wasn't," said Roll surprised. Sable shook her head.

"Apparently, it was combination of her hideous crimes that got her that sentence," said Sable, "The bulk of it from the murder of your father. Next in line would have been Kalinka's and Cream's abandonments and the damage it had done to their physical growth. You being tossed into a trash can had the least amount of counts."

"Geez, the world just loves to make me feel so worthless doesn't it?" Roll remarked.

"You're not worthless," said Kalinka, "You are very special, especially to us."

"That is true," said Cream, "You saved me and my sister. We don't have to live each day wondering what will happen to us anymore. We've got a future. We can discover our dreams. We can have hope. You gave us all that by opening your heart and your town to us."

"That is true," said Kalinka, "I really do feel lost with what my future is supposed to be. I'm really hoping you can help me with that." Roll smiled.

"I'll do whatever I can," said Roll, "I'm always going to be here for you guys. That is a promise." Kalinka and Cream just smiled as they shared a group hug. Sable smiled while Fluttershy was shedding happy tears at such a touching moment. As they pulled away, Roll did ask one important question.

"Now that you know the truth," said Roll, "and that we are true blood sisters and all. Are you guys going to be okay? This truth has got to hurt..."

"We'll be okay," said Kalinka bravely and Cream nodded in agreement, "We're not dealing with this alone. We've got each other." Roll just smiled, know just how true that was. She could even feel that her heart wasn't hurting as much from it either. Maybe knowing she had her sisters helped ease the pain. It wasn't much longer before they finally arrived at the connecting train and they were soon making their way towards Animal Town. Cream and Kalinka just smiled excitedly as the train exited the long tunnel and noticed the beautiful little town outside the train's windows. Roll just smiled as she breathed a long sigh to herself.

"Home, sweet home," she said to herself. Once the train pulled in and they made their way off the train, Kalinka and Cream were a little startled at hearing and seeing a talking monkey, but soon just chuckled sheepishly to each other.

"Guess we're going to have to get used to that," said Cream.

"I'm sure we'll adjust to it in time," said Kalinka, "Assuming everyone is as nice as Roll says."

"They are," said Roll, "Oh hi there Isabelle!" The yellow shi-tzu was waiting for them outside the station, giving them all a warm smile.

"Welcome to Animal Town," said Isabelle, "My name is Isabelle and I'm Roll's..."

"Right hand lackey," Kalinka joked as Isabelle just glared and soon closed her mouth.

"Sorry," Kalinka said feebly. Isabelle then chuckled.

"I'm just teasing," said Isabelle, "I came to meet you so we can register you two as residents of Animal Town. I could go through the entire introduction process..."

"Is it possible for them to delay the housing construction?" said Roll, "I promised them they could stay with me until they get themselves situated..."

"There is so much I can do around certain regulations," said Isabelle, "But this is one process that needs to be the same, family or not. Besides, they can just leave their house plots as tents for now until they are ready to build their homes." Cream and Kalinka were still surprised to hear about this.

"We...already get our own houses?" Kalinka asked in surprise.

"Yeah," said Roll, "How else besides staying with me did you think you could live here?" Cream and Kalinka just looked dumbfounded.

"When Roll said we would be able to live our own lives here," said Cream, "I didn't think she meant that _literally_." Kalinka just nodded in agreement as Isabelle led the two girls to town hall so she could complete their introductions and registration. Roll and Fluttershy just smiled as they bid Sable goodbye for now. The hedgehog headed back to the shop while the two girls made their way towards Roll's house. Fluttershy then found herself crashing into the back of the blonde girl all of a sudden.

"Roll, why did you...oh my!" Fluttershy exclaimed. They both looked in awe as they saw that Roll's house had been changed. Instead of her traditional mansion. Her house exterior had been redesigned into a majestic castle.

"They...changed my house too?!" said Roll in shock. Fluttershy just smiled widely.

"It looks amazing!" said Fluttershy excitedly, "Now you really are a princess!" Roll just chuckled, but she still was having a hard time getting used it. As if two new sisters wasn't a big enough change, now villagers were addressing her a princess instead of mayor? She chose not to think about anymore for now and just let herself and Fluttershy inside so they could relax. Roll didn't waste another minute telling Fluttershy she could make herself at home as the shy girl just sighed to herself.

"Are you sure I'm not overstaying my welcome?" she asked worriedly. Roll just stared, then she laughed.

"Not at all," said Roll, "I've enjoyed your company and you've been very supportive through all of this. Besides, I'm surprised you're sisters and Shenran haven't called you this entire time." Fluttershy just looked away. Roll grew suspicious.

"Fluttershy?" she asked slowly.

"I turned my phone off okay!" Fluttershy snapped, "I didn't want to talk to anyone and just be left alone. For...for a while..." Roll just hummed.

"Well...are you ready to talk to them now?" she asked, "they've got to be worried about you, especially Shenran. I don't mean to make you feel guilty, but...I can see him crying over what has happened to you." Fluttershy felt tears prick her eyes before wiped them dry.

"Can I...do this upstairs please?" she asked timidly. Roll just smiled to say yes and the shy girl headed upstairs. Roll then went to make a few calls. She had a plan to help Cream and Kalinka feel more welcome in Animal Town. She had just finished with her phone calls when Fluttershy came back down, eyes bloodshot from crying.

"Everything is okay now," Fluttershy answered before Roll could even ask the question, "I apparently scared everyone by running off. Shenran did say that I was safe, but the fact I've been so quiet scared him too. I already said I was sorry. Apparently I had forgotten that charity event was yesterday so they pretty much took care of everything in my absence and such."

"What about the singing?" Roll asked curiously.

"They still hope I'll sing publicly someday," Fluttershy answered, "But they promised not to push me like that again. I told them what I've been up to and that they've got two more sisters to meet when Cream and Kalinka are ready to visit the other towns so...they seemed impressed that I had my own little adventure with you."

"Did you mention Scott?" Roll asked innocently.

"No!" Fluttershy retorted before soften her tone, "I...I mean...I doubt I'll see him again so...it's nothing they need to know...for now." Roll just nodded when she heard someone knock on their door. She opened it to see Cream and Kalinka standing outside.

"Hey you guys!" said Roll, "Finished up with the...registration?" Roll then noticed two tents surrounding her house. Kalinka's house was just south of her own while Cream was located to the right. Both girls were also holding their own two page TPC cards with MEOW initiatives written on them, and some starting tickets as well.

"Don't worry," said Cream, trying to assume Roll's thoughts about their tents, "I've got all the flowers in my pocket. I love flowers and there was NO WAY I was going to let them die just so I could build my new house next to you." Roll was relieved that Cream had saved her flowers, but she was still feeling rather down.

"So...you two don't need to stay with me then," said Roll quietly before Cream and Kalinka enveloped her into a tight hug.

"Actually, we wanted to know if we could until we get ourselves situated," said Kalinka, "We'll try not to drive you crazy, but...no promises." Roll just made a face before she laughed.

"I was hoping you would stay with me first and then move out when you were ready," said Roll, "Plus I'll try to help you anyway I can financially so we can get your houses built up as soon as possible."

"We're not in that big of a hurry," said Cream, "right now, we just want to be with our big sister." Kalinka nodded as they shared another group hug. Then they were interrupted by the sound of someone going "aww" at them. They turned to see a rabbit and blue cat facing them.

"You three are so cute, silly!" Rosie gushed.

"They are definitely related to Roll, tee hee," Bunnie added, "Look how pretty they are." Cream and Kalinka chuckled shyly to each other as each took hold of one of Roll's arms.

"Nice to see you two," said Roll, "Anyway, meet Kalinka on my left and Cream on my right. They are my biological sisters and they've come to live with me in Animal Town." Bunnie and Rosie gasped excitedly.

"We knew something big was going down, silly," Rosie exclaimed, "But we didn't know that it involved something like this!"

"Yeah, tee hee," said Bunnie, "we can't wait to welcome Cream and Kalinka to the family."

"How?" Roll asked curiously, thought she already knew but decided to let her best friends break the news to her new siblings. Bunnie and Rosie exchanged smiles.

"PARTY!" they exclaimed together. Cream and Kalinka relaxed a bit and smiled.

"A party?" Cream said excitedly.

"For us?" Kalinka added.

"Sure," said Bunnie, "then you can meet everyone. After all, this is a big deal. We've never had a town with more than one human living here before, tee hee."

"And Roll is now a big sister, which is something to celebrate, silly," Rosie added. Roll just giggled as Kalinka whispered in her ear.

"Why do they say "Silly" and "Tee hee" all the time?" the middle sister asked.

"You'll get used to it," said Fluttershy from behind them. She had snuck into the group not too long ago. Just then Bunnie and Rosie gasped.

"What's up?" Cream asked worried.

"Is...that all you have to wear?" Bunnie asked curiously. Kalinka shot them a dirty look.

"No, the orphanage had its own clothing department," Kalinka remarked. Rosie giggled.

"You've got Roll's sarcasm I see, silly," said Rosie, "Well, we can take care of that."

"We all can," said Fluttershy, "I have no problem pitching in to get you and Cream some new clothes!"

"Oh you don't have too..."

"We want to Cream," said Roll, "I'm sure you two want to lose that stupid uniform as soon as possible! Possibly even accessorize to?" Cream and Kalinka felt rather overwhelmed before each giving a meek nod at the request.

"Then let's head to Able Sisters," said Bunnie, "It's time for get...FABULOUS!"

The six girls spent all afternoon having Cream and Kalinka try on all various different types of clothes and dresses. From what they could tell, Cream and Kalinka enjoyed themselves and Roll and Fluttershy had no problem paying for some of the outfits that they really loved, which was alot of cute and basic clothes for Cream and basic and iconic for Kalinka. The most important outfit was a customized dress made by Sable for their welcoming party. They began to try on various designs...

 _This is our big night  
We're getting ready  
And we're doing it up right_

 _This is our big night  
friendship survived,  
Now we'll start it out right_

 _This time's right, gonna make it last 'cause it's the first night  
That we're ever gonna start to just have fun together  
We're so glad, so happy we could never be mad  
Did it right now, this is our big night now_

 _Six friends on the way up now  
Six friends here to show you how_

In the end, Cream's dress was a soft pink thin strapped dress with a pastel yellow cardigan with a pair of yellow and pink ribbons in her hair. Plus Labelle was able to give her a new pair of chocolate frames. Kalinka's outfit sported a black demin open jacket with a lavender halter top with a white broach and a folded black skirt. She had left her hair down with a black headband that had a bow in the left side. Fluttershy had even picked out a special green and pink floral sleeveless dress with her new butterfly headband. Bunnie and Rosie had new outfits as well.

Roll just clapped for them until Sable shoved her inside a changing booth with a hidden dress. When Roll emerged, she was wearing a glittery pink strapless dress that had a golden waist belt that tied into a bow in the back, her hair tied half back with a glittery giant pink ribbon to match.

 _This is our big night  
We're getting ready  
And we're doing it up right_

 _This is our big night  
We made it happen  
Now let's party all night_

The girl all smiled and cheered excitedly before making their way to Club LOL, where they partied the night away...

 _We're here now and we worked so hard to make it come around  
To tonight so let's try to make it last forever  
The club's lights so bright, beat is pumping through the night  
Party's starting, DJ's got the music just right! _

_Six friends on the way up now  
Six friends here to show you how_

 _This is our big night  
We're getting ready  
And we're doing it up right_

 _This is our big night  
We're getting ready  
And we're doing it up right_

 _This is our big night  
This is our big night  
This is our big night  
This is our big night_

Towards the end of the party, Alfonso pulled out a camera so he could take a picture of the six girls together. Rosie, Bunnie, Fluttershy, and Roll each smiled excitedly. Cream and Kalinka were a little shy, but once everyone got into position for the group picture, their nervousness melted away instantly as they all gave the biggest smiles they could make before taking the shot.

Late that night, Roll finished putting the new picture into a wooden frame and set it on her nightstand. The party had been a rousing success. The entire town welcomed Cream and Kalinka with open arms and by the time the party was over, Cream and Kalinka were feeling more at home. The biggest surprise of the night was when Scott showed up. He had apparently quit his job and moved into the Animal part of the world so he, in his exact words, could see Fluttershy again. Roll giggled at the memory, seeing the shy girl fast asleep with a happy smile on her face in the spare bed.

"Can't blame her for feeling so happy," Roll told herself in a whisper, "He kissed her before heading home." She giggled again as she remembered the two girls now sleeping in what used to be her guest bedroom. Today had been a good day. And it had been an important day in her life as well. She now had two little sisters to look out for now. She knew that her life wasn't going to be the same. But she was ready for the change.

And in time, it would help her fulfill her destiny.

 **I can see the backlash for the musical number at the end, especially considering that it's a slightly edited version of MLP song "This is our big night". But you know what? WHATEVER! This is kind of like the end of Season 1 for crying out loud. Sixty-six chapters and there's still more to come. The whole focus of the story is gonna change from here on out. Now we've got three girls instead of just Roll!**

 **Whether I make a whole new story for season 2 or not is still up in the air, but the adventures are far from over. We've got more Animal Crossing content to cover, such as Happy Home Designer and maybe even a little Welcome Amiibo and content from the Animal Crossing mobile if it EVER comes out during the year! Plus if the Nintendo Switch releases a game or the 3DS gets more crossovers/ACNL updates...you can't run out of stories and adventures with Animal Crossing. It's all up to your imagination! Your own games might not be anything like Roll's adventures, but this what I dealt with when I played my game with my friends!**

 **Here's the preview for the next arc:**

 **Adjustments: The addition of two new sisters has gone rather well for Roll. But soon Roll realizes that with Cream and Kalinka around, her job as mayor has gotten easier. So easy that they can manage the job without her. Has Roll potentially put herself out of a job?**

 **I've had quite a few critics ask for such an arc and it appears that I'll give them that satisfaction. But they still can't say how things will turn out can they? :)**


	67. Adjustments Part 1

Adjustments Part 1

"S-s-s-so...why are we here?" Cream asked nervously as she and her two sisters approached a house that was unfamiliar to her as well as intimidating since it had the zen palace exterior on it.

"You just need to trust me," said Roll, "Kalinka and I wouldn't bring you somewhere scary after all."

"I know you wouldn't Roll," said Cream, "but Kalinka in the other hand..."

"You said you wanted to see that movie about the haunted house!" Kalinka protested.

"BLEH!" said Cream as she gave her older sibling a raspberry.

"Never mind you two," Roll snapped and turned to Cream, "Just open the door and go inside. We'll be right behind you." Cream felt a little hesitant but just released a long deep breath before turning the door knob and walked into what appeared to be a pretty dark living room.

"Hello?" she asked as she flipped the light switch and immediately set off a double party cannon blast. Cream jumped from the blasts and saw that a bunch of people were before her, human and villagers alike.

"SURPRISE!" they all shouted, "HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY CREAM!" Cream's shock immediately turned to joy as she hopped up and down on her bare feet excitedly.

"You guys did all this for me?" she exclaimed as a familiar brown haired girl, donning her famous lemon dress appeared before her.

"Hi there little Cream," said Lemon, "I'm one of Roll's dearest friends and sisters too! My name is Anemone, but you can just call me Lemon since I'm known as the lemon fairy." Lemon fairy then grabbed Cream into a bone crushing hug. Cream strained a yelp at how tight Lemon was hugging her.

"Lights growing dim...spine breaking...can't breathe..." Cream groaned as Roll laughed.

"She just showing much she likes you," Roll explained, "She's a nice blend of sweet and sour, as well as cute and scary."

"What kind of scary?" Kalinka asked.

"So you enjoy yourself and eat as much cake and sweets as you like!" Lemon continued before setting Cream back down on her bare feet, "But don't eat so much that you end up exploding and spilling your guts all over the floor." Cream suddenly felt rather uncomfortable and one could see a large droplet treacle down the faces of all three sisters.

"That's my Lemon sister for you," said Roll with a sheepish chuckle.

"I see what you meant by scary," said Kalinka wearily. Lemon chuckled to herself.

"Sorry, but that's how I am," said Lemon, "here have some lemon candy." Cream felt a little hesitant before accepting the candy and eating it. She smiled as she savored the sweet and sour flavor.

"Yummy," said Cream with a smile and the party began. Roll took care in introducing both Cream and Kalinka to all her out of town friends, which not only included Lemon, but also Shenran, his wife, and all his sisters (minus Fluttershy since they both knew her already), Bacon and his wife Cherry, Sakura, and several of their own best friends from their towns. Cream and Kalinka both felt rather shy meeting so many people, but they warmed up in no time at all. As Cream was chatting away with Rarity over the outfit the purple hair fashionista had given her (which was actually the Kiki and Lala dress that Cream had added a large pink ribbon to wear with her pigtails), Kalinka had made her way over towards Katt, who was chatting with Cherry happily.

"Umm...excuse me, miss Katt?" she asked gently. The brown tabby stopped talk as she and Cherry both looked at the shy blonde girl. She had picked a navy blue vest with a sky blue tee and some matching navy blue pedal pushers and fedora with her hair fully down.

"Oh hi there Kalinka," said Katt, "what's...what's up?" Kalinka just rubbed her toes together and cupped her hands behind her back.

"Umm...well," Kalinka began slowly, "I heard that you and Cherry were the ones who taught Roll self-defense and such and I...well...I was wondering..."

"Actually, we just helped her with the conditioning, purrty," said Katt, "Master Yumi was the one who taught Roll how to defend herself."

"Oh..." said Kalinka quietly, "well the point is that...I'm looking for someone who could take me under their wing. Help me in building my self-confidence in terms of the physical...sense?" Katt just smiled. Cherry smiled as well.

"Ahh...I see," said Katt, "you're looking for someone to help you get stronger physically and emotionally." Kalinka nodded.

"I'm kind of an athletic girl myself," said Kalinka, "but I'm still a girl you know. I want to feel like I can enjoy cute things without feeling weak about it." Cherry just looked over to Katt. The tabby just smiled.

"I see," said Katt, "and you think I can help you do that?"

"Uh-Huh," Kalinka answered with a smile. Katt smiled.

"I can go with that," said Katt as she gave the blonde girl a side hug. Kalinka smiled and hugged her tightly to say thank you. Katt was a little frazzled by the affection, but only for a second. Cherry found the scene rather cute and tried to take a picture before Katt raised her fist, warning the red dog she'd smash her phone if she took it. Cherry just rolled her eyes as she put her phone away. Roll just chuckled to herself as she watched the scene from afar. She had worn her lovely dress for the party and wore a giant pink ribbon as well with her hair fully down. She then grabbed one of the bottles of root beer and some plastic cups before heading over to Shenran and Twilight, who were just chatting with each other over Fluttershy's new boyfriend. They were apparently chatting happily together near the opposite side of the room.

"I'm still surprised at how calm you were when Fluttershy said she was dating," said Twilight.

"He's a good guy," said Shenran simply, "I can tell. Fluttershy is in good hands." Twilight just hummed as she peered over her shoulder as Fluttershy got some ice cream on her face and Scott gently cleaned off with a napkin.

 _It's like Shenran had a twin,_ she thought to herself.

"Speaking of dating," said Shenran, "when are you gonna have your date with Lucky?" Twilight just rolled her eyes.

"We're just best friends," she remarked with an annoyed. Shenran just smirked as Twilight rolled her eyes. Fortunately, she noticed Sakura had come up to them.

"What's up Sakura?" Twilight asked, "and where's Stitches? You two are usually inseparable. The same can be said regarding you and my baby sister." Sakura just giggled before sighing to herself.

"We...broke up," said Sakura.

"Really? What happened?" Shenran asked curiously.

"I decided to end it," said Sakura, "I just never really saw him that way. I wanted to give it a try, but...there just wasn't that connection you know. Besides, I've got my eyes set on this other mayor whose really, really cute! I've got his picture!" Sakura showed Shenran and Twilight the picture of a brown hair individual who appeared to be about 19 years old before the latter gasped.

"You like _him_?" Twilight exclaimed.

"Yeah?" Sakura said slowly, "why?"

"I've got a crush on him!" she exclaimed, "Shenran introduced us and he's a total bookworm like me!"

"Forget it girl, you're too old!" Sakura retorted, "I'm more his type!"

"And you're too young!" Twilight shot back.

"He mine!

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

"MINE!"

"What's going on here?" said Roll when she found the discarded picture, "Oh he's cute!"

"MINE!" Twilight and Sakura barked, making Roll flinch before snorting.

"Whatever," said Roll with an eye roll at both of them, "Anyway, can you each take a cup?" Roll then offered each of them a plastic cup as she poured some root beer into them.

"What's this for?" Sakura asked curiously.

"I would like to propose a toast," Roll answered

"What for Roll?" Shenran asked curiously.

"To my successful launch into the wonderful world of sisterhood," said Roll, "I'm now a big sister and I'm enjoying every moment of it."

"Here, here!" Sakura added as she drank her share. Twilight just shook her head and took a sip herself. Roll took offense.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"With all due respect Roll," Twilight began, "You've only been a big sister for 9 days or so. According to my calculations you've barely taken off the launching pad."

"But it's been pretty smooth so far," said Roll, "I like having two little sisters and we get along so well living together in the same house."

"So...you guys haven't started getting under each other's skin yet?" Twilight asked curiously. Roll just shook her head.

"No, I mean do you think I'm that clueless," said Roll, "I know we've each got our own little habits that might annoy each other in the future, but we've seem to tolerate each other for now. It's like paradise at home."

"Paradise huh?" said Twilight skeptically, "I'm just saying that being a big sisters isn't always that way, plus it's going to take time before you guys all fully adjust to your new lives together. Lots of time to be precise."

"Well, things have gone well so far," said Roll, "I love being a big sister."

 _One month later_

"WAKE UP!"

"EEK!" THUD Roll awoke with a start and tumbled out of her bed. She rubbed the back of her head to see Kalinka towering over her, wearing a blue and white tee shirt and some biker style pajama shorts.

"It's your turn to make breakfast this morning!" Kalinka snapped, "and you slept in again! Cream is trying to do her studies on a empty stomach!"

"TATTLETALE!" Cream shouted from downstairs.

"Well you're the one who gets cranky trying to study without any breakfast!" Kalinka shouted back.

"Enough!" Roll barked in a cranky voice, "Just give me five minutes to check for a concussion and I'll be right down!" Kalinka knelt down and grabbed Roll's head, rubbing her hands quickly, frizzing up Roll's hair as she did so.

"No bump-a lumps," said Kalinka, getting that term from Lemon as she let go of Roll's head, "how many fingers do you see?"

"Kalinka..."

"Answer the question!" Kalinka demanded.

"Three," said Roll bluntly.

"Then you're good," said Kalinka, "and...you might want to brush your hair." Kalinka then left the room as Roll looked at her now frazzled hair in the mirror. She grunted in irritation as she slammed a fist into the lovely carpet.

"Paradise huh?" said Roll annoyingly, remembering her conversation with Twilight and could hear the bookworm laughing at her now. Things had certainly gotten rather frustrating within just a couple of days after Cream's party. It seemed that no matter what they did, all they could do was get on each other's nerves. It wasn't uncommon for them to get snippy with each other at least once a day. It seemed the only time they were able to settle down was after spending time apart outside of the house. Trying to get along with each other was a lot harder than she had thought. Roll just sighed to herself as she rose to her feet and headed downstairs. In the living room, Cream was already dressed wearing a sky dress with a matching white ribbon in her pigtails and had begun her school work via a laptop. Ever since Cream wore her first giant ribbon, it had become a staple to her outfit and she was never seen without one. The same could be said regarding no shoes, but they all did that.

"Already studying," said Roll, trying to make casual conversation. Cream just looked up and gasped.

"Don't tell me Kalinka beat you up!" she exclaimed, "I told her I could manage making something myself for breakfast. I just wanted to finish my report first." Roll just smiled. While Cream was easier to get along with, she was always worried Cream was burning herself out trying to finish her high school education too quickly.

"Cream, isn't that paper not due for another month?" she asked. Cream just shrugged her shoulders.

"I've completed everything else up to that point," said Cream, "and I'm ahead in every other subject by the same mouth. Calculus is five weeks actually..."

"Then shut down and relax!" Roll exasperated for the umpteenth time, "There's no need to rush through your education!"

"You guys did it!" Cream retorted.

"Because we had nothing else to do at our old home!" Roll, feeling like she had repeated this conversation too many times, "I appreciate your effort, but you don't have to stay behind the books all the time. You can leave this house whenever you want and do whatever you want as long as it isn't illegal. All I ask is if you're going to be out late, especially at the island, just leave a note beforehand. Cream, there is more to life than just studying all the time." Cream just sighed, clearly tired of the conversation at this point.

"I just want to finish this paper," said Cream, "it's nagging me to at least get a draft done..." Roll just rolled her eyes.

"I'm this tempted to close the lid..."

"This isn't your laptop!" Cream snapped, "I bought myself one and modified it myself! It took me all evening just transferring my data from your laptop and upgrading the motherboard."

"Did you copy any my..."

"Just the KK sliders tunes," said Cream, "I didn't think you'd mind that!" Roll just snorted and headed into the kitchen. Roll had no problem with the music, but she was frustrated that Cream was too much of a bookworm. She figured she could deal with it later as she tried to find something to eat...only to realize that the pantry and refrigerator were empty. Roll slammed the door hard before stomping back into the living room. By now Kalinka had changed into a pink bar tee with chino style pedal pushers and hair just down with a beret. Just as Cream had made large ribbons her staple accessory. Kalinka usually wore mostly stylish hats. The most common being fedoras, including various versions of the grandpa hat, as well as the beret.

"Where's breakfast?" she asked casually as she read one of Roll's comic books from the shelf and her left leg bouncing over her right.

"Well, thanks to someone forgetting to go grocery shopping yesterday," Roll replied through her teeth, "I have to go restock!"

"What?!" Cream exclaimed before glaring at Kalinka, "You were supposed to get the groceries yesterday!"

"I forgot, so sue me!" Kalinka shot back.

"How about for starvation and neglecting responsibilities!" Cream yelled.

"Oh like you've never forgotten to do your jobs!" Kalinka replied.

"Well I..." The rest of it was just gibberish to Roll's ears before she just walked out of the house and slammed the door. Then she opened it and walked back in.

"I'm gonna get dressed first," she muttered under her breath before heading upstairs. Cream and Kalinka were too busy arguing to listen as Roll quickly showered and changed into a Cinnamonoroll tee with a dry denim skirt and tucked a matching colored headband into her hair, which was still frizzled but she didn't care to comb it or tie it up. She was too upset and too hungry as she then left without a word. Roll had just crossed the bridge when she saw Bunnie and Rosie just looking at her with their hands on their hips.

"What?" she asked rudely.

"You're coming with us," said Bunnie sternly. This hadn't been the first time they had seen Roll extra crabby and they knew Roll need to release some anger from her system. Roll just glared with her fists balled. Rosie took out a hand for her to reach. Roll raised a hand to slap the hand away, but then just lowered it in defeat and held it with her head down. Rosie and Bunnie just glared before Rosie took her hand and they headed straight for the Able Sisters. Today was Sable's turn to deal with the customers while Mabel handed the patterns. Sable had been keeping her word about trying to build her confidence and was now doing Mabel's job for the entire day twice a week. Her self-esteem had grown greatly to the point that she was just as warm and cheerful with customers as her little sisters. She was looking forward to greeting her first customer as the door opened.

"Welcome to the...oh dear," Sable's cheerful greeting was cut short when Bunnie and Rosie brought a clearly agitated Roll inside. Roll had not bothered to lift her head, but the brown hedgehog could feel the anger radiating off of her. She gently lifted her head.

"On three," she said gently, "one...two..."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Bunnie and Rosie jumped. They knew Roll could shriek and scream, but the way Roll screamed frightened them a little. Probably because there was so much anger and frustration in her tone. Roll just slumped to her knees and just panted heavily. Sable just said nothing as she let Roll just take her deep breaths. The elder hedgehog could tell she was fighting not to cry and gritting her teeth as she did so. She knelt beside her.

"Let go," she commanded and like the hedgehog had turned the water faucet on, Roll's tears came pouring out, dripping onto the floor. Roll just continued to take her breaths but let her tears fall. Roll just gave a few sniffles before looking up at Sable, her tears continuing to flow.

"How do you do it?" she asked in cracked tone.

"Do what Roll?" Sable asked gently.

"How do you handle two younger sisters?" Roll asked, nearly tearing some of her blonde hair out of her head, "They're driving me crazy! UGH!" Sable just stared and then laughed. Roll just looked at her stunned.

"Oh you silly girl," said Sable with a chuckle, "I've been in the exact same position as you have if you recall." Roll then remembered that Sable had lost her parents around the same age as Roll, leaving her the responsibility to take care of both Labelle and Mabel.

"Oh yeah..." said Roll, feeling rather silly and just looked away.

"Roll, look at me," said Sable. Roll obeyed, but the embarrassment was still clear on her face.

"I understand," said Sable, "being a big sister is a big responsibility and it does take alot of time and patience to put up with each other."

"I knew it wasn't going to be easy," said Roll, "but the first few days just seem so happy and pleasant and now we can't stand the sight of each other."

"All siblings have those days Roll," said Sable, "but all I can say to you is "unless"."

"Unless?" said Roll puzzled.

"I remember that moral," said Bunnie, "Unless. Unless you are willing to take action and make a difference, nothing is ever going to change."

"Why me?" Roll asked.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be you," said Sable, "but unless one of you tries to take the mature road and say "that's enough". Things are going to stay the same...and it could tear you three apart...possibly beyond repair." Okay, Sable may over been a bit over-dramatic by saying that last part, but it had apparently gotten the message across. Roll just sighed to herself and nodded.

"Guess I wasn't as ready to be a big sister as I thought I would be," Roll admitted, "I feel way over my head sometimes."

"Well...that is why you three got me and your aunts for sweetie," said Sable, "I know you want to still show that you're a strong young lady who believes in yourself, but don't let that prevent you from asking for help."

"You know I feel really shallow right now," Roll remarked as she smacked her hand over her face, "It's so obvious and I'm not stupid either! Ugh, what is wrong with me?" Sable chuckled as she hugged her elder daughter.

"You were angry," said Sable, "It can cloud your judgment and make you miss the obvious sometimes. It happens to the best of us, including me." Roll just giggled to herself, knowing that was all too true.

"Okay, I guess maybe I should just try to be the bigger person," said Roll, "It's just so hard. The bad attitude I've been getting from them really...hurts."

"Then you should let them know," said Sable, "Just keep a cool head and the rest will take care of itself." Roll just smiled and gave her a hug to say thank you. Bunnie and Rosie hugged her as well.

"We're glad you're feeling better," said Bunnie.

"Yeah, we could see how upset you were getting and needed a place to let off some steam," said Rosie, "We know you would never do this, but...we were worried you do something rash if you didn't vent." Roll just nodded in agreement.

"Okay," said Roll, "I better get going. Kalinka and Cream haven't eaten and the former forgot to do her turn of the grocery shopping."

"Why not make her do it instead of you?" Sable asked, "You need to still be assertive when one sister is slacking off."

"Like Rosie said," Roll replied, "I needed to release some steam. Besides, I like going shopping anyway." Sable just chuckled to herself. Ironically, the hedgehog would often do the same when she felt agitated too, even if it was just a simple walk around main street. A good walk seemed to be the best cure to release anger when there was no one to vent to. She was glad Roll had figured that out now rather than when she was older and the anger could have a chance to fester.

Roll felt much more cheerful as she went shopping with Bunnie and Rosie and then headed back to the house alone. She couldn't help but hum a little tune as she wiped the dirt off her feet and walked inside of the house. She then gasped to see some dirty foot prints on the living room carpet that lead straight for Kalinka, who had just finished a freshly picked apple and some other fruit as she sat sideways on the ranch armchair with her legs dangling on the side. She could see how dark her soles looked, as if they hadn't been washed properly in a week or so. Roll could feel her temper surge again, but then remembered what Sable had said. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Did you guys just pick some fruit to eat for breakfast?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was getting late and we were hungry," Cream replied as she continued with her work, "Did you need help putting the groceries away?" That really helped mellow her temper about Kalinka's dirty feet as she smiled.

"Sure," said Roll before turning to Kalinka who was just finishing her apple and set the core on a napkin.

 _At least she didn't just dump it on the floor_ Roll remarked in her head, but then just tried to stay calm.

"Kalinka," said Roll gently, "I really work very hard trying to keep the floor clean and you forgot to wipe your feet when you came inside. The carpet has dirt marks on it." Kalinka then lifted her head to make eye contact and then looked at the soles of her feet and sighed to herself.

"Sorry," said she quietly, not looking angry at all. Roll then noticed that Kalinka looked a bit...insecure.

"It's okay," said Roll gently, "I'll get you some water and a wash cloth and I'll wash them for you."

"NO!" Kalinka exclaimed trying to tuck her feet into the chair, but Roll grabbed her ankles to stop her.

"Let go of me!" she exclaimed, "I'll wash them okay, but leave my feet alone!"

"Kalinka, I'm trying to keep you from staining the chair cushion," Roll replied, "I don't think you would want to sit in a chair covered with dirt would you?" Kalinka just glared but soften as she sighed to herself.

"No..." she muttered, "Just...leave my feet alone..."

"Why?" Roll asked gently, "Do you think I would hurt you?" Kalinka then blushed, clearly hiding something and feeling embarassed about it. Roll decided to press the issue further.

"Kalinka...you can tell me?" said Roll, "I'm your sister and...I don't want to fight with you. Just talk to me...please?" Kalinka felt her eyes water as she looked away, shaking a bit she said all at once.

"Ihavesensitivesoles!" Roll just stared, she understood what Kalinka said, and then smiled.

"Is that all?" she replied. Kalinka looked at her dumbfound.

"Uh...yeah?" she replied with a puzzled look on her face. Roll just giggled.

"Do you trust me?" she asked gently. Kalinka looked at her nervously before bravely nodding yes.

"Cream, can you put these items away while I give Kalinka's feet a proper washing?" she asked. Cream just nodded as she took the bags and headed into the kitchen. Kalinka whimpered.

"If this is about this morning, breakfast, and the fighting, I'm..." Kalinka was stopped as Roll put a finger over her lips.

"Please trust me," said Roll gently. Kalinka didn't bother hiding the fact that she was afraid of Roll washing her feet, but just nodded as Roll headed into another room. She filled a bowl with some warm water, set a towel on the floor before her chair as she asked her younger sibling to turn so her feet were above the water bowl. Roll then knelt beside her, grabbed a wash cloth and took hold of a foot. Kalinka started to cry.

"Okay, I'd admit it!" Kalinka pleaded for mercy, "I've been a jerk and I've been really selfish and difficult lately. Please! Please don't do this to me! I'm sorry! I'm...sorry..." She began to sob as Roll just listened to her before just smiling.

"I forgive you," said Roll as she then pressed the foot against the wet wash cloth. Kalinka flinched a bit but then realized that Roll wasn't going to try to roughly scrubbing her feet. Instead, Roll had just pressed the cloth gently over the sole of her foot, giving it a gentle squeeze. Kalinka giggled a little since it tickled. Roll then began to gently rotate the cloth counterclockwise as she moved it. Kalinka was surprised at how gentle Roll was as she continued to wash the bottoms of her foot, even getting between the toes, making her laugh a little before Roll rinsed the cloth and did the same with the second foot.

"By pressing and rotating the cloth like so," Roll explained, "you can get the deepest grime to loosen off so you can just lightly rub it of instead of just trying to scrub it as hard as you can. You see, my dear sister, you're not the only one who has very sensitive soles. I have them too."

"I...see..." said Kalinka, her cheeks light pink, "so...do...you feel...a little..."

"Embarassed?" Roll finished for her, "Sure, but I've learned not to let it bother me. It doesn't change anything between my friends or Mom for that matter. So don't feel so bad about it. It's just another thing we share as sisters. Cream's are pretty sensitive too I hear."

"True," Cream replied, "And I can feel her heartbeat by placing my feet on the floor. Everything Roll is saying is true, about her feet, to the washing trick, to even feeling a little embarassed." Kalinka just hummed as she lifted her left foot and looked at the sole. She was surprised to see that it was completely spotless.

"Wow," said Kalinka, "And it didn't hurt at all, just tickled a little bit." Roll just smiled as she placed the cloth by the bowl of water and went to take it to the kitchen.

"Thank you," said Kalinka quietly, "and I am sorry for being so rude lately. You've giving us so much since we've got here that I was kind of expecting it. That wasn't right. I do want to be able to provide for myself too after all. I've just been enjoying all these new blessings that I took advantage of you."

"Same here," said Cream sadly as she stood beside Roll, "You've been kind enough to let us move in here, feed us, provide us the essentials, even new clothes and toys and such. Yet we've been acting very ungrateful lately. Maybe Kalinka and I should just...move into our own homes."

"No, you guys," said Roll, "I want you guys to stay with me...at least for a little bit longer."

"But aren't we driving you crazy?" Kalinka asked her, giving her a look that demanded an honest answer. Roll just crossed her arms for a moment and pondered before giving the blonde girl a straight answer.

"Yes, you both are," Roll answered, "but I'm to blame for it too."

"Wuh?"

"How?" Cream and Kalinka asked together.

"Obviously I haven't done a good job in trying to be honest with you regarding how I've been feeling lately," Roll explained, "and I haven't done a good job in letting you two know that you can talk to me when something is bothering you. I haven't been a very good big sister and I really didn't want to be the stereotype big sister either."

"What might that be?" Cream asked, but couldn't help but shoot a discreet glare at Kalinka at the same time. Roll didn't notice.

"Bossy and controlling," said Roll, "I know better that being the oldest doesn't make me automatically in charge. I really don't want to boss anyone around. I already made it clear that if you lived here, that this wouldn't be a free lunch after all. I'm giving you guys a place to live, food to eat, and plenty of clothes and other things. All I want back is some help with meals and keeping the house clean. I didn't think that was asking too much."

"It's not," said Kalinka as she stood off and dusted her bottoms, "I'm just not used to being the oldest anymore. Guess I'm still adjusting to that."

"I understand," said Roll, "And Cream, I'll try my best to make sure that your heard. I don't want you feeling like just because you're the youngest that your feelings don't matter. (Sigh) I'm just being honest, but being a big sister is really hard you guys. I don't know how Mom does it." Roll didn't quite understand why she said that out loud, but she just wanted to be as open with them as possible.

"Sorry we're such a burden," said Kalinka out loud, but Roll's hurt and Cream's glare made her regret it, "Sorry."

"You're not a burden," said Roll, "I just really wanted to avoid all this tension and I failed miserably. I'm just sick and tired of people thinking that family love is obligated. I don't give anything out of obligation. If I say I love you, it's because I meant it and it comes from my heart. This only thing that was predetermined was the fact that we crossed paths and learned about our family bond. I wanted our time together to make us close friends. I know things this first month have been rough, but I still believe that was can learn to cooperate with each other. I want to still try, but what about the two of you?" Cream smiled.

"I do," said Cream and gave Roll a gentle hug. Kalinka soon followed.

"Yeah," said Kalinka, "It's time we started showing that we can be useful here in Animal Town."

"We will do it together," said Roll, "As family, as friends..."

"...and as sisters," finished Cream.

"That's right," Roll added as they all just gave each other a squeeze until Kalinka and Cream's stomach's rumbles. Roll just giggled to herself.

"I'll go make breakfast, or lunch since its nearing 11AM," said Roll when she felt Cream tug her arm.

"Since you said when we've got a problem to speak up," said Cream, "I don't think this turn schedule is working very well." Roll wanted to put on a brave face, but she knew Cream was right and sighed in agreement.

"Why can't we just make our meals together when we can do so?" said Cream, "and if one of us slacks off, they can make up for it by doing something else. I mean, I love to cook as much as you do. Kalinka clearly doesn't enjoy it as much though."

"I can still help Cream," said Kalinka indignantly.

"My point is that we seem to have more fun together making our meals as a team," said Cream, "like those first couple of days we moved in. I think doing our meals together would be better." Roll just smiled.

"Alright," said Roll, "sounds like a good idea. Now come on." Cream and Kalinka smiled as they entered the kitchen and got to work. When Cream had gone to set the table, Kalinka approached Roll as she was cooking up their meal of choice, which was blueberry pancakes.

"Hey Sis," Kalinka asked as Roll quickly flipped over another set of delicious pancakes.

"Yeah?" she asked while still concentrating on the cakes in front of her.

"Tell me..." Kalinka asked curiously, "what exactly do you do as mayor of Animal Town? I mean, I don't think we've ever even bothered to see what it is that you do as your regular routine around here. Guess we've really been selfish huh?" Roll just smiled.

"Actually, I was wondering if you would ask," said Roll, "How about I show you after we eat?" Kalinka just smiled before they finished cooking and got right into eating their share of the food. Roll was finishing up with putting the now washed dishes away as Kalinka and Cream headed outside. Cream couldn't help but stretch her arms and toes as they waited for their big sister.

"It's so beautiful out here today," said Cream, "and to think I almost missed it because I wanted to study."

"You could use some sun," said Kalinka, "You're getting a bit pale from being indoors so much." Cream just glared as Kalinka giggled to herself. Roll then exited the house with her gold shovel in hand.

"I'm guessing you had to work hard to get a golden shovel?" Kalinka asked as she adjusted her beret and fanned her long locks behind her back.

"Yeah, you gotta purchase at least 50 bags of fertilizer from Leif," said Roll, "and he only sells one a day."

"I see..." Kalinka groaned as Cream looked a little overwhelmed as well. Roll just laughed.

"If you both work hard, you'll get your own gold tools," said Roll, "Now come on. I'll show you what I usually do first."

"Would watering all these flowers be one of them?" Cream asked as she surveyed all the flowers around them of various kinds and colors.

"Actually I have this "law" enacted called the beautiful town ordinance," Roll replied, "the villagers pitch in to keep the town clean and water the flowers so they never die and weeds very rarely appear either, which makes maintenance much easier for me. It would take me hours to water all these flowers otherwise."

"Oh! I never knew you were a flower lover too!" said Cream, "Wow, they're so many different flower and they are all so beautiful too!"

"Thanks Cream," said Roll, "Now see that giant rock over...the one Kalinka is sitting on?" Kalinka had just gotten comfortable while Cream had asked about the flowers. Once she noticed they were staring at her, she hopped off.

"What about it?" Kalinka asked.

"Well every day, one of the permanent rocks in town spews out money from it," said Roll, "it could be this rock today or another rock. And Isabelle said that even if I hit the rock and nothing comes out could mean that pone of you might get money instead."

"Wait a minute..." Kalinka exclaimed, "You mean to tell me making money around here is as easy as just tapping a few rocks?" Roll nodded.

"Uh-huh," Roll answered, "Once you see the first coin, keep hitting the rock as quickly as you can, if your fast enough, you can get up to 16,100 bells from one." Kalinka looked in disbelief.

"Rubbish," said Kalinka after a few moments. Roll looked indignant while Cream was excited.

"Can I try?" Cream asked.

"Sure," said Roll, grateful that Cream at least believed her. Cream then got out her basic shovel and went to tap it when Roll stopped her.

"Strike it from here," said Roll as she set Cream up against her house fence, "When you hit the rock, you'll bounce back. This will keep you from going backwards out of hitting range." Cream just nodded before giving the rock a good strike, but nothing came out. Kalinka just rolled her eyes.

"I didn't think it was that easy," she muttered. Cream looked disappointed.

"Never mind," said Roll, "There are other rocks around here to try. Kalinka, why don't you hit the rock?" Kalinka still didn't believe Roll was serious but decided to humor her anyway as she got into position and hit it. A coin came out and Kalinka gasped.

"Don't stop! Keeping hitting it!" Roll shouted anxiously. Kalinka then recomposed herself and kept hitting the rock as quickly as she could. Due to her hesitation, she missed out on a bag, but still got herself 8,100 bells. Kalinka was out of breath as she surveyed the cash on the ground.

"Still think I was just spouting nonsense?" Roll asked with a smirk on her face as Cream snickered. Kalinka felt rather silly and just looked away, tucking her face under her beret a bit to hide herself. Roll then lifted her beret so they were making eye contact.

"No need for that," Roll told her gently, "Around here, there are alot of things that won't make any sense, but that doesn't mean they are not true. Okay?" Kalinka just nodded quietly as she gathered her bells and then handed them to Roll, who just shook her head.

"That is your money Kalinka," said Roll, "I still need to find my money rock. Don't you think it's time you started saving up? Same with Cream?" Kalinka just nodded in agreement and packed the bells into her pockets as they continued checking the other rocks so Cream could get some bells as well. Along the way, Roll explained about fossils and gyriods, as well as the fact that the dig spot on the upper right hand corner of town was never to be touched. Kalinka and Cream couldn't help but giggle over the fact that Roll had tumbled into a pitfall seed a couple of times. Roll was tempted to push one of them into it, but decided against it. She was too good at heart to do such a thing, even as a joke. Soon Cream found her money near Margie's house and made Kalinka jealous when she got all bells from the rock on her first try. But then Kalinka felt better when Roll said she could keep the identified fossils and sell them off for extra money. Roll still needed to find her money rock when she saw Kalinka and Cream staring at her perfect cherry trees.

"What's up you guys?" Roll asked them curiously.

"Roll, do...you...mind if...well...if..." Kalinka stuttered.

"Could we harvest the perfect cherries to make some extra bells please?" she asked. Roll blinked a bit, but then just smiled.

"Sure," said Roll, "just make sure that if you see a tree lose its leaves to...oh yeah, you guys don't have a golden axe...and Leif only sells regular ones and they break..."

"No good then?" Kalinka asked before Roll handed the golden axe to the younger blonde girl.

"Just borrow mine since this one never breaks," said Roll, "and don't sell the cherries here. My town only gives 1200 bells a cherry, but if you go outside of town, you can get 3000."

"Cool," said Cream excitedly, "We can go see Fluttershy again!" Kalinka nodded in agreement as they began to harvest the cherries. Roll couldn't help but feel a little jealous since she wanted to see Fluttershy too, but just shook that feeling off and went back to work. She figured she could tell them about helping the other villagers another day. By the time Roll had returned to the cherry orchard to bury a time capsule for Bunnie, she found all the perfect cherries had been harvested so no tree had any fruit on its branches anymore. She even noticed some gaps where new cherry trees had been planted, except for one.

"They must have overlooked it," Roll muttered until she noticed a dig spot.

"So Cream was listening when I gave them that lecture about how to use the fertilizer," said Roll, remembering the lecture. She had been telling them the benefits of how to use fertilizer a couple of weeks ago and had discovered they had both fallen asleep on her. Roll was pretty angry about it then, but she could look back at it now and chuckle. Roll then buried the time capsule Lolly had given her and then decided to relax at the beach since she had no more requests from anyone and her daily work was done. She had to admit that she felt much more optimistic after talking things out with her sisters as she enjoyed the horizon with Kapp'n.

"It's amazing how much tension was removed when we just talked things out," She told Kapp'n as they sat together on the pier, "it makes the fact we were all so angry with each other so silly."

"Yar, it be the same with relationships and parents too, by gar," Kapp'n responded, "ye want to show that you can handle things by ye lonesome, but more often than not, ye be just ending up swimming with the sharks. It be worse when the sharks are ye own family."

"It's definitely alot more terrifying," said Roll, "especially since you're the reason the sharks even showed up."

"Indeed, lassie," Kapp'n agreed, "but unlike real sharks, you can tame the ones at home. Seek to admit your own mistakes first, it's always ye first step to restoring honor and peace."

"I will," said Roll, "and Kapp'n?"

"Yes, lassie?"

"Do you believe sisters can be best friends?" Roll asked him out of the blue. Kapp'n laughed.

"Of course," said Kapp'n, "in fact, family friends are often the most valuable of friendships when ye put your brains to it. Yar, they've seen yer best and yer worst. A true family always sticks by you no matter how rough the waters may be. They be more valuable any buried treasure the great blue waters can offer. Well, except for the mermaids of course."

"Mermaids?" Roll asked puzzled.

"Yar!" said Kapp'n, "I found mine after all!" Roll then realized that he was talking about Leilani and smiled.

"Would that include mermen too?" she asked. Kapp'n chuckled.

"A little young to be soul searching aren't ya, lass?"

"It's more like I think he found me," said Roll with a quiet smile to her face. Kapp'n just looked puzzled, but then chuckled to himself.

"Just take care lassie," said Kapp'n, "or ye but seduced by his siren song of love." Roll snorted.

"It'll take more than a seductive song to woo me," said Roll confidently, "I'm not easy to please!"

"Good girl," Kapp'n concluded as they watched the endless blue ocean for a little longer.

The next morning, Roll was just sleeping soundly in her bed. She had enjoyed having a family game night with her sisters last night once they had come home from Shenran's town. They had even caught a lucky break when his Retail was paying double for perfect cherries. Thus they had both pocketed over 400K each once the money had been split as evenly as possible. While there was some leftover, they had given it to Roll rather than fight over it. For the sake of peace, she had accepted the cash and then they had fun playing different board games. While she didn't win any of them, she still had fun. Apparently, Kalinka was just as competitive as she was, but the irony was that Cream, the calmer of the three, ending up winning all the games by simply keeping to herself. Roll giggled as she remembered before slowly rising out of bed and stretching her arms. As she slowly opened her eyes, she suddenly realized that her clock was approaching 9AM.

"I set my alarm!" she exclaimed angry before slamming the clock down on the side table. That was when she noticed that the alarm on her clock had been turned off. Roll then grunted angrily as she stomped off downstairs.

"Who turned off my...huh?" Roll found the living room was empty. She looked puzzled for a moment before she made her way towards Cream and Kalinka's bedroom, but she found it empty.

"Where are those two?" she asked as she checked the kitchen and her office area before checking her workout room as well. They were nowhere to be found.

"I wonder where they..." Then Roll realized something, "Did they remember to leave a note?" Roll walked over to the corkboard she had set up and found that there was a note on it. She removed it and read the note.

 _Dear Big Sister,_

 _We decided to let you just sleep in while we take care of your dailies for you. Plus we've already had breakfast and Cream left you a fruit parfait in the refrigerator to eat. We see how hard you work at trying to make Animal Town such a great place to live that we want to do our part as well. We'll see you later or maybe we'll cross paths when you come outside._

 _Love you, Cream and Kalinka_

Roll just smiled before heading into the kitchen and enjoyed that parfait Cream had made for her and then washed up. Once she had changed into a natty dress and her tiara on her head with hair down, she headed outside to just take a nice walk and see what her friends were up to. Now she had all the time in the world to do fun things and not just the same routine jobs anymore. Roll felt like she had extra time to just enjoy herself and focus more on making her sisters happy.

Until two weeks had passed and the blonde girl found herself feeling very, very bored. Mostly because her sisters were so busy that they were never at the house anymore. Even Cream had started studying in town hall with Isabelle but Kalinka was spending more time helping out the villagers and the dailies that Roll hardly ever saw them. Roll now felt lonely as well.

"Ugh," she grumbled at one point as she sat in her bed just staring at the ceiling, "I know I wanted them to help me with my work, but there's gotta be more for me to do around town then just hitting my money rock and walking along the surf at the beach all day!" Roll just grumbled to herself before changing into her favorite overalls dress, left her hair tied half back with a giant white ribbon before heading outside. Just because Cream and Kalinka had taken over most of her dailies didn't mean she still couldn't be helping villagers around the town. She began searching for some nearby villagers when she noticed that Bunnie and Rosie were talking to each other.

"That was really sweet of her!" said Rosie as Roll came within hearing range.

"Yeah, Cream just helped me find my missing engagement ring and was even comforted me when I was panicking about it too," Bunnie added, "She is so sweet and kind."

"Kalinka helped me rearrange some furniture this morning," Rosie added, "alot of those furniture pieces are pretty heavy and yet she was willing to put up with my indecisiveness without much fuss and I could tell she was getting flustered at a certain point. I guess she really wanted to help me despite me pushing her patience."

"That is impressive, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Cream has such a soft voice when she speaks. I can't help but smile whenever she talks."

"I know right," said Rosie, "Cream is so cute! Kalinka is too!" The two girls then giggled to each other. Roll could feel herself getting a little jealous.

"I thought I was cute too?" she asked to herself.

"Huh?" they both exclaimed when they turned to see Roll standing a few feet away. Roll just smiled, successfully hiding the jealousy she was feeling at the moment behind her smirk.

"Oh hi Roll," said Rosie, "I see you're finally up and about."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roll asked, slightly offended.

"We all know you're beautiful," Bunnie replied as a matter of fact, "Do you really need the extra beauty sleep?" Roll just snorted.

"Well excuse me for sleeping in!" Roll remarked, knowing by now the excuse was a petty one at most. Bunnie and Rosie just exchanged look, making Roll even more annoyed.

"Where's Cream and Kalinka?" she asked, hastily.

"Cream is off trying to grow some hybrid flowers somewhere and Kalinka headed towards the museum," Rosie answered, "Hey, wanna join us..."

"Okay, see you," said Roll quickly before taking off. Rosie just looked hurt.

"...for a cup of coffee?" The blue cat finished sadly. Roll just kept speed walking away from the two when she noticed Katt just humming the town tune happily to herself.

"You're in a good mood," Roll remarked as she slowed down to speak to the cat. Katt just smiled at her.

"I should be," said Katt, "I accidentally tore my favorite tee and Kalinka gave me a new one for free!"

"I see," said Roll, knowing full well that the tee Kalinka had given Katt was one of the tee _she_ had paid for herself.

"She even helped me deliver a package to Fang too," said Katt, "She's the best little sister I've ever had!"

"I thought I was the best little sister you ever had," said Roll, feeling hurt, but Katt just chuckled at her pouting.

"Well, it looks like you've got some competition," Katt teased, but then her smirk flipped over when Roll gave her a bitter glare.

"Oh whatever," said Roll, not hiding the fact she felt angry hearing Katt say that and stomped away.

"Hey, I was only...Roll? Roll!" But Roll didn't listen and was soon out of sight as she headed across the bridge and stomped towards the campsite. She noticed that she had a visitor there.

"Ahh, I should go welcome them to _my_ town," said Roll, emphasizing the "my" part to herself. Roll walked inside and found a white and black rabbit with large black eyes inside.

"Hello there," said Roll politely. The rabbit jumped in surprise.

"Oh, what...huh..." said the rabbit before smiling, "oh hi there, my name is Dotty. I decided to come check out Animal Town for a visit."

"Well you are more than welcome too," said Roll, "I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Oh I sure will," said Dotty, "I've never gotten a double welcome before." Roll's cheerful attitude dropped instantly.

"D-d-d-double?" she spluttered.

"Yeah," said Dotty, "This cute little pigtailed girl came to greet me just an hour ago. She even gave me a pretty flower." Dotty pointed towards the yellow pansy that was now sitting in a small pot near her sleeping bag. Roll felt herself steaming.

"She was so cute," Dotty continued to gush.

"What about me?" Roll asked, unable to contain her jealousy. Dotty just looked at her puzzled.

"I don't get it," she replied. Roll felt like she was gonna explode and just dismissed herself from the tent without another word. Once she had fully exited and zipped the door shut did she angry stomp her bare feet into the path in front of the tent.

"COME ON!" she bellowed angrily. It was as if everything she did had been taken and everyone else seemed to enjoy being helped by Kalinka and Cream rather than her. There wasn't anything for Roll to do and nothing she could do to help her friends. Roll suddenly was hit with a realization.

"I'm losing Animal Town to my sisters," said Roll in a panic, "If this keeps up, everyone will love them more than me!" Roll suddenly felt very sad. She didn't know what to do as she slowly dragged her feet northward and straight for the Able Sisters.

"Mom...I...GASP!" Roll was just about to start venting when she saw Cream cuddling Sable from behind like she would. The young girl looked rather content as she relaxed into Sable's brown quills with a warm smile on her face and eyes closed. Roll gritted her teeth at the sight.

"Roll, you promised to share me, remember?" Sable said in a soft but stern motherly tone. Roll knew Sable was right, but rather than just admitting it.

"UGH...UGHHH!" was all Roll could say before exiting the door and slammed the door closed. Cream than opened her eyes and lifted her head out of Sable's quills.

"What's going on Mommy?" she asked innocently. Sable just looked at her from the corner of her eye.

"I wish I knew," said Sable, "just seems like Roll is in a bad mood." Cream just hummed as she lay her head back down into the quills and began to think for a moment.

"Maybe I can cheer her up," she thought aloud for a moment, "I know! I'll go make Roll one of my cherry pies. She loved it the last time and I'm sure one big slice of that would help her feel better!" Sable giggled to herself.

"Sounds like a delicious idea to me," the brown hedgehog replied as Cream began to mentally jot down the list of what she needed. Meanwhile, Roll was steaming as she entered her house and roughly wiped her feet before coming inside. That was when she noticed her towel was already dirty and her temper slipped.

"KALINKA MY TOWEL!" she snapped loudly. The other blonde girl rushed over and noticed the filthy towel.

"Oh no did I use the wrong towel again?" said Kalinka, "I'm sorry! Here you can use mine? If it helps, my feet are nice and clean!" Kalinka lifted her foot to show Roll the spotless sole, but Roll just glared before snatching the towel and wiped her feet off angrily, wincing before swapping the towels and stomped inside. Kalinka looked worried.

"Are...you okay?" Kalinka asked concerned, "That wipe down had to hurt."

"That's not all that hurts right now!" Roll barked.

"Well hey, easy with the attitude!" Kalinka replied, getting defense, "If you've got a problem with me, just say it!"

"You're taking away my job!" Roll shouted loudly, "Everyday I leave this house there's nothing for me to do! I enjoy a nice vacation as much as the next mayor, but after a while, it's nice to be able to do my own job for once in my life! I feel like I don't even have a job anymore! And everyone else doesn't seem to need me anymore cause they're too busy gushing over you and Cream. I'm the mayor of this town and I would like to do my part for this town thank you very much!" Kalinka just looked taken aback before just releasing a long sigh. She needed to take a breather, she could feel her own temper slipping. But she knew better.

"Alright, fine then," said Kalinka calmly, "starting tomorrow. I'll stop helping you with your job, because that was all I was trying to do, which was helping my big sister! It's not my fault I do a better job than you!" Even Kalinka knew she had said too much and Roll balled her fists, ready to explode.

"You have no idea what I went through to make this town as beautiful as it is today!" said Roll, her anger coming out full force, "They elected me as mayor of this town and I don't plan on losing my job to the likes of you!"

"Oh ho-ho now," Kalinka retorted with a hollow chuckle, "I guess I'm doing a good job if you feel threatened by me!" By now Cream just walked inside and had been wiping her feet before going to reach for her groceries when she noticed the two were fighting.

"I'm not threatened by you!" Roll shot back.

"You say that, but you're anger says otherwise," Kalinka answered with a smug smile on her face. Roll growled and went to go for a fist punch when Cream dashed between them to prevent a fight.

"Take it easy you two!" said Cream as she stood between them, "Now what's this all about?"

"Kalinka here is trying to take over my job as mayor!" said Roll angrily. Cream was a little surprised by Roll's remark when Kalinka just rolled her eyes.

"Apparently, she thinks I am going to take her job away from her," said Kalinka, "It's not my fault if the villagers think I do a better job than her!"

"Hey, we've been helping Roll together!" Cream retorted indignantly.

"No, I've been doing the mayor work," said Kalinka, "You've been too busy with your nose in the flowers all day long!"

"That's not true!" Cream shot back.

"Well, how about we let the Town decide this issue?" Kalinka replied and ignoring Cream.

"I'm listening," Roll muttered through her teeth.

"Let's have the town take a vote about this," said Kalinka, "after all, we don't live in a dictatorship after all...at least that's what I've heard."

"We're a republican-democracy," Roll snarled, her body trembling.

"Good," said Kalinka, keeping her smug attitude, "Tomorrow we'll ask Isabelle if we can hold an election and then the villagers can tell us who they would want as the _real_ mayor of this town!" Roll just seethed with fury, but still tried to calm herself down a bit before answering.

"Fine by me," said Roll, then offered her hand for a shake, "May the best blonde win." Kalinka smirked as she shook her hand in return.

"Which will be me," she added arrogantly before making her way into her and Cream's bedroom. Roll just glared as Kalinka disappeared before crossing her arms.

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" said Cream, "I know I didn't mean to make you feel like I was taking over your job." Roll softened a bit hearing Cream say that, but then she remembered Kalinka's smug attitude and she felt angry all over again.

"I know Cream," said Roll, "but Kalinka apparently thinks she can do better than me, but in a couple of days everything will be just the way it's supposed to be. You'll see...You'll see...I'm still the mayor of this town." Roll continued to glare in the direction Kalinka had disappeared to. Cream just sighed to herself as she went to pick up the bags she had left by the front of the door and went to take them into the kitchen.

"I don't think making is a cherry pie is going to help fix this mess," said Cream to herself as she put the items away into the pantry. In the end, she still made the pie. She loved baking and she hoped it would soften the mood, but sadly things between Kalinka and Roll didn't change and Cream ended up enjoying her slice alone.

"Sometimes I feel like the only mature one in this house," she muttered.

 **It's a pretty slow start for the first chapter of year 2 I'll admit that, but don't worry, things will pick up soon. Everything that is discussed in this chapter is giving off some clues as to what readers can expect in future chapters and story arcs. Plus I wanted to give some brief background that will lead to main plot of this chapter.**

 **If you've noticed, I've removed the villager catch phrases for year 2, but if you miss them. I can re-edit them back in the future.**

 **If you recall since the update, you can plant fertilizer next to dying trees to revive them.**

 **So...if you're ready to delve further into year 2. See you next time!**


	68. Adjustments Part 2

Adjustments Part 2

Both Kalinka and Roll wasted no time getting dressed and headed towards Town Hall first thing in the morning to see Isabelle. Roll had picked a red polka dot dress with hair tied half back with a marching large ribbon while Kalinka had picked a chain gang tee with a dry denim skirt and hair tied in a pony tail. The shi-tzu was just busy doing some paperwork and snacking on a quick breakfast pastry when both sisters barged in. Isabelle had nearly dropped the last bit of her pastry, but still caught it as she smiled at the two. her smile faded instantly when she saw the stern looks on both of their faces.

"Umm...good morning...Roll...Kalinka..." Isabelle replied slowly, "I...take it the living together arrangements still aren't going too well?" Roll and Kalinka looked at each other and snarled.

"More like someone is out to steal my job," said Roll bitterly. Kalinka just turned her head with her arms crossed and stuck her tongue out at her. Roll stuck her tongue back at her. Isabelle just rolled her eyes and gave a loud sigh.

"Okay, tell me what is going on," she asked wearily.

"Well, Kalinka here offered to help out with my job as mayor to make things easier for me," Roll explained, "I said that was fine. But after two weeks, it seems that Kalinka had taken over all of my responsibilities and the villagers are starting to see her more as the mayor than me."

"Have you tried just doing the jobs yourself?" Isabelle asked.

"Every time I do," said Roll, "They are already done. The only thing that she hasn't taken is my money rock! And when I talk to the villagers, all they can talk about is how amazing Kalinka and Cream are at helping each other and UGH!" Roll crossed her arms and pouted as Isabelle began to laugh.

"From what I'm hearing," Isabelle replied, "it sounds more like somebody is jealous. It appears that Kalinka's got some natural leadership talent." Kalinka even snickered as Roll gave her a death glare.

"Yeah, well when I decided to be the _mature_ one and tell Kalinka how I felt," Roll answered, "she said that she could do a better job than me as mayor!"

"I see," said Isabelle, "is that true?"

"Yep," said Kalinka bluntly, "From what I heard, Roll was just dumped into the position without much consent from the villagers of this town..."

"Well, not exactly," said Isabelle, cutting the blonde girl off, "I was the one who selected Roll as mayor of this town. I had the full consent of the villagers to do so."

"So...why aren't you running as mayor around here?" Kalinka asked, "after all, you are clearly far more qualified than Roll will ever be. You've got all these degrees in politics and engineering and such. You're know the inner workings of the so called government and can cut through red tape like butter. It's because of you and _not my sister_ why we even got to come live here and not be stuck with random foster parents..."

"Hey...I wanted you guys here," Roll protested.

"Well, you have to admit," said Kalinka arrogantly, "If you didn't have Isabelle, you've would have _no legal authority_ at all and you're efforts to adopt us would have been futile." Roll just glared, but deep down she was rather hurt that Kalinka would say that to her face so plainly.

"Even if I didn't have Isabelle," said Roll, "I'd would have done all I could to get you guys out of there."

"But it would have been a useless effort," Kalinka shot back, hurting Roll even more and making the older girl seethe in rage.

"Enough," Isabelle retorted sternly, "Let's get one thing straight here, Kalinka. There are people in this world to be destined for mayors and there are others, like me, who are meant to be the one doing the work behind the scenes, such as secretaries for example. Yes, I understand that I am probably more than qualified to run this town myself and I probably have the power and knowledge needed to do a job far better than the two of you combined."

"Then why don't you?" Roll asked quietly, "I've never stopped you from wanting more for your life. Or even a higher position!"

"Other than a higher paycheck," Kalinka muttered.

"Hey, if you checked her records miss know-it-all!" Roll shot back angrily, "Isabelle has had a 40% pay increase over the course of a single year. And I've given her more cash bonuses than any other employer would offer in the human world so BLEH!" Kalinka just rolled her eyes as Isabelle smiled.

"Kalinka, Roll here gave me 250,000 bells as a Christmas bonus last holiday," Isabelle explained, "and I got another 100,000 when I helped her bring you and Cream home. and that's just two examples. I've even got enough money saved up to buy more own house now! But I'm never home so the cash just sits in my savings account. But were getting off topic here. The point is that Roll has been very, very good to me as an employer and as a friend. Despite being beneath her in the organizational charts, she treats me as her equal. I just _chose_ freely not to be the mayor. I prefer working behind the scenes anyway. Sure, I do alot of the paperwork and such, but Roll is the one who leads this town and makes sure that it is a sweeter, a better, and a happier place."

"And I feel its time someone else gets a chance," said Kalinka, "I honestly like the type of work that Roll does and I think I could do a better job." Roll just rolled her eyes at her while Isabelle just hummed in understanding.

"I see," said Isabelle, "So...you wanna challenge Roll's position for mayor?"

"That is correct," said Kalinka confidently as Roll just mouthed the comment to herself.

"Isabelle, forgive me for Kalinka's waste of your busy schedule," said Roll formally, "but I don't think that it is possible for Kalinka to challenge anyone's authority as mayor."

"Actually, it is possible and completely legal in this part of the world," said Isabelle.

"WHAT?" Roll shrieked in shock and surprise as she slammed the palms of her hands onto Isabelle's desk. Kalinka just smirked.

"According to the rule book of Animal Town," said Isabelle as she pulled out an old book of laws and regulations from her desk, "such challenges of position can take place as long as the challenge is only one precisely after one year of service. Roll has been mayor for over a year now and Kalinka has been the first person ever to initiate such a challenge.

"You...you can't be serious?" said Roll, still in disbelief that Kalinka's challenge was actually legal.

"I'm afraid it is Mayor Roll," said Isabelle, "Kalinka, as well as any of the villagers in this town, has the right to challenge your position as mayor under the pretense that they can provide a legitimate excuse and have proper evidence to support their claim that they can be just as, if not better, capable than you at the position." Roll suddenly felt a little nervous.

"Does she..." she stuttered. Isabelle then presented a small stack of papers.

"This is the satisfaction report regarding Kalinka's effort in helping you out," said Isabelle, "there is nothing but high praises for her efforts. So she is clearly capable for the position and can be the new mayor. Oh, this is going to be so exciting! We haven't had a proper election since...since...actually, I can't even remember. Even with Tortimer being so lazy, none of the villagers ever tried to step up to take over his job. In fact, Pelly and Phyllis said that he would still have elections even though he was the only one running and he won because nobody but him voted."

"Sounds crooked," Kalinka remarked.

"Not really," said Isabelle, "everyone knew he did it, but like I said...no one challenged him or did they bother to remember to vote."

"Still sounds crooked to me," Kalinka repeated.

"It wasn't," Roll remarked with irritation, "Tortimer was one of the sweetest turtles I've ever met in my life."

"Why didn't you marry him?" Kalinka retorted.

"EWW! He's old enough to be our grandfather!" Roll replied indignantly, "The point is that he was very nice, but rather lazy. Anyone could have challenged him but they didn't. It was pure laziness and nothing less. That's why he got away with it. Purrl and Whitney have plenty of tales how they regret never speaking up." Kalinka just glared and rolled her eyes.

"So...can I challenge Roll for her role as Mayor then?" said Kalinka, "Or is there an age requirement?" Isabelle just gave her a serious look.

"Can you walk and talk?"

"Yes..."

"Are you potty trained?"

"Yes..."

"Can you think complex thoughts?"

"Yes, I'm not an idiot..."

"Could've fooled me," Roll remarked.

"SHUT UP!"

"Education level?" Isabelle asked, choosing to ignore Roll's comment.

"High school graduate" Kalinka answered.

"Then you're qualified," said Isabelle, "I'll just complete the forms for you and tell the villagers that there will be an emergency meeting at the Event plaza later tonight. Oh, this is going to be so exciting. Animal Town's first real election. I can't wait to get started!"

"Neither can I," Roll muttered to herself as Kalinka shared Isabelle's excitement.

"You're seriously going to do this?" Cream asked the two of them once they had returned back to the house. The young brunette had put on a hello kitty tee with a demin skirt and a giant dark blue ribbon in her pigtails along with matching blue framed glasses.

"I don't want to, but..." Roll began.

"Oh, is big sister a chicken?" Kalinka taunted before making clucking sounds at Roll.

"Oh go lay an egg you ducky bomb!" Roll retorted and began to making quacking sounds at her. Cream just looked indignant until she had had enough of their bantering.

"WILL YOU TWO PUT A SOCK IN IT!" she shouted, making them stop, "You are behaving like you were both raised in a barn!"

"Actually Roll was raised in a trash can," Kalinka pointed out and Roll was steamed.

"At least I was three years old and not three _days_ old," Roll shot back. Before they both snarled and went to strangle one another until Cream stood between them.

"Enough!" Cream shouted angrily, "Both of you go find a place to cool off before I tell Sable how you are all acting." Kalinka and Roll glared.

"Tattletale," they both muttered. Their fists in the air. Cream looked hurt and decided to use it against them.

"Well if you need to hit something, why not just hit me?" Cream offered as she removed her glasses as she stood there calmly. Kalinka and Roll just snorted before walking away. Cream just smiled to herself before putting her glasses back on and opened a book to read while she reclined on the sofa.

"Just as I thought," she told herself, "the guilt they would feel for hitting me would be far worse than any punishment Sable could give them." She began to thank herself for choosing Psychiatry as a study course that semester. It had given her creative ways to be a peacekeeper in the household.

By the time the sun had began to set in Animal Town, Isabelle had finished with the paperwork and was now making her way towards the Event Plaza. Everyone was already there waiting anxiously for the shi-tzu. They were still in the dark about the situation and their curiosity about the meeting was as high as it could be.

"I wonder what is going on now?" Fang asked out of the blue. Whitney, who he was now dating regularly but hadn't been declared his official girlfriend, just shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe Isabelle is finally gonna put my workout incentive into law," Rudy replied with excitement as he got several glares from some of the nearby villagers.

"What?" he asked with a blank look on his face, getting several eyes rolls. Kalinka and Roll were just waiting at the plaza impatiently as well as not speaking to each other. Cream just sighed to herself as she stood alone from the two sisters.

"It's been like this all day," she groaned sadly to herself. Bunnie and Rosie gave her some sympathetic looks as they approached her. It should also be mentioned that they had their dates (boyfriend in Rosie's case/fiancé in Bunnie's case) with them as well.

"As much as Roll likes to be mature about things," said Bunnie, "She is actually very determined and competitive...to a fault."

"Yeah," said Rosie, "despite all the self-doubt, Roll is quite the fighter. I'm not surprised that Kalinka had the same fire in her too. In fact, Kalinka seems to have more temper on her end."

"I've noticed," Cream muttered wearily as she rolled her eyes, but the brunette didn't have much longer to think about it as Isabelle arrived with a clipboard on her hand and a warm smile on her face.

"Good evening everybody," said Isabelle proudly, "I trust you've all had a good day?" A few had a few positive murmurs while some were rather apathetic. Roll, Kalinka, and Cream said nothing at all.

"So, what brings us all here anyway?" Whitney asked curiously.

"For the first time in the history of Animal Town," Isabelle announced, "There has been a challenge to Roll's authority."

"GASP!" was the gasp from the twelve villagers.

"Kalinka here has declared that she can do a better job as Mayor of animal town," Isabelle continued, "and she had elected to run against Roll for the job." The rest of the villagers just murmured some more with each other.

"So, Kalinka wants to take over Roll's job?" said Rosie, "like a hostile takeover?"

"That's for businesses, not government positions," said Marshal as Rosie just rolled her eyes. Bunnie just giggled at her best friend's moment of stupidity before Isabelle cleared her throat to get their attention back into her.

"So this turn of events now leads to my big announcement," Isabelle continued, "We are going to have an election."

"An election?" Alfonso replied in surprise as several of the other villagers just murmured and exchanged looks with each other.

"Yes," said Isabelle, "However this time, I really want to stress the importance of voting this time around. This isn't like the elections Tortimer used to hold where he seemed to be the only one running and the only one voting. You are familiar with both candidates and their capabilities in making Animal Town a happy place to live. Even if they voted alone, it would still lead to an impasse because we've got two runners and only two voters. You must know who you would like to run as mayor. Do you still believe Roll can do the best job for the town? Or it is time for a change?"

"It isn't time for change," said Roll, "ever since I first arrived here in Animal Town, I've been chosen to make this town into the beautiful place it is today. I've worked very hard to help you guys make this town such a great place to live. Why would you want to throw me out of office after everything I've done for you?"

"Oh quit being such a drama queen!" Kalinka retorted indignantly, "I'll admit that I might not have the strongest self-confidence in the world, but at least I know what I am capable of and won't go blubbering when things go wrong!"

"Hey! There is nothing wrong with crying!" Roll shouted back, "I'm a sensitive girl so sue me!"

"A little too sensitive if you ask me," Kalinka muttered.

"Oh look who's talking little miss "my soles are in pain scrubbing a cloth over them"," Roll retorted.

"You take that back!" Kalinka shouted angrily.

"Now whose the drama queen!" Roll added.

"That's enough you two, now listen up," Isabelle retorted, separating them and giving them both a stern glare, "If you two are going to run against each other for mayor, we need to make some ground rules for the election."

"Okay, fine!" Both blonde girls said together...hastily.

"First of all," Isabelle began, "This won't be a very long campaign session. We will host the election within five days."

"Only five days?!" They both retorted.

"Even real politicians have more campaign time," Roll protested.

"Yeah, and that's why human governments are so pathetic and don't get nothing done," Isabelle replied, "too much campaign time and not enough actual work. Plus this town doesn't need a long transfer of power period so I'd rather get the voting done as soon as possible."

"Fine," they both muttered.

"Next," Isabelle continued, "when you guys are making your campaign slogans, please refrain from using any mudslinging. It's one thing to say you're the better candidate, but if you stoop so low to insult, degrade, and make fools out of each other, nobody will think you're taking this opportunity very seriously. You saw what happened in the most recent election in your homeland."

"Good point," Roll remarked, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, Roll makes herself look dumb without me saying anything about it," Kalinka remarked.

"Right back at ya!" Roll shot back.

"Oh brother," Isabelle replied, rolling her eyes before getting back on track, "Plus make sure you don't make promises you can't keep either. You know you're own capabilities and limits alright. I just want this to be a fair and clean election process and keeping all the drama to a minimum. Is that understood?" Kalinka and Roll just nodded.

"Now shake hands with each other," Isabelle instructed. Neither blonde girl wanted to until Isabelle glared at both of them. The two girls just gave each other their best "stare" as their hands met in the middle and then roughly let go, but still staring at each other.

"Alright then," said Isabelle, seeing that was the best she could get out of them being mature competitors, "Be sure to make your voice heard everybody and vote for who you want for Animal Town's next mayor. This meeting is adjourned!" With that, everyone went off to do their own things, leaving just the three sisters alone at the plaza. Roll and Kalinka hadn't stopped glaring at one another. Cream lost patience.

"Will you two give it a rest!" Cream retorted indignantly, "At the end of the day, one of you is gonna win and the other is going to lose. But more important than that, we are still family! Now hug each and stop acting so silly!" Kalinka and Roll looked at Cream and then at each other. Kalinka just gave Roll a loud raspberry. Roll then returned it before they turned away, noses stuck into the air as they walked away from each other. Cream just sighed in defeat as she slumped to her knees on the cobblestones beneath her.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm the only mature one in this family," she told herself once again.

"Guess Kalinka is just as super competitive as Roll," said a voice. Cream lifted her head and saw Margie standing nearby with a warm smile and a hand to help the brown haired girl to her feet. Cream took the offer graciously and gave Margie a light curtsey.

"Thank you Miss Margie," said Cream politely. The white elephant giggled to herself.

"There's no need to be so formal, Cream," Margie replied, "We're friends after all."

"We...are?" said Cream surprised. Sure, she had been introduced to Margie, but the young girl had been so focused on her studies that she hadn't really spent that much time with any of the villagers at all since arriving in Animal Town. Even when Roll invited her for dinner at Bunnie or Rosie's house, she had mostly turned them down to study. She had done a few favors for Margie, but other than small talk, she hadn't really tried to get to know anyone as well as she could have. Margie was no exception.

"Of course," said Margie, "I've been waiting for a day when we could just hang out and chat with each other. You just always seem so busy studying."

"I...see..." said Cream, feeling rather shy since she wasn't sure what she could talk about beside how big of a pain her sisters were to her rear end.

"Not...interested?" Margie asked, trying to hide her disappointment but failing miserably.

"N-n-n-no...I mean...yes I am..." Cream stuttered, "it's just...I'm still new at making friends is all. I'm so used to just keeping to myself and studying all the time."

"Do you read just for fun sometimes?" Margie asked.

"Of course," said Cream, "I love reading a good book and if I can't find a hard copy, I'll save up for a digital copy for my laptop."

"Well, I happen to be a bit of a bookworm myself," said Margie, "but I tend to read more informational books than fiction or novels and such. How about you come to my house for tea and we can discuss what we've been reading?" Cream smiled.

"I'd like that," said Cream excitedly, "And Margie?"

"Yes Cream?"

"Do you like flowers?"

"Standard or Hybrid?"

Cream just smiled. Margie was definitely someone Cream felt she could build a friendship with. In fact, once Cream arrived at the house, she felt right at home in sharing a conversation with the white elephant. Cream was rather surprised at how comfortable she felt talking to Margie and that her shyness seemed to disappear right away. Plus she enjoyed the tea Margie had offered her and even asked for the recipe. The conversation was going well until Cream felt her smart phone vibrate in her skirt pocket and went to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Where the blazes are you?!" Roll snapped angrily, "It's almost dinner time and I need help cooking!" Cream just sighed to herself.

"I'm hanging out with Margie," said Cream, keeping a straight but calm tone to her voice, "You're always saying that I should get my nose out of my books and computer and spend some time with our friends." There was a long silence before Cream heard a distant but loud huff.

"Alright, I didn't want to cook with Kalinka anyway," Roll remarked.

"The feeling is mutual!" Kalinka shouted back as Cream head loud door slam in the background, making her flinch.

"Just message me if you're out past eleven okay," Roll said with an irritated tone and hung up before Cream could reply. Cream just sighed as she closed the call and set her phone on the table.

"I take it things are still pretty rough with you three at home?" Margie asked Cream curiously. Cream just felt her lips quiver before she took of her glasses, set them aside, and then threw her head back.

"UGH...UGGGGGGGGGGGGH!" was all Cream could say, her second groan came with her tugged her pigtails before slamming her face into the table in frustration. Margie just giggled to herself as Cream just lifted her head, rubbing her finger through her triangularly shaped hair bangs.

"It's not funny," she remarked sadly, even her pigtails had gone limp to emphasize how upset she was feeling at the moment. Margie gave her a sympathetic smile, which Cream could barely see on Margie's face without her glasses and went to put them back on.

"Tell me Cream," Margie asked with curiosity, "what seems to be the big issue here? Is it just living adjustments or is there something else going on that you want to talk about?" Cream just sighed to herself as she took a long deep breath. She really didn't want to talk about it, but she needed to talk to someone. She had originally planned to speak to Sable, but she had lost her nerve. The remark about being called a tattletale made her question the idea of speaking to the brown hedgehog. Margie may not have known what was wrong, but she could sense the young girl's inner distress and waited for Cream to answer.

"I don't want to trouble you..." Cream began timidly, but was cut off when Margie lifted a hand before her.

"Nonsense," said Margie, "Friends confide in each other and you're clearly upset. You can talk to me about anything. Now what's on your mind?" Cream just sighed and released a long deep breath and started to slowly explain how things had been the past few weeks. She had even mentioned about how they had offered to help Roll and how they had even gotten to this point of having an election for mayor in the first place.

"We never meant to make Roll feel like Kalinka and I were trying to take over her job," Cream continued, "We just wanted to help. Roll was really upset when she finally told us how she felt. I had no problem backing off or wanting to compromise. It was Kalinka and her stupid ego that said she could be a better mayor and the rest of the war was initiated. All I can say is that I feel caught in the middle of it with no peace in sight! UGH!"

"The road of sisterhood is never an easy one Cream," said Margie, "Trust me. I would know. I have my own sisters back home and it wasn't easy dealing with their problems on a regular basis."

"Is that why you moved away?" Cream asked, "Did they just drive you up the wall to the point that you had to get out of there?"

"Of course not," said Margie, "I just had a dream...a cherry pie to put it in the words Roll had described it."

"What is it?" Cream asked with curiosity. Margie smiled as she got up from her chair, grabbed her sketchbook, and sat back down, opening it as she got comfortable again.

"Oh wow," said Cream as she examined book and all the clothing designs inside of it.

"I hope one day that people will be able to wear all my cute clothes," said Margie, "Rarity has already agreed to carry some of my designs in her boutique and Sable even carries a few of my clothes as well. So my dream is already underway."

"Must be nice to have a dream," said Cream, "Something that gives you hope and a purpose in life..." Margie than looked at Cream sadly.

"You...don't have a dream?" Margie asked the young girl. Cream just looked very sad and shook her head.

"I don't know what I want to do with my life...or what my...err...cherry pie is supposed to be," said Cream, "Until I left the orphanage, I didn't know if I would even have a future. Now that the door is wide open...I feel rather lost..."

"I see," said Margie, "and what are your interests in if I can ask? What do you like to do?"

"Gardening, landscaping, and baking," said Cream, "Just not sure what I would want to have a future in to be exact."

"Well at least you've got some paths to pursue," said Margie, "Don't worry too much about it Cream. You're only ten years old. You've got plenty of time to find a dream. Some people know what they want to do when their young while others need to explore their opportunities. You'll know in your heart when you find something that you love to do. I can be sure of it." Cream smiled.

"Thanks Margie," said Cream, "but that doesn't really help me with my situation right now. I've got two sisters who are ready to tear one another apart and I'm stuck in the middle of it. I'd rather not go to Sable about all of this."

"Why not?" Margie asked.

"I don't want to be a tattletale," said Cream, "I'm just trying to find a solution to keep peace and not get caught in the crossfire where I'm the one who is going to get hurt. I don't know if I can even avoid not voting."

"Try speaking to Isabelle about it," said Margie, "She will let you know what you're options are. Don't worry about it."

"But I can't win either way," said Cream, "No matter who I chose, the other will hate me for it."

"Then go ask Isabelle if you have to vote," said Margie, "Find that out first before you worry about making a choice. And don't be afraid to talk to Sable. From what I'm hearing, you're not stitching. You're just worried about all the tension in the family and that is something you should be able to discuss with your own mother." Cream just hummed to herself.

"Thank you Margie, for the tea and for hearing me out," Cream answered as she stood up from her seat and ironed out her skirt, "I do feel a little better that I took the time to speak to you about all of this." Margie smiled and then gestured for Cream to come closer and the white elephant gave her a heartwarming hug.

"That's what friends are for Cream," said Margie, "Just know that I'm always here for you, as well as your sisters too. And don't be a stranger either. Feel free to come and visit me anytime okay?"

"I will and thank you for your time Margie," said Cream, giving her another curtsey before taking her leave. She figured she could just head straight to Isabelle and put this concern about the election to rest before deciding what to do next. Plus she didn't want to deal with Roll and Kalinka yelling at each other right now, especially over something as trivial as dinner. Though she couldn't help but say a silent prayer that they wouldn't try to kill each other as she made her way to town hall. As Cream walked inside, Isabelle was busy finishing up the last of her paper work when Cream approached her desk.

"Hey Cream," said Isabelle, "how may I be of service for you today?"

"I...wanted...to...to ask," Cream stuttered nervously, "if...if it is necessary for me to vote in the election that is coming up in a few days..."

"It is very important that you vote, Cream," Isabelle answered in a professional manner, "Everyone needs to participate so that there is a full representation of the town. I'm even sending a notification to all shop owners and civic workers to vote as well so their voices are heard. Even Harvey, mister anti-government himself, is going to cast his vote as well. This isn't just some little contest here Cream. This is for a political office and it is everyone's civic duty to participate..."

"Isabelle, this has nothing to do with representation and people's voices being heard," Cream protested, "This is nothing to do with poltics at all. This had to do with a sister who feels like she is being pulled in two opposite directions and just wants to be impartial about all of this! In fact, I don't want to get involved in the campaigns at all! Isabelle I don't want to vote if it means that I have to make one sister love me and the other hate me!" Isabelle's eyes widened in shock as she saw Cream was in the verge of tears.

"Don't make me have to chose?" Cream begged, "I'd rather move out if you leave me no choice."

"Cream..." Isabelle tried to speak up, but Cream had already left Town Hall without another word. Isabelle was still worried. She really needed Cream to do her part, but she didn't want her feeling upset about it. She made a mental note to speak to both Roll and Kalinka about it as soon as possible.

Rather than return home, Cream headed back towards main street. As she approached the main intersection, she noticed that Roll and Kalinka were wearing signs and holding paddle boards as the villagers walked about. They were clearly trying to promote themselves for mayor. Cream paid no attention to either of them and just headed straight for the Able Sisters. Cream walked inside just as Sable was kneeling on the floor beside a cardboard box, shuffling through it for something.

"Do you need some help Momma?" Cream asked curiously. The brown hedgehog lifted her head and looked in front of her before finally turning her head towards the pigtailed girl.

"Oh hi there Cream," said Sable cheerfully, "Are you looking for some more new clothes?" Cream just shook her head and just knelt behind her and snaked her arms around her torso. Sable just hummed to herself.

"Feeling troubled?" she asked plainly.

"Yes," Cream replied in a soft but exhausted tone.

"Roll and Kalinka?"

"Yep"

"Don't want to vote do you?"

"Nope"

It was still amazing how this brown hedgehog was so perceptive, but then again, it was talent Sable didn't go bragging about either. Sable just turned her body a bit so she could give her youngest daughter a warm hug. Cream just snuggled Sable quietly as a few tears just let themselves slide out of her eyes. Mabel noticed Cream's distress and knelt beside the young girl.

"It stinks being the youngest sister doesn't it?" Mabel asked her in a soft but gentle tone. Cream just nodded.

"How you do it?" Cream asked the blue hedgehog curiously. Mabel looked rather puzzled.

"What do you mean?" said Mabel, "Being the youngest?"

"No, being the peacekeeper," Cream answered. Mabel made an O with her mouth and just let out a long sigh.

"I wish I could give you a direct answer to that," said Mabel, "but there's really no easy way to be a peacekeeper. Even with all my experience..."

"GASP...Mabel admits she getting old too!" Sable retorted in mock horror while placing a hand over her mouth. Mabel just glared as Cream giggled to herself. Sable smiled afterward, making Mabel realize why Sable made that comment in the first place and rolled her eyes.

"As I was saying," said Mabel with a huff, "time and patience is the only way to solve conflicts like these. Even I know trying to avoid the tension is easier said than done. Unless they are physically getting at each other's throats or about to, you can't really do much. Learning how to step in is a trial and error. All you can do is let both of them know that you love them."

"But what do you do when you feel like you have to chose one over the other?" Cream asked sadly. Mabel then realized that Cream was talking about the election and just sighed to herself.

"That's a tough one," said Mabel, "I've even considered what I would do if I were in that same position with Labelle and Sable."

"So...how would you chose?" Cream asked, "Isabelle said that it is mandatory that I vote so...I can't back out of it."

"She is right about that," put in Sable, "Voting is a civic duty and it is important that you make your voice heard."

"Even at the expense of making one sister hate you?" Cream asked and Sable gasped.

"Did they say that to you?" she asked sternly.

"Back off Sable, "Mabel warned, "You and Labelle have put me in that position several times over. You have no right to judge Roll and Kalinka for doing it too." Sable glared but then softened but was still upset about it.

"To answer your question Momma," said Cream, "they didn't say that to me. I just can feel the anger between the two of them. I really don't want to have to make a choice in this election. I didn't want Roll to feel like her job was on the line. Kalinka was the cause of that! But now I'm getting dragged into it and I don't want either of them hating me!" Sable just listened attentively to her daughter before giving her a loving squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't you worry about that," said Sable, "I'll speak to them later when I get the chance."

"No, don't," said Cream, "I don't want to be a tattletale!"

"You're not being a tattle tale," said Sable, "All you said was that their over-competitiveness is upsetting you and that you don't want either of them pressuring you to vote. You're a very smart girl Cream. You can make your own decision."

"True, and I appreciate you calling me smart Momma," Cream replied, "but I'm still torn on what to do."

"Just look deep inside yourself Cream," said Sable, "and let your heart, not your head, make the decision. If you make the choice you feel is right, then no one can discredit you for it. Besides Cream, I really do feel that you need to vote. Choosing not to vote isn't making a choice at all. You're just running away from the problem and running away never solved anything."

"Yes Momma," said Cream quietly before asking, "can...can I stay here with you? I don't mind helping you out and at least it will give me something to do to take my mind off of all of this drama." Sable just giggled.

"You're are more than welcome to stay," said Sable, "So don't worry about it anymore. Everything will be okay." Cream just smiled and hugged Sable back.

"Margie was right," said Cream, "being able to have someone to talk about your troubles with really does help you out. I feel alot better talking you and Mabel, Margie too." Sable and Mabel laughed as they smushed the little girl into a sandwich style hug. Labelle even snuck into the group hug just as they were about to pull away. Cream stayed with her mother and two aunts late into the night. By the time they had realized how late it was, they invited Cream to spend the night at their house. Cream was very grateful. Both for the invitation and for the brand new soft pink floral tank and pajama short pants Sable gave her for the night, which she got to keep since she had been using the nightgown Sable had given her when they had first met.

Soon the day of the election had arrived, Kalinka and Roll had spent most of the week and the earlier part of the day pushing their campaigns to the other villagers before finally meeting up at the Event Plaza. This was where the voting poll was being set up and ready to go. Isabelle had taken the liberty of creating several ballots with each of the competitors names on them so all the voter had to do was mark a simple hallow square to cast their vote and then deposit their vote into the ballot box. Everyone had arrived early and even the shops had all closed early as well to make sure that their voices were all heard and that there were no distractions.

Roll and Kalinka had dressed up their attires for the event. Roll had picked the town hall tee with a black formal skirt and tied her hair into a ponytail with her crown. Kalinka had picked the black cafe vest with black pedal pushers and had left her hair fully down with a black headband. They had exchanged just a simple glare with each other before they just sighed together in defeat. They had been bitter and cold to each other for the entire five days and they both had to admit that they were both growing tired of not speaking to each other. In addition, Sable and Isabelle had given them a firm talking to regarding how upset Cream felt about having to vote for one of them. It had made them both realize just how selfish they had been acting. In fact, knowing Cream was upset made them realize just how selfish this entire election was. Having Cream suffer just because of their competitiveness wasn't fair and they both knew it too. Neither blonde girl was sure of what to say to each other. Then Kalinka finally found her voice.

"So...been...busy this morning?" Kalinka asked her curiously. Roll just looked at her, relaxing her expression as she uncrossed her arms.

"Yeah," said Roll, "I mean...I really want to keep my job you know."

"I see," said Kalinka quietly before there was another awkward silence. She just stared at her toes for a few moments before turning to face her big sister.

"I just wanted you to know," Kalinka pressed on quietly, "I didn't mean to be so rude and angry with you. I'm just very competitive. You think you're a great mayor. I think I'm a great mayor. I wanted to show that I was up to the challenge." Roll just listened quietly before smiling.

"I understand," said Roll, "I guess we're just very competitive people. We've done all we can. Now it's up to everyone else. They'll decide who they think is the right choice for mayor." Kalinka just smiled before a worried thought came to mind.

"Do you think...Cream will vote?" said Kalinka, "I can't blame her for not doing so."

"Me neither," said Roll to herself, "We both pretty much pressured her. I'd be surprised..."

"I came," said a stern voice. Both girls turned to see a familiar brown haired girl wearing a hot springs top and skirt with a large pink ribbon. Kalinka and Roll could tell that Cream was not happy as she tapped her foot impatiently at them as she glared with her arms crossed.

"I'm only here cause it's my civic duty," said Cream. _Plus Mom helped me make a choice, which in faith, is the right choice to make._

"Good," said Roll with a soft smile, "Just know that if you chose Kalinka, I won't be mad and that I love you." Cream was taken aback by the statement as Kalinka nodded in agreement.

"Our sisterhood goes beyond this election," Kalinka added, "We never meant to make you feel like you had to chose one over the other. That wasn't fair to you. You're our sister and we love you very much. You follow your heart and your insight and chose who you believe is right for the job." Cream continued to glare but she could feel the sincerity in both Roll's and Kalinka's tones with her bare feet. She smiled before initiating a warm group hug between the two.

"Good to see the family is together again," said Sable.

"Well..." said Roll as they broke away, "I'm tired of being mad at Kalinka...I feel so...miserable."

"Yeah..." Kalinka added sadly, "...suddenly wanting to be right doesn't feel worth it anymore." Sable chuckled as she approached the three sisters.

"Well when sisters truly love and care for each other," said Sable, "their conscience eventually helps them realize that being angry all the time isn't worth all the trouble."

"Agreed," said Kalinka and Roll together. Just then Isabelle cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Okay everybody!" she announced excitedly, "Election day has finally arrived! It is now time for Animal Town to cast their votes and determine which of these two fine candidates will be our mayor." Everyone cheered, making Roll and Kalinka feel rather shy and they just gave a small wave with their hands.

"Alright," said Isabelle, "listen up. The voting is very simple. Inside is a ballot, enough for everyone who can vote to take one. The ballots already have the names of each candidate. all you have to do is mark the box with who you want to be mayor and drop it into the slot of the ballot box. Once everyone is finished, I'll count the votes, which means according to the rules that I can't vote..."

"Now you tell me!" Cream bellowed, seeing that there had been a way for her to back out of voting after all.

"Well you can do the counting if you like..." Isabelle offered.

"My daughter is voting, end of discussion," said Sable firmly, making Cream pout as Isabelle just dropped the topic.

"Let's just get the voting started," said Isabelle, "Who wants to go first?"

"You go, Sis," said Kalinka, "I can wait." Roll was hesitant before Kalinka motioned for her to go on. Roll just smiled and headed inside as the rest of the villagers lined up. Roll grabbed a ballot, observing the pictures for a moment before she grabbed a pencil to mark her ballot. She was just about to mark herself when she stopped and looked at Kalinka's picture and smiled.

"It's the right thing to do," said Roll quietly. _Besides, If I'm gonna win, the votes will do that for me. I don't need to vote for myself._ Roll then marked the box for Kalinka instead before closing her ballot and then exiting. Kalinka gave her a concerned look. Roll just gave her a warm smile as the next person in line went to vote. The two sisters exchanged a warm hug with each other as everyone took their turn to cast their vote. Once Roll and Kalinka had pulled away, Sable let Kalinka go in front of her as Cream made her own vote. Cream looked rather nervous as she came out, but Roll hugged her tenderly.

"I voted for Kalinka," Cream whispered wanting to see Roll's reaction, Roll just smiled.

"It's okay," said Roll, "You know Kalinka better than I do. You must believe she can do it. I can respect that." Cream just smiled, seeing Roll meant what she had told her. Soon everyone else had taken their turn voting and Isabelle went to count up the ballots. Kalinka and Roll waited nervously. Kalinka rubbed her arm a bit before huffing.

"Look Roll, if you really want me to pull out I..." Kalinka was then stopped when Roll put a finger on her lips.

"Let the town decide," said Roll, "If I keep my job, then we'll work something out so you can help me. If I lose, then it's your turn to shine." Kalinka smiled and then was startled when Isabelle then came out of the both with a clip board at hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Isabelle announced, "The votes have now been counted and now the time has come for the results of Animal Town's first ever election!" Everyone looked at Isabelle curiously while Kalinka and Roll both felt very anxious.

"Our new town mayor is..." said Isabelle slowly and then paused for the longest three seconds of the blonde girls' lives.

"KALINKA!"

All the said blonde girl could do is gasp as Roll took a step to her and raised her hand into the air. Everyone cheered and applauded her excitedly. Kalinka just clasped a hand over her mouth that she had actually won. Kalinka looked at Roll nervously, who gave her a warm smile.

"It's your turn now," said Roll, "I know you'll do a great job." Kalinka wanted to cry tears of joy, but held them back as she smiled and gave her older sister a warm hug. Then Cream and Sable each gave their share of congrats, hugs, and kisses. Soon the rest of the villagers and shop keepers came to give Kalinka the congrats on her victory. Roll then walked up to Isabelle.

"It was a good race," said Roll, "but the people have spoken, Isabelle. Kalinka will be the mayor of Animal Town now."

"And by a wipeout too," said Isabelle and then clasped her mouth. Roll blinked as she turned to face her now former assistant.

"What do you mean by that?" Roll asked curiously. Isabelle just turned away and said nothing.

"Isabelle..."

"You can't tell me what to...oh yeah...we still have to officially inaugurate Kalinka, so you're still in charge," Isabelle groaned to herself, "well...it's...it's nothing."

"You're lying," said Roll firmly with her hands on her hips, "what do you mean it was a wipe out?" Isabelle just kept quiet and held her clipboard close to her chest, not wanting to answer.

"Give me the clipboard!" Roll asked sternly.

"You don't need to..."

"NOW!"

Isabelle just sighed before conceding and handing the clipboard over to the blonde girl. Roll then looked at the counting results and she felt like someone had shot her in the heart. As it has been mentioned before, everyone: villagers, shop keepers, and other NPC characters, had voted in this election, which was a total vote count of 42 individuals, including the three sisters but just not Isabelle. They had all voted in the election. Roll hadn't been bothered too much by the fact that Kalinka had won, but seeing the actual count had broken her heart.

Kalinka: 42

Roll: 0

Zero

The number of individuals that had voted for her was...zero.

The number of individuals that wanted her as mayor...zero.

The number of individuals that felt she should keep her job...zero.

Zero...not even her mother, or her best friends, had voted for her. Roll didn't know what else to think when she was interrupted by her train of thought.

"Hey big sis," said Kalinka happily, "We're going to go to that pizza parlor you recommended to celebrate! Come on. All this tension has made me hungry!" Roll just smiled as she handed the clipboard back to Isabelle and followed. Once they had arrived, Roll just stayed quiet as the rest of the family shared plenty of casual conversation and several chuckles as well as they enjoyed their fills of some rather delicious pizza and even crunchy breadsticks. Sable took notice that Roll's smile seemed a little forced and that she was also acting very quiet. When Roll dismissed herself to the restroom. Sable found her opportunity to speak to Roll and followed her. Of course, she waited until Roll was done with her business and washing her hands before addressing the blonde girl.

"Roll?" Sable asked when she got the chance to speak to her eldest daughter.

"Yes, Mom," said Roll, trying to hide the urge of spite that was clawing on the tip of her tongue. Sable could sense it.

"Is there something we need to..."

"Not right now Mom," said Roll bluntly, "This is Kalinka's night and just because I'm feeling disappointed doesn't mean that it has to spoil her night. Tonight is about her, not me." Sable just gave her a skeptical look, but then conceded since the brown hedgehog did agree that tonight was Kalinka's night.

"Alright Roll," said Sable, "but we are going to discuss this sooner rather than later." Roll could feel her anger surge, but just swallowed it before giving a forced response.

"Yes... _Mom_ " Sable than just glared and then turned to leave the bathroom. Roll waited until she left before grabbing a paper towel to dry her hands.

"I don't need to tell you anything, you traitor," Roll spat to herself as she angrily slammed her napkin into a trash bin and headed back to the table. She managed to successfully hide the pain that had been forming inside of her heart since she had seen the vote count. It wasn't much longer before the dinner was over and they all headed for home. While talking to her sisters helped Roll feel a little better, it only helped to distract her until they separated for bed and Roll couldn't sleep. She was sitting on her bed staring at the ceiling just as her clock struck 4AM in the morning. Roll then kicked off her covers as she continued to stare at the ceiling in deep thought.

"While I know I'm not angry cause I lost," Roll told herself, "it's the way I lost. Nobody voted for me. I didn't get a single vote. I thought everyone liked the job I was doing as mayor. They all said I was doing a good job and that they loved having me for mayor. I just don't get it. I thought if we competed, it would have been a close vote. I was sure at least some of the villagers preferred me over my sister, but that wasn't true. I guess...Kalinka is better at being the mayor than me. The vote pretty much made that loud and clear." Roll sighed to herself as she turned over and lay on her bed. She remembered all the things that she had been told since moving to Animal Town.

 _You're the best mayor we've ever had!_

 _We love having you here!_

 _We know you'll do a great job!_

 _We're always gonna support you!_

 _We believe in you!_

"Did they really?" Roll asked herself, "I mean the minute Kalinka challenged me, they were quick to dump me for her instead." She began to wonder if her family truly supported her at all. She began to wonder...

...was she really part of the family?

Was she...even loved at all?

"Not even my best friends, my most _loyal_ friends voted for me," Roll said sadly, "not...not even my Mom." While she was still learning to share Sable with the others, she was still the closest to the brown hedgehog. Kalinka was closer to Mabel and for Cream, it was Labelle. Labelle had always been fond of Roll and always said she was great leader, but yet even the reddish-brown hedgehog voted against her. And Sable...Sable...Sable...

Roll started to cry, the fact Sable even voted against her was what seemed to hurt the most. She thought even if nobody else had voted for her, she would have at least one guaranteed vote. But in the end, her rock and biggest moral support, had given her vote to Kalinka. Roll couldn't help but feel betrayed.

"It was all a lie," she sobbed to herself, "I'm not wanted here. I'm not loved. They were just toying with me until someone with _real_ talent showed up to take my place. I tried so hard to be the best I could be and it was all for nothing. I'm not gonna stay here any longer!" Roll then climbed out of her bed, changed into a yellow horizontal stripped tee and some acid-washed denim pedal pushers and tucked her tiara on her head. She looked at herself, eyes focused on the tiara before holding the crown in her hands.

"I'm the princess of friendship," Roll said to herself before she narrowed her eyes brows angrily, "it's all just. MORE. LIES!" Roll made a fast one eighty and threw her crown away from her. The crown made a loud CLANG before landing onto the lovely table. She just panted angrily before packing up her clothes and some other items into a large suitcase and then went to pick up both Komasan and Komajiro from their baby bed.

"You guys are the only real friends I have after all," Roll muttered to herself as she eyed the baby bed and blanket, both of which had been given to her by Sable. Roll felt her anger surge before she kicked the bed away from her with her left foot, knocking it over with a satisfied THUD. Holding both dolls with one arm, she grabbed the suitcase with another. She thought about her phone, but she didn't want anybody looking for her and left the phone behind. She did leave a note next to the tossed crown before heading downstairs and exited the house as quietly as she could. She had just closed the door when she felt something wet hit her nose.

"Oh great," said Roll as the rain began to steadily fall and just snorted, "Oh whatever. My sandals are in my suitcase and I don't care if I get wet. I don't care anymore...I don't care..." Roll just fought back tears as she just made her way into the town hall, moving quickly so not to get too wet. To her luck, Isabelle was nowhere to be found and the place was dark. Roll used to special warp pipe to head to the special parking lot. She figured if she tried to take the train Porter would ask her too many questions and she would never be able to leave. She quickly dumped her suitcase into the trunk of her pink compact car, buckled up her two lion dolls in the passenger seat before taking a seat in the driver's side. She was about to start the car when she froze.

"What do you mean where are going?" Roll barked when she noticed Komasan staring at her, "It's nothing you need to know!" Roll then twisted his head so he wasn't looking at her anymore and started the car.

"Honestly," she told herself quietly, "I don't even know where we're going. I just wanna get out of here..." With that, Roll pulled her car out of the parking lot and drove away into the twilight.

A few hours later, Cream emerged from the room, wearing a tulip tee with a matching giant ribbon and khaki pedal pushers. Kalinka noticed her attire.

"Decided to forgo the skirt?" Kalinka asked as she was busy reading a magazine in the living room. She had worn the same bottoms with a heart tee and even had worn a giant pink ribbon with her hair tied half back.

"Well, I like a good pair of pedal pushers as much as the next girl," said Cream, "why not?" Kalinka just chuckled.

"They look great on you," said Kalinka, "Are you hungry? I'll make breakfast this morning!"

"Great," said Cream and then noticed something, "Umm...where's Roll?" Kalinka just shrugged her shoulders.

"I was waiting for her to come down," Kalinka answered, "It's only 7:30 so she should be up by now."

"I'll go check," said Cream as she headed upstairs. Kalinka waited patiently for Cream to return. When the brown haired girl did come back down, her eyes were streaming endless tears and she was biting her upper lip.

"What happened?" Kalinka asked gently. Cream squeaked out a light sob as she lifted a shakey hand that was holding a piece of paper. Kalinka then took the paper and scan it. By the time she had finished reading it, her face was in the same state as Cream's.

Here's what the note said:

 _To Cream and Kalinka,_

 _I am very happy that Kalinka was made mayor of Animal Town. I don't know if either of you noticed that I didn't seem as happy as I should have. It has nothing to do with losing to Kalinka. It has to do with the fact that the vote for my younger sister was unanimous. They had all voted for her, I didn't get a single vote. I had even voted for her to be a good sport, but I never imagined that it would be used against me._

 _It made me realize that I've been living a lie here in Animal Town. I thought this was my family and that they loved me for who I was and that I was doing a good job as mayor. Guess it was all a lie wasn't it? They were more than happy to have me replaced with someone who is clearly better, stronger, prettier, smarter, and overall someone who is a thousand times the better woman I'll ever be. I can take a hint. It's not like you two need me either. I'm just dead weight to everybody._

 _So I'm going away and I don't plan on coming back. This is best for everyone. You don't need me. All I'll do is drag you down and make everyone dislike you too. I hope you two find your destiny's someday and live happy lives. I'm pretty convinced I don't have one after all. But that's not your burden anyway, and I'll make sure it never will be._

 _Take care of yourselves,_

 _you're worthless sister,_

 _Roll_

 _PS: don't let anyone say I abandoned them. As far as I am concerned, they abandoned me! Making me feel like I was something special and smashing everything I believed into pieces!_

Kalinka just let the paper slip out of her hands as tears splashed near her bare feet.

"What have I done?" she croaked.

 **Well...the critics got what they wanted...Roll has been ousted as mayor and by a unanimous vote too. And she's pretty much leaving Animal Town indefinitely. I hope those who wanted this arc are satisfied. It hurt to write this chapter, especially the end.**

 **And now that Isabelle has explained why she doesn't just take over as mayor, MAYBE we can drop the issue from here on out.**

 **But this story is not over yet. I mean...what will happen to Roll now? Will she make a return or...could this be Roll's last chapter? (Any reviews suggesting Roll not come back will be removed!)**

 **Stay tuned...**


	69. Adjustments Part 3

Adjustments Part 3

Fluttershy was rather quiet as she just sat on the edge of her bed. It was still raining rather heavily outside and despite the lamp she had near her bed, the room was still rather dimly lit even with it turned on. Despite the fact it was close to noon, the dark clouds made the room seem very dark. Usually Fluttershy hated it when her room was so dark, but she had more important things to worry about. She was wearing a Hello Kitty tee with a white headband that had the kitty ears and ribbons of the infamous Sanrio kitty. She was also wearing a some cream colored pedal pushers as well. Sitting Indian style she was busily brushing Roll's blonder hear. The girl was wearing the exact same out since they had wanted to be twins and...

"Umm...ex-excuse me Mr. Narrator?" Fluttershy asked out of the blue as she stopped combing the blonde girl's hair.

Yes what is it?

"Umm...well...I think everyone wants to know how Roll ended up here," said Fluttershy, "considering she ran away from home and was presumed to be...written out...I...I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that..."

It's okay, Fluttershy. That may have been the impression, but...

"May I tell them how she got here?" Fluttershy asked.

Well...I've never done first person before...and I...get criticized as it is...

"Well...I...I was...only asking...if it was a bad idea...I'll just..."

...

Fluttershy...go ahead and don't be too...shy...after all...no one can watch you in a written story after all...

"It's...it's the only reason I feel confident enough to ask," Fluttershy replied, "I guess the best way to start is from the beginning..."

 _Fluttershy's POV_

Four days ago, I was just walking through the forest. This forest I'm talking about is located just north of the town I live in with my brother Shenran. It had started to rain, but I didn't mind that a bit. I was wearing my favorite dress, which was just a sleeveless white tank with a lime green skirt that had some butterflies on the front. Despite, the rain, I was actually barefoot. I don't usually wear shoes or sandals when it rains in the spring or summer, sometimes even early fall. Cold rain water doesn't bother me, but I'm getting off subject. I was just walking along, twirling my umbrella in my hands when I heard this big screeching sound and this rather loud crunch afterward. It frightened me alot...I cowered behind a tree for a few seconds, trying to catch my breath before I found myself feeling curious.

"I wonder what the sound was?" I thought. I was afraid, but I just needed to know and soon my feet were nervously moving me in the direction of where the sound came from. Soon I reached the edge of the forest, where a steep hill was located. A few yards upwards was a windy road, one which I don't advise driving when it rains at high speeds. Little did I know what this train of thought would bite me where it hurts. I walked along the forest edge and gasped at what I saw. There before me was a pink compact car, crashed up against the side of the tree. The front of the car was pretty banged up too and smoke was coming out as well. I could see the tire marks from where the car had clearly had lost control and had skidded off the road and crashed into the tree head on.

"Oh my goodness!" I exclaimed as I picked up my pace and rushed towards the pink car, splashing through the muddy ground. That was when I took a good look at the license plate. When I read it, my eyes shrunk and both my hands were over my mouth, despite holding my umbrella. The license plate was five letters that scared me more than anything in the world. And that's saying something since, I'll admit, I'm pretty much scared of almost everything...

MAYOR

I knew who the car belonged to and felt my heart stop.

"Roll!" I shouted to myself as I rushed around to the front of the car and saw Roll was still in the driver's seat. The poor thing was frozen stiff, as if she had seen a ghost or the fright from what had happened had petrified her. I tried to open the door, but it was still locked on the inside.

"Roll! Roll!" I cried out, pounding the side of the car for her to open up. I don't know it if was the shock or the fact she was possibly...I just knew I needed to get her out of that car! So...I...I did the only thing I could think of...I grabbed a paper clip that I kept in my handbag for emergencies and picked the lock.

I can see what alot of readers are thinking. Fluttershy? Picking a lock? Well I actually have a good reason for why I know how to do that. My sister Twilight may be super smart, but she can get a bit absentminded. I can't tell you how many times she has accidentally locked herself out of her house. I've got a spare key for that, but she even does that with her car! Just when were all ready to go home this one time, Twilight finds that her car keys are missing! No matter where she stuffs or clips them onto her handbag. So...one day, I just took my paper clip like I'm doing right now and shuffled the mechanism to open the door and bypass the thing that triggers the car alarm. (I can't tell you how frightening it was when the first time I unlocked Twilight's car and the alarm went off.) It's amazing what you can learn if you do research on the internet.

Guess my point is that I only do it for emergencies and dire circumstances. You'll never see me breaking and entering for personal gain. Rainbow learned that the hard way.

So getting back to what I was doing before. After a few minutes of shuffling, I managed to unlock the door safely. Since Roll was inside, I didn't need to worry about the alarm going off. I was just worried about opening the door.

"Roll! Roll!" I asked, carefully nudging her since I didn't know if she was injured or not, "Please speak to me." Roll just looked shell-shocked for a moment longer before her eyes returned to normal. She just continued looking forward, seeing the tree and the smoking and banged up front of her car. She just stayed quiet, keeping her hands on the steering wheel.

"Roll?" I asked with much worry my voice. Roll just said nothing before her face scrunched up a bit in...anger?

"Stupid...stupid...STUPID!" Roll retorted angrily, "Why am I not dead? I'm supposed to be dead! I'M _SUPPOSED_ TO BE DEAD!" Roll screamed at the top of her lungs before her body suddenly went limp and her head slumped forward hitting the middle of the steering wheel.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!

The loud honk made my jump with fright, but what really scared me was what Roll had said.

"She was supposed to be dead?" I repeated to myself. Could it be Roll...Roll caused the accident on purpose? My poor heart was breaking. Why would Roll do that? The more I thought about it, the more upset I became. But I didn't dwell on it for too long. I needed to get help. I grabbed my smart phone and dialed Anemone, a good friend of my brother Shenran (also known by the nickname as Lemon). She had a best friend who was a doctor living in her town and it was also the closest town from the forest. I was sure they could help me with getting Roll out of the car and making sure she was okay.

Twenty minutes later Lemon arrived with Coco at her side. Coco was the friend I was referring to. The rabbit (oh how I love them so!) was the one certified as a medical doctor. She was able to help us get Roll out of the car, out of the rain, and back towards my home town so she could examine the poor thing. I was very relieved when they said Roll was okay, despite the fact she never woke up during the examination. I had also gotten my stairs and and my bedroom carpet coated with mud from my bare feet, but that last one is just my nitpicking. I didn't really care that my bare feet were caked with dried mud because I was more worried about Roll. Coco said that she wasn't in a coma or suffering from a concussion. She said it was probably due to high levels of stress, which she deduced by the fact Roll's blood pressure was high, but not at a dangerous level. I would like to say that I know a thing or do about medical studies, but most of my studies are for a veterinarian, not a doctor. Yet even I could tell nothing was physically wrong with Roll. The problem was clearly a psychiatric one.

I was still very upset. To see someone I had grown to not just care alot about, but also relate too, wished they had died rather than be grateful they are alive and suffered no fatal injuries. Why was she driving in the rain? What could have made her careless or, at least, what made her lose control of her car? So many questions I wanted answered, but once she passed out, she didn't wake up for four days! I barely ate. I couldn't sleep and I didn't even bother to shower or wash my feet until Shenran came over and made me clean myself up and eat. I was about to call Coco at the end of the fourth day when I finally saw her wake up and look at me. While she said nothing, I was just relieved that she hadn't gone into a coma? I was ready to cry but kept my composure as best as I could.

"Are...you okay?" I asked. Roll just said nothing as she just looked at me and then turned her head away.

"Tell me..." I asked in my soft but firm voice. Roll continued to stay quiet and refused to speak. After all the worrying I had been doing over here for the past four days, I suddenly realized just how much the lack of sleep and all the stress had shortened my temper. Plus the last thing she told me just wouldn't stop nagging my mind.

"Roll, when someone I really love and care about gets into a very deadly car accident and suddenly wishes she was dead right in front of me AND sleeps for four days _I deserve a right to know what's going on! So TELL ME!_ " I screamed before I sucked both my lips into my mouth. I couldn't help it...even I have my limits and I was still very upset. It didn't help that Roll just began to cry loudly and began babbling incoherently. Fortunately, I have enough practice from Rarity's melodramatic episodes to understand sobbing to some extent. And I know I'm revealing alot of things about myself but...my greatest quality is kindness, which includes compassion, empathy, and sympathy too. I'm not afraid to admit I cried with Roll as I helped her sit up and held her close until her sobs stopped. Based on her babbling, I was able to get the following facts out of what happened.

Feeling betrayed...don't feel loved. Ran away because she felt unwanted back home. Something snapped and she couldn't control of her front wheels and crashed into the tree.

I wanted her to explain more to me, but Roll was still crying too much and her voice was just too broken for her to form words. While I couldn't stop crying either, I was able to at least think straight. I just knew that my little sister was in trouble and I was afraid to let go of her. Could anyone blame me? Roll had wished her death in front of me and when I was wiping her eyes I could see the emptiness and defeat inside of her. I knew that feeling all too well and it frightened me dearly. The only thing I could do to take advantage of the situation was tell Roll to stay with me for a while. Roll made no effort to protest and I held her close for so long that I fell asleep. Roll apparently didn't seem to care and just let me hold her until I woke up again.

 _End flashback_

"So...that is why Roll's here, Mr. Narrator," said Fluttershy, "and she didn't want to get out bed either. But as you can see, I managed to encourage her to at least shower and get dressed. Like you said before, I wanted us to match."

"Still look at pathetic as ever," said Roll. Fluttershy just sighed.

I'll take over from here. Thank you for bringing everyone up to speed, Fluttershy.

"You're welcome, Mr. Narrator," Fluttershy replied with a smile.

As mentioned before, Fluttershy had just helped Roll get dressed and was now just brushing her hair. Fluttershy had to take extra care since Roll's hair had gotten rather tangled since she hadn't tended to it for four days. Roll just fingered her ankles until Fluttershy had finished her hair brushing and then lightly turned the girl towards her so they were making eye contact with each other. Fluttershy then brushed Roll's bangs a bit before putting the headband into place. She then pulled close and rubbed the side of her head into Roll's. Roll was a little baffled by the gesture.

"Wuh?"

"It's how cats show love and support to family members," said Fluttershy, "it also serves as a reminder that they are loved and not alone. Sadly though, I don't know how to purr. Sorry..." Roll was touched and began to cry again, but this time more softly as she buried her face into Fluttershy's shoulder. Fluttershy just sighed to herself as she held the blonde girl close.

"I'll never get her to talk unless she lets it all out," said Fluttershy to herself. To her luck, Roll didn't wait too long before speaking up again.

"Fluttershy?" Roll sobbed.

"Yes?"

"Do you really love me?" said Roll, "As a sister? You would never abandon me and always support me?" Fluttershy was stunned at such question but gave her a firm nod.

"Of course, Roll," said Fluttershy, "I would never betray you! Why would you ask me that?"

"Because...because..." Roll sniffled as she tried to feebly wipe her eyes, "That's why I'm here and why you found me inside of a crashed vehicle...(sigh)...so much for a spotless car insurance record."

"If it helps Roll," said Fluttershy, "I took care of the insurance. I volunteered to pay all the expenses for repairs myself so your insurance didn't have too."

"I...see..." said Roll, surprised to say at least, "I'll pay you..."

"No!" said Fluttershy sternly, "I don't want one single bell. If you want to repay me for that, tell me the truth. Why were you out there driving in the rain and how did you crash your car?" Roll just sighed to herself.

"Well, let me back up a bit," Roll explained quietly, holding her feet and rocking as she spoke, "For the past few weeks, living with Cream and Kalinka had been...difficult. And...just when I thought we had found a way to tolerate each other and work together. Cream and Kalinka started taking over my job as mayor. They had offered to help, but they did so much that I didn't have anything to do anymore. The villagers seemed to enjoy having their help over their matters and problems instead of me."

"I'm sure they enjoy it when you help too," Fluttershy commented.

"They obviously didn't," said Roll with spite in her tone, "Because when I confronted Kalinka about how I felt, she challenged my position as mayor. To make matters worse, Isabelle even approved it! And to make matter _even more_ worse. Kalinka not only won, but she won anonymously! I didn't get a single vote! Not even from my own Mom, who said she would always support me and believed I was supposed to be the mayor of Animal Town!"

"I see," said Fluttershy with a nod.

"It was all a lie, Fluttershy," said Roll, "Everyone said that I was a mayor that they were proud of and that they loved the job that I was doing! They told me personally and on the citizen satisfaction reports too! Yet all it took was for Kalinka to challenge me and they dumped me like yesterday's garbage. Maybe I should've just stayed in that trash can..."

"Don't say that!" Fluttershy interrupted, "We never would have met if you had stayed there and I would have never found a friend who understands what I deal with."

"You mean you're shyness?" Roll asked, not understanding what Fluttershy was saying.

"No..." said Fluttershy quietly, "my problem with...with believing in myself. I shouldn't have to rely on my sisters and brother to get themselves into trouble to have the courage I need to speak up. I should be able to do that on my own, but I still can't. You see how wishy-washy I still get from time to time."

"So...you understand how I feel like right now?" Roll asked quietly.

"You feel like everyone who supported you had turned on you," said Fluttershy, "and you feel like the whole world is against you. It gives you the feeling of utter loneliness that is so great that you don't even feel special...or even beautiful anymore." Roll felt her lips quivers as a pair of extra tears squeaked from her eyes, but that would be it. She had depleted all her other tears crying already.

"I also have had points in my life when I wondered if I should even keep living too," said Fluttershy, "I've wanted to give up on several occasions as well." Roll just buried her face into her hands, but Fluttershy grabbed them so they were making eye contact once again.

"Don't give up Roll," she said softly, "We're going to get to the bottom of this okay! I don't believe that anyone has betrayed you..."

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"Oh dear," said Fluttershy, "Roll, please promise me..."

"I'm not gonna do anything to myself," Roll retorted in an irritating tone, "Just go!" Roll panted a bit before giving her a guilty look.

"Sorry," she muttered feebly, "I just feel so...irritated with feeling this way...". Fluttershy smiled.

"Like I said, we have more in common than you realize and I understand," the pink haired girl replied before kissing the side of her head. Roll was taken aback.

"Why...did you do that?" she asked curiously. Fluttershy just smiled.

"Even a big sister can give a little motherly love," she replied, "and I said you're like my little sister. I can give you a kiss on the head. Shenran gives them to you." Roll just sighed.

"Thanks...you're the only mother figure I have now..." Roll remarked. Fluttershy wanted to retort but she heard the loud knocking again and headed towards her door. She found a certain brown haired girl, donning her hair in a simple ponytail with a green (custom made) three quarter sleeved top with a darker green cheerleader skirt with a matching ribbon on the right side of her head. She also had a pair of mint colored pumps on her feet and was carrying a lemon pattern umbrella.

"Oh hi Lemon," Fluttershy replied.

"Hi Fluttershy," said Lemon, "I came again to see little Roll. The poor thing! Crashing her car and then going into a coma!"

"Lemon, Coco checked her several times," said Fluttershy, "She just passed out due to exhaustion and high stress."

"Yeah, but I once heard of a guy whose blood pressure got so bad that his parts of his body began making popping sounds and then he dropped dead in front of everyone," said Lemon, "it turns out that he made his blood vessels explode on the inside and he internally bled to death." Fluttershy squirmed and squealed with discomfort.

"Didn't I tell you NOT to tell me things like that?" she asked rather timidly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lemon answered sadly, "it's no wonder you don't like me."

"I like you," said Fluttershy, "I just don't like hearing scary things like that."

"Yeah...I get that alot," said Lemon, "I can't help it that a man bleeding to death fascinates me." Fluttershy could feel herself about to pass out when she feebly tried to recompose herself.

"G-g-getting back on topic here," Fluttershy stuttered with a pale face, "Roll is awake and..."

"LITTLE ROLL!" Lemon squealed with glee as she rushed upstairs at a speed that would have put Rainbow to shame.

"Lemon!" Fluttershy scolded in her firm but soft voice, "Get those...YIPE!" Fluttershy nearly tripped when she saw that in the rush Lemon had literally jumped right out of her pumps as she had rushed upstairs. Fluttershy just sighed in annoyance.

"...you're shoes off when inside my house," Fluttershy muttered before placing them in a less hazardous spot on her floor and then headed upstairs.

"Flu...ter...shy...h...elp..." Roll strained as Lemon squeezed her tightly.

"I'm so glad your okay!" Lemon shouted happily as she held Roll for dear life, "I'm gonna hug and squeeze you until your head pops!" Roll just looked at Fluttershy, clearly struggling to breathe.

"Well...I guess...I'm meant...to die...after...all," Roll added when Lemon suddenly let her go, making the girl tumble to the floor out of breath. Once Roll felt she could breathe she looked up, she saw that poor Lemon was crying.

"What did you just say I was gonna to do you?" she croaked as her tears began to drip from her face and into her now bare feet. Roll bit her lip, regretting ever saying that as she just sat on the floor and pulled her knees into her chest and looked away. Lemon wasn't going to let this go.

"She wants to die?" Lemon asked Fluttershy. Fluttershy just sighed to herself. The pink haired girl went to explain to Lemon about what Roll had told her. Lemon was still in tears by the time Fluttershy had finished her explanation. Lemon knelt beside her and pulled Roll into a hug. Unlike her last one, this one was much more gentle.

"Roll, I understand how you feel too," Lemon told her.

"How?" Roll asked as they pulled away.

"I have sisters too," said Lemon, "All my life, I've tried to show my family that I had a purpose too! Despite my...weirdness, there was something out there for me as well. I had a destiny and I wanted to show that I could be successful at something like my sisters. But...they always seemed to outshine me and it made me feel like I would be nothing but a weirdo. You remember the rest and it was also another reason why I left home to come live in the Animal part of the world."

"Because your sisters kept outshining you?" Roll guessed.

"No, little Roll," said Lemon, "I learned that I couldn't reply on my family to make me feel special, or even beautiful. If I really wanted to make something for myself and believe in myself, I had to do that for me and me alone."

"Sounds selfish," Roll remarked.

"It's actually not," Fluttershy added as she knelt beside the two girls, "Your dreams...your destiny...it's something that you need to pursue for yourself. You can't let your family be the reason you pursue your dreams. In the end, it's supposed to be something that makes you happy. Having a family to have for moral support is wonderful and all, but...in the end. Only you can make the decision to pursue your dreams and to feel good about yourself too."

"So...even when you feel like everyone has turned against you," said Lemon, "You keep believing in yourself and keeping searching for that dream. We all see that once you put your mind to something, even when you're full of doubt and insecurity. You keep fighting. You're little brain may keep screaming "Give up! You can't do this! You can't! You can't!" but when have you ever fully given up on anything little Roll? I don't recall you _ever_ giving up on anything...or anybody." Roll didn't need long to see Lemon's point.

"You're right, Lemon," said Roll, "Even when I feel like I wanna give up, I still keep going." Then Roll suddenly heard a familiar song. She soon recognized it.

 _You've come such a long, long way,  
And I've watched you  
from that very first day._

 _To see how you might grow,  
To see what you might do,  
To see what you've been through,  
And all the ways you've made me proud of you._

It was amazing how Roll could only hear that song once and remember the exact words so perfectly. She suddenly realized that someone else was in the room. She turned and saw Sable standing outside the room. She had arrived during Lemon talk with her and Fluttershy had let her come upstairs. Not only that, the brown hedgehog was the one singing as she slowly approached the blonde girl.

 _It's time now,  
for a new change to come.  
You're grown up,  
And you're new life has begun_

 _To go where you will go,  
To see what you will see,  
To find what you will be,  
For it's time for you,  
To fulfill your destiny!_

All was quiet as Sable sang the last line and knelt in front of Roll. Roll just said nothing. In fact, her face was rather blank as she looked at her. Roll was rather surprised.

 _I hated her so much just seconds ago._ Roll thought. _I wanted nothing to do with her. Then she sings that song and all that anger and hatred just melted faster than butter! I don't get that!_

 _..._

 _No Roll...you know...you've always known...Sable would never do such a thing to you. She's your mother. You're REAL mother. She would never betray you. Think about this! Why would Sable sing a song...a song you never shared with her the words to...but also a song that has to do exactly with your problem?_

 _Because..._

"There is very good reason...why I was voted out of office isn't there?" said Roll, "and that song has something to do with it?" Sable just smiled.

"I knew you would figure it out," the brown hedgehog replied, "Did you really think we would reject you?" Roll began to cry, but she grunted angrily about it.

"UGH! Am I ever going to stop acting like such a crybaby?" said Roll, "sixty-nine chapters in and I still struggle to believe that I'm beautiful and something worth more than just trash scraps! I'm hopeless..."

"No you're not sweetheart," Sable answered as she pulled the girl into her lap, "You have a very deep and painful wound inside of you and its going to take a very long time to heal. You couldn't expect something like this to heal entirely over a year, especially considering how your mother rejected you directly when you confronted her and then ended up dying because of her hatred towards you and your sisters."

"But I always seem to be taking one step forward, two steps back regarding this," Roll croaked.

"I'd prefer to see it as, "two steps forward, one step back"," Sable replied, "but that is normal dear. I have the same struggles myself. This isn't self-confidence issues Roll. You're suffering from depression. Based on what you've been through, I'm rather surprised that is the _only_ side effect you've had, especially from what you've had to experience in your short life."

"Makes...sense," said Roll, "can...can someone ever overcome it? I mean...you suffer from depression too...and it's been years..."

"Only...because I refuse to get help," said Sable, "but...I finally did speak to Tom about my problem...and I've been seeing a counselor that can help me. Tom even goes in with me for moral support so...if you wanna consider counseling I can go with you if you want me to."

"Think that doctor can help me?" Roll asked curiously.

"Well...Twilight is a princess of friendship after all," Sable answered with a giggle. Roll gasped.

"You mean..."

"Uh-huh," said Fluttershy, "She got a full degree and everything. It's kind of her secondary job being a princess. Of course, she also keeps her patients list private for personal reasons. And...I'm guessing that's why you never knew Sable was seeking her help." Roll just looked stunned as Sable just smiled.

"Why didn't you..."

"You never asked me," said Sable, "as Fluttershy said, Twilight has to stay confidential about it."

"I get it," said Roll, "but...maybe you can answer this one question for me, That is the whole reason I feel so worthless and why I ran away after all..."

"Talk to me," Sable answered.

"Why didn't nobody vote for me in the election?" Roll asked, "I...I thought even if nobody did...at least my own mother would." Sable just giggled.

"What's so funny?" Roll asked, with some defensiveness in her tone.

"Roll, remember the song I just sang to you?" she told the blonde girl. Roll looked puzzled and just nodded.

"Think back to the last half of the song," Sable instructed, "what did I say?" Roll crossed her arms and began to think deeply, trying to re-remember the words.

"It's time now...for a new change to come," Roll replied slowly as the words returned to her mind, "you've grown up...and your new life has begun..." Suddenly things started to come together.

"So...you're saying the reason I was voted out of office," Roll concluded, "was because the position was meant for someone else?" Sable smiled and nodded in agreement.

"You know," Lemon spoke aloud, "That makes alot of sense..."

"I agree," Fluttershy added, "I always felt like Roll was meant to be more than just a mayor. We did crown her after all."

"But that was just cause it was my birthday!" Roll protested, "What girl wouldn't want to be a princess for the birthday?"

"Rainbow for one, but that's not the point," Fluttershy explained, "Roll, we didn't just put that crown on your head cause it was your birthday. That was supposed to be your coronation." Roll went agape.

"Coronation?!" said Roll, "but...but...none of the towns...well minus Twilight's...have a princess!".

"It's not really a job or position," said Sable, "It's just a title..."

"I see," said Roll, "So...I was given my job to Kalinka because...I was meant to be...a princess."

"As weird as that sounds little Roll," Lemon answered, "it actually makes alot of sense." Roll was just left dumbfounded and confused.

"So...I'm just supposed to be some figure head that wears a crown now?" Roll responded, trying to sum up what the three girls were telling her, "No thank you! Being a mayor made me feel like I was actually doing something important and that I could make a difference with people's lives. Why would I just want to be a pretty face who wears crown with no power or ability to do anything else? Life is more than just being beautiful after all!"

"Don't let Rarity hear you say that," Fluttershy remarked, wearily. Roll just rolled her eyes and then crossed her arms as she glared at Sable.

"I get that you're probably here to bring me home," said Roll, "But I still don't have a job now. Why would I want to be a princess if I have no power to do anything?"

"That's where your wrong," said Fluttershy and everyone was just looked at her. The pink girl had a stern look on her face.

"You might not have any political power or statue, as royalty would have in other parts of the world," Fluttershy explained, "But even you know that power and statue has nothing to do with being a princess." That got Roll's attention as she looked at the pink haired girl.

"Being a princess is more than just telling others what to do and having power and influence," said Fluttershy, "being a princess is someone who inspires people to stand by her side. She leads by the way she shows her honestly, kindness, compassion, sympathy, and most importantly...her leadership."

"Really?" Roll asked.

"Yes Roll," said Sable, "being a mayor was only holding you back. You've shown that you have what it takes to be there for others and to help them realize that no matter what life throws at you, nothing is more important than friendship."

"That is why we crowned you as a princess of friendship little Roll," said Lemon, "Think of all the times you've helped mend broken friendships. And those you've shown that friendship is the better path rather than a path filled with just anger, despair, and destruction?" Roll knew Lemon was talking about the redemption of the Uchi tribe. (5 out of 6 was still a successful conversion in her book.)

"So...you're saying that by being a princess, and not a mayor," said Roll, "I can focus on helping others and their friendships...even more?"

"Exactly Roll," said Sable with a smile, "Now you can travel whenever you please and you can prioritize in helping others and their friendship problems from not just at home, but around the world, even your own." Roll just smiled.

"I see," said Roll, "Do...you think...that is supposed to be my destiny? Being a princess? Is that supposed to be my job?"

"That I can't say," Sable replied, "after all, I said that this wasn't supposed to be a job. But it is something I know that you love to do and that is showing others just how special friendships can be. After all, you don't need to be mayor...in order to be a leader."

"That is all too true," Fluttershy added in agreement.

"So little Roll," said Lemon, "will you be a princess now? Can we call you that from now on? Sable said it might not have any political or legal power, but it is still a title you can be proud of. And it has been legally documented too. Why else do you think when you went to rescue Kalinka and Cream, people kept calling you that? I hear its even on your TPC now too." Roll hummed to herself, now seeing why people kept addressing her that way. It wasn't just cause of the crown. It was because the title had been legally established. It may not hold any _true_ power, but it was still a mark of just what she had become now. Sable than handed Roll the crown. Roll took noticed that the crown had been shinned and polished as well.

"I'd appreciate if you would take better care of this," said Sable, "That crown wasn't cheap and neither was repairing the dents..." Roll chuckled sheepishly. How Sable knew she had damaged it was beyond her.

"I'll...pay you back..."

"No!" said Sable, "If you want to make the expense worth it, you'll wear this and remember that you are a very special young lady. Tell me Roll, are you going to let depression keep you from wearing this crown?" Roll just looked at her. She could hear her head telling her yes, but instead she narrowed her eyes.

"No...I won't," said Roll as she took the crown. Removing her kitty headband, she tucked the crown. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She then remembered something.

"But won't my depression..."

"It will actually help you, not hinder you," said Fluttershy, "because you can relate to others who suffer the same condition...and find ways to help them." Roll smiled again.

"Then...from now on I shall be...a princess," said Roll and then giggled, "I mean...you guys already turned my house into a castle. It's obvious you had this planned for me from the start. And...now I see why I was removed from office. I can't travel and help out with friendships if I have a town to worry about can't I?"

"Exactly," said Sable. Roll then dove into Sable's arms, hugging her tightly.

"I'm so sorry Momma," said Roll, "I really did think everyone betrayed me after that vote. Maybe I should've just asked instead of letting my insecurity talk me into running away."

"We all have those moments sweetie," said Sable, "and I'm just glad you're okay, especially after that accident."

"You believe me when I say I didn't crash on purpose right?" Roll asked worried, "That outburst was just my anger...nothing else." Roll didn't even know if Sable knew about that, but considering how spot on the brown hedgehog had been about her problems. She knew she didn't have to say it. Sable probably knew what she said.

"I know," said Sable, "But there are two others that need to hear this from you." Roll gave a blank look...for just a moment or two...before she knew what Sable was talking about.

"Oh yeah," said Roll sadly, rubbing her feet together, "I was so busy thinking they didn't need me...I can't imagine how upset they felt with me leaving."

"Kalinka blames herself for you running away," said Sable, "Cream does as well, but Kalinka is the one who seems the most upset about it. Unlike you, she tries to hide her pain, but I can see it in her eyes. There's no life whenever I look into them. She just does her job but there's no joy or happiness. Even the villagers have tried to get her to talk but to no avail."

"Has she..."

"Once with Cream did she explode, but the young girl is really good at laying down the law," Sable replied, "She made it clear that if Kalinka can't be honest with her that she won't bother trying to help. Since two days ago, Kalinka hasn't even left her house. Cream said she stopped by to give her some food, but Kalinka won't even eat. She just sits in the middle of her empty house, curled into a ball saying nothing." Roll just sighed to herself.

"Fluttershy?"

"Yes Roll?"

"I need to get home," Roll answered in a decisive tone, "Kalinka needs me and I'm not going to let her think for another second that I've turned my back on her. Thank you for caring for me but I..."

"We're going with you," said Fluttershy firmly.

"I love Kalinka just as much as I love you," said Lemon, "She needs some of my lemon love."

"Just...wait until we settle things before crushing her," said Roll sheepishly, "You don't want to hear her wishing you would kill her with your hugs, too." Lemon just looked away, clearly still upset about that. Roll soon realized her mistake and thought quickly.

"Let's...just...get going then," said Roll, "I'm sure Kalinka will be glad to see you Lemon." That got the brown haired girl to perk up and smile. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. Roll went to head downstairs when she stumbled a bit and used a spare hand to hold the wall.

"Are you alright?" Sable asked worried as she grabbed Roll's arm to keep her from stumbling.

"That didn't surprise me," Fluttershy remarked, "Roll hasn't eaten anything in about five days. It would make sense she feels a little dizzy." Roll's stomach gave a loud growl as the blonde girl held her head with her free arm.

"Maybe some lunch would be a good idea before I head back," said Roll. The other girl's just chuckled as Fluttershy helped Roll downstairs and prepared lunch with Lemon's help. Roll felt much better with some food in her stomach, but she was still rather nervous as they tucked on their shoes (pumps for Lemon and Sable, tropical sandals for Roll, Fluttershy already said she was going barefoot) and boarded the train. She was also surprised that Fluttershy had brought a small picnic basket with her.

"What is that for?" Roll asked as their train left the station.

"Just trust me," Fluttershy said confidently. Roll just chose to do so, figuring that asking questions about the basket wouldn't really help her feel better. She just sat quietly until their train arrived back at Animal Town. They had just stepped out of the train when Roll realized something important.

"Wait...my car?!" she cried out. She had forgotten that she had left it back in Shenran's town!

"It's still under repair," said Fluttershy, "Besides, you won't be needing it for a while anyway." Roll wasn't sure if that meant she was grounded or because the repair was going to take a while. She chose not to question it as they headed out of the station.

"Well, good luck to all of you," said Sable as she headed back to the shop. Roll as dumbfounded.

"Wait!" Roll called out.

"You already know what you need to do," Sable replied, "I'll be at the shop when you're finished. Goodbye!" Sable just smiled and went on her way. Roll was still surprised she wasn't coming with her.

"That is Sable's way of saying that she trusts you to take care of things on your own," said Lemon.

 _Guess Sable meant the part of the song about me being "grown up" as well_ Roll thought to herself.

"You've still got us," said Fluttershy, "We're here to support you." Roll felt better and smiled before they made their way towards her house. Roll barely had time to open her door when she noticed a familiar brown haired girl with a giant yellow ribbon, a tulip tee, and some acid washed pedal pushers just sitting quietly in her chair. Cream turned to see the blonde girl slipping off her sandals as she stepped inside.

"ROLL!" Cream squealed with glee as she all but dived into Roll's arms, even wrapping her legs around the older girl's torso as she did so. Roll was nearly knocked over when Cream crashed into her.

"Hey, easy Cream!" said Roll, "you're...you're...lighter than me...eesh...even Komasan weights more than you do." Roll began to wonder if this "light-weighted bones" were genetic, but then remembered she was holding a young girl who clearly missed her terribly. The sniffles Cream was making pretty much made that clear.

"Don't ever do that again!" Cream scolded in a stern but broken tone, "I know Kalinka was a jerk, but...why should I have to pay for her being stupid!" Roll couldn't have felt any guiltier. In fact, that was pretty much the reason she hadn't put Cream down on the ground yet. She didn't feel completely comfortable holding Cream like this, even if she was the baby of the family, but she did hurt the poor girl...so...she was willing to put up with it for Cream's sake. Fortunately, Cream got down on her own, removing her glasses so she could wipe her eyes.

"So...are you here to stay...or just visiting?" Cream asked quietly. Roll chuckled.

"I've come home," said Roll, "Apparently, you guys needed me." Cream smiled.

"Yes, we do," said Cream, "And...if you need work...I sure could use a private tutor...and I'll pay for you it..."

"No, Cream," said Roll, "I'm your sister. You don't need to pay me for something like that. I'll help you because I love you and nothing else!"

"Okay," said Cream with sigh, "Just...trying to give you some work is all..."

"Don't worry about that," said Roll, "Apparently, I've been a made a princess here. But it's more like an...ambassador position if I can summarize it."

"Like Twilight's?" said Cream, "I've been reading about the type of "monarchy" she has and its more of a person who goes around helping others and not actually ruling. That's quite an honor. This is only the second time in Animal history someone has been crowned."

"I...never knew Twilight and I were the only princesses," said Roll, "Well...I'm willing to prove that the villagers choosing me to be a princess was a wise choice. But before I do that, where is Kalinka? Is she busy with the mayor duties?" Cream suddenly grew very quiet and looked away. Judging by the fact both her pigtails and her large ribbon had drooped, something was clearly wrong.

"Cream..."

"Kalinka locked herself up in her house," Cream explained sadly, "She just went numb after hearing that you left. I tried to be supportive and help her, but she started yelling at me! I told her...if...if...you can't just be honest with me...then...I can't help you." Roll gasped. She had heard all about this from Sable, but it still shocked her Cream had said that.

"I only meant that I can't help her if she keeps to herself," said Cream, "but she won't open up to me. Once I told her off, she left your house and locked herself inside of her own house. I don't know how to get inside!" Cream was fighting back tears as Roll pulled out a key from her pockets.

"Didn't you forget that we gave each other a spare key?" Roll told her. Cream just looked dumbfounded and slapped the front of her head.

"I'm gonna go hide under a blanket and stay there for while," Cream remarked, feeling very embarassed and ashamed for not remembering that. Roll just gave her sympathetic smile and gently grabbed her arm.

"No need for that, silly girl," Roll replied with a chuckle, "I think we've all wasted enough time feeling sorry for ourselves and it's time we make things right." Cream gave a small smile before hugging Roll again. Roll hugged her back briefly before the four girls headed towards Kalinka's house. For the time being, both girls had maxed out their main room, but no further additions had been added yet. In fact, when Roll entered inside of Kalinka house, she found that room had only been expanded and not furnished. Fluttershy and Lemon fought not to cry when they saw in the middle of the empty room, in the dark as well, was Kalinka laying quietly on the floor. She was in a purple tee with black demin pedal pushers and her hair was down but sloppily fanned around herself like a blanket. They could tell she hadn't changed out of her clothes in a few days.

"Is she..." Fluttershy asked, feeling she was going to burst into tears just saying it.

"No," said Cream, "She's alive. I can feel her heartbeat." Lemon looked stunned while Fluttershy was relieved.

"How...can you tell that little Cream?" Lemon asked curiously.

"Since I was little, one of my favorite books to read was about prying mantis kung fu," Cream explained, "it involves focusing on the minute vibrations that are made by the small movements in the earth's crust. Learning to focus on those movements in the ground allows you sense people's feelings and emotions by listening to changes in their heartbeats."

"That is so cool," said Lemon.

"You can praise her later," said Fluttershy, "right now Kalinka needs us more." Roll nodded in agreement as she carefully knelt beside the younger blonde girl and tapped her shoulder. Roll opened her mouth to speak but Kalinka flinched at the contact and shot up. She saw Roll just looking at her with a worried expression as she knelt beside her. Kalinka only stared for three seconds before her eyes watered up, her face scrunched and a slow wail escaped her mouth.

Kalinka broke down, crying loudly as she just stayed put, not even bothering to wipe her tears away. Yet the regret was as clear as day. Roll couldn't resist shedding tears of her own as she held Kalinka for dear life. The younger blonde girl just rested her head on the crook of Roll's neck and just continued to cry herself out. Fluttershy, Lemon, and even Cream were shedding tears as well. They just stayed huddled up until Kalinka couldn't cry any more before pulling away. Kalinka was still sniffling as she looked sadly at Roll.

"I'm...sorry..." she croaked, "I'm so sorry I made you feel like you weren't wanted...or that nobody loved you for that matter..." She sniffled a bit before Roll grabbed both her hands.

"It's okay sis," said Roll gently, "Sable explained everything to me...I'm okay with not being the mayor anymore. I know you can do the job." Kalinka just shook her head.

"No...I don't want it anymore," said Kalinka, "I just want my sister. All this stupid election did was drive us apart. And for what? Because I wanted to feel like I was doing something important, even if it meant take your job away from you! Nothing should be worth that..." Roll just smiled as she pulled Kalinka into another hug.

"This was meant to be," said Roll softly.

"Huh?" said Kalinka in shook, "But...I...I don't...ugh..." Kalinka held her head and began to feel a little dizzy.

"You haven't eaten in days have you?" Roll asked. Kalinka just kept a hand over her forehead and shook her head gently. Roll just sighed.

"Do you really think starving yourself to death was gonna fix this?" Roll asked her gently. Kalinka whimpered.

"I didn't know where to find you," said Kalinka, "I had no idea Mom even went to look for you. I just felt so guilty that I...I went numb...and I...I gave up..." Cream and Lemon looked at her sadly as Fluttershy rose to her feet.

"Well, let's get you back to Roll's house so you can get washed and changed into some fresh clothes," Fluttershy suggested, "and then I brought some food so you can eat something. A good bath and some food will help you feel better." Kalinka didn't want to, but she felt outnumbered and conceded with a light nod. She tried to stand up, but her meltdown had drained her and she found her legs wobbling to the point she wouldn't have any balance or strength to stay on her feet. Roll then had Kalinka squat back down and then Roll scooped Kalinka up in her arms.

"R-Roll?!" Kalinka exclaimed, feeling embarassed at being carried.

"You're in no condition to even stand up," said Roll, "I'll just carry you home and help you clean up okay." Kalinka just sighed in defeat.

"Sorry if I'm a little heavy," said Kalinka feebly.

"You're actually not," said Roll, "In fact, my suitcase is heavier than you." Kalinka looked at her older sister in disbelief.

"Seriously," said Kalinka in shock.

"Yep," Roll answered, "Cream's even lighter. I guess we must be born with bones that aren't heavy or something." Kalinka just said nothing, her head hurt enough as it is and just relaxed as Roll carried her back to the main house. Since Roll moved quickly, they didn't get too wet from the still steady rain and Roll spent the next thirty minutes helping Kalinka take a nice warm bath and then had Kalinka pick out some new clothes. Kalinka had chosen a dark pink horizontal stripped tee with a pair of denim shorts. While Kalinka had double cuffed the leg bottoms to make them shorter, she wore a pair of three-quarter leggings underneath them to maintain modesty. Kalinka didn't really care less about her hair. She had considered a simple ponytail until Roll started brushing it for her as they sat together on the bed. Kalinka then just tossed her hair tie onto the dresser, now wanting to leave it down, as Fluttershy entered the room with a sandwich and some potato chips on a plate.

"You need to eat," said Fluttershy calmly, "I don't want you or Roll wasting away over something like this. AND FYI: Roll didn't do that to herself because of you. It's because she understands. I tell this to my sister Rainbow all the time and I'm gonna say it to you. Stop trying to act so brave all the time and just be honest with us. Be honest with yourself. I don't know who told you that being strong meant keep your feelings to yourself, because doing that is stupid! You'll never feel better unless you're willing to accept the fact that something is bothering you and you need to talk to someone about it. We love you Kalinka. There is no shame in having us see you when you're not feeling at your best...or when you're feeling weak." Kalinka just said nothing and began to slowly nibble the food on her plate, but the sadness in her face showed that what Fluttershy had to say had gotten to her. She had barely managed to swallow half of the food on the plate when she spoke up again.

"Roll..." Kalinka spoke in soft but nervous voice.

"Yes Sis?" Roll asked gently as she continued to brush the girl's hair. Kalinka bit her lip.

"I...I have a problem," Kalinka croaked, "I...I try so hard to just...stay strong and not let...what Mom did...affect me. I don't want people seeing me as some feeble, broken down dumb blonde. I just want...to show that I can be...useful. I have a purpose you know. (sniff) But...whenever things don't go the way I hoped or...I mess up...I keep hearing this...laughter...someone or something laughing at me...saying Mom was right about me. I tried so hard to fight it, but...it's getting to be too much of a heartache. I...I can't fight it anymore...I just wish I wasn't born..." Kalinka began to sob tearlessly. Roll stopped brushing her hair and turned the younger girl around so they were making eye contact. Kalinka hadn't stopped sobbing but still looked at Roll.

"I know exactly how that feels," said Roll.

"You...you do?" Kalinka asked, her voice broken.

"When I first came to Animal Town, I was a broken wreck," said Roll, "I didn't think I was worth anything. Not even a house, or decent food, or even just the kindness of others. Mom left a deep scar on all of us Kalinka. But it's clear that its affected you and me alot more than Cream. Right?" All eyes were in Cream, who just crossed her arms in deep thought.

"I...want to say yes," said Cream, "but, even I get those voices that mock me and tear me down. I get really sad, but...I've never gone so far to just give up and want to die. I didn't want to say this, but...I feel like I need to. This isn't the first time Kalinka's just...closed herself off like this. It's scary...thinking one day she would..." Cream just looked away, but her eyes were watering again. Kalinka just looked at Roll sadly.

"Is there...anything I can do?" said Kalinka, "I don't wanna feel like this anymore, but...nothing I'm doing is helping."

"I'm kind of out of self-help options too," said Roll, "but...if you're willing...Fluttershy said Twilight does counseling. I'm willing to give it try...but what about you?" Kalinka just fingered her left ankle for a second.

"On one condition," Kalinka replied and all eyes were on her before she gave Roll a soft smile.

"I want you to go with me," she answered.

"Actually," Roll replied, "I'm going to take some sessions myself."

"Then...why not do the sessions together?" Kalinka proposed, "I...I feel less stupid blubbering when you're here...at least until I'm feeling comfortable talking on my own and...maybe...I can learn...just how much you understand how I feel." Roll then understood. Since counseling involved being open and honest, she could share her own feelings with her and help Kalinka relate to her and vice versa. They could relate to each other.

"I'd like that," said Roll, "so is everything cool now? Can you forgive me for running away? It never had nothing to do with you. I just thought the entire town rejected me by giving me zero votes in the election."

"Sure. Can you forgive me for being such a jerk and for being so selfish?" Kalinka added, "I'm just not used to having someone to turn to. I'm still used to managing alone...and not doing a very good job at it."

"Of course," said Roll, "I love you."

"I love you too, big sister," Kalinka replied and they shared a tender hug together. Fluttershy and Lemon awed as Cream crawled up to them.

"Is there room for one more?" she asked. Roll and Kalinka looked at her and both gave her sympathetic smiles.

"We're sorry," they said together.

"I didn't mean to get you caught in the middle of this," Roll added.

"Yeah, you've got two big sisters who have alot of issues," Kalinka added. Cream just giggled.

"I forgive you," said Cream, "I'm just glad things are okay. I mean...are we going to be okay?" Roll and Kalinka chuckled.

"Yes Cream," Kalinka answered, "These first few weeks together have been pretty rough on us all, but...now that we know we've got each other, things will get better."

"I agree," said Roll, "and don't rush on moving into your homes. I really do want us to make living in my house work."

"Sure thing," said Cream.

"Deal," said Kalinka and then added, "Princess Roll." Roll looked indignantly, but then remembered she did have her crown on her head as Kalinka and Cream laughed. Roll just smiled. That title was going to take time to getting used to, but that was all that bothered her about it. She was willing to accept her new role as Princess of Animal Town and she was going to help Kalinka be the best mayor she could be. She knew Cream would find something to do besides studying as well so she wasn't worried about her...for now. All that mattered for now was that Roll was back home. Home with her family once again. And she and Kalinka were going to get the help they needed to conquer these inner demons once and for all.

Roll didn't know what she was going to do with her new title as Princess...

but she knew one thing...

the possibilities were infinite.

 **I'm not one for direct fourth wall breaks, but...hey if I want to perfect them. I gotta practice. It's my story and I can decide whether to put one or not.**

 **FYI: Fluttershy may be based heavily off an MLP character, but she is actually become more of a staple character to this story. She wasn't just dumped into the story for MLP fans. Things are changing story-wise and now Roll needs a new mentor to guide her as she tries to find her destiny.**

 **Here's the preview for the next story arc:**

 **The Merger Part 1: Tom Nook has become very successful tanooki, not just as a business person, but also in finding true love. However, the HHA is in trouble and Tom Nook refuses to help? Why would he decline if, according to Sable, he's changed?**

 **This is the first crisis that Kalinka will have to deal with as the new Mayor. Roll has faith in her, but does Kalinka have faith in herself?**

 **Find out next time!**


	70. The Merger Part 1

The Merger Part 1

It was couple of weeks later when Roll and Kalinka arrived just outside of Twilight's private building where she held her counseling sessions. They had worn the same pink tye-dye tee with a pink headband in their fully down hair and a demin skirt. They had been rather quiet when they arrived and had taken a seat in a small waiting room. It also made sense that the two sisters had linked hands since riding the train here, making no intention to let go either.

"Are you nervous?" Kalinka asked curiously.

"Yeah," said Roll honestly, "but it helps you're here with me." She gave Kalinka's hand a squeeze. The younger blonde haired girl smiled and returned the gesture.

"Me too," said Kalinka, rubbing her toes together, "I'm honestly not sure what to say once we're in there..."

"I'm sure Twilight will start the conversation," said Roll, "Then we can just...take it from there. These sessions are going to be a pretty regulatory so we might as well get used to this for the time being. Plus we don't have to spill our guts entirely in session one."

"That's good," said Kalinka, "I've felt like a crybaby as it is. Ever since...I broke down two weeks ago." Roll understood. Kalinka hadn't been sleeping well since that day and her nervousness over these sessions had been giving her bad dreams. She had often had to stay with Roll just to fall asleep. While Roll had said "just this once" when Kalinka asked the first time, she had let the younger blonde stay with her every night up to the day of the counseling session. Roll could see Kalinka looked very tense.

"You look very pretty," said Roll trying to help ease the tension. Kalinka giggled.

"Thanks sis, so do you," said Kalinka as she adjusted her skirt and crossed her legs, "I'm more of a shorts and pedal pushers girl, but I don't mind a skirt once and a while, especially the denim ones." They both chuckled when they noticed a familiar girl appear, wearing her hair in a pony tail with a magenta star hair clip, her black glasses, and wearing a women's business jacket with a black denim skirt and black pumps on her feet. Kalinka noticed the shoes and felt insecure.

"Should we have worn shoes?" she asked timidly. Twilight giggled.

"I'm just trying to look professional," said Twilight, "You don't need shoes here...or anywhere actually. Sorry I was late. I had some difficulties with my last two patients. I even had to seal them inside the padded room over here."

"WE ARE NOT ADDICTED TO SODA!"

"OR CANDY FOR THAT MATTER!"

"Oh brother," said Twilight, rolling her eyes, "Anyway, if you follow me...we can began our session in this room."

"You're not going to lock us up too right?" Kalinka asked fearfully. Twilight laughed.

"Of course not," said Twilight, "unlike those two, you're here because you wanted help and are not in denial about your problems." Just then Rainbow arrived, wearing a dry denim skirt, three quarter leggings, rainbow colored tee and hair in pony tail with cyan slip on sneakers.

"Twilight, didn't you say the padded cell was inescapable?" Rainbow asked worried.

"Yeah, it is," Twilight answered, "It's padded everywhere except for a ventilation window at the very...oh cheeseburger...don't tell me."

"Yep, and you need a new window," Rainbow answered.

"Ugh!" Twilight groaned before shouting out her window, "Pinkie and Sakura have a problem and I'm going to get them to admit it one way or another!" Twilight shook her fist as she ended her statement. Kalinka and Roll just exchanged looks.

"Are...you going to be okay Twilight?" Roll asked, "Maybe we should just..."

"I'll deal with those two later," said Twilight, "Come on...right now, my priority is the two of you."

"Try not to fall asleep when she talks," Rainbow whispered.

"I heard that!" Twilight retorted indignantly. Kalinka and Roll giggled as they followed Twilight into one of the session rooms. The little incident had helped them relax a little bit. They continued to hold hands as they made their way inside and their personal discussion began.

With Roll and Kalinka at their counseling session, this left Cream to handle things on her own back home in Animal Town. The brown haired girl didn't mind that a bit. She was just glad that things were finally settling down for the most part. There was still tension from time to time, but compared to before, it was nothing to complain about. The three girls were getting along even better than before and Kalinka had been slowly adjusting to her position as mayor. Unlike the past, Kalinka was learning that she didn't need to always do things on her own and she didn't hesitate to ask Roll questions when she felt lost or just needed some help with daily tasks from time to time.

As for Cream, she had driven Roll and Kalinka crazy by studying ahead again, but this time the end result was well worth it. She finished her semester a month ahead of schedule. In fact, as noted before, Cream was doing her senior year of high school. So...she was pretty much ready to graduate. She only needed to wait for the session to end officially to see what her final grade and class standing would be, but she wasn't worried. She was just glad she had finished and a year sooner than Kalinka or Roll. Cream had been worried that both her older siblings would be jealous about it, but was shocked to see that they were just relieved. They were both glad Cream wouldn't be stuck with her nose in the books for hours on end anymore.

But Cream is a true bookworm at heart. She loved to read and was actually trying to read every piece of fiction and non-fiction Roll had stocked on her bookshelves. She didn't see the big deal with reading all the time. She still did her household chores, helped with meals, and kept herself out trouble as best as she could. Yet Roll and Kalinka still got on her case about it. She knew why though.

"I can't just spend my free time cooped inside all day," she told herself that day Roll and Kalinka were at their first session, "I guess a little walk would be nice. I do enjoy walking around with all the flowers and feeling the soft grass beneath my bare feet. Roll did say I could help myself to a few flower stems and I haven't made a cute bouquet for the dinner table in weeks." Cream wiggled her toes a bit before hopping off the lounge chair. The young girl had picked a cherry tee with a dry denim skirt and a large pastel yellow ribbon in her pigtails. Cream left the house, taking a deep breath to soak on the late spring air into her lungs.

"This fresh air alone feels so relaxing," said Cream, "I know the ordinance keeps the flowers healthy, but I love watering them when I can. Now where's that gold watering can Isabelle gave me..." Cream didn't have to search too hard and equipped her can to start watering some of the flowers, humming a little tune and enjoying the wet soil on her feet as she walked about. She was just about finished with the red roses when she noticed someone sitting near the edge of the river in deep thought. Cream walked towards the individual. She knew her eyesight wasn't too good, (which was why she wore glasses) but she couldn't believe who it was sitting there.

"Umm...Mr. Nook?" she asked curiously. Shocking as it was, Cream was correct. Tom Nook was the one just sitting quietly along the edge of the river in deep thought. Cream just decided to take a seat next to the tanooki with her legs extended. Tom didn't seem to noticed her.

"Umm...Mr. Nook?" Cream asked again, this time a little louder. Tom did a double take before he noticed the little brown haired girl sitting beside him.

"Oh...hi there Cream," said Tom, "Lovely day in the merry month of May isn't it?" Cream giggled.

"Yes it is," said Cream, "I'm surprised to see you out of your office today. According to my smart phone, it's still business hours."

"I closed my office early today," Tom answered, "Too much on my mind."

"Want to talk about it?" Cream asked straight out. Tom chuckled.

"It's...nothing you can really help me with," said Tom quietly. Cream looked indignant.

"How do you know that?" said Cream as she stood up crossed her arms, "Remember Mr. Nook. I may be only ten years old, but I'm very advanced intellectually. Need I remind you of who helped you do your taxes this year." Tom laughed. Cream wasn't just bluffing about that either. The girl seemed to be very proficient about business logics and accounting. He could see Cream running her own business someday if she wanted it enough.

"Well this problem isn't really business related Cream," said Tom, "it's more of a...personal matter." Cream didn't look unphased.

"Would Mom have something to do with it?" Cream asked next. Tom just sighed to himself and nodded.

"Yes...it does..." said Tom sadly. Cream's stern stance softened a bit.

"You're not...gonna break up with her...are you?" she asked worried. Tom's eyes nearly popped out in shock as he looked at her and then laughed.

"Never Cream," said Tom, "I love Sable too much to break up with her! But...this problem does involve her..."

"Well, you can tell me," said Cream, "I wanna help." Tom just smiled. He figured since his problem involved all of the three girls as well that he could talk to her about it. He would have preferred Roll, since she was the one who helped bring him and Sable together. While Cream may not have started liking boys yet, he figured he might as well talk to somebody about this and she was available.

"Well...you...you see Cream," Tom stuttered, "I really do love Sable alot and...we've been dating since the holidays and...there is just something that I've always wanted to do with Sable. But...but I don't know if I'm...well...worthy of it..."

"Worthy?" Cream asked puzzled.

"Well...that is to say," said Tom, trying to find the right words to explain himself, "I...I...I want to propose to your mother." Cream gasped before a giddy smile appeared on her face and began hopping up and down on her feet.

"I'M GOING TO HAVE A DADDY! I'M GOING TO HAVE A DADDY! I'M..."

"SHUSH!" Tom whispered loudly as he slapped a hand over Cream's mouth, "One, this is supposed to be a secret. Two, the whole village doesn't need to know about it yet!" This just goes to show that just because a ten year old girl is intellectually advanced doesn't mean that they are going to be more mature. Cream smiled apologetically as Tom go of her mouth.

"Sorry," she muttered sadly, feeling a little foolish she had got over-excited like that. Cream looked like she was ready to cry when Tom just sighed to gave her a light hug.

"It's alright," said Tom, "I mean...this is a big deal after all. I shouldn't have expected you not to react."

"It's okay," said Cream, "So...what seems to be the problem? Roll told me about you and mom's past and such, but I know you've settled things."

"I guess just my past mistakes still get to me," Tom replied quietly, "It's giving me self-doubts if I'm really ready for marriage. And if...I can be everything Sable needs in a husband. We both have busy jobs after all. But...I've made so many mistakes...can I really make up for them?" Cream just hummed to herself as she rested her hands on her hips.

"Mr. Nook?"

"Cream, just call me Tom," the tanooki answered, "I'm not in the office. There's no need for formalities."

"Umm...o-okay, Tom..." said Cream slowly, finding that saying his name like that felt so...informal for her, "Do...you love my mother with all your heart and soul?" Tom was rather taken aback by the question, but knew the answer.

"Yes...I do," said Tom slowly.

"Doesn't Mom return your feelings and more?" Cream asked next.

"Why...yes she does," said Tom, "She told me during the Easter Brunch we shared together at my house last month."

"Would you do anything to make things work out?" Cream asked after, "Isn't she more important than your work?" Tom narrowed his eyes, seeing where Cream was going with all of this.

"Yes, she is the most important person in my life and I would do anything to make it work," Tom answered, "but...and I know you've only known me for a few weeks, Cream. But...do you think I can do it? Do you think I can make Sable truly happy." Cream smiled.

"Yes," said Cream as she lifted her left leg and wiggled her toes, "Remember that I can tell lies with my feet. You've been nothing but sincere as you were talking with me this whole time. You clearly mean every word you said. I don't see any reason why you can't take the first step and tell Sable how you feel. Roll told me that you two waited years before admitting that you even had feelings for each other. Do you really want to delay this too...just because of self doubt or insecurity?" Tom just hummed to himself.

"You're right Cream," Tom answered, "I've wasted enough time. Sable has always known who I was, inside and out. I can't just keep sitting here guessing how things will work out. If we really love each other, we'll find a way." Tom stood up, dusting off his pants before giving Cream a warm smile. Cream returned the smile and Tom helped the little girl to her feet and headed back to main street. Cream just watched him leave before getting back to her watering. Once she had finished, she decided to head to main street herself to find Sable. She wasn't going to mention the conversation with Tom. She only wanted some motherly love. Cream just relaxed comfortably behind Sable with her head buried into the elder hedgehog's quills. Mable couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

"Cream, Sable isn't a teddy bear you know," she remarked.

"Oh lay off Mabel," Sable scolded, "Cream isn't bothering anybody and I like the snuggles." Mabel just rolled her eyes. Cream opened her eyes indignantly.

"If you'd sit down for five minutes, I'd be more than glad to cuddle your quills, Mabel," Cream retorted, "but every time I'm here you're moving around. Besides, I thought you were too cool for quill cuddling." Mable's jaw dropped and Sable bit her lips to avoid laughing and even Labelle, who had been listening in from the other room, tried but failed to stifle a snicker. Mabel just opened and closed her mouth a few times before giving Cream a raspberry and stomping away.

"A little harsh weren't you?" Sable asked. Cream blinked.

"You said Mabel was a tomboy," said Cream, "From what I've learned from Kalinka, tomboys tend to be very anti-snuggly...if that's even a real world."

"That's not always true," said Sable, "Mabel loves to be cuddly. She's the family little snuggle-wuggles."

"SABLE!" Mabel exclaimed, feeling her cheeks burn and then turned away in embarrassment. The blue hedgehog then felt someone jump into to her back and nuzzle her quills.

"Oooh, you're right mommy!" Cream exclaimed as she relaxed her head on Mabel's, "these quills are really snuggly. I'm gonna stay up here for a while." Mabel just sighed as Sable giggled.

"Well, you wanted her to snuggle you," Sable remarked.

"I'm sorry for earlier," said Cream from behind her, "I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable. Since tomboys have their...reputations...and don't like being seen as too mushy and stuff." Mabel giggled.

"I do like to keep an image," said Mabel, "but I'm not afraid to show my soft side anymore, especially around girls as cute and sweet as you and your sisters."

"Speaking of which, I wonder...ahh! There are my two baby girls!" Sable noticed to familiar blondes enter the room. Judging by their weary faces, she could tell they were both physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Hey I was wondering when you would get home?" said Cream as she hopped off of Sable and rushed up to them, "Did...it go okay?" Roll just gave a tired smile.

"Yes it did," she replied softly, "We both shared alot about our inner pains and such." Kalinka just said nothing and nodded her head.

"Are you okay?" Cream asked. Kalinka just smiled and nodded again.

"Hmm...guess being so vulnerable has caused some insecurity with her mind that is making her timid and shy," Cream deduced. Kalinka just grunted a little.

"Hey, no need to be angry," said Cream, "I'm just saying why you're so quiet. No shame in feeling vulnerable. It's normal to feel that way when you're not used to opening up all the time. You'll get stronger. I know it! I took a psychology class so I kind of learned this stuff. My point is that I'm not going to make fun you. All I'm saying is that I understand." Kalinka smiled and embraced Cream tenderly, even holding her. Cream just smiled as she returned to hug. Once they pulled away, the door to the shop opened again and there was Tom Nook.

"Great, everyone is here!" said Tom and turned to the girls, "How was the counseling session?"

"Okay," said Roll simply and Kalinka smiled and nodded as she still held Cream from the side.

"Good," said Tom, "and Sable, could you please stop working for a moment?"

"I'm very busy Tom, is this important?" Sable asked.

"It is very important," said Tom, "This little...problem...has to do with the both of us." Sable grew worried as Tom told Labelle to come over and then he grabbed a small stool and set in on the other side of the sewing machine. Mabel, Labelle, Roll, Kalinka, and Cream just watched with curiosity. Well Cream smiled, since she had a good idea of what was going to happen as Tom guided Sable towards the small stool and looked directly into her eyes as he held her hands.

"Sable Able," said Tom softly, "I love you." Sable blushed lightly and smiled. Everyone else giggled to each other.

"I know Tom," said Sable, "I love you too."

"There's no other woman that I wanna be with Sable," said Tom, "You're my one and only." Sable just giggled like a little school girl.

"You're my one and only too," said Sable with a chuckle, "You've already shared this with me back the New Year's Party. Why the need to repeat it? I know you're meant it." Tom just chuckled.

"Sable...remember what I told you about my dream?" he asked her next, "Remember what I had revealed to you?"

"That you wanted to be a huge success as a business tanooki," Sable answered, "and you did that."

"But you're forgetting one thing," said Tom, "It's what had made building a business empire worthwhile...and why I nearly gave it up when I thought I had lost it forever." Sable looked puzzled until it finally clicked in her head.

"You mean...me?" said Sable in surprise. Tom nodded.

"Yes Sable," he answered, "You were my drive to be so successful and what is most important to me. Even when it appeared money was all that mattered. You saw past all the greed that I used to try and hide my pain with. And...despite my mistakes, you still opened your heart to me. Now...I just want to be with you forever." Sable didn't need long to process with Tom was trying to say.

"Tom...?" she asked, but she was at a loss for words. Then what Tom did next made the other girls gasp and cover their mouth to avoid giggling and squealing. Sable's jaw dropped at what Tom did and covered her mouth in shock. Tom had gotten down on one knee.

"Sable, I want more than anything to spend the rest of my life with you," Tom began as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful ring that held a very large pink diamond in the heart of it, "Sable Able, will you marry me?" Everyone, minus Sable, held their breaths as they waited for an answer. Sable couldn't keep her composure and broke down in tears, unable to say anything due to feeling overwhelmed. Tom grew worried.

"Sable..." he tried to speak but was then tackled to the ground when Sable lunged at him.

"YES! YES! YES!" she shouted as she smiled and sobbed at the same time, "Yes! I will marry you!" She gave him a teary smile. Tom was stunned and soon he was shedding his own tears as he set the ring on Sable's finger and they shared a kiss with each other. The rest of the group cheered excitedly, but Sable and Tom didn't hear any of it. They were too busy smiling and crying with each other before closing the gap and shared a much longer, more meaningful kiss with each other.

The next morning, Tom was still in good spirits as he left his house and boarded the train towards Animal Town to start work. He felt like today was going to be a good day.

"Looks like my dreams are finally going to come true after all," said Tom, "and now Sable won't ever feel so alone anymore. She'll have me to love and take care of her. Together, we can do...just about anything..." He chuckled to himself.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Tom," he told himself, "We still need to plan the wedding and everything else that goes with it. As much as Sable probably wants a quiet wedding, we can't expect to get it. The entire town is going to want to be there after all." Tom finished his train of thought just as the railcar pulled into the station. He quickly made his exit, rather than head straight to his office, he headed straight for the Able Sister's shop. Since it was still a few hours before opening he knew the place was closed. He also knew that Sable always arrived early to get more work done. He couldn't tease her about it since he did the same at his office, most of the time.

"Knock, knock," said Tom as he lightly rapped on the door. It wasn't long before the brown hedgehog, now proudly wearing her wedding ring, opened the door and greeted him with a tender hug and kiss.

"What brings you here, sweetie?" she asked sweetly.

"Well I couldn't start my day without seeing my girl first you know," said Tom as he held Sable in his arms. Sable giggled.

"Well thank you, I was missing you," Sable replied, "now why are you really here?" Tom just chuckled.

"Always straight to the point," said Tom, "Well, for starters, we need to make some plans for the wedding. After all, I don't know how soon you want to tie the knot." Sable just sighed to herself while she lay down a neatly piled stack of fabrics on the table when she heard another knock on the door.

"I'll get it," said Mabel as she opened the door. She found Kalinka standing outside, wearing a Pompomurin tee with brown pedal pushers and a beret with her hair fully down. Mabel could tell she looked nervous by the fact the girl kept rubbing her toes together.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"No," said Kalinka, "Roll just left for her first friendship mission in Bacon's town. Cream is still asleep and...well..."

"Still feeling a little vulnerable?" Mabel asked. Kalinka just sighed and nodded, looking away as she did so. Mabel just motioned with her hand for Kalinka to come inside. Kalinka just walked inside and saw Tom and Sable talking to each other.

"Did I come at a bad time?" she asked quietly. Sable noticed the blonde girl and motioned for her to come over. Kalinka just walked up to Sable and let the brown hedgehog wrap an arm lovingly around her. Tom took notice.

"What's up Kalinka?" he asked, "I hope Twilight wasn't too harsh with you yesterday." Kalinka and Roll had only confided in Sable about their session and not Tom. The blonde girl just sighed to herself. If Tom was to be her, as well as Roll and Cream's, new father, she might as well try and be honest with him.

"More like I realized just much I was trying to live my life with a false front and it all came crashing down," said Kalinka quietly. Tom nodded.

"I completely understand," said Tom, "The world can be very cruel sometimes. It's even sadder when the cruelty affects someone as young and beautiful as you." Kalinka giggled.

"Thanks," she answered, his complement helping her feel a little better, "sorry if I interrupted your wedding plans."

"Oh no matter," said Tom, "after all, we'll need you and your sister's help with this too. We were just deciding how soon we wanted to marry. After all we've been through, I think both of us agree we want a short engagement."

"Indeed," said Sable before a sly smirk appeared on her face, "why don't we just go elope later tonight?"

"SABLE!" Labelle and Mabel exclaimed in deep shock. They couldn't believe Sable, the responsible sister, would suggest that! Sable burst out laughing.

"That was so worth the look on their faces!" Sable remarked afterward. Kalinka laughed as the two hedgehog sisters snorted and headed back to their work.

"Good one, Mom," Kalinka remarked.

"Well my intention was to make you smile and feel better," said Sable, "and it seems that it worked. Think you can handle your dailies now, Mayor Kalinka." While Kalinka went back to look shy, she still smiled.

"Yeah," said Kalinka softly, "I'll do my best. And...Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can...can I stop by...later for...well...snuggle time?" Kalinka still felt a bit embarassed asking that, but it was something she wanted and bravely made her request. Sable just giggled.

"I'll be waiting for you, now go on," Sable replied. Kalinka smiled and then left the shop to get to work. Tom just looked rather worried and Sable noticed.

"What's wrong Tom?" Sable asked with concern.

"I can feel that sense of being defeated and broken inside of her," said Tom, "It's how I felt when I hit rock bottom, realizing that I couldn't live my life living being tormented with such lies and defeat in my mind. It's about the loneliest feeling in the world..." Sable walked up to him and kissed his cheek.

"Well, she's going to be your daughter soon," said Sable, "and you'll be able to help her."

"Guess I see her that way already," said Tom, "I'm already worried about her."

"Same here," said Sable, "but we need to just keep encouraging her like good parents do."

"I see," said Tom quietly, "You think I could make a good father?"

"Of course," said Sable, "Look at Timmy and Tommy! They're a testament to how well you raised them! Now they'll have some new "cousins"." Sable emphasized the word cousins for Tom's sake. Even thought they both knew that step brothers was the correct term.

"Maybe we should unveil the truth about them," said Tom, "This whole uncle story is just not feeling right anymore. They are adopted orphans after all. It was only cause of the rumors about us why I had said they were my late sister's children."

"I know Tom," said Sable, "but you don't need to keep that lie alive anymore. You don't have to keep living in lies at all. The truth is what has brought us together and you'll feel much better as soon as you take care of that. Timmy and Tommy deserve the right to call you their father even more than my three girls." Tom then began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Sable asked.

"Let's just say this would be the perfect story if I had one more son," said Tom. Sable looked puzzled but soon figured out the joke.

"Shut it Mike," she muttered, the name being a big hint she knew what sit-com Tom was talking about. They shared another laugh before they began to discuss the wedding details more seriously before it was time to get ready for work.

As for Kalinka, she was just keeping busy with the dailies and such. Aside from a quick delivery package to Whitney's house, Kalinka's morning had been fairly quiet. She was just keeping to herself as she found her money rock, dug up the fossils, and then identified them with Blathers. She tried to go visit Celeste to kill some time, but Kalinka wasn't really a big fan of Astronomy and soon headed out of the museum and did a little window shopping before heading to the post office.

"Good morning there, Mayor Kalinka," said Pelly cheerfully. Kalinka couldn't help but smile.

"Hey Pelly," said Kalinka a she pulled out a letter from her pockets, "could you send this to Twilight for me please? She...wanted me to send her a progress report as part of my...counseling." It sounded so foreign for a public official to admit she was in counseling, but Pelly just smiled.

"Sure thing Kalinka," she replied, "Don't feel so bad about it. Depression is a serious problem for some people. At least you're seeking help rather than just trying to find a solution on your own. The town villagers don't think any less of you for that."

"Umm...yeah...true..." Kalinka said nervously as she rubbed the back of her left ankle with her right foot. She knew that was true. In fact, everyone had been very supportive since finding out thanks to a certain blue cat and burnt orange rabbit (Never tell them to keep secrets these days!), "Thank you Pelly. See you!" Pelly waved goodbye as Kalinka exited the post office. Suddenly, someone bumped into her from the side.

"Ow, watch it will you!" Kalinka snapped angrily as she rubbed her sore shoulder. That was when she noticed the person that had bumped into her was a grey shi-tzu.

"Oh sorry about that, Roll," said Digby, "I guess that will teach me not to think too deeply and walk at the same time." Kalinka just looked at the dog for a moment, trying to remember who it was and apparently not noticing Digby's mistaken identity of her. While Roll and Cream had been the HHA showcase, Kalinka had never gone to check it out herself. She had seen the dog standing nearby, but had never really spoken to him yet. Then she noticed that Digby had groaned again and put a hand to wipe his face.

"I'm a such a dummy," said Digby, "you're not Roll, you're Kalinka."

"How could you mix us up?" Kalinka asked, now feeling a little offended, "I'm not like her!" (She's awesome and I'm trying to regain my own awesomeness). The last part wasn't said aloud, but Digby just looked rather embarassed.

"You're right," said Digby, "You're hair has prettier wave to it and you do have cuter eyelashes." Kalinka couldn't resist a blush and a small giggle. In her eleven years, no boy had ever complemented her looks before. Probably because in the orphanage, she had been too busy beating them at all in sports and playground activities.

"Thanks, but...I think you're too old for me," said Kalinka. Digby just sighed.

"Sorry, just giving an honest opinion of how you look," said Digby, "I meant nothing by it. Just being a nice guy is all." Kalinka just smiled.

"Thanks," said Kalinka, "Umm...forgive me for being rude but...I don't remember your name..." Digby started and then blinked to recompose himself.

"I'm Digby," he told her, "Isabelle's...twin brother."

"Oh, I remember now," said Kalinka, "we met at the welcome party. I guess I just forgot since...I never really visit the showcase." Digby just sighed.

"I see," said Digby sadly. Kalinka then felt very guilty.

"Sorry," she answered, "I'm just not into house decorating...in fact if you checked my interior, it's still got the default wallpaper and it's completely void of any furniture."

"Nobody wants to visit the showcase these days," Digby muttered to himself, but Kalinka heard him.

"What do you mean?" Kalinka asked, now interested. Digby just gave her a smile.

"How about you come take a walk with me to the showcase?" said Digby, "you can see...uhh...a house or two...and I'll explain to you what it going on."

"Are you asking me out?" she replied, giving him a smirk. Digby looked indignant.

"I just wanted to be friends, not date you," said Digby, "Maybe if you were older, but...let's not makes things complicated. Besides, you're the new mayor and you should know what is going on since its...a problem that could affect main street's future."

"Okay, and sorry about before," said Kalinka, "I'm not used to boys wanting to hang out with me for any reason other than challenging me to a sport or playground game of some sort."

"You play sports?" Digby asked, "what kind?"

"Oh just...street style...basketball, dodge-ball, volleyball, baseball, kickball, and soccer," said Kalinka, "I wouldn't say I was really good, but I did always beat the boys. Made me kind of resented by them for the most part."

"What idiots," Digby remarked, "I used to be pretty good with a basketball and baseball myself, but that was a few years ago. Anyways, come on." Kalinka just smiled and followed the grey shi-tzu up the stairs and into the showcase plaza. She was surprised to see that Digby was quite right, the area was nearly empty and it was only just a little past 11am so the place hadn't been open for more than a few hours. Digby lead her into the area where there were at least a half dozen houses still on showcase. The other two areas were completely empty. Kalinka just smiled as she looked at the different exteriors of the few houses that were still standing.

"These houses are so cool!" said Kalinka, "I bet the insides are amazing!"

"Go take a look," said Digby as he opened the door. Kalinka was baffled.

"Are...are you sure I can just..."

"These houses, aren't occupied by anyone," said Digby, "visitors can enter and exit them as they please. You can also order a limited amount of items if you see something you want for your own house, but be warned, not everything is for sale and the prices are usually higher than in the shops. It's how we used to make extra commission...until people stopped even ordering anything..." Kalinka just nodded and headed inside the house to look around. While she didn't buy anything, she did have a nice look around the insides of each house.

"I gotta admit, this place is pretty awesome," said Kalinka, "and I did find some ideas for my own house...whenever I feel ready to decorate it. I didn't buy anything...not yet anyway."

"It's alright," said Digby, "I doubt this place will be open for much longer..." Kalinka felt sorry for Digby. She wanted to buy something, but she really wasn't sure about what to purchase. All she could think of was holding his right hand.

"Talk to me Digby, not as the mayor, but as a friend," Kalinka said gently, "why is this place at risk of being...closed down?" Digby just took a deep breath and they began to walk about the area.

"Business for the HHA has been getting very slow these days," Digby explained, "Less and less people are putting their houses on showcase for others to see and that means that fewer people are even visiting at all. Customers have been slowing down for months now. The HHA has been losing alot of business with houses retiring from the HHA and even other owners downgrading their VIP status and never fully maximizing their scores. Since the company fears completely downsizing the HHA features would only sour the situation, that means alot of workers like me are either getting several pay cuts or being laid off completely."

"Is it just in Animal Town?" Kalinka asked, even wondering why Isabelle or even Roll had told her about this situation.

"It's happening everywhere," said Digby, "and I'm not even sure how much more the HHA can take. If things don't change soon, the company might have to go out of business entirely."

"And what about Lyle and Tom?" Kalinka asked, "I'd hate to see them lose their jobs! Tom just got engaged this morning! I'd hate to see his wedding plans go out the window because of this!"

"Tom has nothing to worry about," said Digby, "If the company gets liquidated, he'll get his share of whatever value the HHA even has. As for Lyle, poor guy. He's worked so hard at the HHA for many years. He started as a door to door salesperson and was even a bit shady."

"I'm...actually not surprised by that," Kalinka remarked.

"Rather than just fire him, Lyle was given an office position," said Digby, "he hated it alot from what I heard, but he used the position to turn his work ethic around and made his way up to being the president of the company, second only to its CEO. He's worked harder than anybody that I know. He inspired me to join the team and I've loved my job ever since. Sometimes I wonder just how much time I've got left...before my time with the HHA is up."

"Are finances that tight?" Kalinka asked curiously.

"Pretty much," said Digby, "I share a small house with Isabelle and we've been splitting the rent for the place, but since the start of the pay cuts, Isabelle has been having to pick up my slack. Fortunately Roll was so generous with Isabelle's raises when she was in office, but I'd still like to contribute my fair share too. I don't know what to do! Lyle is more than just my boss, but he's a good friend of mine."

"Ahh, I see," said Kalinka, "You stay out of loyalty to your friend and the HHA correct?"

"Exactly, and I've told Lyle about that too," said Digby sadly, "but these pay cuts are really hurting me personally. I just left the office with Lyle saying that working hours are being cut again. Now I'm not even working full time anymore. There goes my benefits...especially the medical ones."

"I can talk to Isabelle about securing you your health insurance at least," said Kalinka, "She apparently knows alot about navigating all that red tape and junk."

"No thank you," said Digby, "She's already helping me enough. I gotta stand on my own two feet. I can't keep relying on others all the time. I need to figure things out on my own!" Kalinka suddenly felt like she was starting at herself for a moment when Digby said that. Digby noticed her staring.

"Umm...why are you looking at me like that?" he asked. Kalinka then realized her staring and shook her head a bit.

"S-s-sorry," Kalinka replied sheepishly, "it's just that...that's how I feel...or used to feel."

"Huh?" Digby asked puzzled.

"I used to feel frustrated at the idea of someone helping me all the time," Kalinka replied, "It made me feel like I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even fend for myself. But I learned that having people help you doesn't mean that you can't handle yourself. It means that you're surround by people who love and care about you. It has nothing to do with weakness. I doubt Isabelle has ever come down on you for the whole rent issue and being short on finances has she?" Digby thought for a few seconds and then just sighed to himself.

"I guess you're right," said Digby, "Isabelle's always looked out for me and such, but I just hate how things are going with the HHA. It always seems like the company could always pick itself up out a slump, but this time...things just look too dire for any chance of hope." Kalinka nodded.

"Well, I'll see what I can do," said Kalinka, "I won't want any business in my...I mean...our town...going out of business." Digby chuckled.

"You can say "my" Kalinka," said Digby, "it isn't selfish. After all, you are the mayor and this is your town now."

"Still feels so conceited to say it though," Kalinka remarked. Digby just chuckled.

"Well, I appreciate the talk," said Digby, "I better get back to work and all. Do you need an escort out of the showcase?" Kalinka just smiled.

"It's okay," she answered, "Mind if I look around a bit more before leaving?" Digby just nodded and left Kalinka on her own. Kalinka just continued to look around the other houses for a few minutes longer before finally making her way out of the showcase. She noticed that Digby looked rather glum despite waving goodbye. He had smiled, but even Kalinka could tell it looked forced.

"Are you going to be okay?" Kalinka asked, "Do you need me to stay?" Digby just sighed and shook his head.

"I'll be fine," he said bravely. Kalinka wasn't satisfied with his answer.

"I'm going to speak to Isabelle about this right away and see what I can do about this," said Kalinka, "You're my friend and friends help each other when their in trouble." Kalinka hurried away before Digby could answer and all but ran towards Town Hall. As much as she wanted to sprint, she knew that doing so could risk damaging the flowers along the pathways Roll had built. Kalinka was hot and out of breath when she stepped into Town Hall. She just dragged her feet towards the mayor's chair and plopped into it. At least she tried to, but the chair rolled out of her way and she landed on her back with a THUD and her legs against the top of the desk.

"Ow!" she groaned as Isabelle stood above her.

"So are we trying a new way to conduct our mayor duties, Mayor Kalinka?" Isabelle teased. Kalinka just pouted and crossed her arms as she just lay on the floor. Isabelle laughed before offering the blonde girl a hand so she could get back on her feet and then Isabelle helped her back into her mayor's chair. Kalinka quickly brushed her long locks behind her, readjusted her beret, and crossed her legs before addressing Isabelle.

"Isabelle, as mayor of this town, I want to ban the use of rolling office chairs," she said in a very formal tone. Isabelle giggled.

"Permission denied," said Isabelle as a matter of fact, "such a law is not possible for proposal. But seriously, is there a reason you've come today Mayor Kalinka? Have you considered a new public works project perhaps?"

"Nothing like that," said Kalinka, "this...this has to do with the HHA."

"The HHA," said Isabelle puzzled until it clicked in her head, "I'm assuming you know about their financial issues." Kalinka nodded.

"Yes Isabelle," Kalinka answered, "and I'm also aware that your brother has been affected by the situation as well."

"I know," said Isabelle quietly, "as much as I want to tell him to quit and get a new job. I'd be a hypocrite. If my job was in the same predicament I wouldn't want to turn my back on my boss/friend or what I love to do either. I can't imagine how it feels knowing that any day now you are going to wake up and be unemployed."

"I hope you know that if that ever happened," said Kalinka, "My sisters and I would take care of you. But...since finances are pretty strong that shouldn't ever happen in our lifetime."

"True," said Isabelle, "but even with all my knowledge about laws and regulations, there isn't much I can do. They have a voucher claim via Tom Nook. Only he can dissolve or amend their business relations. In terms of a bail out, we're not qualified to offer such a thing."

"I see" said Kalinka, "I hope Tom doesn't drop the HHA sponsorship. Lyle could lose his job as well as Digby. Isn't there anything we could do? Offer a loan government or...that...stock purchase thing...umm...I'm sorry, but unlike Roll and Cream, I didn't study too heavily into law and politics, even business regulations for that matter."

"I am well aware of that," said Isabelle, "but sadly, there is nothing you can do from your political position. Your position is focused on the health and well-being of the town, not its business ventures. If one should decide to go out of business...there's little we can say or do to prevent it."

"Couldn't we give them extra benefits or relief of some sort? Ease their taxes or rent costs or something?" Kalinka asked, not wanting to run out of options.

"I've been giving the HHA alot of cuts and reduced payments, but it's done no good," Isabelle replied seriously, "Roll did all she could to try and turn things around for them, but in the end, the company is just on a downhill decline. I'm sorry Kalinka, but this is just one problem that is out of my hands." Kalinka just looked devastated before standing up and slamming both her hands into the desk.

"No, no, no!" Kalinka shouted, "I didn't become mayor of this town just to watch a company that has been an important part of our main street go belly up like this. There has to be something we can do. Just...SOMETHING!" Kalinka slammed her hand onto the desk once more before giving Isabelle a stern glare.

"Roll was a very dependable mayor," said Kalinka, "even when all seemed lost and even when she wanted to give up, she still fought on and found solutions to the impossible. Now it's my turn to show what I can do. I don't care how impossible this situation is. I won't see the HHA go out of business! Not as long as I'm the mayor of Animal Town!" Isabelle just stared as Kalinka just panted heavily before sitting down and this time landing squarely in her chair, slightly slouching but still secure.

"I hate feeling so helpless," said Kalinka, "I HATE IT! But...I can't just give up on this. There's has to be a way to fix this problem. There just has to!" Isabelle just smiled.

"I'm sure of it," said Isabelle, "if you can find a new solution to this problem that I haven't thought of then keep pursuing it. You and Roll have alot in common."

"I know, Isabelle, I know," Kalinka muttered, not wanting to be reminded of her flaws. Somehow Isabelle must have known the blonde girl was thinking that because she put her hands on her hips.

"I'm not talking about your issues, Kalinka," Isabelle retorted, "I'm referring to the fact that you both are very determined to help others even when everyone else seems to have given up. Roll had alot of fire in trying to push through tough situations and I can see working with you that this situation won't be any different."

"Well...Digby is my newest friend and your brother," said Kalinka, "I'm surprised you've given up." Isabelle just sighed quietly.

"It's not that I have," said Isabelle, "It's just that I've run out of ideas."

"Why doesn't he just get another job?" said Kalinka, "Why stay loyal to a company that is in such a bad state? He was telling me how upset he was about not paying the bills."

"That has nothing to do with it," Isabelle replied, "well...not mostly. You see Kalinka, working for the HHA has always been Digby's lifelong dream. He's worked so hard all his life in order to have the skills to qualify for a job there. I can't tell you how excited he was when he did get a position. This job is his dream and if this company fails. So does his dream. There isn't another company that does what the HHA does."

"What about Tom Nook?" Kalinka asked, "he said that he's very accredited with the real estate industry."

"That is actually true," said Isabelle, "but Tom has never really showed any interest in wanting to expend his business. He doesn't need to, at least financially...the guy is loaded and I'm surprised he hasn't been accused of tax evasion."

"He doesn't do that," Kalinka retorted in defensive tone, "Cream was with him doing his taxes a couple of weeks ago."

"Yeah...for this year," Isabelle annoyed.

"Knock it off," said Kalinka sternly, "That's my future father you're insulting here!" Isabelle just raised her hands in defense. She honestly had great respect for Tom Nook, but she was attentive to the rumors that were spread about him.

"Sorry," said Isabelle, "anyways I'm getting back to work."

"Make sure you don't work too far ahead," said Kalinka.

"Oh, now you're going to mother me too?" the shi-tzu asked in annoyance.

"Yes, I know you're type, Isabelle," said Kalinka, "Over achievers they are called. Always burning themselves out because they try to do too much. Cream is the exact same way so I know how to handle people like you." Isabelle forgot that Kalinka was her "boss" at that moment and gave her a loud raspberry. Kalinka just returned it before leaving her chair and making her way out Town Hall and headed back to the house. She still wanted to find a way to help Digby as she walked inside and was stopped in her place by Cream, who was wearing a hot springs tee and skirt with a white ribbon.

"You forgot to wipe your feet again," Cream told her, pointing to the blonde girl's feet, which were pretty soiled. Kalinka just grabbed the cloth and began to wipe them down. Cream took notice that Kalinka was grunting a bit as she did so.

"Circles Kalinka, not back and forth," Cream reminded her. Kalinka then realized her mistake and then groaned as she corrected herself. Once her feet were deemed clean enough, she walked over to Cream, who was now reading a book while reclining on the sofa with her feet on the coffee table. Roll hated it when Cream or Kalinka would do that, but the older girl wasn't home now so Kalinka let it go.

"Hope your feet are clean or Roll will kill you for getting grime on the table," Kalinka teased. Cream lifted her right leg and nearly shoved her currently clean foot into the blonde girl's face. Kalinka recoiled a bit before a smirk appeared on her face as she danced a finger on the bottom, making Cream give a light squeal and pulled her foot away. Cream just glared as Kalinka smiled at her.

"Yes?" she asked innocently. Cream just glared and went back to her book. Kalinka's smiled faded away as she took a seat next to her, slouching with her arms crossed and extended her own feet on the said coffee table.

"What's up with you?" Cream asked, sensing her older sister's stress since Kalinka had sat right next to her.

"Just a long day on the job," Kalinka sighed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Cream asked, turning to face the blonde girl. Kalinka was about to say no, but then remembered that she had promised not to shut Cream out anymore. Even Twilight told her that her youngest sister, while a bit of a goofball (and addicted to candy and soda according to the said princess) she was a great listener. Kalinka took a deep breath before answering.

"I found out that the HHA isn't doing too well," Kalinka began.

"I heard," said Cream, "There's financial records and data on the ACSE haven't been very good either for months now. That company is some serious financial trouble."

"ACSE?" Kalinka asked puzzled.

"Animal Crossing Stock Exchange," Cream explained, "I've been saving up some bells in a portfolio so I can invest in some companies. Once I have enough spare bells, Tom said he was going to help me make some beginner investments. I've been studying up on the market so I can see what companies might be a good investment. The HHA used to be a pretty stable company until recently. Such a shame, many people thought the company would have lasted for many more years considering it had no rival competitors and their sponsorship with Tom..."

"Okay, okay I get it!" Kalinka retorted, feeling a headache coming on from all the "business" talk Cream was giving her, "My point isn't just about the fact that the business is facing...uhh...darn it...what's that word. I took economics..."

"Bankruptcy?"

"That's it," said Kalinka, "but Digby is about to lost his job and it was his dream to work for the HHA. He looks so sad and worried that any day now his job won't even be there anymore."

"That is a shame," said Cream, "There has got to be something we can...wait a minute!"

"You got an idea?" Kalinka asked, getting her hopes up.

"Why not talk to Tom Nook about it?" Cream suggested and Kalinka gave Cream a puzzled look.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"Tom Nook is a real estate business man," said Cream, "maybe he could help the HHA. After all, Lyle is a friend of his and he wouldn't turn down helping a friend in need. He's got plenty of resources after all."

"That's a good idea," said Kalinka, "I'll talk to him first thing tomorrow morning. Thanks for hearing me out Cream."

"That's what sisters are for," said Cream as she went back to her book. Kalinka just sighed to herself, feeling exhausted as she rested her head lightly on top of Cream's shoulder to relax. Cream didn't mind for about a minute until she decided to ask Kalinka another important question.

"Do you think Digby is cute?" she asked Kalinka. Kalinka snorted.

"Where did _that_ question come from?" she asked indignantly.

"Oh just you seemed to worried about him and such," said Cream. Kalinka just rolled her eyes before a smirk appeared on her face.

"Actually, I know someone who is much cuter," said Kalinka.

"Tell me," said Cream, now eager to hear who it was.

"You being tickled. Come here you!" Kalinka shouted as she pined Cream down and began to tick her stomach.

"No no! Stop...AH-HAHAHHA!" Cream tried to protest but was soon engaged in a mini tickle war with Kalinka. Even afterward when the young girl was out breath, she found she was not mad or annoyed. They hadn't shared a good tickle war since they arrived in Animal Town. It was nice having some fun together one on one.

The next morning, Kalinka changed into a melon gingham tee with green gingham pedal pushers with a white headband in her hair. Cream had gone outside by the time Kalinka was done getting dressed. Kalinka was glad to see Cream getting some fresh air, but still left a note for her younger sister before heading towards Nook's Home to discuss her matter with the tanooki.

"I hope he'll open up early for me," Kalinka thought to herself as she headed towards the office only to find that it was pitch dark inside. She lightly knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she decided to just wait quietly just outside the shop, sitting in the dirt with her knees tucked in a bit. She didn't need to wait long before the said tanooki arrived.

"Hi there Kalinka," he answered, "what brings you here? I'm not opening for another hour, yes?"

"I...actually wanted to talk to you privately," said Kalinka bravely. Tom could see the seriousness in her eyes. He could tell this wasn't a house problem...or a house payment problem.

"Well, then let's discuss matter inside then, hmm?" Tom replied as he unlocked the shop and they headed inside. Kalinka just kept staring at her feet as Tom removed his yellow coat and set it on a coat rack.

"What's wrong Kalinka?" Tom asked with concern in his tone. Kalinka just took a few deep breaths.

"I wanted to discuss the HHA with you," Kalinka began, still trying to find the right words to say. Tom just looked stunned for a moment before blinking in confusion.

"I'm sure you're aware of the...financial situation with them correct?" Kalinka asked, trying to sound professional, "being one of their proud sponsors and all." Tom was quiet for a moment before giving a nod.

"Yes...I'm well aware of their financial troubles..." he replied slowly.

"Doesn't it...bother you that...they might be on...their way out of business?" Kalinka asked.

"Where are you going with this Kalinka?" Tom asked, using a firmer and more defensive tone. Kalinka took a step back before recomposing herself.

"Well...I was wondering if..." Kalinka didn't get a chance to speak again because that was when Lyle entered the office. Judging by the look on his face as well as the bags under his eyes, the poor otter looked very stressed and probably wasn't getting much sleep either.

"Things still pretty rough huh buddy?" Tom asked sympathetically. Lyle just looked at him with a cold and serious tone.

"It's over Tom," he said quietly. Kalinka was taken aback by Lyle's dreary tone and what had just come out of his mouth.

"What?!" Tom exclaimed in shock.

"Like I said Tom, "Over. Kaput. Game Over. No more lives. No more continues. Discontinued. Out of Date. Out of sight. Out of Mind. BOOM!" Lyle exclaimed in his now normal banter, "HHA. Out of Funds. Out of options. Bankrupt. Bang..." That last "bang" had no life to it and both Kalinka and Tom were left in deep shock.

"You don't mean..."

"Yes Kalinka," said Tom sadly, "The HHA has officially gone out of business..."

 **I learned that when players have multiple character files, the fifteen days perfect town requirement is earned for all character files regardless of when the second file characters were made. This means that if the first file earns their golden can and a second file is made one year later, the second file character only needs to speak to Isabelle (twice I think) about town status. As long as the town is still perfect, the second file can earn the golden can without having to wait or play fifteen days.**

 **Until Nintendo confirms otherwise, the "adopted children" idea of Timmy and Tommy is going to be their relationship with Tom Nook and Sable from here on out.**

 **Kudos if you caught the** ** _Brady Bunch_** **joke.**

 **Digby's situation with the HHA is just reference to how things in Animal Crossing New Leaf had become just before the Welcome Amiibo update appeared. Interests, uploads, and even street passes did hit an all time low.**

 **This isn't the end by the way, even if it seems that way. It's only part 1.**

 **Stay Tuned.**


	71. The Merger Part 2

The Merger Part 2

There was a long and dreary silence as Kalinka just stood there in shock. The news just made her want to cry and she could feel the tears building up in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

 _Crying like a little baby is Roll's thing, not me,_ Kalinka thought, _I'm not gonna just stand here and shed tears. I'm gonna give Tom Nook a piece of my mind! And then give him my fists!_ Kalinka just took a long deep breath, knowing that she needed to be rational first, then physical second.

"I was afraid of this," Kalinka said at last, "that is why I wanted to speak with you Tom."

"Kalinka, even with all my resources, I don't think I could have prevented this," said Tom, "Lyle did everything right and yes, I did provide him plenty of help, but in the end it just wasn't enough."

"So what?" Kalinka snapped, "are you seriously just gonna stand here and give Lyle, _your friend_ Lyle, just nothing but pity!"

"Kalinka there's nothing I can do," said Tom firmly, "The HHA is pretty much kaput. It was a great company, but sometimes even the best companies must come to an end."

"Is that what happened to you in the city?" Kalinka asked in a softer tone. Tom was taken aback by the question.

"Sable told me what happened," said Kalinka, "And I'm not judging. The city certainly did its damage to me too. I'm messed up after all. Why else do you think I'm in therapy?"

"You're with a counselor," Tom corrected.

"Same thing," Kalinka retorted.

"No, there a big difference, Kalinka," said Tom, "Therapists only analyze your problems using scientific facts. Counselors actually care about what is troubling you on the inside and use what you say and what you've been through to find the cause or source and help you deal with it."

"Oh...ok," said Kalinka uneasily before shaking that feelings off, "I guess what I am trying to say is that I think you could do more than just wish Lyle best of luck."

"Now hey, wait a minute!" said Tom, "I wasn't just gonna let Lyle walk off like that. I already had promised him a position here at Nook's homes."

"Indeed. Quite persuasive Tom was. No Ifs. No Ands. No...(ahem)... Anyway, Job secured. Good to go. Got Work. Got security. Got benefits. BOOM!" Lyle responded.

"Well that is all and good for you," said Kalinka, "but what about everyone else?"

"What do you mean?" Tom asked curiously.

"I mean all the other workers of the HHA," Kalinka replied with her arms crossed, "What about their jobs?"

"I'm sure they can find work elsewhere," said Tom simply, "I'm not responsible..."

"Tom!" Kalinka exclaimed, "Digby works for the HHA. He just lost his job for crying out loud and you're going to say...tough luck!?"

"As I was going to say before," said Tom, feeling annoyed at being interrupted, "I'm not responsible for the other workers of the company. But I have known Lyle for years and he is my friend. Besides, I could use another hand helping out with the shop. We've worked well together after all."

"And there is no room for Digby?" Kalinka replied. Tom shook his head.

"In all honesty, there isn't," he answered, "I'm sorry Kalinka, but the whole reason I left retail and went into real estate was because I wanted to keep things as they are: small business. I'm not looking to expand the company. Financially, I don't need to."

"True. Loaded Tom is. Loaded with a capital L. BANG!" Lyle replied, "Swims in bells. Yes he does." Tom glared.

"I only did that once!" said Tom, "and trust me...it's not as fun as that old duck made it out to be."

"True. Nearly choked you did," said Lyle shuttering at the memory. Tom did too. Kalinka just rolled her eyes. Whatever happened during that little episode she didn't want to know.

"Tom, did you know that I never got to take full advantage of my HHA membership?" Kalinka explained, "Neither has Cream. Roll has told us plenty about all the amazing things that HHA has to offer and all the cool benefits too. Now me and my little sister will never get to enjoy those benefits. I really don't want to see the HHA disappear. Digby showed me the houses that are showcased and they were so awesome. I really think they've still got more to show."

"More to show yes. But finances. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Donut without the dough. BOOM," Lyle replied. Kalinka sighed, even with her resources she didn't have enough bells in her account to make a difference. She really wished Roll was home. Even with the extra expenses to provide for the two of them, Roll probably had plenty of money to help the HHA. In fact, Roll might have even been able to take over. Then she remembered what she wanted to wanted to ask Tom about.

"So...you wouldn't want to just...buy out the company?" said Kalinka, "I'm not business savvy like Cream, but even I know buying a company after bankruptcy is the best time to do so."

"Indeed." Lyle agreed, "Tom, you could get HHA at a good price. It would certainly be cheap, Tom! CHEAP!" Tom just looked at Lyle and then at Kalinka. Then just gave out a loud sigh.

"I'm sorry," said Tom, "but I'm not interested." Lyle just nodded to himself while Kalinka just looked shocked and angered.

"Why not?" said Kalinka, "You could save the HHA Tom! You could rescue the company and turn things around for it! Finding a job these days is no walk in the park and you could prevent these people, especially Digby, from ending up on the unemployment lines!"

"I've made my decision Kalinka," said Tom sternly, "Now please drop it!" Kalinka simply glared, but soon Tom was glaring back. Kalinka just sighed in disgust.

"And Sable said you changed," she muttered before turning to leave. Tom took offense.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked angrily, but Kalinka already her had back turned as she made her way out of the shop.

"Kalinka?" he called out but the only response he got was a loud SLAM of his front door. Tom just sighed to himself before heading towards the back of the shop to get the house exterior displays up for the day. Lyle was just quiet and keeping to himself when Tom turned to face him.

"You think I'm being the bad guy here too?" he asked with a glare. Lyle just kept a straight face for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nope. No problem. All Good. Here. I've got work. I'm not complaining. Boom!" Lyle replied as Tom just continued into the storage room. Lyle just continued his work when he thought of something.

"Excuse me Tom," Lyle requested.

"Yes Lyle?"

"Mind if I keep my attire?" Lyle asked, "Best I've got. Nothing better. Only old sales jacket. Out of date. Won't attract the ladies. BANG!" Tom chuckled a little at that last remark.

"Fine by me," said Tom, "As long as your presentable, my dress code isn't too strict. If you hadn't noticed I don't even wear a suit." Lyle nodded.

"I do admit. Company go belly up. You take it. First to claim. Make an offer. Seal the deal," Lyle pointed out afterward.

"Lyle?"

"Yes Tom?"

"Just...shut up," said Tom, not wanting to hear about it any longer. Lyle was hurt, but still mumbled to himself under his breath and continued his work.

Meanwhile outside, Kalinka was still fuming as she stomped about the outside of main street. For the time being, the only shop that was open was the dream suite and take a visit to random dream towns didn't seem like something she wanted to do. She was too angry to want to do anything else. Then she remembered something.

"And they say being diplomatic about these kinds of issues is the best way," said Kalinka as she angrily paced back and forth, "Ugh, I should have just beat him up after he yelled at me. And yet I just stomped out instead of just stand my...my...my...AAH!" She went to turn around once again, when her left foot slipped and she landed on her right knee as she hit the ground.

"UGH!" Kalinka groaned as she felt her right knee burn before she tried to stand up again, but as soon as she put her weight back on her right leg, she cringed painfully. Tears began to stream down her face as she tried to fight the pain on her knee and stood up. She was slightly knelt forward a bit since her knee hurt. She lifted up the bottom of her pedal pushers and saw that her knee was bleeding. Unlike the time when Roll scrapped her knee, Kalinka immediately began to cry. Kalinka could handle bumps, bites, and bruises without much trouble, but any scraps and cuts always made her cry. Even a small paper cut was enough to make her tear up. She just hated the sight of blood. Kalinka even started crying one time when Lemon told one of her stories about seeing blood flow. Kalinka always felt so embarassed about that too and she got teased about it when they were at the orphanage. While Cream claims she never laughed at Kalinka for crying at the sight of blood, Kalinka never believed her.

"I think I better mention this to Twilight ," Kalinka told herself softly in light sobs, "I can hear the everyone back at the orphanage laughing at me over this all the way from here! Just...stop! SHUT UP!" Kalinka tried hard, but she just couldn't get the laughing to stop and continued to cry heavily.

"Don't let them get to you," said a voice, who had been listening in, "you'll live. Nobody has ever died from a scrapped knee." Kalinka looked up and saw that it was Digby, donning some denim pants and a polo shirt. She looked away, trying to hide her face as best as she could but was too afraid to move her body due to her now hurting knee. Digby just gently tilted her head so they were making eye contact.

"I must look like a big baby to you right now," said Kalinka sadly. Digby then made a bold move and pulled Kalinka into a soft hug.

"Not one bit," said Digby, "I saw you fall and I could tell it hurt." Kalinka was so touched that she just cried into Digby shoulder. Digby was rather surprised at the sudden meltdown.

"Kalinka?"

"I've had a rough morning," Kalinka explained once she was able to talk without hiccuping, "and...well...the sight of blood freaks me out!" Digby just hummed to himself and held her close as she tried to calm down.

"Also..."

"Also?"

"You're the first boy whose ever been so nice to me like this," said Kalinka, "You treat me like a friend. You treat me like a girl. Not like someone you wanna beat at sports and then when I do, you just walk off on me in disgust or annoyance."

"That's rough," Digby replied, "I can't believe boys treated you that way."

"It is," said Kalinka, "Sure I like sports and all, but I'm still a girl. I'm at that age you know and it would be nice to find a boy who likes me for me. (Sigh) if you were only a few years younger..." That last part wasn't meant to leave her mouth as she clasped a hand over it and blushed heavily. Digby just chuckled.

"Hey, just because I'm older than you doesn't mean we can't be friends," said Digby, "after all, you do work with my sister so we are practically family." Kalinka smiled, thought she still couldn't believe that her own mouth had betrayed her like that.

"I'd like a big brother," she replied feebly. Digby chuckled.

"Is that a request?" he asked. Kalinka giggled and nodded.

"You got it," said Digby, "Now will you be willing to trust me?" Kalinka just looked puzzled but bravely nodded when she was suddenly picked up bridal style and startled.

"What are you...ow!" Kalinka was about to ask why Digby picked her up but when she moved her right leg, her knee reacted and she cringed a bit.

"Just relax and don't move that knee," said Digby, "Let's get you to my sister. She's got a first aid kit and we can get that knee tended to."

"Actually the house is closer," said Kalinka, "and Cream should be home...if you want to check there first. Roll does have a first aid kit." Digby was about to protest but then conceded as he gently carried her back into town and towards the house. They had just entered inside when Cream started giggling loudly.

"What's so funny?" Kalinka asked in annoyance. Cream just smirked with her hands behind her back. She had picked a funky dot tank with a matching knee high skirt with a matching ribbon.

"You two just look so cute together," said Cream with a chuckle. Kalinka just snorted.

"Oh shut up," said Kalinka indignantly as she crossed her arms.

"Never mind Kalinka," said Digby, "Cream, Kalinka skinned her knee and could use some medical assistance." Cream stopped smiling before rushing into the other room to grab the first aid kit. Digby just laid Kalinka on the sofa as Cream arrived with the kit and set it on the table. Kalinka bravely folded the leg bottom where her skinned knee so it was visible as Digby gently grabbed a cloth and dabbed some of the cleaning solution on it. Cream just watched, making Kalinka feel a little insecure and annoyed.

"Do you have to be here?" she asked just as Digby patted the solution on her knee. Cream just nodded with a warm smile. Kalinka just glared until she felt the solution take its effect on the scratched up skin. She bit her lips a bit but could only suppress her squeal slightly as some tears squeaked out of her eyes due to the stinging from the solution. Cream just looked at her with her own arms crossed.

"I don't get it," said Cream, "I've seen you get bruised and beaten and walk away without much issue, but a cut knee gets you in tears?"

"I hate the sight of blood okay! It doesn't make me sick, but just...scares me alright?" Kalinka barked loudly and then just continued to cry for a few more seconds before her tears stopped. Cream waited until Kalinka had settled before speaking again.

"Would this have to be over the time you sneaked into that horror movie that was deemed "the goriest picture of all time" when you were seven?" Kalinka nodded.

"I thought I was brave enough to handle it," said Kalinka quietly, "but it was so horrible. They had barely gone five minutes before the first blood bath was shown!"

"Why didn't you leave?" Cream asked, "I never believed you stayed the entire time just to show you were tough enough to last for the entire movie."

"I went into shock," Kalinka answered, "I couldn't move or walk out even if I wanted too. That movie scared me that badly and it scarred me for life too. I was so stupid to even think I could do that dare in the first place. It traumatized me..." Digby just smiled. As they were talking, he had taken the time to wrap some bandages around her knee to keep the wound from getting infected.

"We all do stupid things when we're young, Kalinka," said Digby, "You'll get over this in time!"

"I don't know," said Kalinka, "it's been nearly five years and I still fall apart at just seeing a bleeding scratch."

"It's true," said Cream, "One time I cut my thumb and I had to tend to my own wound cause Kalinka was getting too nervous seeing the blood to clean it. Fortunately maybe this is something you can talk about with Twilight. I'm sure she could help you deal with this and overcome it. After all, what you saw in the movies was far more drastic injuries. I've never heard of anyone dying of bleeding to death over scrapes and cuts like these."

"I know," said Kalinka sadly as she tried to relax her sore knee. With the opening sealed, she could tolerate the stinging better.

"Sis," said Cream, "You might want to change your bottoms."

"Why?" said Kalinka, "I'm not in the mood for a skirt today!" Cream went to grab the leg bottom near her bandaged knee but then decided against it. Kalinka didn't need too long to figure out what Cream was saying. She noticed her fingers looked a bit...reddish and hid them from her sight.

"It's bloodstained isn't it?" Kalinka asked and Cream nodded, "Shoot! And these pedal pushers go perfectly with my tee! My denims and khakis are still in the dirty clothes bin!"

"Why not wear some shorts?" Cream suggested, "It is getting really warm these days now that were in May, even in the rain. I'm wearing my tank tops now." Kalinka just nodded at the idea and slowly got up and limped her way into their bedroom. Digby wanted to offer to carry the blonde girl to her bedroom, but Cream stopped him.

"Let her do this alone," Cream told him gently, "she needs to feel a little independent, especially after all she's been through. By the way, why are not at the HHA and out of uniform? Is today your day off?" Digby smiled flipped over instantly as he just sighed sadly to himself.

"The HHA just declared bankruptcy," said Digby, "As a result, I've officially lost my job." Cream gasped in shock as she covered her mouth with one hand.

"Oh no," said Cream, "I knew the company was in trouble from what I read in the financial reports and such, but...I had hoped they would bounce back."

"More like they got a permanent flat," said Digby quietly, "anyway, the point is that I'm out of work and I have no idea where to find a new job."

"That wouldn't be a problem is Tom just got off his stupid butt and took over!" Kalinka said out of spite as she limped out, now wearing green plaid girl's shorts, "I don't know what his problem is. Why wouldn't he care to help Digby?"

"You asked Tom to save my old job?" Digby exclaimed.

"I asked him to take over so you wouldn't lose it," said Kalinka.

"Kalinka, I'm not a child," said Digby indignantly, "I can take care of myself." Kalinka snorted.

"Well excuse me for caring about you!" Kalinka yelled before leaving the house and slamming the door. Apparently her fuming and pacing about was enough to help her get over hurt knee as she stomped along the path. She was trying to figure out what kind of rational reason Tom would have for not wanting to take over the business. He had the resources. He had the power. He would be saving jobs. Why would he even say no? The more Kalinka thought about it, the angrier she became. She didn't even noticed Cream had come outside and was right behind her.

"Kalinka?" she asked gently.

"WHAT?!" Kalinka screamed in rage. Cream gave her a fierce death glare, causing the blonde girl to realize her mistake and back down.

"Sorry," said Kalinka, clearly ashamed, "This isn't your fault. Ugh, I guess I just wasn't blessed with the skills to become a great problem solver."

"Or you're just thinking too hard and making yourself angry," said Cream and added, "and taking it out on me...like always..." Cream soon bit her tongue when she saw Kalinka gave her a very sad look.

"I'm a hothead, Cream," said Kalinka sadly, "at least when I do sports I can channel that pent up energy into something constructive. (sigh) And I really do try so hard to not do that to you anymore..."

"I see that you are," Cream answered, "and you are getting better. At least you caught yourself this time. Usually you are still lashing out right about now. You're not perfect Kalinka and I know you're trying." Cream gave Kalinka a hug. Kalinka couldn't resist a smile and hugged her back.

"You're too kind, little sister," said Kalinka softly, not feeling worthy of Cream's forgiveness, but shook it off. She wasn't going to wallow in her issues right now. She had enough to think about.

"Come on," said Cream, "It's after 12 so let's have lunch...actually...how about we ask if Momma would like to join us for a little picnic. I think she could help us out. Plus she might be able to find out why Tom doesn't seem to want to help the HHA." Kalinka couldn't resist a smile.

"This is a good idea," said Kalinka, "thanks Cream." Digby then took his leave once Kalinka told him thank you for bandaging her knee and carrying her home. Cream just smiled and headed into the kitchen.

"Did you need any help?" Kalinka asked.

"I'm good," said Cream, "You just relax okay." Kalinka just nodded and sat back down on the sofa, reclining a bit as she extended her feet back on the table. She couldn't help but stare at her knee and feel a little silly.

"I sure hope Mom can help me," said Kalinka, "I really want to help Digby. I don't care if he thinks he can take care of himself. He needs help and he's going to get it whether he likes it or not!" Kalinka crossed her arms but then her eyes bugged out for a second when she realized something.

"I wonder how people have said the same thing about me," said Kalinka aloud to herself, "I wonder how many times Cream and Roll think about that regarding me. I wonder if Tom has the same problem?"

"Mom will probably find that out soon enough," said Cream as she came out of the kitchen with a picnic basket in her left arm, "Now are you ready to go." Kalinka was about to reply when her stomach gave out a loud growl. Kalinka's cheeks turned a light pink as Cream covered her mouth to avoid laughing.

"Let's just go," said Cream, "I won't tease you. If it helps, you made me smile." Kalinka just glared but soon giggled herself before holding her little sister's hand as they left the house together. Within a few minutes they had arrived at the Able Sisters, Sable was more than willing to take a nice lunch break and agreed to the picnic the moment she saw Cream carrying the basket.

"So shall we head back into town?" Cream asked, knowing of a spot where they could set up without smashing or moving the flowers. Sable shook her head.

"Follow me into the train," said Sable, "I know a special park that I take Roll to where we can have lunch together." Kalinka and Cream just smiled and within ten minutes their train arrived at the park area. They were rather surprised at how big and spacious it was.

"This park is even larger than the one back in the city," said Kalinka in amazement.

"You can say that again," said Cream, "it's so beautiful and the grass is even softer than the grass back in Animal Town." Cream curled her toes into the grass to prove her point.

"Well come on," said Sable, "I know the perfect spot to eat and then we can talk."

"How did you know..." Kalinka tried to ask when Sable smiled.

"A mother can sense when one of her babies are in trouble," said Sable, "but let's get comfortable first okay." Kalinka just blinked a bit before nodding in agreement. It didn't take much longer before they had set up and were eating their fill. While Kalinka was a little nervous to speak to the brown hedgehog, she didn't mind sitting next to her and even rested her head into Sable's shoulder. Sable couldn't resist holding her with one arm, even giving her a kiss on the side of her head, and ate a sandwich Cream had made for her. Kalinka just ate quietly when Sable suddenly gasped.

"What happened to my baby?" she asked when she saw the bandage on Kalinka's knee. Kalinka was rather surprised Sable had barely noticed it until now and she was also annoyed at what Sable said. Kalinka felt indignant.

 _Baby? I'm no BABY!_ Kalinka thought but then her defense melted, _She's your mother. You should focus on the fact that she said_ _ **my**_ _baby. "my"! That means she thinks of you as her daughter. She wants you as her baby girl!_ Kalinka felt like she was going to cry, but was interrupted of her thoughts.

"Kalinka?" Sable asked again.

"Huh...oh...yes...Momma?" Kalinka asked, barely realizing she had said Momma instead of just Mom.

"I had asked what happened to you?" Sable repeated, pointing to her knee.

"I skinned my knee," said Kalinka, "it hurt, I cried, but I'm okay now." Kalinka didn't want to talk about how foolish she felt crying over a skinned knee and kept her explanation as brief as possible. Sable could tell.

"It's okay," said Sable, "Skinned knees can hurt alot sometimes, no matter how old or how often you get them. But I take it that your knee isn't the issue here. What's on your mind?" Kalinka just sighed as she finished up her sandwich and sipped some juice Cream had given her.

"Well...first of all," Kalinka began slowly, "Have you heard about the HHA?"

"Yes I have," said Sable, "Lyle stopped by earlier this morning and told me about it. Such a shame too. I had really hoped that the HHA would recover, but I guess finances were just too thin and the business couldn't keep going any longer."

"The HHA was a one of a kind business," Cream pointed out, "do you think this is the end of an era? Will we never be able to share and exchange house ideas?"

"I doubt that," said Sable, "I mean Tom is in real estate after all. I'm sure he'll carry on the HHA legacy in its own way. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already bought out the company on the cheap."

"He told me he wasn't going to do it," said Kalinka with much spite in her tone. Sable, who was drinking her own juice, did a spit take.

"He WHAT?!" said Sable in shock as she turned to Kalinka in disbelief. Kalinka just nodded to the brown hedgehog.

"It's true Momma," said Kalinka, "I went to go visit him this morning. I wanted to see if he would be willing to save the company. I didn't want to see Digby lose his job and..."

"Digby you say?" Sable teased. Kalinka balled her fists. She had had enough.

"ALRIGHT I LIKE HIM OKAY!" she screamed, "what difference does it make? He's too old for me! I can't help it if he's the only boy whose been really nice to me in my whole life!" Kalinka just panted loudly for a moment to calm down. Sable just held her close.

"No need to shout," said Sable, "Alot of girls your age get crushes on older guys. That's nothing to feel bad about. And nobody is giving you a hard about that either. Right Cream?" Cream just smiled and nodded her head in agreement. Kalinka just sighed to herself.

"Regardless, he is my friend and I know that his dream is now gone because the company is no more," said Kalinka, "he's trying to cope and be brave, but I can see that this is hurting him alot. Yet Tom didn't seem to care about offering him a job either. It made me so angry. Roll told me that he is actually a very compassionate and caring tanooki and that he is learning to show that side of him more thanks to you, Momma. His decision to turn down the opportunity just seems to contradict all of that. He is a business man after all. I'm sure if he was in charge he could...I don't know...revolutionize the company?"

"Yeah Momma," said Cream, "he could make the company even better. I don't understand why he wouldn't help them."

"He even shut me down when I told him that there are so many people who used to work for the company and are now being put out of work because of this," Kalinka continued, "I tried to get him to explain himself, but...he shut me down. He refused to speak to me. And it just makes me question if I want a father who doesn't think I can have a mature conversation with him."

"I'm sure he didn't intend to make you feel like that," said Sable, "I know Tom has done alot of regrettable things, but to intentionally degrade you simply for being a child is not in his characters. After all, Timmy and Tommy were not that much younger than you when Tom began training them as his business interns. Though...I always felt like he made them grow up too soon..."

"Momma, if you haven't noticed," said Kalinka as she hugged her legs into her chest, "Animal Town does kind of make you grow up alot. I have a job now and a house! And I'm only eleven years old! Roll is only one year older than me and now she's got the full responsibility of being a princess! It won't be much longer before Cream is working and making a living for herself too!"

"I'm in no hurry," said Cream, "I hurried though my education and I feel a bit burned out to be honest. I want a break before I try any college classes."

"Thank goodness," Kalinka exasperated, "You need to get away from the books for a _long_ while." Cream just glared and roughly chewed on her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Kalinka just frowned quietly as she stared at her feet. Sable noticed that Kalinka looked rather distressed.

"Don't worry sweetie," said Sable gently, "Tom and I have a date later tonight. I'll speak to him about this. While I can't promise anything, I can see if he'll at least discuss his reasons for not wanting to take over the HHA." Kalinka gave her a shy smile, but Sable could tell Kalinka wasn't feeling much better.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" Sable asked curiously.

"Guess I just feel so...helpless about all of this," said Kalinka quietly, "I wish there was more I could do, but...I don't know anything about real estate...or business for that matter...or do I have the bells to buy and even run the place."

"I've got the knowledge," said Cream.

"Do you have the money?" Kalinka asked in a annoyed and Cream just gave her a raspberry.

"Just trying to help," said Cream and continued eating quietly.

"Be nice to your sister, Kalinka," Sable said gently but firmly, "She is just trying to help you feel better."

"Well it's not helping," Kalinka remarked.

"Still have to try," said Cream, "We are family and I do love you." Kalinka just grunted before burying her face in her hands.

"Kalinka..." said Sable gently.

"I don't want to cry anymore! I'm so _sick of crying_!" Kalinka snapped, feeling like she could lose it any moment, "I hate not having no control over my own emotions anymore! I hate it! I HATE IT!" Kalinka just tried to take some deep breaths but in the end, her tears still managed to escape and Kalinka just grunted loudly, slamming her fists into the ground and just let her tears fall.

"I regret ever going to that stupid counselor," said Kalinka, her voice cracking, "she just has to press me to let go of my emotions and now I can't stop!"

"Don't say that," said Sable, "in order for you to get stronger, you need to get all of that anger and pain out of your system. That's all Twilight was trying to do. You're going to feel unstable for while, but you'll get stronger. It's just going to take time."

"But I feel so weak!" Kalinka retorted, "I want to show Roll that I can be responsible and that I can handle crisis situations like these too! This town voted for me unanimously to be the mayor and I need to make sure that I can meet that expectation. I can't keep falling apart like this!" Kalinka just sniffled when she saw Cream sit beside her and gently offer her a cloth to wipe her eyes. Kalinka took the cloth graciously, but still felt very rather embarassed.

"Don't feel bad Kalinka," said Cream, "It's the family curse."

"What? Feeling apologetic and wishy-washy?" Kalinka asked.

"No, not handling pressure and tough situations too well," said Cream, "Personally, I'd rather you cry and open up...instead of lash out at me and hitting me."

"You hit Cream when you're stressed?" Sable asked sternly.

"It only happened once!" Kalinka retorted defensively, "and it wouldn't have happened if she hadn't got in front of me. I was aiming for the boy who slapped my popsicle into the dirt and stomped on it."

"Well that wasn't very nice," said Sable, "I'm glad you don't go picking fights like that anymore. I don't EVER want to see you, Roll, or Cream fighting each other."

"Uhh..."

"Kalinka..." Sable warned.

"Roll is teaching me kung-fu," said Kalinka, "We...do get physical during the training." Sable just rolled her eyes.

"You know what I was talking about young lady," said Sable.

"Yes Momma," said Kalinka...hastily.

"Don't worry about me fighting," said Cream, "I get bruised just breaking them up." Cream giggled at her own joke. Kalinka glared and used her left foot to try and shove Cream into her back, but the brown haired girl had grabbed her foot.

"Let go!" Kalinka cried out.

"Momma, I now present Kalinka's weakness," said Cream as she danced a finger on the held foot. Kalinka squealed as she tumbled into her back.

"No stop! Stop!" Kalinka laughed as Cream continued to tickle her foot, "Momma...help..."

"Oh ok," said Sable, grabbing the other foot, "Like this?" Kalinka shrieked again. The tickling was just too much, but now both her feet? She began to question if she should wear shoes from now on...

But she was only kidding herself...she and shoes were like oil and vinegar.

Later that night, Sable was busy combing her quills as she sat on the bed. She had changed out of her work apron and was in a very beautiful knee length satin red dress with some gold stud earrings. She also had a matching headband that had a bow in the top near her side table as she continued to brush her hair. She was deep in thought when she felt something tap her shoulder. She turned to see Mabel just staring at her.

"May I help you?" she asked annoyed. Mabel just snorted.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Mabel said indignantly.

"Sorry," said Sable, "I don't know why I get so nervous about these dates still. I love him. He loves me. We're engaged for crying out loud! He obviously wants to be with me forever. So...why am I still afraid?" Mabel just smiled as she took a seat next to her.

"Because you're still afraid that it won't last," said Mabel, "and you don't want to be left alone again. It's understandable, considering all we've been through. But..."

"But?"

"...(sigh)...don't let your fear make you end things," said Mabel, "Especially over something like the HHA. I'm sure Tom has his reasons for his decision."

"I hope he'll at least confide in me about it," said Sable quietly, "He already yelled at Kalinka when she tried to talk to him."

"I heard," said Mabel, "Just because you struggle opening up doesn't mean you have to lash out at people. I hate people who do that..."

"Kalinka too?"

"Kalinka?"

"She has a short temper too," Sable explained, "She lashes out sometimes, but since her counseling session, she's been at least talking...and crying...about what's on her mind."

"I see," said Mabel, "and to answer your question. I don't hate Kalinka. I just don't like people who that."

"I don't...remember ever lashing out at you," said Sable.

"You came close," said Mabel. Sable just side hugged her.

"Well, I'm very sorry," said Sable as she stood up and tucked her headband on, "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous," said Mabel, "I hope Tom has self-control."

"Oh shut up," said Sable, "He'll have a one way trip to hospital if he tries anything. He's gotta wait for the honeymoon before we..."

"LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA ME NO LISTENING LA-LA-LA, LA-LA-LA-LA!" Mabel cried out with her ears covered. Sable just lightly slapped her side and made her way downstairs.

"You are so immature," she muttered only to herself before ironing out her skirt. She had just reached the bottom of the staircase when there was a knock on the door.

"Perfect timing!" said Sable as she slipped on some ruby red pumps and answered the door.

"Hey there beautiful," said Tom, trying to be smooth. Sable snorted and slammed the door on his face.

"Oh come on!" Tom bellowed in annoyance as Sable laughed herself silly and reopened the door.

"That joke is getting really, really old," said Tom.

"Well you know I'm an old fashioned kind of girl," said Sable innocently. Tom just smiled.

"It's what I like about you," said Tom sweetly as they shared a couple of kisses on the lips. Labelle, who was just reading comfortably with a book, just looked at them both with an irritated look on her face.

"Do you two have to do that with me here?" she asked as she looked up from her book. Sable and Tom just looked at her before going into a much longer kiss. Clearly making one message loud and clear: We don't care if you look. We are in love. Labelle just rolled her eyes and went back to her book. The two just chuckled to each other.

"We won't be out late," said Sable, "So please don't destroy the house while I'm out okay?"

"Sure Sable," said Labelle, "Mabel, looks like we'll have to save the fireworks for another night!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"

"You're so gullible," Labelle remarked, earning a raspberry from the brown hedgehog as she and Tom made their way out of the door. It was a few minutes later they arrived in the big city, now sitting in one of the more fancier restaurants the Animal Part of the world had to offer. Tom had made reservations a few weeks in advance just so he and Sable could even get a table to the place and she was rather impressed.

"You've taken me to some nice restaurants before Tom," said Sable as they waited for their food, "But this is just...amazing." Tom just smiled until Sable lightly slapped his shoulder.

"Ow, what was that for?" Tom asked curiously as he rubbed his shoulder.

"I told you not to splurge on me," said Sable, "I love you for you, not your pocket book!"

"Hey, you're going to be my wife very soon," said Tom, "Let me spoil you from time to time. It's all out of love after all." Sable just glared but soon just rolled her eyes and conceded. Deep down, she didn't mind Tom doing something like this for her. As long as he didn't do it alot and she was going to make sure he got that message even if it meant it being the only conversation they had all night.

 _Remember Sable,_ said her inner voice, _The only thing that will drive him away is you..._

"Oh shut up!" Sable barked aloud as Tom just gave her a puzzled look.

"What did I do?" he asked. Sable then realized her mistake and soon her face was as red as her dress. The look of shyness and embarrassment she had on her face would have made Fluttershy look outgoing.

"Sorry," said Sable, "Just...I don't want you feeling like you need to do things like this all the time. All I really want from you is being close to you. It doesn't matter where and what...comforts there are around. I'd be happy just sitting inside a cardboard box if it meant just being near you." Tom just smiled. Since their special table was a semi-circle booth, he wasted no time scooting over to her fiancé and just held her close. No words needed to be exchanged between the two. Sable just enjoyed the warmth of his chest as they just cuddled in silence until their food arrived. They couldn't help but blush when their own waiter chuckled at seeing them cuddling and broke away to enjoy their food, but not before giggling to each other.

"I guess I still have issues with what other people think of me," said Sable, "(sigh)...you have no idea how much it hurts knowing my own babies feel the same way."

"Babies?" Tom asked puzzled.

"Roll, Kalinka, and Cream you dummy," said Sable, not afraid to get snarky with reminding him either. It was a funny though. Sable was so worried about how she spoke to others, yet with Tom she was completely different hedgehog. She wasn't afraid to get witty or snarky with him. In fact, she often called him "Chubs" during their dinner dates, much to his expense. Tom always knew Sable was joking so he never took it seriously...for the most part.

"Well excuse me," said Tom, "I had a slip of the mind."

"This is why I don't eat bananas," Sable shot back and Tom just made a face at what he considered a bad pun as Sable just laughed.

"You're so cute, Chubs," said Sable with a giggle as Tom just groaned.

"Whatever," said Tom, "So how's the food?" Sable just took another bit of her food, savored a bit, and then began to ponder.

"Umm...okay..." said Sable basically.

"Just...okay?" Tom asked. Sable just pondered again and shrugged.

"Sable! Seriously!" he retorted and she laughed again.

"It's delicious," said Sable, "Even if I hated the food, I know it's not your fault. You didn't cook this after all."

"Fair enough," said Tom, "So how's your day been? And please say more than just busy. We are both busy after all, but that doesn't mean we still don't have good and bad days." Sable then finished swallowing before taking a sip of her drink. She knew what she had wanted to ask, but rather than just back him into a corner, she wanted to ease the conversation into her topic.

"It's been going very well," said Sable, "We made plenty of sales today and I even got to have a picnic with Kalinka and Cream." Tom suddenly looked a little weary.

"I...see..." said Tom quietly. _I'm going to bet Kalinka told her about this morning._ But he chose not to bring up the conversation. Sable just smiled.

"How about you?" said Sable, "I mean...it must have been rough day after hearing that the HHA is officially bankrupt and out of business."

 _Ugh, I knew this conversation was going to come up tonight,_ Tom said to himself as he just sighed to himself. It was supposed to be a clue that he didn't want to digest into this particular conversation but the serious look on Sable's face showed that she was not going to change the subject anytime soon.

"Tom?"

"Hmm?" he asked.

"Are you listening to me?" she asked, giving him a glare that warned him not to lie to her. Tom just chewed loudly on his food and swallowed.

"Yes," said Tom simply, "Yes I heard you." Sable wasn't stupid. She could tell he was avoiding the subject and it was really getting on her nerves.

"What did I say?" Sable asked him.

"You said that my work day must have been difficult because the HHA has gone bankrupt," said Tom, "and to answer your question, my dear. I actually had a very good day. Business went well. A few more customers paid off their house loans, including Cream and Kalinka, and some even purchased some new exterior parts. So it was a very productive day."

"I see," said Sable bluntly and then grew very quiet with him as she finished her plate in peace. Tom thought she had closed the subject and just finished his own dish quietly as well. But Sable was so quiet that it started to get on his nerves. In fact, even after their dinner plates had been cleared the table had stayed rather quiet. Sable just continued to look out the window and ignore Tom for the time being. Their waiter had asked them about dessert and when Tom asked Sable about it, she just ignored him and checked her smart phone, pretending that he wasn't even speaking to her. Tom started to lose his patience. He couldn't tell if Sable was angry with his answer or she was just angry with him due to Kalinka. He couldn't understand why Sable was just playing the silent game with him.

 _Why didn't she just call me out for upsetting Kalinka and be done with it?_ Tom snarled to himself, balling his fists underneath the table, _What was she waiting for?_ The waiter had finally arrived with their check when Tom grunted loudly.

"Is there a problem sir?" their waiter asked nervously, "Was something overcharged?" Tom then just blinked and noticed that in his bottled frustrations that he had frightened their waiter. Sable just put a hand over her face in embarrassment. Tom just glared before taking a deep breath to calm down.

"Sorry about that," said Tom, "The check is fine." The waiter than smiled and went on their own way before Tom put the bells for their bill into the tray with an extra tip to apologize for the sudden outburst. Sable just looked at him blankly before he narrowed his brow at her.

"Okay Sable enough is enough," said Tom sternly, "Why are you being so quiet around me?"

"Why do you need to know?" Sable asked him casually.

"Because your just giving me the silent treatment and its driving me absolutely crazy!" Tom snapped.

"Maybe I just don't feel like talking," said Sable plainly, examining her fingers. Tom could feel his blood boil.

"ALRIGHT! I HURT KALINKA BY YELLLING AT HER AND TELLING HER OFF! YA HAPPY!" he shouted, causing everyone else in the restaurant to stop their own business and stare at them. Sable just rolled her eyes and covered her face and shake her head. Tom just chuckled at the staring crowds with a pink face before rising out of his seat and then pulling Sable out of her chair and out of the restaurant. However, Sable wasn't exactly willing to follow Tom out of the restraint and struggled to get out of his grip.

"Hey...how dare you...let...go of me!" She snapped angrily as she tugged her wrist out of his grasp and rubbed it with the other hand.

"Listen Sable," said Tom, "if Kalinka told you that I upset her then just tell me that you're upset instead of just giving me the silent treatment."

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Sable yelled.

"Excuse me?" Tom demanded angrily.

"Why should I bother opening up with you about my problems when you don't want to be open with me _or my family_?" Sable yelled angrily. Tom just looked stunned. Now it made sense why Sable was ignoring him and why she had stopped talking to him.

"So...that's why you got all quiet on me all of a sudden," said Tom, "I didn't want to talk to you about what happened this morning. So...you stopped talking to me about your day. I thought you were just angry with me over Kalinka."

"I am angry with you over Kalinka," said Sable sternly, "but I am more upset over two other things."

"What might that be?" Tom asked curiously.

"One, if we're going to be married," said Sable, "We need to learn to be honest with each other. I am really trying to not think the worst of you in regards to why you thought you could hide that from me."

"I...didn't want to bring it up," Tom confessed, "I had hoped to speak to Kalinka later on and apologize with her."

"You mean that?" Sable asked.

"Yes I do," said Tom, "I didn't mean to yell at her or hurt her for that matter. I...just yelled at her...did she get hurt after that because I can promise you by my tanooki tail that I didn't cause that."

"I believe you," said Sable quietly, "Kalinka said she was just pacing and she tripped and skinned her knee."

"I see," said Tom.

"And that brings me to my second issue," said Sable, "Do you remember that little talk we had regarding our businesses?"

"Oh no..." Tom groaned.

"Don't "oh no" me mister," Sable continued, not afraid to use her motherly tone, "We promised that we would be honest with each other and that included our business affairs. If we face a problem or an opportunity, you said that we would discuss these issues together!"

"That was for when we are married!" Tom snapped. Sable growled viciously and angry threw one of her pumps at the center of Tom's head.

"OW!" he yelped.

"You liar!" said Sable angrily, "You said that we could discuss those issues as part of being a couple. I assumed by the fact I'm wearing _this ring_ that you meant that sincerely!"

"Okay fine!" Tom shouted, "what is it about _my_ business that you are so interested in getting involved in? Let's just stop with the beating around the bush here and spit it out already!"

"Why did you turn down the chance to buy out the HHA?" Sable asked. Tom just rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh.

"I don't need another business or the money," said Tom, "I've got enough money to take care of you until we both die of a very, very old age."

"Not at the way things are going now," Sable muttered.

"Then why are you engaged to me!" Tom snapped, "If you want out, I'm not stopping you!" Sable now looked deeply hurt. Tom really wished he had kept his mouth shut as her other shoe clocked him square in the forehead, leaving him dazed.

"I thought you had changed," Sable croaked, "I thought you still had some good in you. I wish you never left for the city because it really did kill the tanooki that I loved!"

"How?" Tom asked, now feeling hurt as well.

"The Tom I loved was not just business savvy and smart," Sable yelled, "He was kind, generous, supportive, and compassionate, especially to those who were struggling!"

"If this is about Lyle," said Tom, "I already gave him a new job so he's fine!"

"What about Digby?" Sable shot back, "he's a friend of the family as well as Isabelle! Why didn't you offer him a job?"

"I can only do so much Sable," said Tom firmly.

"Only can do so much or you only _will_ do so much?" Sable retorted, "you've got the resources Tom. I really think you are missing out on a great opportunity here! Even if you don't need the funds, you would be helping a number of individuals, even family, from losing their jobs!"

"Well maybe I don't want to!" Tom screamed and then wished he could have taken that back. He hadn't meant that the way it sounded, but it was too late. There was only one way Sable could take that particular outburst and Tom knew he couldn't change it. He couldn't even find the courage to speak as Sable began to cry.

"Why are you being so selfish!" Sable sobbed, "The Tom I knew isn't selfish. What's the problem here? Don't you want to help Digby?"

"Listen, you think you can just tell me what to do with my business!" Tom blurted out of anger, "You have no idea what I'm feeling right now!"

"I would if you would just talk to me," said Sable, "You promised to stop pushing me away!"

"FORGET IT!"

"FINE!" Sable screamed, "THEN YOU CAN JUST FORGET ABOUT US! I WON'T MARRY A SCROOGE!" Sable then ripped off her ring and threw it. At Tom, he gave a loud yell since the diamond hit him square in the left eye and knelt down due the pain. Sable didn't care. She just dashed away, not even bothering to retrieve the shoes as she took off deeper into the outdoor plaza. All she could do was run and cry.

"Sable! SABLE!" Tom cried out, but Sable was not going to stop. Sable just kept running, but then she took a corner too fast and tumbled forward. She had tried to curl into a ball for safety, but her dress didn't allow her to curl up properly and she landed hard on her left arm. Since it was late at night, there weren't any people walking about the shopping area and most of the shops, minus the cafe area, were closed for the night. Sable just lay on the ground, sobbing hysterically and not caring if anyone was around. She no longer cared about what happened to her. Her heart was broken and she didn't think it would ever be put together again. She was alone and now all she wanted was to just waste away. It had only been ten minutes before she felt a soft hand reach onto her side. At first she thought it was Tom, but was surprised to see a familiar girl with purple hair, wearing a custom made mini sleeved purple dress with a belt that had a blue diamond shaped belt buckle and matching pumps on her feet, even a white hat on her head.

"...R...Rarity?" she croaked in surprise.

"This is no place for a lady to vent out her problems, darling," she said gently, "Come inside and I'll get you something to drink. Then we can talk." Sable didn't know what else to say, but just allowed the young girl to help her to her feet. but she flinched when Rarity grabbed the arm she had landed on.

"Are you hurt?" she asked. Sable just said nothing and just started sobbing as she held her hurting arm. Rarity just looked at her sympathetically before they headed inside. While Sable was glad for the act of kindness...

She had still wished it had been Tom that had rescued her.

As for the young tanooki, he was having his own regrets as he sat alone on a bench, left eye now a deep shade of black from the ring smacking into it as he held a hand into it. Since it was so dark, no one could see the streams of heavy tears pouring out of his eyes as he held the now discarded engagement ring in his other hand.

He knew he messed up. Of course the biggest question in his mind was this: Why didn't he just tell Sable how he was feeling about it? Why not just tell the truth instead of getting angry? What was he afraid of?

That didn't matter anymore. His biggest concern was could he save their relationship. He knew sorry was not going to be enough for something like this.

But he was feel so sorry for himself, he was trying to decide something else.

Should be bother to try and fix the damage? Or should he just make sure Sable would never have to see his face ever again?

 **Considering its getting a reboot in 2017. I'm assuming most people know of** ** _Ducktales_** **and Scrooge McDuck to get that joke Tom said in the chapter.**

 **And I can sure that there are NO future plans of Kalinka and Digby being together. He too old for her after all. But that doesn't mean she can't still have a little crush on her. Digby official age is unknown, but I'd speculate that he is around early to mid twenties. Around the same age as most boy pop stars are.**

 **And most AC fans have seen Tom Nooks figurine and his character in the games. That tanooki does have a pot belly. Chubs is just a play on the word "chubby" after all.**

 **I apologize if the story seemed a bit slow. I had SERIOUS mind block with this chapter. I want the focus to be both on the Tom and Sable as well as Kalinka's struggles with her first major crisis as mayor. I hope as I write more about Kalinka and Cream, people can see that they do have their own personalities and characters and are not just "Clones" as someone in the reviews had described them.**

 **Tom has a choice, but what will he do? Will he actually confront Sable for his mistakes tonight or will he take the easy way out? If he does the former, will Sable take him back? Should she take him back?**

 **Find out...next time.**


	72. The Merger Part 3

The Merger Part 3

Rarity let Sable stay at the shop to cry herself out. By now it was well past midnight, but Sable didn't really seem to care. She just felt drained, heart-broken, defeated, and even hopeless. After sobbing herself out of tears and even air, she just breathed slowly as her vision cleared and discovered that she was apparently sitting on a lounging chasse sofa inside of what appeared to be the main floor of the clothing shop instead of a private room. Sable just sniffled a bit as she tried to calm down, looking around some more. Apparently the dimmed lights were a sign that the boutique was already closed for the day but she could hear the whirring sound of a sewing machine nearby. But she didn't really bother to sit up and just lay there on the chasse sofa quietly, only emitting a sniffle or two. She then rubbed her sore arm. Rarity had already taken a look at it and found that all Sable had suffered was a nasty bruise and nothing more. Sable should have been grateful she hadn't sprained or broken her arm, she really didn't care. She was in no mood to speak either. She had already sobbed to Rarity what had happened and was grateful that the young fashionista just listened and didn't try to give her any advice. But she wasn't in a mood to listen to anyone's suggestions on how to make things right either. She didn't think things could be fixed. Sable had lost all hope and didn't want to be convinced otherwise.

As for the purple haired fashionista, she was just working for a bit longer before removing her glasses and headed towards the chasse. She felt sorry for the brown hedgehog and gave her a gentle smile.

"I've got a small kitchen in the back," Rarity pointed out, "I'm going to make some tea. It will help you feel better."

"Nothing will ever help me feel better," Sable groaned quietly. Rarity just looked at her with concern.

"You've got too much to lose to just give up like this darling," Rarity replied gently, finally deciding to say something, "We designers need to stick together. You were there for me when my entire collection got rejected and I felt like giving up on life entirely. Now it's my turn to be there for you. That's what good friends do and I won't let you give up." Sable just looked at her sadly, but just conceded. She knew the young girl was right as she sat up. She used the arm that wasn't sore to wipee her face with an already stained cloth that Rarity had given her to dry her face and clear off the smeared makeup. It wasn't long before Rarity returned with a tray that had a tea pot and some small cups with saucers underneath. She had also set down a small low table before them as she set the tray down to serve the tea. Sable just watched quietly before Rarity handed her a tea cup.

"One lump or two dear?" she asked gently. Sable just shrugged and Rarity just put two as they just sipped their tea quietly. Rarity didn't bother finishing her cup before she spoke again.

"I may have never been in a long term relationship before," Rarity began slowly, "but I do know that the big issue here is just a lack of communication."

"From Tom mostly," Sable snorted.

"No...from both of you," said Rarity firmly but gently, "He was certainly out of line. There's no doubt about that. But...I don't think the silent treatment or condescending him was the right way to get him to be honest with you. I'm rather surprised you went for such a juvenile approach. It sounds more like something I would have done." Sable now felt embarassed. Rarity was right. She had acted very immaturely and the fact she had be shown that by a girl who was practically Mabel's age was a huge blow to her dignity.

"I blew it," said Sable in shame, "I blew it. I had a chance to be happy and I blew it. I always seem to ruin everything good in my life. My chance at love, my sister relationships, even being a good mother to three girls...I really am hopeless!"

"Oh now don't be ridiculous," said Rarity, "nobody's perfect."

"I wish I was," said Sable, "If I can't get things perfect..."

"...you're being way too hard on yourself," said Rarity, "Trust me...I know that feeling all too well."

"Well...what do I do now?" Sable asked.

Knock-Knock-Knock

Both girls were startled at the sudden knocking at the shop door, but more surprised at who it was knocking at the door as such a late hour.

"Sable? Sable please open up!" said Tom desperately, "Please. It can't all end like this! Please open up! I'll tell you everything! Please!" Sable could hear him sobbing outside of the shop. Before Sable could even speak or get up, Rarity had made her way towards the door and opened it.

"I think you should come inside," said Rarity gently, "Sable is waiting for you." Sable wanted to run, but her legs refused to move her off the sofa as Rarity just guided Tom so they were sitting next to each other. There was an awkward silence until Rarity noticed Tom's swollen right eye.

"Oh my, I heard Sable gave you a good lick with a diamond, but that needs treatment right away before you end up going blind!" Rarity exclaimed as she rushed into the back room. Tom just said nothing as he reached into his pant pockets and handed Sable her pumps back. Sable just looked at them for a moment before tucking them into the handbag she had for the night. She inwardly blamed her three daughters for the fact she didn't want to wear her shoes anymore.

"Thanks," said Sable as she looked at the swollen eye, "Does it hurt?" That was a stupid question. It was obvious, but Tom just let out a painful chuckle.

"Compared to the guilt and my broken heart, it's nothing," said Tom plainly. Sable just felt guilty as she stared at her feet. Rarity had returned. Tom couldn't resist a few grunts as she applied the medicine to his eye, but in the end, the medicine healed his eyes back to normal.

"I'll leave you two to talk this out," she said sweetly as she poured him a cup of tea, "Just please use your words and not destroy my shop."

"Can I still beat him up?" Sable asked. Tom chuckled in a hollow tone.

"Just go ahead and kill me," he remarked, "I won't stop you." Sable was aghast. Rarity glared but then just took a deep breath.

"I'll take my leave, but I'll be nearby if _any_ of you do anything rash," she remarked sternly. Sable just nodded as she gave Tom a glare before she used her good arm to smack him on the side.

"I may be mad at you," Sable began, "but what makes you think I wanna do that to you?"

"Why not?" said Tom, "I keep messing up and hurting you. Don't you want to be rid of me for good?" Sable felt like she was going to cry again but recomposed herself.

"Well, what if I said for you to just leave me alone."

"NO!" Tom burst out, the pain and anguish in his tone.

"Well I feel the same way," said Sable, "it's obvious that giving up and closing off to each other isn't going to settle this. If I want you to be honest with me, I should be courteous enough to return the favor. Yes Tom. Kalinka did talk to me and told me what happened. I was upset that you yelled at her and that anger prevented me from just...trying to hear your side of the story. I know in my heart that you are not a selfish tanooki and that you do care about all those people that just lost their jobs today. You could help them, but I don't understand why you wouldn't do it."

"I know," said Tom with a long sigh, "and I am really sorry for upsetting Kalinka. I didn't mean too. I guess...I just didn't know how to explain why I didn't want to buy out the HHA."

"Well, will you tell me now?" said Sable. Tom just looked at her sadly.

"I don't know if you would understand..."

"Try me," said Sable as she grabbed his hand that was apparently still holding her engagement ring inside of it. Tom just watched as Sable went to put the ring back on, showing that she didn't mean to break their engagement off and that she was here for him. He had to admit that he did feel much better seeing the ring back on her finger. Tom took a few deep breaths before just looking at her sadly.

"I didn't want this to ruin our chances of being together forever," said Tom. Sable then blinked in surprise.

"Wait...what?" said Sable in disbelief. Tom just cleared his throat.

"The whole reason I had abandoned Nookington's all those years ago was because it kept me so busy that I had no time for anybody other than the business," Tom explained, "and that included any time for myself. I couldn't tell you how many days I would work and I was lucky to sleep more than 16 hours a week! I never wanted to work myself ragged like that ever again Sable. I want more in life than just a successful business. I want to have friends, a family...a wife..." Tom held her hand and rubbed his gently. Sable welcomed the gesture.

"I see," said Sable, "You're empire proved to be too much to handle."

"Exactly," said Tom, "The HHA may have downsized a bit since its glory days, but it is still a full on established corporation. That's a lot of extra responsibility that I don't want on my plate. I just want to focus on you. And I can't do that very well if I have to buy out the HHA. And you're right, I could buy out the company and save all those jobs. But..."

"But," finished Sable, "You don't think you can handle the responsibility."

"Exactly," said Tom, "I may have the knowledge about complex business structures, but I don't have good experience with it. I still have nightmares over those days and the loneliness. I can't tell you how many days I sometimes would sit on the floor of the shop just sobbing my eyes out saying that I can't do this anymore and that I needed you."

"You needed me?" Sable asked gently.

"Yes," said Tom, "I wanted more than anything I cry out to you for help but I...I was too proud and too stupid to do so until...I had to just let it all go and start fresh."

"I see," said Sable, "So this really doesn't have to do with selfishness...it's just insecurity." Tom glared.

"You have no idea how hard it is for me to admit to that," said Tom but soon softened, "but it is true. I don't think I can handle such a large business addition." Sable hummed as Tom took another sip of his tea and then she realized something.

"Tom," Sable said gently.

"Yes Sable," Tom answered in a soft tone.

"Didn't you have Timmy and Tommy working with you when you started running Nookington's?" she asked curiously. Tom just looked at her sadly.

"Not as managers," said Tom sadly, "I had them mostly working as subordinates, which wasn't right on my part. I knew what they were capable of and they could have easily helped me manage the shop. Look at how well they manage things at their own Emporium. They even delegated responsibility to Lief and Gracie, which was very smart since it means they have less to worry about on their plates."

"If you knew having them taking charge could have lessen all that stress, why...didn't you?" Sable asked, curious as to what his answer would be. Rarity, who had just been working quietly on her own a couple of yards away, was also curious to hear what the tanooki had to say but left her sewing machine running to avoid drawing attention to herself.

"I guess I was afraid," said Tom, "That business was all I had to my name. If I lost it, what else would I have?"

"Umm...Tom," said Sable, "aren't you forgetting Timmy and Tommy?" Tom's eyes soon bulged out as he slapped his face. Sable just smiled.

"It's okay," said Sable, "Depression can sometimes make you forget the obvious sometimes. That's how I felt when Mom and Dad passed away. I felt like if I lost the business I would have nothing. I'd forget that I'd still have two sisters and that they were always there for me (mostly). So was it just fear of losing the business that you didn't want to put your trust in them?"

"More like stubbornness," Tom replied, "I liked having full control and having things done my way. It felt more stressful to have to rely on someone else to make sure things were done correctly than if I just handled things myself. It sounds silly when I say it aloud but..."

"Not one bit Tom," said Sable, "I'm the same way. You have no idea how many years it took for me to fully trust Mabel to help me with anything. And it took even longer for me to trust her with the family sewing machine. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that control-freak nature of mine started that wedge between me and Labelle all those years ago."

"Why are we like that?" Tom asked out of the blue.

"We're both control freaks because we're perfectionists," said Sable, "we like knowing that we have complete control of what is going on in our lives and in our businesses. If the unexpected occurs and we can't find a reason behind it."

"We panic and get stressed out," said Tom, "I guess forfeiting control means that our insecurities start to show...and...we feel weak around people because of it."

"Or in my case, shy and anti-social," said Sable quietly. Tom just nodded in agreement before he chuckled.

"I knew we had quite a bit in common Sable," Tom answered, "but...I never knew it was to this degree." Sable giggled.

"Well...feel better knowing that I understand how you feel inside," Sable as she interlocked her fingers with Tom's. Tom just smiled but then it faded into a long but very solemn sigh.

"A little," said Tom, "I mean. I feel better that I told you the truth, but I still feel bad why I didn't think to tell Kalinka. She is going to be my daughter upon our marriage after all and she's very smart too."

"She's also the mayor," Sable added.

"True," Tom chuckled, "(sigh) I really owe her an apology for writing her off like that, especially since she's dealing with her insecurities too."

"You and her are alot alike my dear," said Sable, "Apparently, she also gets hot tempered when pressured into talking about her struggles too."

"Oh boy," said Tom, "it's like we gave birth to these children. They share our quirks and flaws a little too well."

"Maybe that is why we ended up being their parents," Sable added, "because we understand how they feel and what they are going through. We can help them overcome their insecurities as well as try to overcome our own."

"I hope so," said Tom, "but now for the real problem at hand. Are we..."

"I put the ring back on!" Sable retorted, "Its gonna take alot more than one fight to get rid of me Thomas Nook."

"Ugh please don't use my full name," said Tom, "You know I hate using it."

"Well, don't make me mad otherwise you're at my mercy," Sable warned, causing Rarity to stifle a giggle. Tom just rolled his eyes as Sable leaned against his shoulder.

"Now...if I may speak freely," said Sable.

"Please do," said Tom, "I'm feeling a bit drained."

"Very well," Sable continued, "I personally don't think that you should pass this opportunity by. I think you should buy out the HHA and make it part of Nook's homes."

"Oh Sable..."

"What?"

"I don't know if I can..."

"What if I said you could," said Sable, "Remember, you're biggest mistake was trying to handle everything alone. You've shown you've learned from that mistake by the fact you have Lyle helping you out with work. Kalinka did say you gave him a permanent job so you obviously have trust that Lyle can take care of certain parts of your business for you correct?"

"...Yes...I...do..." said Tom nervously.

"Remember Tom, you don't have to manage the entire company all by yourself," said Sable, "You can hire some of the other former HHA workers to help you manage the new company as well. They will help you manage all those extra responsibilities so you won't feel so overwhelmed all the time. I already know someone else that you could hire and I know he's someone that you can trust." Tom knew exactly who Sable had in mind.

"Digby is a good worker," said Tom, "and Lyle said that his upbeat attitude does improve moral so he would make a good manager. (sigh) So...you really think that I can handle merging the HHA into Nook's homes?" Sable smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I couldn't think of any other person to do it," said Sable, "I believe in you." That just made Tom feel like he was walking on clouds. To hear Sable believe him brought so much warmth into his heart. A warmth that he never wanted to lose again. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. But he knew one thing was for sure. He truly loved Sable and he could not live his life without her. He knew Sable would never steer him into failure.

"Alright, then I'll do it," said Tom, "first thing in the morning I'll contact the main CEO about a buyout." Sable smiled as she kissed his cheek once more and snuggled into his right arm.

"I know this will be alot of work," Sable told him, knowing that he was worried about that, "but you won't have to deal with the merging alone. I'm here for you. And I'll help anyway I can. I might not know alot about real estate, but I do know business after all. Even if it's more street smarts..."

"Sable, trust me," said Tom, "there are somethings to business that you can't learn in books, only through experience. I know I've got the best supporter I could ever ask for." Sable and Tom then exchanged a long kiss with each other. Rarity just giggled to herself and went back to work. She was glad things had been patched up between the two and she knew that everything would be okay with the merger too. She was a business woman herself. As much as she wanted to congradulate them, she just let them have their one-on-one time together. It wasn't much longer before they two pulled away giggling to each other.

"Oh Sable," said Tom softly, "I really can't live my life without you."

"Me either," Sable replied, "Just being apart..."

"Hurts," they said together. There was brief silence.

"Tom?"

"Yes dear?"

"How soon can we get married?" said Sable, "I know it takes time to plan these things but...I just wanna be married to you. I just...want it done so...we can always be together. I don't think I can wait another day...but...I'm not comfortable just moving in with you. I want us to be legally bond first."

"Well, if you don't mind me holding off the HHA merger until then..."

"We can take care of that in just a day," said Sable, "if you leave the company with Lyle and Digby, we can handle our wedding plans."

"But can we get a descent wedding ready in a short amount of time?" Tom asked curiously. It was just than the purple haired fashionista zipped up to them with a wide smile on her face. As much as she wanted to say out of the conversation, she knew an good opportunity when she saw it.

"Forgive me for intruding, but I couldn't help but overhear the conversation," said Rarity, trying to sound modest but failing miserably, "I may be a fashionista at heart, but I also have a natural talent for wedding planing in a short period of time. My little sister Pinkie just started an internship with this couple who owns a bakery cafe so they can handle your wedding cake and refreshments. I've worked with them before. If you just tell me what you're seeking, I'm sure we can set up your dream wedding in as little as seven days!"

"Seven days!" Sable exclaimed and then smiled excitedly, "that would be perfect. The sooner the better."

"Indeed," said Tom, "Let me open a tab for you and you can charge whatever my Sable needs for her dream wedding to my account." Sable had to bit her lip to avoid giggling. Hearing Tom call her "my Sable" made her feel like a little girl who just got everything she had asked for on Christmas day.

"That won't be necessary," said Rarity, "At least for me. I'll set the tab for the cake and refreshments, but considering Sable's gown, the girl's dresses, decor, and arrangements, that is part of my wedding present to the new couple." Tom was in shock, even Sable was left speechless.

"Wow...umm...are...you sure?" said Tom in disbelief, even pinching is tail discreetly to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Absolutely," said Rarity, "and I won't take no for an answer. OOH! I just love weddings. The gowns, the decor, the elegance, the romance...GASP! IDEA!" Rarity then dashed away as she quickly started dashing about for materials. Sable and Tom just watched her work. Tom was still dumbfounded that the decor and dresses were all taken care of...for free.

"Wow...she really is generous," said Tom in amazement.

"And she's more successful than you," Sable teased. Tom snorted.

"Oh whatever," said Tom, "I already got what I wanted to feel successful."

"Money?"

"Nope"

"Then what?" Tom leaned close to her ear. His warm breath blowing into it gave her goosebumps.

"You," he whispered sweetly. Sable couldn't have felt any happier.

It was just past midnight as Kalinka just sat on her bed, wearing a dark red tank with some pajama shorts as she just stayed curled up with her knees tucked into her chest. She just couldn't fall asleep and had gotten bored of trying to play with her handheld or even reading a book or comic of some sort to make herself tired and try to fall asleep.

"Are you going to bed anytime soon?" Cream asked sleepily, wearing a light pink sleeveless short nightgown and had her hair down. She also had set her glasses on the nightstand near her bed, but could still see Kalinka to some extent.

"I can't sleep," said Kalinka quietly, "It shouldn't bother you. I'm just sitting here. It's not like I'm reading or doing anything else for that matter." Cream just sighed to herself as walked over to Kalinka's bed.

"What are you doing?" Kalinka asked. Cream said nothing but just yawned as she sat next to her older sister.

"I know you're worried about Mom," said Cream, "but you need to just relax and know that everything is going to be okay. I hate seeing you so stressed out."

"I can't help it," said Kalinka, "I just...I don't want Mom to...just...UGH!" Kalinka clutched her head in frustration as Cream sat quietly next to her.

"Kalinka," said Cream, "you don't want Mom to what?" Kalinka just sighed to herself and just stared at her feet for a second.

"If Mom's relationship with Tom gets ruined because of this, I'll never forgive myself," she said quietly, "I'd hate to see her throw away her chance at finding love over me and my stupid problems."

"Hey, listen, you're problems are not stupid," said Cream, "You're trying to save a friend their job and you want to know why our future father was so mean to you."

"If Mom still wants to marry him after all this," said Kalinka.

"Listen Kalinka," said Cream, "I may not know anything about love, but there is one thing I do understand from what Roll has been teaching me about friendship. If someone would dump you over something as petty as an argument or misunderstanding, they are not a real friend. And I believe the same goes with relationships too. Real love will overcome these problems, but if things end tonight, then there was never any real love to begin with between Tom and Sable. That is nobody's fault but their own." Kalinka just hummed to herself impressively.

"That's pretty deep," said Kalinka, "How are you so wise being younger than me?" Cream smiled.

"Because I'm the mature and sensible one in this family," Cream answered smugly. Kalinka just glared before grabbing a spare pillow and smacking Cream square in the face with it.

"Oh it is on!" Cream called back and they shared a rather lengthy pillow fight with each other. It wasn't much longer before they had worn each other out and Kalinka could feel the exhaustion hit her body.

"Well...(yawn) that was one way to help someone get tired," said Kalinka, "but it was still fun right Cream? Cream?" Kalinka then noticed that Cream had fallen fast asleep on her bed. She just giggled to herself as she lay down next to her.

"Thanks little sister," said Kalinka, "I feel much better." With that, Kalinka gave Cream a small kiss goodnight on her ear before holding her close and falling asleep. It was just past eight in the morning when she finally woke up.

"Wow," she remarked as she stretched her arms, "I slept like a rock last night."

"I noticed," said Cream as she finished pulling her lotus dress on, "You tend to snore when you sleep too deeply." Kalinka snorted, but then softened since she knew that was true.

"Sorry," she replied, "I can't help it."

"It's okay," said Cream, "I've gotten used to it. It's a pity Roll hasn't though."

"Give her time," said Kalinka, "Maybe she'll adjust or I can get some nasal strips or something."

"Good idea," said Cream

"So," Kalinka pondered, "Are you done with the bathroom so I can change?"

"It's all yours," said Cream as she finished getting her pigtails set, "I'm just going to brush my hair and get my bow into place."

"You really love those giant bows don't you?" Kalinka teased. Cream nodded.

"I feel pretty when I wear them," said Cream, "you might feel pretty too if you wear something that you want and not something that is just...as you say...cool." Kalinka just rolled her eyes.

"I'll keep it in mind," said Kalinka as she crawled off her bed and began searching through her secret storage for an outfit. She almost went for a horizontal striped tee with some khaki girl's shorts, but then she noticed some of the casual dresses that she had purchased discreetly and just felt something tug her heart.

 _But I'm not really the kind of girl who wears dresses for casual days like this_ Kalinka thought. But she just felt like she wanted to. It felt foreign to her, but then she remembered what Twilight had told her.

 _Sometimes embracing your girly side when you dress yourself is going to feel awkward sometimes, but you seem like the type of girl who would go outside of her comfort zone. If you feel like wearing something girly, then go for it. Don't worry what others think. Wanting to feel pretty and cute isn't a weakness. It's denying that part of yourself that is._

"She's right," said Kalinka, "I wanna wear a dress and that's what I'm going to do. Now which one..." Surprisingly, she ended up picking the vogue dress and even a giant pink bow to go with it. She quickly dashed into the bathroom before Cream could see her outfit to wash up and change. When she came out, the dress was on and she was finishing tying the giant bow into her hair, which had been tied half-back. That was when Cream turned to see Kalinka and gasped. Kalinka suddenly felt a little shy.

"Yeah, weird isn't it," said Kalinka, "but...well...I JUST FELT LIKE WEARING A DRESS OKAY!" Kalinka clasped her mouth and just looked at her sadly.

"Sorry," said Kalinka, "Guess I'm a little insecure...but I just feel like wearing this today." She didn't even know why she was defending herself. She was a girl after all and nobody was stopping her from wearing a dress. Sure, it wasn't her favorite thing to wear, but that didn't mean she despised dresses. And she did say she liked the color pink.

"Well you look very pretty," said Cream, "even a tomboy can be cute when she wants to be. Nobody can tell her otherwise." Kalinka smiled.

"That's true," said Kalinka, "I've got all these different clothes now and I can wear whatever I feel like wearing. It's my choice and nobody else's. Thanks Cream." Cream just nodded back and headed into the kitchen for breakfast as Kalinka remembered something.

"Hey Cream, I need to do something really quick," said Kalinka, "I'll be back as soon as I can!"

"Did you need my help?" said Cream, "We can just have something to eat after." Kalinka was about to say no, but...she found that she really wanted to just spend time with her little sister.

"Come on," she waved with her right arm as they headed out of the house. Cream followed Kalinka towards Town Hall. Isabelle was just reclining on her chair eating her own breakfast parfait as they entered.

"Aww is my little Izzy enjoying her nom-noms?" Kalinka teased. Isabelle snorted.

"I'm older than you," said Isabelle indignantly, "Eesh, you're more motherly than Roll sometimes." Kalinka looked a little stunned and even stared at the shi-tzu for a few seconds.

"Me motherly?" said Kalinka and then shook her head, "Look Isabelle, I may be embracing my feminine side a little more..."

"You're outfit says you're embracing it alot more than you claim," Isabelle remarked.

"Shut up," Kalinka retorted before continuing, "I may be getting more feminine, but motherly is not something I see myself as. Protective maybe, but...not motherly."

"I beg to differ," Cream replied smugly. Kalinka growled a bit but then just shook her head. She was in a good mood and she didn't want to fight with Cream.

"Whatever," Kalinka dismissed, "I wanted to know where your bother is...I wanted to make sure he's okay." Cream and Isabelle both smirked at each other.

"I already said I like him," said Kalinka, "not that it matters since I'm too young for him. He's still my friend and I wanted to see if he was okay..."

"Okay, okay," Isabelle assured her, "I'll give him a call and find out where he is. Sorry, we didn't mean to give you a hard time about that. Digby can be a little clueless at how popular he is with the ladies sometimes." Kalinka couldn't resist a smile as Isabelle grabbed her smart phone and began dialing her brother. Kalinka just waited quietly, fidgeting with her dress since she still felt a little insecure wearing it until she heard the town hall door open. Kalinka was surprised to see that it was Sable and Tom. The former had her arms wraped lovingly around the latter's left.

"Oh, good morning Mom and...umm...Tom?" Kalinka wasn't sure whether or not to say "Dad" or not considering the circumstances. Sable was about to scold Kalinka for it until she saw the insecurity on the girl's face as well as the fact she was still fingering her dress skirt.

"You can call him Dad, sweetie," said Sable, "I like your outfit. It's very cute." Kalinka just chuckled a little as a light blush appeared on her face.

"Th-thank you," she replied and then recomposed herself a bit, "How...was last night? I...was worried because...I told to Mom about what happened..." Sable and Tom exchanged some looks before sighing together in unison.

"There was some...drama...last night because of that," said Tom, but then saw Kalinka was about to cry and was quick to do damage control, "but everything is okay."

"Yes," said Sable, "In fact, the only reason there was even drama to begin with was because of me. I wasn't honest with him over the fact that I was upset. I...kind of...made an immature move and it just got us both so angry that I ended the engagement."

"Oh no..." Kalinka groaned.

"But it's okay," said Tom, "we settled things afterward and we're back to being engaged. In fact, Sable bumped into Rarity last night and she said that she could get us a wedding within seven days."

"SEVEN DAYS?!" Kalinka, Isabelle, Cream, and Digby (who Isabelle had been speaking to at the moment) exclaimed all at once.

"That would be correct," said Sable and then blushed as she said the next part, "besides...I'm tired of waiting for this! I've been wanting to be married to Tom for years and I don't want to spend another day apart from him. Plus Rarity said that she's got experience with doing these things under a short time frame so...we're willing to give her a shot at it."

"Plus she covering costs for all the clothes," Tom added, "All I'm paying for is the cake and refreshments." Kalinka whistled impressively.

"Fluttershy wasn't kidding when she said Rarity was known for her generosity," said Kalinka to herself before clearing her throat, "but...what about the whole..." Tom lifted a hand to cut her off.

"First of all," said Tom, "I wanted to apologize to you for getting to angry yesterday. I didn't mean to shut you down like that. I just wasn't ready to talk about the real reason behind why I had turned down the opportunity to buy the HHA. I guess if I could summarize it...I was just afraid of being overwhelmed with the responsibility. I didn't do a good job delegating that responsibility when I used to run a department store here a few years ago. I'm not sure if Roll told you about that."

"I think she did," said Cream, "Roll said you just grew tired of retail and wanted to go into real estate. She didn't really say anything beyond that or that you were overwhelmed."

 _Guess I gotta thank Roll for giving me such a positive image with these two._ Tom thought before he continued, "but...Sable appears to have faith in me and she said she would help me find some managers that I can trust to help me make sure things run smoothly so..." Kalinka smiled excited.

"You're going to do it?" she asked eagerly. Tom smiled.

"Yes, that is why we are here," said Tom, "there is quite a bit of paperwork that needs to be filled before I can fully make the purchase and take control. Plus I also want to get the process for our marriage certificate underway. Actually, I'd rather do that..."

"Your marriage license is all ready for you two," said Isabelle, "All you two need to do is sign it on the day of the wedding and everything else is good to go. We can get started on the business take over paper work as soon as your ready." Kalinka was left dumbfounded once again as well as Cream. Sable and Tom couldn't resist a chuckle.

"Get used to it," said Sable, "Isabelle can do anything she sets her mind to."

"Except windows," Digby remarked from the phone since he had been listening.

"Oh shut up Digby," said Isabelle indignantly as everyone laughed.

"Isabelle," Tom replied once he calmed down, "Can you put Digby in speaker please?" Isabelle nodded as she hit to speak button.

"Digby!" Tom called out.

"Yes Tom?" he asked.

"I hear you love working on real estate," said Tom, "And I could use a top manager for what is clearly going to be a whole new company to help me out. Would you be interested?" Digby was shocked but excited as well.

"Top management position?" said Digby, "Yes sir! When do I start?"

"Soon Digby," said Tom, "I won't be until after I've had my wedding and honeymoon before I get down to reorganizing Nook's homes. I've got a hedgehog to marry first." Sable just smiled and rested her head into the crook of Tom's neck. While Kalinka would admit that "mushy or sappy" situation annoyed her, this particular moment just made her smile. She knew everything was going to be okay now, which included both Tom and Sable as well as Digby and his job.

To everyone's surprise, Rarity was as good as her word. And exactly seven days later, the big day had finally come. While the process wasn't exactly flawless, everyone worked together to make sure that Sable and Tom's big day would be as perfect as possible. It helped that the weather had co-operated as well since the ceremony was going to be outdoors with the reception at the same building where Pinkie had thrown her Valentine's Day party. In fact, it was no surprise to hear that Pinkie was not only in change of setting up the reception hall, but also the decorations for the wedding ceremony as well. Plus she also had a hand in the wedding cake as well.

The outdoor location for the wedding itself was actually at the heart of the park that Sable and her sisters would often visit with the three girls for picnics. Sable just loved how open and peaceful the location was and Tom agreed that a wedding ceremony there would be very romantic. And today was a day in which the sky was a rich blue without a single cloud in the sky. It was going to be a beautiful day and everything was just about ready to go.

Except for the bride, who was having a serious case of the pre-wedding jitters as Labelle, Mabel, and Rarity got her ready at the Able cottage.

"Okay Sable...you can do this! You can do this! You. Can. Do. This! WHAT IF I CAN'T DO THIS?" she bellowed as she tried to keep still as Labelle put the final touches on her wedding dress. Rarity couldn't help but giggle, she was the wedding planner after all and wanted to make sure Sable was ready and relaxed for her big day. Rarity had worn a lavender one strap dress that was just below the knees with her hair tied up in a flowery headpiece on the right side of her head with some cream pumps. Labelle and Mabel had each worn a soft pink sleeveless dresses of the same length and white headbands in their hair with white pumps on their feet.

"It's like watching Twilight before she took her final exams in college all over again," she whispered to herself with a light giggle.

"Hey! I heard that!" Sable yelled as she just sighed to herself in defeat.

"I try so hard not to think so negatively," Sable continued, "but I...I still fear the worst no matter what..."

"I don't see why," said Mabel as she finished tying her veil into place. It should be noted that Sable had picked both Labelle and Mabel for her maids of honor to avoid any competition between the two, "After all, you love Tom and Tom loves you. I don't know why you are so worried."

"What if he has second thoughts?" Sable asked in a panic, "What if he decides I'm not worth it and decides to bolt during the ceremony? What if...what if he decides not to show up at all?"

"We kill him," Mabel said plainly as Labelle jabbed her in the side, "OW! Hey I was just trying to lighten the mood!" Labelle just rolled her eyes at her as Sable was trying hard not to cry. Rarity quickly grabbed a cloth to gently wipe the hedgehog's eyes so her makeup wouldn't run. She already knew that Sable was probably going to cry during the ceremony, but she wanted the hedgehog to at least look presentable as she made her way down the aisle.

"Just relax dear," said Rarity, "There is no need to get yourself worked up like this. Tom wouldn't do such a thing to you. Love will triumph and you will get that happy ending you've always dreamed of."

"I...hope so..." Sable croaked and took some slow breaths to calm herself down as Rarity pressed a button on what Sable thought as her watch. Apparently, Rarity had a wrist addition to her smart phone.

"Alright, we are ready to go," said Rarity, "Let's get to it!" Sable just smiled bravely before they made their way out of the living room and headed outside. Sable still felt very nervous as she made her way outside the house but then she smiled excitedly when she found three girls, each wearing a strapless knee length pink dress that had a white waist belt with a giant ribbon in the back. waiting outside for her. While Cream had her pigtails with a giant white bow in her hair, Roll and Kalinka tied their hair half back with their giant white bows. They also had a small bouquet of white roses to hold since they were going to be Sable's bridesmaids. Sable then looked down and noticed that the three girls were each wearing creamy white pumps with small pink bows on the front.

"You look so beautiful Momma," Cream exclaimed in amazement.

"Yeah, absolutely beautiful," Kalinka added.

"She really looks like a princess," Roll added since Rarity had tied Sable's veil to a tiara instead of a headband. Sable just smiled at the complements but her eyes were still focused on the shoes the three girls had on their feet. Roll noticed that Sable looked a bit distracted.

"Is...something wrong Momma?" she asked.

"Not getting cold feet are you?" Cream asked.

"She's barefoot?" Kalinka replied and Cream rolled her eyes.

"It's a figure of speech that she's nervous," Cream explained as Kalinka blushed dark pink from the fact she just had a blonde moment. Sable then sighed.

"Girls, I love your outfits," said Sable, "but..."

"but..." they all said a once and Rarity had a worried look on her face as well.

"Take those shoes off," Sable said in exasperation. The three girls looked stunned.

"Mom, this is a fancy occasion," said Roll.

"Yeah, I mean," said Cream, "We hate shoes but we'll wear them for this."

"We can handle shoes like this," said Kalinka, "it's not like we have to wear socks or stockings..."

"Take them off," Sable ordered, "I love my baby girls for who they are and my girls don't wear shoes unless there's snow or cold rain. I know this is a fancy occasion, but...I love you three just the way you are." Roll, Kalinka, and Cream just smiled as their eyes became a bit glossy as she removed their shoes and tucked them into their pockets. Rarity just shook her head since she was the one who told them to wear the shoes, but conceded to Sable's wishes. This was Sable's day, not hers.

"Well at least your toes nails were cleaned, shinned, and polished," she said to herself, "Now let's not waste another minute or you're going to be late for your own ceremony."

"I won't be late," said Sable, "just everyone else arrived too early." Rarity's jaw dropped and the rest of the girls just snickered to each other. That sounded more like something she would have said, not Sable!

It was ten minutes later when they arrived at the park and carefully made their way down the path towards the location of the wedding. Rarity had Sable stop just before the back row of chairs leading towards the spot where Penelope was waiting. Sable felt a huge relief wash over her when she saw Tom standing next to the blonde haired mouse, wearing a very fine tuxedo that somehow managed to make his potbelly look smaller. Next to him was Lyle, who Tom had chosen as his best man, along with his now publicly declared "adopted" sons, Timmy and Tommy, wearing their own black suits. While Tom had most of his friends and family at the alter with him, both sides of the rows of chairs were completely filled with villagers and non-villagers who had come to show support to the wedding couple. Even the other mayors were there as well, such as Lemon, Shenran, Bacon, and Sakura, who were sitting near the front rows. As soon as Sable was in position, Rarity gave the signal and everyone else made their way into the church since it was just the girls entering from the main row, Cream, Roll, Kalinka, Mabel, and Labelle marched single file to the front. Little Katie, wearing a lacy white dress with a flower crown on her head, dropped the pedals onto the path and everyone stood as Sable made her grand entrance as the wedding march was played. Tom felt a small tear leave his eye as he gazed at his new bride.

"She's so beautiful..." he said to himself and Lyle, who heard him, hummed in agreement. Sable then stopped short of the altar. Surprising everyone until they noticed a familiar tortoise shakily rise to his feet and took her hand. Everyone smiled, including Tom, who understood why he was there as the wedding march song ended and Tortimer lifted Sable's veil and guided her towards Tom.

"Take good care of her son," he said gently, "I say that as a friend and on behalf of her parents, whose souls may look down from heaven at this occasion with smiles on their faces."

"We are gathered here today to witness the wedding of Sable Able and Thomas Nook in holy matrimony," said Penelope.

"It's about time!" someone shouted out of the blue and were quickly shushed by those nearby. Sable and Tom just blushed heavily, knowing that was probably true.

"Ahem," Penelope coughed to get the ceremony back on track, "Now, Sable Able, do you take Tom to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, to honor and obey, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?" Sable smiled until she heard the last part.

"Who said anything about this bond having to end?" said Sable, "If I go before him, I'll haunt him for eternity!" Everyone laughed heartily. Some even cheered and hooted as well, making Tom blush deep red. Even Penelope giggled to herself.

"Then I'll rephrase the question," said Penelope as everyone calmed down, " Sable Able, do you take Tom to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, to honor and obey, to love and to cherish, forever until the end of time?" Sable just smiled.

"Yes I do," said Sable sweetly.

"And do you Thomas Nook," Penelope continued, "take Sable Able as your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to honor and obey, to love and to cherish, forever until the end of time?" By now Tom's cheeks had returned to their normal color and gave Sable a loving smile.

"I do," he replied and not one person there did not have a smile on their face. Several had glossy eyes, ready to start crying. In fact, those like Fluttershy, Bunnie, and Rosie were already crying and their boyfriends (husband in Bunnie's case since they had just gotten married a couple of weeks ago), were comforting them.

"May someone present the rings," said Penelope as a young boy arrived with their rings on a velvet pillow. Roll gasped at who is was. It was the boy who wore the mask over his eyes and a tux. Even Sable and Tom recognized him but said nothing as he handed them their rings. Just as he turned to leave, he gave Roll a distinct wink, making the girl blush deep red and causing her younger siblings to snicker to each other. However, nobody beside the three girls had even seen him wink or noticed that he suddenly disappeared right after.

"Now before we exchange the rings," Penelope continued, "Tom has a few words that he would like to say to Sable." Sable was rather curious since she had been told that the ring exchange would have been something more traditional. Tom just gave her a smile.

"Sable," he began gently, "I love you more than anything in the world. And I know that I have done alot of mistakes and made some poor choices too. But in the end, you still saw the good in me and still had faith to be my friend no matter how much distance was put between us. I want to be with you forever and I promise that we will live the rest of our lives together. You are the only person I could ever love and I promise that I will never leave you again." Tom then placed the wedding ring on her finger. Sable was crying happy tears as she stared at it before clearing her throat.

"Now it's my turn," she replied, her voice already cracking at she gave him a smile, "Tom, you already know that I've never felt like I deserved your love. But in the end, you still chose me and that makes me feel like the luckiest hedgehog in the world. I will love you forever and I promise that I will always be honest and open with you so we never feel like we can't understand each other. Because we always have understood each other. No matter what happens in the future, even if you lose every bell to your name, I'll always be there for you." Tom was trying hard not to cry, but soon the tears just fell in their own as Sable secured his ring and they just held each other's hand, crying and smiling at each other. Penelope just smiled as she closed the book that had her notes and held it in front of her.

"By the power invested in me, I know pronounce you husband and wife," she said proudly, "You may kiss the bride." Sable and Tom wasted no time doing so as their lips connected and everyone gave them a standing ovation. And plenty of other men and woman alike were in crying tears of joy as well.

"I love moments like this!" Pinkie exclaimed to Sakura, who was crying happily as well.

"Yeah" Sakura added before they faced each other.

"Love, _not like_ , LOVE!" they exclaimed together before they started wailing and hugging each other. Rainbow had to lean away to avoid getting soaked. She was now regretting her decision to sit next to them.

Later that day, everyone had gathered around at the reception location when Roll had been walking around the tables trying to find the so called masked ring bearer. When she realized that she couldn't find him, she decided to find Rarity instead, who was talking to the married couple.

"Well it was my pleasure," said Rarity, "and congratulations in the marriage. How does it feel knowing that you two are now an official couple?" Sable and Tom just exchanged glances and smiled at each other.

"Lovely," they said together with a smile as Roll arrived.

"Hey Rarity?" she asked.

"Yes darling?" Rarity answered.

"Have you seen the ring bearer?" said Roll, "I wanted to talk to him."

"I'm sorry Roll," said Rarity, "he disappeared after the wedding."

"Ugh, what's his deal?" said Roll, "He acts like he's interested in me, but then just disappears without a trace. How did he even convince you to hire him as the ring bearer?" Rarity suddenly grew a bit quiet.

"I needed someone and he volunteered for the job," said Rarity rather quickly, "He clearly wanted to see you...and he was at the right place at the right time...besides he asked me to give you this." Rarity presented Roll a red rose that had a card attached to it. Roll looked indignant until she read the message on it.

 _You look as beautiful as a princess. I apologize for disappearing but such beauty makes me feel so shy. Hopefully this rose will tell you exactly how I feel about you._

 _Secret admirer_

Roll couldn't help but smile as a light pink blush appeared on her face.

"At least he explained why he just appears and disappears like that," said Roll with a giggle.

"Why is that?" Sable asked.

"He says my beauty makes him shy," Roll replied and Rarity giggled excitedly.

"How romantic!" she exclaimed. Tom just glared.

"I just might have to kill that one," he remarked.

"Dad!" Roll sneered in annoyance and also taking advantage of the fact she could call him that now. Tom just laughed.

"Well, I'm your father now," said Tom, "I'm allowed to be overprotective. You are one of Daddy's little girls now." Roll just shook her head with a smirk on her face as she walked away to find her sisters. Rarity followed, breathing a sigh of relief that she was off the hook for now. It was then Digby arrived with several others before the couple's table.

"Excuse me, Mr. Nook," said Digby formally.

"Just called me Tom," said the tanooki, "I haven't done any business set up yet remember?"

"I know sir," said Digby, "But me and several others just wanted to thank you for buying the HHA. You saved our jobs after all and we are all very grateful to you. We all know you'll take what is left of the HHA and make it even better. We've come to pledge our support to you, Tom Nook." The rest of the group nodded and applauded him. Tom was rather surprised but still smiled at the moral support, though deep down he wasn't sure just how loyal the group was. But he knew Digby was loyal, as well as Lyle.

"I appreciate hearing that so thank you, Digby," said Tom.

"Anytime sir," Digby answered, "and congratulation on the marriage. I hope you and Sable will be very happy together." Tom nodded as the group dispersed and Sable just scooted her chair over to her new husband.

"Are you sure I can do this?" said Tom.

"Being married?" Sable asked curiously. Tom snorted.

"I mean integrating the HHA into Nook's homes," Tom replied. Sable laughed as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Well do you think you're ready to make me apart of your life?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around him. Tom just chuckled as he fingered her wedding ring.

"Yes...I do," said Tom. Sable kissed him again.

"If you can handle me in your life, you can handle this little business merger," said Sable, "Don't forget, I signed the ownership too so you'll have my help as well. And with everything else in life."

"I'm glad Sable, I'm glad," said Tom as they exchanged a sweet kiss together and then enjoyed the rest of the party. It was late into the night when their limo arrived to take them away for their honeymoon. Everyone waved them goodbye as they disappeared into the night. Those who were close family stayed behind to help Pinkie and Sakura clean up the party mess. Kalinka had just finished dumping another trash bag into a larger bin when Roll appeared and gave her a loving hug. Kalinka just giggled.

"What's up big sis?" she asked.

"I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you," said Roll, "I knew that I was leaving my mayor job to the right person." Kalinka pulled away in complete shock.

"What are you talking about?" said Kalinka, "All I did was nearly tear Mom and Dad apart and when things got heated between me and only thing I did was skin my knee!" While her scab had healed fully, Kalinka still rubbed her knee where the injury had been. Roll just smiled.

"You might not have been the one who convinced Tom to save the HHA, Kalinka," said Roll gently, "But you still learned that when it comes to being a leader that you can't be afraid to ask for help. My success came from seeking help from others and learning that I have friends and family that are there for me. You might not feel as confident in yourself as you want to be Kalinka, but I know you can do this and you'll be an even better leader than I am." Kalinka just chuckled to herself.

"Big sis," said Kalinka, "Don't forget whose the princess of this family. You've the better leader out of all three of us you know."

"Maybe to some people," said Roll, "but you can be leader too. My point is that by relying on your family to help, you can accomplish anything. This merger is going to bring new changes to Animal Town and new challenges. But I know you can handle it." Kalinka just smiled. She was feeling very grateful to have such a supportive family and supportive friends.

"Thank you Roll," said Kalinka, "but I still have alot to learn. And I pretty much have to rebuild my confidence from the ground up. I never realized how...insecure I feel when I have to handle things alone. I used to just..deny it, but I know that doesn't solve my problems."

"Well one step at a time," said Roll, "Our next session is coming up so you can talk to Twilight some more."

"You'll be there with me right?" Kalinka asked uneasily.

"As long as you want me there with you," said Roll. Kalinka just smiled, realizing that Roll was right.

Seeking help from others didn't make Kalinka feel helpless at all.

In fact it made her feel a little stronger.

 **Well I bet you were all surprised to see a wedding as part of the deal for this story arc. But this merging of Nook's homes and the HHA is very important if you remember Happy Home Designer. In time, the elements of New Town will become part of Animal Town and Kalinka will slowly grow in confidence as well. Her growth won't be as slow as Roll's but...depression is a time consuming healing process after all.**

 **Here's the plot for the next story arc. And the road to the landmark chapter 75! (can you believe that?!)**

 **Turnabout Crossing: MURDER! There has been a murder in the Animal part of the world. And the prime suspect is...someone you would think would be guilty at first sight. But what if they are actually innocent...and their attorney is...Cream?! Can a ten year old prove their innocence or will the first time attorney be way over her head?**

 **Being inspired by the youtube video series "Turnabout Storm", get ready for a blend of Animal Crossing with a nice dose of Ace Attorney elements. (but its not a cross-over). Are you ready for this?**

 **Wait...you're skipping the next story arc?!**

 **OBJECTION!**

 **LOL...see you next time!**


	73. Turnabout Crossing Part 1

Turnabout Crossing Part 1

 _...wait...what are you doing?! STOP!_

 _PLEASE STOP!_

 _BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT THUD_

 _..._

 _Is...is he...?_

 _HALT IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!_

 _Wait...I...I didn't..._

 _You are under arrest!_

The sudden slam of an iron door was heard as someone was placed inside a cold and dark jail cell.

It was a busy day at the Animal world mines as Cream and Rarity had arrived to gather some gems for one of Rarity's fashion lines. They both had a plaid button work shirt in one of their favorite colors (Yellow for Cream and Purple for Rarity) and a pair of black demin pedal pushers. They also had some orange hard hats on their heads, but Rarity had accessorized them so they had giant matching ribbons on the back of them. The only controversial attire choice was the fact they were both barefoot.

"Honestly Cream," Rarity replied as she stared at her feet nervously, "I just don't think I can handle being barefoot in a mine. It's too dangerous to do something like mining without some sort of work shoes."

"But I need to stay barefoot," Cream protested, "it's the only way I can show you how to detect gems and which mining nodes are safe to harvest from. Remember that you wanted me to show you that seismic sense ability so you can find gems much easier. As for your feet, you'll be okay. Besides, it doesn't matter if you wear shoes or are barefoot. A large rock can still crush your foot either way."

"Oh that makes me feel so much better," Rarity groaned as Cream giggled.

"Sorry, now come on," said Cream, "Let's grab our tools, a mine cart, and head inside so we can get started." Rarity just nodded bravely but she still felt rather nervous inside. The fact it was so dark inside just made her feel more nervous as she rubbed her feet together. Cream then grabbed her hand, making the fashionista jump.

"EEK!"

"Sorry, it's just me," said Cream, "Since, it's so dark this is the perfect time to teach you that technique."

"How so?" Rarity asked, more puzzled than ever.

"Well, think about it for a second," said Cream, "When you detect gems, can you actually see them like a superhero with x-ray vision?" Rarity just looked nervously.

"No, of course not," said Rarity and suddenly the darkness made sense, "So seeing them with your feet is alot like how I sense gems. You just...know that they are there. You can't see them with your eyes, but you know where they are."

"Exactly," said Cream, "By using your feet, you can be more accurate with their location and detect them from a wider range." Rarity smiled, even if neither girl could see it.

"Alright, what do I do?" said Rarity, eager to learn Cream's technique now. Cream smiled.

"I know it's already dark, but I want you to close your eyes forget trying to see with them," said Cream, "as if right now, we are completely blind right now."

"Okay...don't try to see with my eyes," said Rarity to herself, "What next?"

"When you lose one of your senses, your other senses grow stronger," Cream explained, "Forget what you see. What do you feel? What do you smell? What do you hear? Feel the dirt with your toes and connect to it." Rarity took a deep breath to relax a bit. As much as she didn't want to curl her toes, she did so. Suddenly things didn't feel so dark inside the cave. She could hear the sound of some dripping water in the distance, the hollow swoosh of a light draft, even the shifting of Cream's foot as it brushed against the dirt.

"This is...extraordinary," said Rarity, "I always wondered how blind people can still move about to easily despite not being able to see with their own eyes." Cream hummed in agreement.

"Now for the big finale," said Cream, "you can now sense your surroundings. Now focus on your jewel sense. Since gems are composed differently from the earth itself, you can detect where they are by listening to the ground and feeling the purity of certain types of earth as well as the impurities. Focus on your area you sense the gems and give the ground a good stomp, then listen." Rarity took a slow deep breath, lifted her right foot and slammed it down into the ground. Immediately, she felt a large shockwave extend from her foot. As the wave reached the walls, she located a large vein loaded with precious gems and smiled excitedly.

"This way!" she said excitedly as she activated her miner's light and pulled Cream along. Cream noticed that Rarity perfectly weaved around some large rocks as if she had always known that they were there. Rarity then grabbed her pickaxe and began digging. A couple of minutes later, they broke the surface and revealing a large cluster of gems of various shapes and sizes. Cream was most impressed.

"You...you mastered my seismic sense!" she exclaimed, "it took me six years to be that good!" Rarity chuckled.

"When it comes to gems, darling, I often surprise even myself," said Rarity, "If this new technique is as effective in finding gems all the time. You just might have converted me to ditch my shoes for good."

"If I can be honest," said Cream, "You look prettier without those stupid pumps." Rarity blinked a bit and then laughed. Cream laughed as well before turning her headlamp on and using her own feet to try and find another gem vein. It wasn't long before Cream found one and got to work mining them from the rock. Just as Cream was about to extract a rather large diamond, she noticed a particular gem gleaming at her.

"What is that?" Cream asked to herself.

"Did you find something darling?" Rarity asked curiously as she loaded their kart with her collected gems.

"This green gem is shining very brightly," said Cream, "Far too brightly to just be a regular emerald." Rarity gasped with glee.

"A _rare_ gem you say?" she exclaimed excitedly, "well don't just stand there feeling the dirt with your toes! Grab an axe and let's dig it out!" Cream was feeling a little hesitant but before she could protest, Rarity was already picking away at the rock to extract it. Cream just watched as Rarity successful made the gem pop out of the rocks and bounced into the ground near Cream's feet. Cream was a little baffled at the shape of the gem. This gem resembled the shape of a swirl, nearly looking alot like a green number 9. The gems seemed to flash a little brighter being closer to Cream for some odd reason.

"Cream, could you be a dear and pick that up," said Rarity, "I'm sure we could use it for one of my new dresses." Cream snapped out of her stupor and nodded as she bent down to pick up the strange gem. Cream had just touched the gem when a bright light emitted from the gem and Cream was suddenly lifted into the air as her entire body glowed. Rarity gasped in shock as Cream's body flashed white and then she returned back to the ground, wobbling a bit as recompose herself.

"What was that?" Rarity exclaimed as she rushed towards the young girl, "Cream, are you alright?" Cream felt a bit woozy, but then lightly shook her head to shake the wooziness off.

"I...I think so," said Cream, "but...I...I feel like I was empowered with something. I...just don't know what though."

"Could it be your seismic sense?" Rarity asked, "if there are any side effects to this technique..."

"It's not my seismic sense," said Cream sternly, "I just picked up that...gem...you asked me to and I...powered up? I don't know..." Rarity looked concerned.

"Are you going to be alright?" she asked gently. Cream just smiled.

"Yes," said Cream bravely, "I don't feel any different. Maybe it was just electrically charged or something. It seems fine now." Cream just held the gem in her hand. What she didn't tell Rarity was that she felt some sort of connection to the gem, but thinking Rarity would deem her crazy, she decided against it.

"Alright then," said Rarity, "We only need a few more gems and then we can be out of here. While getting dirty has certainly gotten more enjoyable, I prefer being clean." Cream giggled and nodded in agreement as they finished their work. A couple of hours later, they shielded their eyes as they reached outside world and dusted off their now dusty clothes. Rarity just sighed as she looked at herself with a compact she had in her pocket.

"Look at me," said Rarity, "I look absolutely dreadful."

"You look beautiful to me," said Cream honestly, but Rarity just snorted to herself.

"Oh please darling," said Rarity, "I look like a mess. My feet are all dirty and grimy and my hair is dusty and don't even get me started on my clothes and the sweat on my forehead." Rarity made a face as Cream just snorted.

"Just because you're a little dirty doesn't mean you're not beautiful," said Cream as a matter of fact. Rarity just chuckled and shook her head.

"I see you and Roll are alot alike," said Rarity, "while you don't need perfect to be beautiful, I still like to look my best."

"But you already do," said Cream, "some misplaced hairs and dirty clothes and feet don't take that away from you. You're just that beautiful!" Rarity couldn't resist giggling. She knew the little girl was being sincere.

"Thanks Cream, but I still prefer being less dirty and in some nicer clothes," said Rarity.

"Why though?" said Cream, "You're so beautiful and confident. Someone like you doesn't need to care about what others think about her. All that matters is that you feel fabulous from the inside out."

"That is true, but..."

"Only if you are worried that other's opinions matter would you make such a big deal about being dirty and sweaty," said Cream.

"Well I uhh..."

"Rarity, why do you feel like you need to be "perfect" to be beautiful?" Suddenly Rarity froze, and her surroundings turned pitch black. Cream's eyes nearly popped out of her glasses as she noticed several chains appear around Rarity and then two reddish-yellow locks appeared next to her. Rarity looked at her with the same expression.

"Cream, are...are you alright?" said Rarity, "You're looking at me kind of funny." Cream was still in a state of shock.

"R-r-r-rarity," Cream stuttered, "you're surrounded with chains and locks!"

"Come again?" Rarity asked, not understanding that Cream had just said.

"I said that you are surrounded by chains with two locks on them," said Cream, "I don't know what they are or why they appeared, but...I see them surrounding you!" Rarity just looked at Cream uneasily.

"You...you don't believe me do you?" she asked, "You...you must think I'm crazy! I...I'm telling the truth. I see chains and locks surrounding you!"

"Cream, dear," said Rarity gently, "I...I think you've were working a bit too hard in the mine. Maybe if we..." Rarity soon stopped speak as Cream began to breathe quickly, showing that she was starting to panic.

"Take me to Twilight...take me to Twilight right now!" she screamed, "I'm...I'm going crazy! I'm losing it! Please..." Cream continued to panic as tears began to appear from her eyes.

"Cream, darling, please calm down," said Rarity, "I'm sure whatever you saw, there is a logical explanation behind it."

"Why would a normal person see locks and chains surrounding their friend?!" Cream shouted, her fear getting the best of her as she tugged on her pigtails, "I'm going waka-waka! I'm going crazy! I need to see Twilight now before it's too late or I'll be a total Looney!"

"Don't say that Cream," Rarity said sternly as she grabbed her shoulders, "There must be a logical explana...wait there is! Cream, remembered what happened when you grabbed that rare gem for me?" Cream slowly tried to calm herself and then remembered feeling some sort of power enter her.

"You're right," said Cream, "would that...that be the reason I saw those locks and chains?"

"We can for sure find out," said Rarity, "it's either that or just exhaustion from the mines. Either way we'll get to the bottom of this, but believe me when I say this Cream. You're not crazy!"

"You're heartbeat says otherwise!" Cream protested as tears streamed down her faces. Rarity knew she couldn't lie, but she could still do damage control.

"What you're saying is...bizarre, dear," said Rarity, "But I can see that you're not making this up. Plus I've seen enough strange things in my family to not disregard this. Now let's just calm down and head back to my town."

"To Twilight?" Cream asked.

"Yes, we'll go see Twilight," said Rarity. _I do hope you can get to the bottom of this, big sister. I hate seeing Cream so upset..._ They quickly gathered the gems from the mine cart and headed for home. Cream couldn't help but cry as she snuggled close to Rarity. The elder girl just held her close, hoping and praying that Twilight would shed light on the situation.

Twilight, however, wasn't doing much better. She was having her counseling session with Roll and Kalinka. Both girls had once again decided to match each other's attire. They had put on a special tube top that Fluttershy had made for them that was yellow with a pink butterfly broach with a pair of dry denim shorts that they had folded the bottoms of. At first things had been pretty calm, but once Kalinka started discussing her issue regarding wanting to be girly and cute, she had a meltdown. The poor girl was literally curled into a ball on the floor, screaming for her life to end. Roll was fighting the urge not to scream at her young sister to shut her mouth, knowing that Kalinka just had to let it all out. All the older sibling could do was hold her close and hugged her while they cried together on the floor. Twilight just knelt beside them. Since she wanted to help them both feel comfortable, she had taken off her shoes and even worn some Callie girl's shorts instead of her skirt with a beaded tank. The dark color let her, as Rarity would say, be casual but still professional.

"Kalinka," Twilight said softly as Kalinka finally lost her voice from screaming, "You do know that we all love you correct?" That might seem like an awkward thing to say from a counselor, but keep in mind. Twilight is more than that to these two girls, she was family. At least Shenran said so. Roll knew this, but Kalinka still hadn't grasped the fact she had a family. She just looked at Twilight with bloodshot eyes, wheezing as she lay on the floor, knees hugged tightly to her chest.

"I love you so much Kalinka," said Roll, "I'm sorry I failed you."

"Roll..."

"It's true Twilight!" Roll replied, "Kalinka's a wreck because I wasn't there for her!"

"But how could you even know..."

"Because I was too busy with my stupid books to care enough!" Roll snapped when Kalinka sat up and gave Roll a stern glare. Roll flinched a bit and Twilight just sat quietly, waiting to see what Kalinka had to say. But Kalinka just looked at her. The room was completely silent and despite all the tears Kalinka had shed, she still managed to let a few more escape her eyes but she didn't bother to wipe them. Twilight was even feeling a little anxious at time dragged on. She was glad they were her only appointment for the day so there was no rush on how long today's session could last.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"Ugh, I told them that I was..."

"Just go ahead, Twilight," said Roll softly, "We need a moment." Twilight gave them a stern glare.

"You better not let Kalinka..."

"Twilight," said Kalinka in a raspy voice, "If I haven't vented at Roll now, I won't later. I don't feel the need to. I don't blame her for any of this. I've had this whole to time to say something and...I never once felt any anger towards her."

"But you seemed so opposed to me adopting..."

"I was only angry because I don't understand why you wanna adopt the likes of me," said Kalinka, "I'm nothing special. I'm not beautiful! Nobody likes girls like me! I'm too...brash...tomboyish..." Twilight just hummed as she heard the loud knocking for a second time.

"I'll be right back," said Twilight as she slipped her black pumps back on and headed towards the door. She opened it to see Rainbow...with watery eyes.

"Rainbow...are...are you crying?" she asked.

"N-n-no, just...dry eyes...allergies," the blue haired girl, donning a rainbow colored tee with matching girl's plaid shorts and some orange backless sandals, "never mind! Cream is here and she asking to be put in one of your padded rooms!"

"What?!" Roll and Kalinka exclaimed in shock. Twilight was a little baffled but just shook her head to clear her thoughts a bit.

"Where is she?" said Twilight and then asked about the girl's tears, "and were you listening in on us?"

"NO!" Rainbow snapped, "I just brought Cream here so I can go play some basketball at the house. I'd try to do it barefoot like your patients do but I don't get how they can walk on the hot cement! I nearly burned my feet."

"When you do it alot like us, you're feet learn to tolerate extreme changes in temperatures," said Roll, "but that has its limits." Twilight just rolled her eyes at them.

"Where's Cream?" Twilight asked, giving up on getting Rainbow to confess about her "allergies" or to admitting she was eavesdropping on her session with Roll and Kalinka.

"She's just outside the hallway in the waiting room with Rarity," Rainbow answered, "Surprisingly, Rarity is still in her mining outfit and she's barefoot." Twilight just giggled.

"First Fluttershy, now Rarity," said Twilight, "I wonder who will give up their shoes next."

"I kind of want to," Rainbow muttered.

"Huh?"

"NOTHING!" Rainbow snapped, "Should I tell Cream you're busy or are you coming?"

"I'm going, I'm going," said Twilight, "You can help me by giving Kalinka some moral support. You're a tomboy so you can tell her how she can be cute and girly without feeling weird or ridiculous about it." Twilight then dashed away as Rainbow just looked speechless as she noticed Kalinka just looking glum as Roll just held her close. Rainbow just looked at the two sadly.

 _How does a tomboy be cute and girly without feeling weird?_ Rainbow thought to herself.

Twilight sped-walked through the hall and found Cream just crying softly on the waiting sofa with Rarity just sitting quietly next to her and rubbing the young girls back.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Cream and I were mining when we found this rare gem," Rarity began as she cradled Cream in her arms, "Cream went to pick it up and there was...a flash of light of some sort. Cream felt a jolt, but she was fine medically...except..."

"Except?"

"Cream asked me a question," said Rarity, "and suddenly she said she saw locks and chains around me. It sounds a bit far-fetched and Cream thinks she's going crazy."

"Can I just go inside of a padded cell now?" Cream whimpered, "I don't want anybody looking at me like I'm crazy! I just wanna be left alone."

"Cream, sitting in a padded cell isn't going to help you," said Twilight, "There has to be a logical explanation for this. Rarity said you felt something empower you after you touched that gem correct? I've read plenty about certain gems can have special powers to those who touch them."

"Well I happen to have the gem right here," said Rarity as she pulled it out of her pocket, "Strangely though, nothing seems to have happened since the time I've been holding it." Twilight hummed as she studied the spiral shaped gems in her hands.

"Nothing happened when I touched it," said Twilight, "Cream can you hold it?"

"I don't know..."

"It will be okay," said Twilight, "This could help me figure this out." Cream whimpered a bit and nervously extended a shakey hand to picked up the gem. As Cream held the gem, it began to glow a bit in her hands. Twilight and Rarity gasped silently as the gem pulsed before finally settling down. Twilight was a little stunned until she noticed something in particular.

"This is no ordinary gem," said Twilight as she took it from Cream, "but I need to do some research on it. I'll get to the bottom of this Cream. Just...know this...you're not crazy. This gem has something to do with that and I won't rest until I found the truth." The gem started glowing again in Twilight's hands. Twilight just watched the gems pulse again and then the glow faded away.

"I'll need to note that," she said to herself, "and Cream, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure," said Cream as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Give Kalinka some extra love," said Twilight, "She really opened up today, but it was so much that it really damaged her psyche. She will heal. That I know for sure, but...it's going to take time."

"I always knew she had insecurities," said Cream, "but she never wanted to talk about em. She didn't want to look weak. I guess she hit her breaking point."

"It seems to be a problem for everyone these days," said Twilight, "we want to prove we can take care of ourselves and fight our own battles. But sometimes we try too hard to be independent and forget that we have people who love us and want to help. Not because we're not capable, but because they love us and for no other reason."

"Well, at least I figured it out," said Cream, "I came to you for help after all, even if I overreacted a bit." Twilight and Rarity just smiled.

"She is very mature for her age," said Rarity, "and quite in tune with her feet as well. She taught me how to use my feet to find gems! It's not only more accurate, but it takes less concentration too!"

"I'm actually surprised you didn't wash up before coming here," said Twilight, "and no shoes either." Rarity suddenly looked rather shy as she started at her feet.

"Twilight, be honest with me," said Rarity, "Am I still pretty despite being dirty and barefoot?" Twilight was taken aback by the question, but seeing how timid Rarity looked she clearly wanted an honest answer.

"Of course you look pretty," said Twilight, "You were always the one the boys fawned over in high school."

"Only cause I spent so much time in the bathroom," said Rarity, a confession Twilight assumed the fashionista would have taken to her grave than admit aloud, "If they saw me now, I'm sure they wouldn't think otherwise."

"So what?" said Cream, "I might not like boys yet, but I don't want a boyfriend who only likes me for being pretty on the outside."

"Good answer," said Twilight, "And I'm glad you're feeling better. I better get back to Roll and Kalinka. They heard that you came here and I'm sure they're wondering if you're okay."

"I'll be fine," said Cream, "they need you more than me. I know I'm an egghead and that I'm cute. I'm proud of who I am." Twilight and Rarity giggled.

"Good," said Rarity, "While Twilight takes care of all this, you and me are going for a day at the spa. If I'm going to be walking about barefoot, at least let's get our toe nails cleaned."

"That fine with me," said Cream, "I like a good toe nail cleaning. I've always wanted to find a friend I could paints my nail with too."

"Oooh! We should totally get a pedicure, come on!" Rarity exclaimed as she dragged the girl away. Twilight just smiled as they left her office.

"Glad to see at least one of the Koritsa sisters is emotionally stable...for the most part," said Twilight to herself, "Hopefully her optimism can help Roll and Kalinka too. Speaking of which, I better get back to them. Rainbow didn't look too...comfortable with me asking her to fill in." Twilight made her way back towards the room they were in. She found out that Rainbow had agreed to take Kalinka in a her little sister. (Kalinka just didn't connect with Katt like Roll did so she's been looking for someone else to be her "uchi"). Afterward, things settled down a bit and after some warm advice, their session was done and Twilight headed back to her house to began research on the mysterious gem. It was already dark by the time Cream had returned home. Kalinka was surprised to see Cream out of her mining outfit and wearing a yellow yukata.

"Hey, cute outfit little sis," said Kalinka, "where'd you get it?"

"The spa Rarity took me to gave it to me for free," said Cream, "and check this out!" Cream lifted her foot to show that her feet had been clean and the nail colored in a soft yellow to match her yukata.

"You're so lucky," said Kalinka, "I wish I could get a pedicure with someone." Cream's jaw dropped.

"You should've told me," said Cream, "We could have gotten one together!"

"Doesn't matter, I don't even know how to paint my toe nails," Kalinka retorted sadly.

"I do," said Roll, "You just never asked."

"Did you expect me to?"Kalinka replied quietly as Roll just gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Well, if you still interested, we can do it after dinner," said Roll, "Cream, Twilight filled us in over what happened. Are you feeling okay?" Cream just smiled.

"Uh-huh," Cream nodded, "Twilight said she would figure this out. I mean...I haven't been seeing anymore locks and chains. Just that one time."

"Good," said Roll, "maybe whatever the gem did was just temporary."

"Maybe," said Cream and turned to Kalinka, "are you doing okay? Twilight said the session was rather rough."

"I...heard she told you that," said Kalinka, "I'd rather not repeat what I said." Cream just looked at her sadly.

"Kalinka, what is it that makes you feel so useless?" she asked. Kalinka just looked a little flustered. Suddenly...it happened again. The background surrounding Kalinka went black and the chains and locks appeared once again. However, this time it was different. Unlike Rarity's locks, these locks were black and gold and there were four of them.

"No...not again!" Cream squeaked.

"What again?" Kalinka asked puzzled. Cream just began to cry and found that she couldn't stop.

 _These locks feel different,_ Cream thought, _I just...wanna cry and I can't stop myself for some reason._ Roll looked worried as Cream looked like she was panicking and her crying had increased.

"Cream, calm down," said Roll, "what's wrong?"

"I see the locks and chains again," said Cream, "but these feel different. I can't stop crying...I just feel pain...terrible...pain..."

"Maybe we should get you to a doctor..." Kalinka suggested nervously.

"Not physical pain," Cream sobbed, "emotional pain...psychological pain...I...I can't explain it..." Roll and Kalinka looked at each other worried when there was a sudden knock on the door.

"I'll get it," said Roll and guided Cream towards the chair just seconds after Cream closed her eyes and held her head, "You just try to calm down and take a few deep breath." Roll's suggestion seemed to have worked as Cream relaxed a bit and the strangle locks an chains had disappeared. Roll opened the door to see Twilight carrying a large book under her right arm.

"Is Cream home?" she asked anxiously.

"She's kind of...having a moment," said Roll, "she said she saw the locks again and started just crying...she said something about sensing pain..."

"I see," said Twilight, "well I managed to complete my research and I think I can help Cream understand what is happening." Roll nodded as Twilight removed her shoes before walking into the living room. Cream was just fingering her yukata and drying her eyes when Twilight sat down next to her and set the book on the table.

"Cheer up Cream," said Twilight, "we'll soon put this right. Tell me...what happened?"

"Well...I asked Kalinka why she felt so worthless," Cream explained slowly, "and suddenly I saw chains and locks. But this time, the locks were black and gold instead of the red and yellow ones Rarity had around her. I could feel this emotional...psychological..."

"Like an inner pain or scar?" Twilight asked.

"Exactly," said Cream, "It just made me start crying. I couldn't stop and my tears were just pouring out of my eyes."

"I see," said Twilight, "We'll I managed to figure out what's happening to you and to be honest. I think it's really cool."

"Really cool?" Cream asked puzzled.

"Uh-huh," said Twilight as she opened her large book and turned to a page that she had bookmarked, "See here Cream! The gemstone you found is known as a magatama."

"A magna-what?" Kalinka asked puzzled.

"A magatama," Twilight repeated, "it's a gem that has magical powers on it. It is said here that those who possess the gem with a pure heart and honesty will be granted special powers."

"This sounds like more something that Applejack could use more than me," Cream said wearily.

"Not that kind of honesty," said Twilight, "The type of honesty the magatama is attracted to is the type of truth that isn't always clear cut. It's the type of truth that is often hidden to the naked eye."

"Like how Cream can detect lies with her feet?" Roll asked.

"Exactly," said Twilight, "It bonds with those who have a strong feeling for justice and want to reveal the truth for the greater good. They have a deep sense of honestly that goes beyond just being truthful, but wanting the truth to be transparent so other's don't fall to the injustice of lies and slanderers."

"So...what does that have to do with me seeing locks and chains?" Cream asked curiously.

"That's the power of the magatama," said Twilight as she held the gem in her hand, "basically, the locks are called psyche-locks. They represent the fact that someone is holding a deep secret."

"I see," said Cream, "So does the number of locks mean a deeper secret?"

"Or it means that it will be harder to get someone to talk about it," said Twilight, "but you can't just bombard someone with questions to get them to talk. Locks only tend to appear if the person is really stubborn and determined not to let the secret out."

"So...how do I get them to talk?" Cream asked, still feeling puzzled how the locks related to someone's deep secrets.

"You use proof and evidence," said Twilight, "when you show that you know more about their secret, the locks will break one by one. Once you break all the locks, that person will spill the beans."

"Really," said Cream as she studied the gem, "so this magatama allows me to reveal the truth. But...but why me? Why was I chosen to have this...this power? I already feel like a freak as it is." Twilight smiled.

"That's just who you are," said Twilight, "My family is getting into this whole foregoing their shoes cause they want you to feel special about that."

"Including you?" Kalinka asked.

"If you promise me that you'll never give up again," said Twilight, "I will do it for you." Kalinka just shook her head.

"I don't want you doing something you're not comfortable with," said Kalinka, "I've seen how awkward you feel about it."

"I'd adjust for you," said Twilight, "especially if it will help you heal and move forward from all that pain inside of you." Kalinka just smiled and mouthed an "ok" as Cream just continued to study her gem.

"So...I noticed that Kalinka had some different locks," Cream brought up, "and they were black and gold. Should I test this out with..."

"No!" Twilight said instantly, "red and yellow locks are one thing, but I really don't advise you to try breaking black and gold locks. I read up about them. Those locks hide a very deep and traumatic secret. If you push too hard to break one of those locks, you could damage a person's mental or psychological state and it's not uncommon for that damage to become a scar."

"Say no more," said Cream, "I'm already scared to death that Kalinka will..."

"I won't," said Kalinka, "I mean...all I see is darkness and that my life is hopeless, but I won't go that far. I was just screaming out my anger. I don't want to be angry anymore. I just want to feel like I...I can just a girl and not just some cool and awesome tomboy. It's not who I want to be anymore. What is proving you're awesome if you're all alone doing so?" Twilight just hummed and Cream nodded in agreement.

"Well, I don't need to be told that I should go trying to expose every little secret from people with these new powers," said Cream, "Even I feel this should only be used in desperate or dire circumstances. Just like with Fluttershy's stare."

"Good," said Twilight, "But...I would still like to have you test these powers out. After all, I think these abilities are really cool. I want so badly to be able to see the locks and be able to break them. It would be so awesome!" Twilight couldn't resist squeaking as she smiled excitedly, but then noticed the three girls just staring at her.

"Ah-heh-heh," Twilight chuckled sheepishly, "Sorry...I guess I kind of geeked out for a moment." Cream chuckled.

"No worries, Twilight," said Cream, "I thought I was the only one who did that. It's nice to have another book geek to hang out with." Twilight giggled as they shared a quick embrace. It was just then there was a knock on the door.

"Hello? HELLO!" said a familiar voice. "I've been waiting out here for a long time and...well...THERE'S A TARANTULA JUST STARING AT ME OUT HERE!" Twilight then gasped.

"Oh no! Rarity!" Twilight dashed towards the exit. Keeping her word, she didn't bother putting her pumps back on. There was some silence before a fast shriek was heard and Rarity shakily wobbled inside. She had changed into a blue sky rose sleeveless dress with a blue diamond hairclip and...no shoes.

"Are you okay?" Roll asked worried as she guided the woozy fashionista to her sofa.

"Just...just fine darling," said Rarity shakily, "I...I caught the tarantula, but...oh don't make me _ever_ do that again! I hate bugs. Especially those wretched things."

"Who doesn't?" said Roll, "I actually got bitten. Knocked me out cold too." Kalinka and Cream gasped.

"You got bit by a tarantula?" said Kalinka, "those things are deadly."

"Not here," said Roll, "they just put you to sleep for a short time. But still...I've...learned for the most part not to fear bugs. Though cockroaches still give me a problem." Rarity just shuttered.

"We can discuss our bug-phobias another time," said Rarity, "Twilight said you needed me for something but didn't say what." Twilight just smiled as she guided Cream to sit next to Rarity. Twilight then whispered a few things to Cream, who just listened to the information with a puzzled look on her face before Twilight looked away with a smirk.

"Alright Cream go ahead," said Twilight as she took a seat, even hugging her left knee to feel comfortable. Cream just looked at a little awkward for a moment before taking a deep breath, crossed one leg over the other and turned to face the fashionista, who was just fingering her dress skirt nervously.

"Rarity, remember that question I asked you earlier?" Cream began slowly, "The one that made those locks and chains appear?" Rarity just nodded slowly. Cream just exhaled slowly.

"Well, I want to ask you that question again," Cream continued gently, "Why do you feel the need to be perfect in order to be beautiful?" Rarity just felt a little put on the spot as the area around her grew dark again. The chains also reappeared and the two red and yellow locks surrounding her.

"I...I...I'm assuming that the gem you found does have something to do with this," said Rarity, "well you may be my friend darling and I may have forgone my shoes for you, but there are just something things that I wish to keep to myself."

"I don't understand why," said Cream, "I've shared secrets with you!" Rarity then realized a connection between the gem, the locks and chains, and what Twilight had shared. She felt rather indignant.

"I don't know what Twilight told you but that is nobody's business but mine," Rarity shot back and was about to leave.

"I actually do understand," said Cream bluntly, feeling a little offended herself. Rarity froze.

"Excuse me?" she asked stunned.

"I understand why you feel that way," said Cream, "why you feel like any imperfection would take away from what is supposed to make you beautiful." Rarity wanted to just take off, but she found her knees weakening, making her sit back down on the sofa.

"What...do you mean?" Rarity asked curious.

"I know what it is like to be told at a young age that you are ugly," said Cream sternly, "and that you would never be beautiful." Rarity made a face and one of the locks shook.

 _I must be getting somewhere,_ Cream thought, _but I guess I have to push a little harder for the lock to break._

"What...who...who would say something like that to a beautiful young lady like you?" said Rarity, "They must have been very stupid."

"I bet the person who said that to you must have been stupid too," said Cream, "but you still believed him nevertheless." Rarity bit her lip and then one of the locks broke and disappeared.

 _I...I did it! I broke a lock!_ Cream said to herself, _I guess these locks really do have to do with secrets. I wonder if Rarity will confide in me. I really want to help her get past this. If she can overcome her beauty insecurities, then...maybe I can figure it out too with...my facial problem._

Cream adjusted her glasses as a discreet clue to what her beauty insecurity was before getting back to the subject at hand.

"I...I...I don't know what you're talking about!" Rarity snapped angrily, "I mean...maybe I was teased about my love for fashion but..."

"But they didn't just tease you for being such a fashionista was it," said Cream, "They went straight for your natural beauty didn't they?" Rarity was growing more and more uncomfortable.

"How would you know what I went through?" said Rarity, "My sisters and I were all bullied one way or another. And of course some of us were affected by it more than others."

"Including you?" Cream asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rarity snapped.

"You don't have to be old enough to have romantic feelings to develop a crush on a boy," Cream answered, "back at the orphanage I had a crush on a boy."

"She did?" Roll asked to Kalinka.

"Shockingly yes," said Kalinka, "but...it wasn't pretty..."

"That's true," Cream replied, "When I was five year old, I had a crush on this boy named Dathan. He was just...cute and funny. I actually though I could be his girl. I even told him I liked him. When I did, he looked at me and laughed in my face. I still remember what he told me. He said: nobody would like a girl with four eyes. Even if you ever ditched your stupid glasses, you'd be as ugly as a...I won't say that word. But everyone else joined him and laughed at me and wouldn't stop either. Even after I started sobbing. Then he shoved me down, cussed me out again, and walked away."

"That is just terrible," said Rarity.

"Yes it was," said Cream, "And he continued to call me ugly and other nasty names up until he was actually adopted and I never saw him again. But he bullied me for years and even when Kalinka came to make him stop...his words still haunt me every time I look in the mirror and see my glasses on my face." Roll and Kalinka looked at her sadly when Cream just looked at Rarity with a serious glare.

"And I know Judas did the same to you," Cream concluded. Rarity then made a devastated face.

"I...I...I don't know..."

"I don't need Twilight to see that is true," Cream pressed on, "When we were resting on the train home, I heard you mutter his name. I bet because I said you looked pretty being dirty and barefoot and you seemed to be fighting with yourself over what I said and what he used to tell you." Rarity just grew quiet before her eyes watered and then she sighed in defeat.

"You're right," said Rarity, "He is the reason I feel I need to look perfect." Cream then saw the final lock shatter and all the chains disappeared around Rarity, returning the background back to normal.

 _So that is how you get rid of those...psyche-locks that Twilight told me about,_ Cream thought, _but poor Rarity is crying now. Should I have..._

"When I was in elementary school," Rarity replied quiet as a few tears left her eyes, "I had developed a...crush on Judas. He was actually very handsome and was very popular around the girls for being rather smooth and charming. There was this...dance where the girl had to ask the guy...sounds old fashioned and makes us sound old but our school apparently liked traditions from the 1980s. But anyhow, I decided to ask Judas out during lunch. His reply...was face planting his sandwich in my face. He told me: why would I date such a ugly girl. Even your fashion stinks! It tore me apart. In fact, I nearly gave up wanting to be a fashion designer because of him. He made it his goal to make me look ugly in public all through elementary, middle school, and my first year in high school.

"Just your first year?" Cream asked puzzled.

"It was after that first year I had had enough," said Rarity, "And Twilight, being the super genius she is, managed to graduate that same year despite being one year older than me. That was when she found out about the Animal part of town and I begged her to let me take her with me. I know I missed out on alot of high school events, especially the prom, which I would have loved to have gone to and shown off one of my gowns for, but...he had broken me. No matter how I dressed or how much makeup I put. It only hid the pain and insecurity that had developed inside of me. As much as I try to look glamorous and beautiful on the outside, it only hides the pain I have inside from all those harsh words. While I can find some self-confidence in my own clothes and beauty style, if I can't look like I want to be...all that confidence just disappears." Rarity just let herself cry openly.

"I just feel like without my makeup looking just right or wearing the right clothes and accessories that I'm not beautiful," Rarity sobbed, "It is only thanks to you, Roll, and Kalinka that I've even found the confidence to leave my makeup off again...or not wear any shoes for that matter."

"Do you like being barefoot with us?" Cream asked.

"It feels rather awkward I'll admit," Rarity replied, "being so plain looking but...I know you wouldn't just...kid about me with this...right? RIGHT?" Rarity was on the verge of breaking down when Cream rushed into her arms for a hug. Rarity just welcomed her hug and just let herself cry some more. It amazed her just how easy it was to let go with Cream. Normally, she would have tried failingly to hold back, which was the reason why her mascara often ran when she cried. Since she had forgone her makeup, she didn't have to worry about it running. She just cried freely and openly as Cream just hugged her tenderly.

"I'm so sorry Rarity," said Cream sadly, "I was only trying..."

"No, it's alright dear," said Rarity, "That's something that I've been needing to discuss with you anyway. After all, it means alot to me that I don't have to work so hard on my looks to be beautiful to you guys. It means the world that I inspire you with your natural beauty rather than my talented beauty."

"I hope you know that we can think you're beautiful too," said Twilight, "We've never thought otherwise."

"But I'm sure my perfectionist attitude about it really annoyed you all," Rarity said quietly.

"Eh, we all annoy one each other some way or another," said Twilight as she sat next to her, "so don't worry about it. But we're still best friends forever and love one another. We're all here for you." Cream, Kalinka, and Roll nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," said Rarity with a smile, "Maybe I can go for more...simple looks and no makeup for a while. I just hope...I'll look alright..."

"You will," said Twilight, "So Cream, what do you think about the magatama?" Cream just pondered.

"It seems that this little gem can really help with people who have bottled up secrets and pains," said Cream, "and that the truth, at least in this case, benefits everyone. But I know for a fact that won't always be the case."

"Maybe in some circumstances," said Twilight, "But if you use it at the right occasion, even if it's a bad or rough situation, things will still turn out for the better."

"True," said Cream, "if my new abilities are temporary or only when I...wait...where is the gem?" Twilight and Rarity then blinked when they saw that they had been holding the gem. Kalinka just whistled.

"Guess your new ability is a part of you now," said Kalinka, "You don't even need the manga...mega...your gem..." Kalinka felt stupid not being able to pronounce the name properly but Cream just smiled.

"I would still like to keep it with me," said Cream, "these new powers are not to be taken lightly. As I said before, I need to be responsible when I use it." Everyone just nodded in agreement as Kalinka just rested her head on Roll's shoulder. Cream then noticed that it was after 10pm.

"It's getting late," said Cream, "Umm...Roll..."

"Say no more," said Roll, "I can grab some extra blankets for a mini slumber party."

"Really?" Kalinka asked.

"Let's face it sis," said Roll, "After everything that has happened, I think we could use some fun."

"That's nice and all," said Twilight, "But we don't have anything but our clothes on our backs. No disrespect Rarity, but even you won't wear your current outfit to sleep in."

"True, but I'm always prepared," said Rarity as she set down a lavender storage pipe, "and I do have an extra pajama top and shorts for you, along with a spare toothbrush."

"Uhh...thanks," said Twilight wearily.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"Now who could that be this late in the hour?" Roll pondered aloud, "unless you had your other sisters waiting out here for you."

"No, Rarity was the only one," said Twilight as Roll went to open the door. She was surprised to see Shenran and Fluttershy together.

"Hey Roll," he replied, "We were worried when Twily and Rares didn't come home."

"There has also been some late breaking news that we don't feel we could wait until morning to discuss with you," Fluttershy added. Roll just nodded, curious about the news as they entered. Fluttershy had worn a peach tank with a denim skirt while Shenran had the exact same tank but with a pair of jean shorts. Neither of them had shoes, but that had become the norm for them.

"Hey little brother," said Twilight, "What bring you guys out here so late?"

"You two mostly," said Fluttershy, "Plus Rainbow told us about Kalinka."

"How are you doing sweetheart?" Shenran asked gently and cuddled her close. Kalinka just relaxed in his arms.

"Fine thank you," said Kalinka, "Just drained. Now what is this big news all about?"

"It's terrible," Fluttershy began, "You guys know of Julian right?"

"The flirtatious unicorn who acts like a womanizer and yet looks like a woman himself?" Roll asked with a snort. Everyone looked at the blonde girl stunned.

"That was a bit...crude," Rarity remarked.

"Sorry," Roll retorted with an eye roll, "He once tried to flirt with me and he never apologized for offending me."

"I see," said Shenran, "Well he was actually a friend of Fluttershy's and...well..." Fluttershy looked rather distressed.

"He's dead," Fluttershy sadly and everyone gasped.

"He's dead?!" said Rarity in shock, "What...how?"

"They said that he was murdered," said Fluttershy, "and it's a huge deal."

"How?" said Kalinka, "Murders happened rather regularly back in our part of the world."

"But they never happen around here!" Fluttershy replied, "The last time there was a murder was before Tortimer was born. So this is a serious crime and the police believe that they know who did it too."

"Who?" Cream asked.

"Some purple kangaroo named Sylvia," said Fluttershy. Roll suddenly looked rather uncomfortable and looked away.

"No...no she...she couldn't have," said Roll, "I knew she could be violent but...I...I never thought she would actually cross the line completely."

"Well didn't you say she nearly tried to kill you just about a year ago around this time?" Rarity asked.

"Well...yeah...but..." said Roll and groaned as she held her head in frustration.

"Try not to think about it too much," said Shenran, "Sylvia has been quite a troublemaker over the years. From what I can see, she's finally getting what she deserves."

"What is the punishment for murder around here?" Kalinka asked, "Back home it was close to life in prison unless it was a large scale homicide."

"Around here, they believe in an "eye for an eye" punishement," Twilight replied quietly, "If she is convicted, she will die."

"You mean...capital punishment?!" Cream and Roll exclaimed in shock. Twilight nodded as Shenran just smirked.

"She deserves it," said Shenran, "after what she did to Roll..."

"How _dare_ you!" Roll snapped angrily as she rose to her feet and glared at him, "Sylvia may be a jerk and a bully, but nobody deserves that! Not ever her!" Roll then dashed upstairs. Fluttershy just glared.

"Not cool, big brother," said Fluttershy before rushing upstairs to comfort the blonde girl. Shenran just sighed to herself.

"I didn't mean to upset her," he replied, "It just angers me so much that she was so cruel to Roll. After all, Roll is like my little sister too, I hate knowing someone tried to beat her to death."

"Do they even have proof that she was the one who did it?" Cream asked.

"Actually, I don't know," said Shenran, "All we know is that she was near the body when the police found her, but...she wasn't carrying any weapon of some sort. She could have bashed his head in after all..."

"Shenran, please!" Kalinka whimpered as the thought of blood was starting to enter her mind.

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot about that," Shenran corrected and hugged her close, "I'm sorry Kalinka. You'll be okay." Shenran continued to cuddle the frazzled girl and even kissed her forehead for comfort. Twilight and Rarity decided to head upstairs to find Roll. Cream suddenly noticed that the magatama was glowing. She picked it up and deep down she felt like it was trying to tell her something about this. A determined look appeared on her face before she dashed upstairs to see Roll. The brown haired girl found Roll just pacing upstairs, fuming to herself as Fluttershy watched her from the bed.

"The nerve of Shenran to say that!" Roll vented, "I know she wasn't very nice and yes, she did try to beat me up. But that doesn't mean that she deserves to be punished by death."

"That is true Roll," Fluttershy remarked, "and Shenran didn't mean to offend you. He's just protective of you is all. But...what if she really did kill him? She will have to answer to that." Roll just looked at Fluttershy sadly.

"What if I told you that I don't feel like that is the case," said Roll, "and that I hoped Sylvia would see the error of her ways and we could be friends. I believe there is still good in her. Master Yumi feels the same way. After all, I'm a princess of friendship too now. Twilight was able to reform her old college rivals Starlight and Sunset. Why can't I see if I can save Sylvia?"

"But the only way you could do that is if you represent her in court," Rarity added, "You are very smart and talented Roll, but do you have the knowledge to be an...an attorney?" Roll gave her a very sad and defeated look.

"No..." Roll said quietly, "I don't...and I don't know of anyone who does." That was when Cream adjusted her glasses and walked into the room.

"I do," she said quietly, making the girls jump in surprise.

"Really, you studied law?" Twilight asked in surprise.

"Yes I did," said Cream, "I took two summer semesters at a nearby law school. And I read about the judicial system from time to time. You all said that I have a strong sense of truth and justice. I think I can do it." Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight just looked at her with uncertainty.

"Cream, darling," Rarity began, "You are very smart, but..."

"But what?" Cream asked with her hands on her hips.

"Reading about the law and the justice system and actually being an attorney are two different things," said Rarity, "And you can't seriously tell me you've actually done a real trail before." Cream just looked at her quietly.

"Does a junior trial count?"

"WHAT?!" they all exclaimed.

"It was about three years ago," Cream explained, "Someone's diary had been stolen and they had blamed Kalinka for the theft despite the fact she had been nowhere near the scene of the crime. Since the headmaster didn't care about such matters, those accusing Kalinka got to decide everything from the prosecution to the punishment, which was a group beating. The trail was as crooked as you could get, but I wasn't going to let my sister pay for something she didn't do. I shocked them all. I was able to counter every false testimony to the point that even the prosecutor was gritting her teeth at me and then finally the girl who had accused me attacked me in rage because I was able to prove all her witnesses were lying. She was about to smash her fist into my face when someone in charge managed to pry her off of me just in time. When she struggled, it turned out her diary was in her jacket pocket the whole time. It was one of the rare times the supervisors actually took charge and settled the situation. So...I have a good idea of what I'm up against."

"But...are you sure you can handle it," Twilight asked worried, "Whoever is going to prosecute is going to be, if not, more aggressive and degrading. They won't hold back because you are young. If you give them the chance, they will tear you apart."

"I'm not going down without a fight," said Cream, "In fact, I plan to use my age an my advantage. The point is that I too feel like something isn't right about all of this. Roll needs someone to represent Sylvia in court and I'm offering to do it. Has anyone else offered?"

"According to sources, no one wants to defend her," said Fluttershy, "it's like the word "murder" is like a repellent. As soon as it's mentioned, they turn the case down."

"Then I'll do it," said Cream, "I'll show Sylvia just what is means to be a true friend. And...cause I want to help my sister and I love her too." The other girls giggled as Roll rushed into Cream and hugged her tightly.

"Thanks Cream," said Roll before heading downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Cream asked.

"I need Kalinka to contact Isabelle," said Roll, "if you are going to be Sylvia's attorney, you're going to need some certification and other credentials. Kalinka has the power do that now." Cream just nodded in understanding before walking over to Twilight.

"You studied law too while in college correct?" Cream asked as the dark maroon haired girl nodded, "I could use an assistant to help me with the trail and investigation." Twilight smiled.

"I think I might be of some help," said Twilight, "And I've always wanted to do an investigation so count me in!" Twilight clapped giddily as Cream just chuckled to herself.

But deep down she was feeling rather nervous.

 _I really have no idea what I'm about to get myself into,_ Cream thought, _But my mission is clear. Help Sylvia and find out the truth._

 **Sorry for the slow start and the long update, but this chapter ended up being more of a prelude to the main story arc. I wanted to explain how Cream obtained the magatama and how she came to terms with how to use it. The real story will began in the next chapter.**

 **I'm also fairly new to the Ace Attorney universe and I'm relying heavily on both fan series "Turnabout Strom" and "My Little Investigations" for information sources. The actual characters won't be in the story (Well maybe just the Judge, but he's pretty much an unanimous character anyway), but some abilities might be.**

 **FYI: If you want to see the ability "spirit channeling", you won't find it in this story arc. Sorry in advance.**

 **See u next time.**


	74. Turnabout Crossing Part 2

Turnabout Crossing Part 2

June 22, 7:35pm

Animal Town Train

By evening of the next day, Isabelle had taken care of the certification and paperwork that Cream and Twilight needed. Cream was now a certified attorney of the law with Twilight as her right hand assistant. Cream felt very excited as she clipped her brand new attorney badge to her outfit, which was basically the Animal Crossing new leaf logo decorated in metallic gold and some silver lining in it. Twilight had a similar badge with her as well that she could clip to her own top. They also had a similar carry on badge with them as well and some additional papers giving them a warrant for any additional investigations that might need to be done. Cream knew just how important a warrant would be should they have to investigate and they wanted to minimize any possible interference. She knew that if anyone had something to hide, they would know their legal rights and Cream needed whatever was necessary to get around any excuses they might use to hide the truth from her.

With their required paperwork and badges, Isabelle got the special train ready to take the two of them to the detention center where Sylvia was being held until her trial. Cream wanted to speak to Sylvia right away. After all, what good was offering to be her attorney if she didn't have the consent of the purple kangaroo herself. Unlike the prison where their mother had once been kept, the detention center was on a peninsula along the edge of the sea where it often became foggy late at night and during early mornings. But this just meant that both girls were going to wear a jacket to the detention center since their arms had a slightly less tolerance to cool humid air. Their legs and feet had no problems to it whatsoever. Twilight was just looking at her outfit and lifted her barefoot as they sat together on what was now Kalinka's private railcar.

"Cream while I'm willing to go with your "being professional doesn't include shoes" idea because I said I would go barefoot with you to be supportive," Twilight remarked, "shouldn't we have dressed a little more professional for this?" Twilight asked this question because they had chosen to be twinsies for their attire. However, Cream had picked for them some basic black denim jackets over a white tube top and a pair of matching black demin pedal pushers that were folded below the knee cap. It was such a casual attire for the two of them. Twilight had tied her hair in a ponytail with her favorite purple twinkle star hairclip. Cream had worn her giant bow in white.

"Our attire was all part of my master plan," Cream answered as she sat Indian style on her train seat, "and the barefoot thing is just how I roll and you know that. You're the one who wanted to do it too."

"Okay...but I'm not following this so called master plan of yours right now with the outfits," Twilight asked, feeling rather puzzled as she scratched her head.

"We would stick out like sore thumbs if we dressed too professionally," said Cream, "I figured that if we dressed a little casually, we would kind of...well..." Cream had lost her train of thought for a moment, but then Twilight understood.

"I get it," said Twilight, "We won't draw as much attention to ourselves dressed so casually. Plus if anyone is stopping people from being her attorney, we will be less likely to be watched or threatened."

"Exactly," said Cream, "and besides, I know alot of self defense thanks to some training with Master Yumi. No matter how secure this place claims to be. It's still dangerous. So...I'm ready for anything."

"Good to know," said Twilight, grateful she had taken self-defense too years ago, "I just hope you have a more professional attire for the courthouse."

"Nice blouse with a black over-jacket, and either black knee high skirt or pedal pushers," said Cream.

"and shoes?"

"None"

"And your bow?"

"Wouldn't leave without it," said Cream with a smirk and Twilight just giggled to herself. She couldn't help but feel like she was literally talking to herself when she was ten years old. Not in terms of her attire choices, but more by the fact that Cream was so organized and was not afraid to show it. Within another twenty minutes, the train stopped just outside of the prison center. So they were able to just take a quick walk towards the entrance and make their way inside.

June 23, 7:55pm

Detention Hall 0918

"Where do we..." Cream wondered as they looked around.

"Right this way," said Twilight as she guided the young girl towards the area where Sylvia was located. Before they could reach the door, they were stopped by two rather burly human guards.

"Who are you?" they asked in a stern tone. Cream was a little startled but she gathered her courage.

"I'm...I'm here to speak to Sylvia Kangaroo," said Cream.

"Identification please," they stated in a robotic tone. Cream held her gold leaf badge before their eyes. Twilight did the same. However the guards looked unphased.

"Aren't you a little young to be an attorney?" one guard asked in a blunt tone.

"Yes, yes I am," said Cream with a smile. Twilight was rather stunned at how easily she had answered the guard. The guard didn't smile back and examined her badge as Cream just continued to smile. Twilight was couldn't tell if the young girl was trying to just be brave or using her cuteness to influence the guards. The guards clearly didn't look that impressed as he dialed a number and summoned someone from inside. The third guard soon arrived look at the badge and then nodded.

"Alright, you are clear to enter," said the guard, "But be warned, your time inside is exactly thirty minutes with your defendant. Not a second more."

"Will I be notified when my time is up?" Cream asked politely.

"Yes," he answered straight out, "Now proceed."

"Thank you sirs," said Cream sweetly and made her way inside. But as they walked inside, they could hear the guards murmuring to each other.

"Strange attire"

"Not really, attorneys tend to stick out like sore thumbs. The fact she's going incognito is a smart move. She won't be easily targeted."

"I was referring to the fact she was barefoot."

"Eh, that's current fashion trends for you."

Cream and Twilight just giggled quietly to each other as they made their way down the hall. They soon arrived at the booth where they would speak to Sylvia behind a glass wall. This glass wall was bullet proof and soundproof so Cream had brought an approved headset and connected it to a socket so she could speak to Sylvia with it. Sylvia's end had a mic and built in speaker so she could hear her without any type of phone or headset. Cream just released a long breath as she crossed her ankles underneath the chair nervously. Twilight had her own headset to listen in on the conversation as she sat next to the brown haired girl and crossed her legs, but she didn't have a mic so Cream could handle the discussion on her own and add her two cents if necessary. She could tell Cream looked very nervous as her hands looked rather clammy.

"Hey are you okay?" Twilight asked as she placed a hand on her shoulder. Cream flinched at the contact before just looked at her with a worried look.

"I...am just trying to go over what I want to ask her," said Cream quietly.

"You could take out your notepad silly," said Twilight, "and what about the magatama?" Cream then blinked before she slapped her forehead.

"I'm so stupid," said Cream as she reached into her purse and pulled out a notepad. She had just grabbed her pencil when...

"Who the heck are you!" someone barked, nearly making Cream fall backward as she used the tips of her toes to grab the edge of the counter. She looked up to see the purple kangaroo just glaring at her, wearing the typical orange jumpsuit, staring at her foot with a disgusted face.

"That's just...weird," the kangaroo as Cream just straightened herself and crossed one leg over the other.

"That's who I am, don't question it," Cream remarked in a stern tone, "but enough about me. I've come here to see you."

"Why?" Sylvia remarked indignantly, "what business do you have with someone like me?" Cream just glared before Sylvia's eyes darted towards the girl sitting next to her.

"Is that...Twilight?" said Sylvia, "What is the princess of friendship doing here to see the likes of me? My problems are certainly not a friendship problem. At least if I actually _had_ a problem!" Sylvia didn't hesitate to air quote that statement. Twilight looked a bit annoyed but Cream kept her face stern.

"We know you have a problem," said Cream, "I'm here because another princess of friendship asked me to help you." Sylvia's mouth hung out of her jaw for three seconds before she shook her head.

"Another princess of friendship?" she exclaimed, "But...I thought only Twilight was..."

"My sister has been crowned as a princess of friendship as well," said Cream bluntly, "Actually, I offered my services to her. Since I was the only one she knew who was qualified for this situation." Sylvia just looked a little stunned and then narrowed her eyes at the brown haired girl. She glared for a few seconds and Cream just gave her a glare in return. There was a split second of shock that appeared on her face, but then it faded just as quickly.

"You're that blonde's sister aren't you?" she asked quietly. Cream was rather surprised, but she managed to hide it.

"How'd you guess?" Cream asked quietly.

"You've got her face...sort of," said Sylvia, "You're glasses don't hide the fact you two have similar color layers in your eyes."

"I see," said Cream, bouncing her leg a bit.

"Kind of surprising through," Sylvia admitted, "that she of all people would send someone to see me in a place like this. After what I tried to do to her, you would think she would be glad that I'm in here."

"Not really," said Twilight, finally seeing her opportunity to speak, "She's been worried about you since you took off on her. Despite everything you did to her, she still tried to save your life when you fell off that cliff."

"I still think she should have left me to drown," Sylvia muttered.

"Shut up Sylvia," Cream snapped, "All life is precious, no matter what your past is or what mistakes you have made. She wants to help you, but because she doesn't know law like I do. I volunteered to do so." Sylvia just rolled her eyes.

"So what is in it for you for helping me?" Sylvia remarked in her smug tone, "A gold star or something?" Cream just softened her glare and looked at her sadly.

"Nothing," said Cream, "I just save you from dying." Sylvia grew quiet, but her mind just couldn't understand it.

"Why?" she replied, this time in a softer tone, "Why help me if you get nothing out of it? That makes no sense. That's stupid."

"It's called compassion, Sylvia," said Cream, "and don't you dare say its pity. Pity is when you feel bad for someone but don't do anything about it. Compassion is when you actually get off your butt and take initiative. And it offers help freely and expects nothing in return. As far as I'm concerned you need all the help you can get. You are being tried for murder and unless someone like me cares about your well-being. You won't be alive for much longer." Sylvia just looked at her quietly, before exhaling and looked at her once more as Cream held the magatama in her hands.

"Well, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to be 100% honest with me, Sylvia," she said in a serious tone. Sylvia just stayed quiet but gave a small nod.

"Did you murder Julian?" Cream asked straight out.

"NO!" Sylvia barked loudly and angrily. Cream just stayed unamused to the kangaroo's seething as she just looked at her gem.

 _Hmm...nothing...which is actually a good sign._ Cream then smiled and kangaroo looked puzzled.

"Wha-"

"Sylvia," Cream replied calmly.

"What?" the kangaroo asked defensively.

"I believe you," Cream answered with a smile. Sylvia was just left stunned.

"You...do?" Sylvia replied in disbelief.

"Yes I do," said Cream, "ever since I heard the news. I could feel that something wasn't right. You may have been brutal in the past, but you would never go so far as to actually kill someone would you?"

"No, I wouldn't," Sylvia replied in a rude.

"Roll knew you wouldn't either," said Cream, "If you want me to, I will help prove your innocence and find the truth. The question is...do you want me too?" Sylvia wanted to just scream at the girl to get lost and leave her alone, but her outer shell was cracking. She soon realized that she was losing her ability to hide the fear that had been growing inside of her since the day those officers had arrested her. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was afraid to die.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice do I?" said Sylvia quietly, "Nobody else wants to be my lawyer. Don't blame them though. I got no money to pay for one and who knows what crook they would give me at the courthouse."

"That is why I came here tonight," said Cream, "at least you know someone is willing to fight for you and it is someone you can trust."

"I don't trust anybody," said Sylvia.

"Why do you find it hard to trust someone?" Cream asked. Sylvia froze a bit and the chains appeared around her and before Cream also appeared four red and yellow locks.

 _Hmm...looks like I've uncovered something,_ Cream thought, _but I don't know enough about Sylvia to break these locks. Not yet anyway, but I feel that I might need to at a later time._ Cream just closed her eyes and breathed a bit before reopening them. This made the locks and chains to disappear. Sylvia just looked at her.

"Are you cuckoo or something?" said Sylvia, "You were staring at me for a bit there." Cream just snorted.

"That is something I'll reveal to you in good time," said Cream, "I doubt you were going to answer that question."

"Uhh...no!"

"Then don't worry about it," said Cream firmly, "Do you want me to be your lawyer or not? My time in here is running out so make your choice." Sylvia just started for a second before closing her eyes.

"I still don't understand why you're doing this," said Sylvia, "but if you think you can get me out of this, more freedom to you. Fine, I want you to be my lawyer." Cream just smiled warmly.

"I won't make you regret that decision," said Cream, "thank you Sylvia."

"Yeah, yeah, just go do whatever it is you do and get me out of this clank!" Sylvia snapped annoyingly. Cream just nodded and got to her feet. Twilight just nodded before getting up as well. She had taken some notes quietly on her own while sitting beside Cream and closed her notebook before they made their way out. Their time had just ended exactly as they exited the main hall and headed for the detention center exit.

"I'm rather surprised," said Cream to Twilight as they walked back toward the train station.

"Not really," said Twilight, "You had to expect her to be difficult and degrading."

"Actually, I was referring to the fact you were so quiet," said Cream, "I thought you would have jumped in more during the conversation."

"You seemed to handle the situation on your own," said Twilight with a smile, "I didn't feel the need to jump in. And...you're like Roll. You've got a good heart. Don't let anybody tarnish it okay."

"Okay," said Cream, "Let's head back to the house and regroup. We need to find out where to gather some evidence before the trial."

"Sounds like a plan partner, let's do this!" Twilight replied with a fist pump. Then the two girls linked arms and skipped happily back to their train. Instead of going back to Animal Town, they made their way towards Crystal Tokyo instead.

June 22 10:00pm

Crystal Tokyo Main Street

Apparently it was on Sakura's main street that the murder had taken place. Cream and Twilight wasted no time visiting the crime scene to investigate for any clues. Twilight had packed a spare camera with her to take pictures, but seeing how late at night it was, Cream didn't seem to find the camera very useful.

"Maybe we should have waited until the morning for pictures and evidence gathering," Cream suggested.

"No, we'll be fine," said Twilight as she adjusted the lenses and focus, "Lucky built me this camera himself and its really good at taking clear and concise pictures in the nighttime. Plus we have all the eyesight we need." Twilight lifted her left foot an wiggled her toes.

"I thought only I could perform seismic sense?" Cream asked curiously.

"I've been studying your little technique and its pure genius," said Twilight, "I'm hoping I can convince you to teach Shenran and my sisters how to use this technique as well. I actually hope you'll share this technique to others who could use it. It could save lives during a blackout or for those who do suffer from blindness."

"Like me," Cream remarked.

"Cream, you can still see without your glasses," Twilight, "You just can't read without them. Big difference. There are people out there who are completely blind." Cream just sighed.

"I know I should be grateful that my eyes aren't that damaged and all," Cream added as they headed towards main street, "and that there are people worse off, but...I still feel like a nerd. A very, ugly nerd."

"Hey, I'm a nerd, you don't like me? Aren't I pretty?" Twilight asked with a pout. Cream laughed.

"I like you," Cream answered, "You make being a nerd really cool..and beautiful." Twilight giggled to herself. She was never the one who wanted to be cool back on her school days, but seeing someone look up to her really made Twilight feel good about herself. It wasn't long before they reached the taped area where the murder had taken place which was located near the lone bench along the main street outskirts. The two girls were soon stopped by some local policeman. While they were humanoid dogs, these cops were not Booker or Cooper.

"This is a restricted area," said the first officer, "You are not authorized to be here and I must ask you to..."

"Cream Koritsa, attorney at law," the young girl replied as she showed them her badge, "and this is my assistant. Twilight S Amicitia." They clearly didn't believe her, but seeing the legit badge made them keep their mouths shut about it...and the fact she was barefoot. Cream knew the latter because they were both looking at her feet before looking at her.

"Very well," said the second officer, "proceed." Cream smiled and she and Twilight entered the area. Twilight couldn't help but bounce of her toes a little.

"Okay, let's get started!" she replied.

 _She seems very enthusiastic about this_ , Cream thought as she examined the chalk-like silhouette that represented the spot where Julian's body was laid.

"That's odd," said Cream, "There is no blood."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Twilight asked, not trying to make a face.

"Well blood would at least give a clue to a possible weapon that was used to kill him," said Cream as she used the camera to take a few snapshots. "I don't see...hey wait a minute here!" Cream knelt down beside the outline and traced a quick finger over the inside area. Her finger came up covered in something black. Twilight could tell it wasn't dirt and that it was some sort of charred grime.

"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick," Twilight cringed.

 _There goes her enthusiasm,_ Cream said to herself as she examined the grime on her fingers.

"This is...very interesting..." said Cream.

"What did you find?" Twilight asked as she knelt beside her. Cream picked up a small handful of the grime.

"This appeared to be charred unicorn fur," said Cream.

"Could it be that he was burnt to death?" Twilight suggested. Cream just examined the black ashes carefully.

"No," said Cream, "This type of burn wasn't cause by some sort of fire. This is the type of burn that comes from a high voltage of electricity."

"You mean he was electrocuted?" said Twilight.

"That is the deduction that I'm getting around here," said Cream. Twilight just stroked her ponytail in confusion.

"That is weird," said Twilight, "There is no weapon strong enough to fire such a strong discharge. At least no hand pistol that I can think of."

"Maybe he could have been hit by a lightning storm," Cream pointed out, "wasn't there one just a couple of days ago?"

"Cream, be realistic," said Twilight, "the chances of being struck by lightning is as possible as you creating a law to ban shoes for all humans in the Animal World." Cream looked hurt.

"If you hate it so much..."

"I don't Cream," said Twilight, "The fresh air between my toes is actually keeping my stress level down and I feel like I can think better with the cool air around my feet. I'm just making an point that the chances of someone being killed by a random lightning strike is far too rare around here."

"Not on the Animal World race track," said Cream, rolling her eyes, not wanting to remember her last race on that track a week ago.

"That's an exception," said Twilight, "the point is that the idea of Julian dying by lightning doesn't make sense. There is no weapon out there that could cause such a voltage high enough to electrocute someone to death. Not a legally owned weapon that is."

"From what Cherry told me," said Cream, "Sylvia was more used to brute physical force, not weapons. The closest thing to any type of weapon could be graffiti art. But...who ever heard of someone dying from a strike on the head with a paint can?"

"True," Twilight added, "and there would have been spots of blood around the head if that had been the case where he had been struck. Let's keep looking around." Cream began to tap the ground with her right foot a bit to get a better scan. She soon detected something nearby when her toe bumped it.

"What is this?" said Cream as she back up a bit and knelt beside what her foot hit. Twilight lightly sprinted over and knelt beside a patch of dirt.

"Is that a...gun?" said Twilight. Cream looked at it again before taking a picture.

"No...it's a taser," said Cream, "I can tell because there's no release to put bullets in it. Strange...it's like it was a taser gun that had been used a murder weapon."

"How is that even possible?" said Twilight, "tasters are supposed to only stun, not kill."

"I'm not sure," said Cream, "but you can see alot of dirt around it, showing that someone went to alot of trouble to hide this. Just look at all the dirt. The weapon must have been sitting her for a while and must not have been noticed by the police."

"I see," Twilight replied, "They were clearly trying to hide this!"

"I just noticed something else!" Cream pointed out, "This gun is charred as well! Like it was burnt out or something."

"Now that is interesting..." Twilight pointed out as she took another picture of the weapon. She just hummed a bit before nodding.

"Someone must have really wanted to make a clean get away with this murder," said Twilight, "I mean. Just look at this thing...it's like they fired this thing full blast. It's the only way this taser could have gotten this out of shape."

"Uh-huh," said Cream as she took a peek at the hole inside the taser, "Well we better keep this with us. It might come in handy."

"Anything else?" Twilight asked curiously. Cream scratched her chin a bit and then noticed something underneath her feet.

"Look at these markings along the ground," said Cream, "they are about the same size as his body!"

"Yeah, you're right," said Twilight, "it was as if someone had tried to hide his body from the police." Twilight took another snapshot. Cream then noticed something else.

"Hey look at this!" said Cream as she noticed something else laying in the dirt.

"It...looks like a stick of some sort," said Twilight and took a picture of it, "doesn't look like its much of use now. Whatever it was..."

"Well, anything helps," said Cream, "I think that is about it for now...I don't sense anything else nearby." Cream walked a little bit towards Sakura's kicks shop when she sensed something.

"Twilight! Over here!" the brown haired girl cried out.

"What is it?" Twilight asked, Cream knelt down and pointed towards not one, but two sets of footprints.

"Interesting," said Twilight, "and they both seem to give off some sort of struggle."

"It also seems that they were not the same animal species," said Cream, "One's look like a shoe and the other...oh dear..." Twilight noticed the long thing shape and felt a bit worried herself.

"That...looks alot like a kangaroo footprint doesn't it?" Twilight replied worried.

"Yeah...they do," said Cream, "but what about these other footprints? I really hope Sylvia didn't hire someone to kill him...I mean there appears to be a third set of footprints here as well, but they look like the bottom of a sneaker or something."

"I don't think so," said Twilight, "I mean...if it was a hired job...why would Sylvia be so close to the crime scene. That's...pretty stupid if you ask me...yet those extra set of foot prints are mighty suspicious." Twilight took another picture, making note of the fact that some of the foot prints appeared near the body as well before tucking the developed pictures into her notebook.

"Indeed, Sylvia is not stupid," said Cream. _Just made some stupid moves and decisions_ , "I think that is all we're going to find here. Umm...when exactly is the trail anyway?"

"I have the date marked on my...uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Twilight looked at her smart phone and literally went agape and catatonic shock all at once. Cream looked unamused.

"It's tomorrow isn't it?" Cream asked calmly. Twilight shook herself out of her own shock.

"I...I thought it was still another day or so away," Twilight cried out, "We've only got tonight and tomorrow morning to come up with a case! What are we going to do!?" Twilight began to hyperventilate. Cream just sighed in defeat. She was upset but seeing Twilight unwound like this really wasn't helping her at all. Cream did the only thing she could do and just gave Twilight a hug. It apparently worked as Twilight settled instantly and just held her back.

"I still can't believe I didn't pay attention to my schedule," Twilight replied sadly, "I always follow my schedule. I hate being tardy. TAR-DEEE!"

"Calm down!" Cream said sternly, "You clearly didn't mean to do that. All we can do is make the best of it." Twilight just took a few deep breaths and just tried to settle down. Leaning her back against the wall as she sat down, she lifted both her legs into the air, stretching her toes as she breathed some more while the night air breezed between her toes.

"Oh yeah," said Twilight, "I can _totally_ get why you don't wear shoes. It's the perfect anxiety medicine for me." Cream just giggled to herself as Twilight stood up.

"Why are you not panicking right now?" Twilight asked curiously. Cream just shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm used to working under pressure due to just graduating school at an advanced pace," said Cream, "I usually panic on the inside." Little did Twilight know just how true that was.

June 23, 9:20am

Animal Crossing Courthouse

Courtroom 07

The trial was supposed to begin around 10am. Twilight had arrived an hour early so she and Cream could discuss some strategies on how to tackle what evidence they had with what other evidence to persecution would use. Twilight had picked out a pair of black pedal pushers with a white custom blouse and three quarter sleeved suit jacket. She had also left her two toned hair down with a black headband instead of her regular ponytail. Twilight had foregone her shoes since apparently staying barefoot helped her to relax a bit.

"The clock is ticking...the. clock. is. _ticking._ " She squeaked with a maniacal smile and a few of her down hairs were sticking out. Okay, maybe being barefoot wasn't help her that much for the moment. Cream was supposed to have arrived at 9am and it was slowly approaching 9:30 as Twilight paced frantically around the lobby outside the assigned courtroom.

"Where is Cream?" Twilight blurted out, "She was supposed to meet me 30 minutes ago. Sylvia is due in another 10 minutes. If she doesn't get here in time I'm gonna crack!"

"Okay, if I wasn't nervous before, I sure am now," said a voice. Twilight pulled a one eighty and saw that Cream had arrived, wearing a black formal knee high skirt with puffy mini sleeved cream blouse that had a loose black bowtie around the neck and a giant white ribbon in her stand-alone pigtails. Twilight just stared in shock.

"What?" Cream asked puzzled and looked at her feet, "I said I was coming barefoot. You did the same!"

"It's not your feet, it's your face," said Twilight, "Where's your glasses?" It was an interesting question but Cream had arrived without her brown frames on her face. The young girl just giggled and gave her a cute smile.

"I got rid of them and got myself some eye contacts," said Cream, "That's...kind of why I was late this morning. I guess I should've given you a heads up."Twilight's left eyes twitched a bit before she just gave her a smile.

"Oh no, not problem," Twilight answered, "I just love a good panic attack before an important trial we're clearly not prepared for!" The sarcasm in her tone was obvious as Cream just giggled to herself.

"You're so silly," said Cream with chuckle, "Anyway I'm sorry for being so late. But...I really wanted to get rid of my glasses for the trail."

"Why?" Twilight asked curiously as Cream rubbed her left arm.

"Because...I just don't feel...pretty wearing them," said Cream, "you might look beautiful with or without glasses Twilight, but...I've always felt like those glasses reminded me of my...biological mom." Twilight hummed to herself.

"I see," said Twilight, "because they said when you were found that you're eyes had been damaged. You blame her for the fact you have to wear glasses to see. Well, actually, you only need them to read."

"Yeah," said Cream, "I always felt like I was scarred for life because I needed them. At least with contacts, I don't need to wear them anymore. Now I can look in the mirror and at least look like I'm normal...even though I'm as far from it as possible."

"Being smart and wearing glasses is nothing to be ashamed of Cream," said Twilight, "and while you do have pretty eyelashes. Feeling beautiful comes from within, not just your physical appearance."

"I know," said Cream, "But I do feel better about how I look without them on my face. It's also why I don't wear shoes either. I just feel like I'm being...myself." Twilight just smiled, understanding Cream's logic as she gave her a hug.

"Well, you made your choice and I'll support it," said Twilight, "but just know that you were still beautiful wearing your glasses okay."

"If you say so," Cream sighed. As they both shared a hug.

"Well, isn't this just the sweetest thing," said Sylvia before making a disgusted sound from her mouth. She had arrived at the courthouse via a prison guard standing by. One of the few guards besides Roll who could take down Sylvia in a fight. In addition, someone had taken pity on her and provided the girl with a grey sports coat and white top with matching skirt for the trail. Twilight just rolled her eyes at her as Cream smiled.

"How are you doing this morning?" Cream asked, trying to be friendly.

"Just peachy keen," Sylvia replied, "Not like I'm going to get roasted and sentenced to my death in a few minutes or anything." Cream just kept smiling as if Sylvia hadn't said anything.

"Okay, and aside from that?" Cream asked sweetly, rocking on her bare feet and hands cupped behind her back. Sylvia just look dumbfounded.

"What is wrong with you?!" she barked, "my life is on the line here and you're giving me sweet-sweet chit chat right now!" Cream was a little offended, but hid it rather well.

"I'm just trying to be considerate of your feelings," said Cream, "Because I care about what you have to say. If you don't want to talk then that's your problem not mine." Sylvia just looked stunned and even Twilight stifled a giggle. Kalinka had always said Cream was good at turning people's bad attitudes against themselves. Twilight was now experiencing it firsthand.

"You are such a dork," Sylvia shot back.

"Yeah, well this dork wants to help you," Cream answered calmly, "If you've changed your mind, I can just leave..."

"Okay, okay!" Sylvia retorted, raising her hands in the air before letting out a loud huff. Cream then gave her a serious glare.

"Now listen to me very carefully Sylvia," said Cream with a very stern tone, "I'm going to do everything I can to get you acquitted, but you need to keep your mouth shut as I do as I say. I've seen and read enough court cases to know that most prosecutors are not afraid to hit below the belt and cross lines just to get under people's skin. If you lose your cool in there, you'll seal your fate right then and there and could jeopardize my defense. Is that understood?" While Cream was talking, she had given Sylvia "the stare" to make her point loud and clear. Sylvia just narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you," Sylvia pointed out. Cream just smirked.

"You're eyes and heartbeat say otherwise," Cream answered before stepping away from the kangaroo. Sylvia was seething with fury. If it weren't for the guard next to her, she probably would have tackled the brown haired girl right on the spot.

"Anybody know who the prosecutor is supposed to be?" Cream asked, "I'm not all that familiar with who in the Animal part of the world are known for being esteemed prosecutors."

"I know a few," said Twilight, "but most of them aren't much of a threat in my opinion. There is only one person who might pose a challenge..."

"Well, well, well, so the little murderer actually had the guts to show up?" said a voice with thick Bronx accent. Twilight's face paled as Cream looked rather apathetic, but also dreading turning around.

"He's right behind me isn't he?" Cream asked in a dreary tone. Twilight whimpered and nodded as Cream turned to face a rather ugly looking pig wearing a finely made black suit and tie. He gave Cream a very creepy looking smile.

"So you are the one defending this purple loser over there huh?" said the pig, "The name is Rasher, the greatest and most handsome prosecutor of the animal world. Soon to be the greatest prosecutor in the entire world!"

 _If I was into boys right now, I'd be SO turned off by your attitude and your fat face right now._ Cream thought.

"Cream Koritsa, Ace Attorney at law," said Cream, trying to be professional and extending a hand to Rasher. The pig just laughed at her loudly, not even bothering to return the handshake and looked at Sylvia.

"This is what they gave you for an attorney!?" he exclaimed, "a little baby girl who can't even remember to put her shoes on?"

"For your information Mr. Rasher," said Cream indignantly.

"Mr. Rasher is my father," said the pig, "it's just rasher. RAH-SHUR."

"I know how to talk thank you very much," said Cream, "Despite my age, I'm a high school graduate with a lawyer's certification." Cream showed her attorney badge. Rasher just laughed once again.

"They'll give just about any loser an attorney badge these days," he chuckled, "even a little baby who can't remember to put her shoes on!"

"According to section 37, subsection delta of the courthouse dress code of the Animal region," Cream explained, "Shoes are not a mandatory for proper attire and as for my bow, section 43, subsection beta says that as long as an accessory is not explicit or inappropriate it can be worn. Since when is a cute bow sexually provocative?" Rasher blinked before just smirking once more.

"So you do have a brain. Okay, then little girl. I'm going to say this nicely," said Rasher before sticking her face into Cream's, "I'm in charge of the legal system. You're friend is going to pay for Julian's blood with her own and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Cream glared.

"I hope that isn't a threat," said Cream as a matter of fact.

"No, it's the honest truth," said Rasher, "but if you want me to send you home crying to your mommy. It's no sweat off my chest little girl." Rasher then snickered to himself as he walked into the courtroom. Twilight was already freaking out.

"This is BIG! This is _really BIG_!" she exclaimed, "We're unprepared and we're going against Rasher. The meanest prosecutor in the courtroom! What are we gonna do? What are we..."

THWACK!

Cream slapped Twilight with the back of her hand.

"Get yourself together!" Cream snapped sternly, "We'll figure this out!"

"How?! We don't even have a proper defense case and it's making me nervous!" Twilight blurted out. All both girls could hear was the loud banging of Sylvia as she rapped her head against a nearby wall and grunted in frustration.

"I'm not helping much am I?" Twilight asked sheepishly.

"No," said Cream bluntly, "Let's just get inside and take things one step at a time." Twilight just nodded as they headed inside the main courtroom.

The courtroom itself was a sight to behold. In the center was the tall stand surrounded by some side walls with a few flat screen televisions connected to them. This stand was where the judge would come and stand to witness the trail. To the left was the desk where the prosecutor would stand to do his work. Cream and Twilight would be located on the right. Sylvia was off to the side from the left of the defendant's desk. The witness stand was located on the middle directly parallel from the judge's stand. On the outer edges were some seats where those who wanted to come to watch the court cases could do so freely. Normally, court cases weren't anything worth witnessing, but this was such a huge case that several villagers and mayors had come to see how things would turn out.

"This court looks so much different than the ones back in the human world," said Cream, "I don't even see a place for a jury."

"Most mayors, like you and Roll, are too young to serve jury duty," said Twilight, "so there law system compensates this by providing and vigorously testing their judges to be the most fair judges in the world. Even the slightest bias can have you removed from a case and any corruption could cost you your entire job."

"I see," said Cream when she noticed that Roll, Kalinka, Fluttershy, Rarity, Shenran, and Applejack had come to witness the events.

"I wonder what happened to Pinkie...and Rainbow for that matter?" Cream wondered.

"Pinkie is with Sakura, since she's taking the loss a bit hard," Twilight responded, "and Rainbow...I don't know why she didn't show up. I didn't think she'd care about trials, but...she could have at least been supportive."

"I guess..." Cream said quietly, now feeling very nervous.

"I'm sorry for panicking earlier," said Twilight, "I'm just nervous since it's my first time doing this too. Books can only teach you so much, the actual court experience is a whole another level."

"I know," said Cream.

"ALL RISE FOR AS THE JUDGE TAKES THE STAND!" said a voice on the corner that Cream couldn't make out. Once Twilight saw him, she smiled. While he was bald, had a thick white beard to cover his mouth.

"Oh, he's very fair," said Twilight, "and I hear he's got a soft spot for children. This might work to our advantage."

"I hope so..." Cream wondered. But she wasn't feeling very confident about that. The crowd just began to murmur once the judge had sat down.

BANG-BANG-BANG

"Court is now in session for the trail of Miss Sylvia Kangaroo," said the Judge, "Is the prosecution and the defense ready?"

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," said Rasher.

"The defense is ready...Your Honor," Cream replied in a professional tone. The Judge just blinked in surprise.

"Excuse me little lady," said the Judge, "but...where is the defense attorney?"

"I'm the defense attorney, Your Honor," Cream answered as the crowds began to murmur with each other. The Judge than banged his gavel once more.

"Order in the court," said the Judge, "Forgive me for asking...miss..."

"Cream...Cream Koritsa, Your Honor," Cream answered. The Judge was still having a hard time processing the idea that this little girl was the defense.

"Well...umm...y-yes..." the Judge stuttered, "you just seem rather young to be a certified defense attorney, Miss Koritsa."

"Cream may be young, Your Honor," said Twilight in the young girl's defense, "but she is more than qualified."

"That is true, Your Honor," said Cream, "I have brought my certification papers with me if you need further verification." The Judge gave her a firm nod as Cream approached his stand and handed him several papers regarding her education and certification as an attorney. As the Judge began to look at the papers, he also took note of the face that Cream was barefoot.

"May I ask where are your shoes, Miss Koritsa?" the Judge asked curiously. Cream had to fight hard not to roll her eyes.

"The dress code doesn't require them, Your Honor," said Cream, "As strange and unusual as it sounds, I just like being barefoot. It's who I am as an individual. I will admit that being barefoot does allow me to detect a person's heartbeat in order to determine if someone is lying or not telling the truith..."

"So being barefoot gives you an unfair advantage in this court case?" Rasher said sternly, "I request that Miss Koritsa be required to wear shoes during this court case!"

"That won't be necessary," said Cream, "Even if I were to detect that someone was laying with my bare feet, I would still need to provide the proper evidence that the individual was lying to the court. So the ability to detect lies with my feet is hereby, irrelevant unless additional proof is provided."

"I still say _real_ ladies wear shoes and only babies go about barefoot in a public place," Rasher retorted, "Cream should be required to wear them in this court room!"

OBJECTION!

"I've read the entire dress code of this court room from cover to cover," said Cream, "Shoes are not required in the dress code and my lie sensing ability is not relevant on its own."

"Then why bring it up?" Rasher remarked.

"Because I want to show this court that I have nothing to hide," said Cream honestly, "I've been looked down upon because of my age, my advanced intellect, and for being barefoot my whole life. A few more bystanders won't make a difference to me..." The crowds just murmured to each other as the Judge banged his gavel.

"While it is unorthodox, Miss Koritsa does give a valid point," said the Judge, "Unless she provides tangible evidence to prove someone is lying, her ability to use her feet to uncover truths and lies is not relevant. And as she stated, the courtroom dress code says that shoes are considered recommended, but are not required. Other then that, her attire is deemed acceptable. Thus, there will be no more further questions regarding her attire. Objection sustained.

"Yes...Your Honor," said Rasher with an irritated tone.

 _I don't expect you to understand my fetish nature, Rasher,_ Cream said to herself with a smirk, _but I'm glad to see that the legal system accepts me for who I am_.

"Now Miss Koritsa," said the Judge, "I'm assuming that this is your first trail is it not?"

"In an actual court, it is Your Honor?" Cream answered, "I've had some experience with an...unofficial judicial court case a few years ago."

"Like what? Baby bottle stealing? Diaper snapping?" Rasher asked mockingly.

"Private Diary/Journal stealing to be exact, Rasher," Cream answered sternly, annoyed at how Rasher kept talking down to her, "It was a very crooked trail and the prosecution even physically attacked me, but I still won the case nevertheless."

"Right," Rasher remarked as he coughed into his hand.

"I see," said the Judge, "Well then need I remind you that your conduct during this trail will decide the fate of Miss Sylvia. Murder is very serious charge in the Animal part of the world. I hope you can control your nerves."

"Y-y-yes, Your Honor," said Cream bravely.

"You may be a child, Miss Koritsa," said the Judge firmly, "but you will be treated like any adult here during this court case. I also have a few questions to ask you regarding your certification."

"Yes, Your honor," Cream answered. _Okay...stay calm...stay calm...and why can't I stop rubbing her toes against the back of my stand!_

"Please state the defendant of this case," the Judge requested.

"Miss Sylvia Kangaroo," Cream replied.

"Who was the name of the victim of this trail?" the Judge asked next.

"Mr. Julian G Unicorn," Cream answered.

"What does the G stand for?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Glamorous," Cream answered, making a face.

"Eugh!" Twilight added in agreement. The judge cleared his throat to get their attention once more.

"Correct," said the Judge, "Now what was the cause of his death?"

"While not specified in the courtroom notes, "said Cream, "(If someony had given me any...Twilight!) It was possible internal frying or electrocution. Neither have been determined yet."

"Very good Miss Koritsa," said the Judge, "You've answered all my questions. We can proceed with the case. I hope you're feeling a bit more relaxed now."

"Yes I am," said Cream, "thank you, Your Honor." _He has no idea how hard I am fighting not to pass out right now. I practically guess that last question!_ Twilight then noticed that she had been holding a printed copy of the courtroom notes the entire time. Cream gave her a discreet dirty glare as Twilight just giggled sheepishly as Cream snatched the note to look them over.

"Well, then...Mr. Rasher, since Cream pretty much gave the opening statement as to why we are here today," said the Judge, "We can proceed with this case. Cream has also mentioned that the victim had been speculated to have been electrified or fried. Can you please explain what the object that was discovered at the scene of the crime that appears to prove that this was the case?"

"According the the police reports," Rasher answered, "It appears to be some sort of blaster capable of generating a high rate of electrical voltage. There can be no doubt that this was the murderer's weapon of choice." The weapon was then presented to the court via a pair of flat screen televisions that were set up on each side of the Judge's pulpit.

 _That's strange,_ Cream thought, _That wasn't the same blaster that I had found near the scene of the crime when I went there last night. In fact, all I found was some sort of taser, but it was much smaller in size..._

"As you can see, Your Honor," Rasher continued confidently, "This is what is known to be a thunder blaster P32 series. It is a high voltage weapon capable of stunning and killing its target if the electrical surge is strong enough. According to the results given to us by the Animal Department of Forensic Studies, the murder happened just a little after 10:00pm on the night of June 19. The location of the death was near the eastern cliff just a few yards past Kick's shoe shop. His body appeared to have been fried both internally and externally, with most of the damage occurring internally in his body, especially around the heart. Another note of interest is that he had a large bruise on the left side of his head and his left forefinger had suffered a second degree burnt and his right hand was badly charred. It was around that same time that Miss Sylvia was found snooping around the body. It is concluded that Miss Sylvia is the owner of this supposed weapon that is responsible for the murder Mr. Julian."

"You have no proof of that," said Cream, but Rasher just chuckled to himself.

"That's what you think," said Rasher, "But we live in the 21st century little Miss Koritsa. There are ways to determine that the weapon presented before the court does belong to Miss Sylvia."

"Please go on, Mr. Rasher," said the Judge.

"The Animal Investigation Bureau did an extensive DNA scan regarding the fingerprints to this particular weapon," said Rasher, "Only two sets of fingerprints matched. Those of Julian and those of Miss Sylvia."

"What?!" Cream exclaimed.

"I've never seen that weapon before in my life!" Sylvia retorted angrily, "I don't ever use blasters! Nor have I ever owned one!"

"A likely story, Miss Sylvia," said Rasher, "I have reason to believe that she is the owner of this weapon. There can be no doubt that she was the one who killed Mr. Julian since her fingerprints were specifically found near the blaster's triggering mechanism!" The crowds began to murmur with each other as Sylvia began to feeling very uneasy.

"Hey, attorney!" Sylvia snarled in a whispered tone, "Don't just stand there and do something you idiot!" Cream just said nothing as the Judge banged his gavel to quiet the crowd down.

"Order in the court!" said the Judge firmly.

"Even if Sylvia was the owner of that particular weapon..." said Cream.

"Are you saying that I'm a lair?!" Sylvia barked, "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"...Do you have any proof that she didn't have any legal rights to possessing such a weapon?" Cream continued despite Sylvia's outburst, "The right to bear arms clause does allow for one to own a blaster if they feel the need to protect themselves or their family."

"Miss Koritsa," said the Judge appalled, "are you suggesting that Miss Sylvia would have a legal right to owning such a dangerous weapon?" Cream suddenly felt rather put on the spot.

 _You make me sound so evil when you put it that way_ Cream thought as she began to sweat. She then shook her head to recompose herself.

"I'm referring to Clause Six of the Animal Constitutional Amendment that allows for individuals to bear or posses weapons in terms of defense," Cream explained.

"But I don't think a weapon of this degree falls under that clause, Miss Koritsa," said the Judge.

"Wooks wike whittle Creamy forgot to chweck her whittle wesources carefully," Rasher taunted.

 _He did NOT just do baby talk at me!_ Cream said to herself as she gave Rasher a death glare.

"Well, you still pointed out another interesting fact about that weapon, Mr. Rasher," said Cream, keeping herself calm.

"And that would be?" Rasher asked.

"You said that there were two sets of finger prints on that blaster. Sylvia's and Julian's," Cream pointed out. Rusher Flinched.

"Umm..." Rasher stuttered.

"That leave the possibility that this blaster might not have been a point blank murder," said Cream, "Maybe Julian was the one in possession of that weapon."

"Yeah..." said Sylvia, "If I wanted to kiss someone with that so call giant taser, why would I get within three inches of the idiot to take the shot. The intensity of the blast would reveal who I was! Plus a weapon that size could be fired from a distance and still take him out!"

...

 _You really did not help your case by saying that_! Cream told herself as she began to sweat.

"So you admit that you could have used that weapon to kill Julian from a reasonable distance then?" said Rasher. Sylvia flinched.

"I...uhh...I..."

"My client, who should really shut her big mouth," said Cream, giving Sylvia a glare as she continued speaking, "was simply bringing up an interesting point that if one were to have used a blaster that size that they wouldn't not have to fire such a weapon face-to-face."

"And how would you know that this was a close range killing then?" Rasher asked indignantly. Cream then presented a picture to the courtroom via the flat screen.

"Take a look at this diagram I sketched together involving the crime scene," Cream told the courtroom, "The markings here represent where Julian's body was at the time of arrest. Near his body were several foot prints surrounding it. These foot prints show that the murder was committed within close range, not long range."

"The court accepts this diagram as evidence," said the Judge.

"You bring up in interesting point, Miss Koritsa," said the Judge, "But observing the size of the footprints you have presented. They appear to be very long in length and very narrow in width."

"About the standard size of the kangaroo's feet," Rasher pointed out, "Though those feet seem be larger than I thought they would be..."

"Are you saying I've got fat feet?" Sylvia retorted angrily.

"And they seem to match the size of the mouth that belongs to them," Rasher taunted with a smirk.

"GRRRR!" Sylvia growled as she balled her fists.

"Mr. Rasher, where are you going with this?" said the Judge.

"Simply, Your Honor," said Rasher, "Cream has not only proven that what I've been saying is true. That Sylvia is the murder. There is DNA proving she had a weapon to kill him and that the footprints near his body belonged to her."

"I pointed out that there were footprints to discredit the fact..." said Cream.

"...that the murder was done in close range and not from a distance away," Rasher interrupted, "but you have yet to discredit the possibility that Sylvia was not the one who killed Julian."

"It actually does," Twilight pointed out, "With the type of gun you present to the court, there would be no way Sylvia could have discreetly murdered him at close range. To fire such a large blast within inches of the body would have made unicorn-hash out of him!"

"Eugh...that's a visual I didn't need..." said the Judge uneasily.

 _I didn't know this judge was squeamish_ , Cream thought uneasily.

"You are as naive as that preschool attorney next to you," said Rasher, "Unlike traditional guns or blasters, Miss Amiss-cha-cha..."

"That's Amicitia, thank you!" said Twilight indignantly.

"You're welcome," said Rasher sarcastically, "Electric blasters cannot be fired from long range no matter how strong their firepower. Such a destructive blow could only have been done in close range. Maybe if you had taken the time to study more about the differences between electric and lead blasters you might have known that."

"I'm rather surprised you didn't know that either, Miss Koritsa," said the Judge, "I had assumed you were well-prepared for this case." Cream now felt rather embarrassed as she began to sweat uneasily.

"But...but..." Cream stuttered.

"I told you not to underestimate me little lady," Rasher bragged, "You're playing with the grown-ups now. But as they say, sometimes the best lessons in life...are the ones that give you a good spanking where it hurts."

 _I'm 100% sure that is not how that saying goes,_ Cream groaned to herself, _Great...Twilight is the one who left me unprepared and I'm the one taking blame for it._

"I'm so sorry Cream," said Twilight sadly as she stared at her bare feet, "This is my fault..."

"No...this is my fault..." said Cream to Twilight sadly, "We knew that some sort of blaster had been involved. I should have done my homework. And I also should have been less worried about me glasses. Rasher to seem to be insulting me regardless. In don't think any "four eyes" comment would have made a difference. I should be used to that by now..."

"If the defense is done whispering," said the Judge, "I would like to proceed. Unless the defense has anything to say, I will give my verdict now."

"I think now would be a good time to get brilliant and save my butt!" Sylvia hissed at Cream.

"Why yes...would whittle wady have anything to say on behalf of her butt?" Rasher mocked, "Not that it's worth saving if you ask me."

"Excuse me?!" Sylvia said enraged loudly.

"Miss Sylvia...one more outburst and I'll have you removed from this courtroom!" said the Judge sternly, "Is that understood?" Sylvia just grumbled to herself as she pouted at her stand.

 _Please Sylvia...for my sake as well as your own butt...just...SHUT. UP!_ Cream said to herself nervously, _I need something...just something that...wait a second..._ Cream then realized something.

"Rasher...you say that even a blaster of that size would require a short range shot to be precise and deadly," said Cream, "Is that correct?"

"Yes...you're point?" said Rasher impatiently.

"If that is true," said Cream, "then did the body have any entry point for a wound?"

"Are you going somewhere with this, Miss Koritsa?" the Judge asked.

"Your Honor," Cream addressed, "If Sylvia did use that weapon to kill Julian, then there must be an entry point for the electrical charge to have entered the body. After all, the prosecution did confirm that Julian died primarily to internal electrocution, not external."

"Gah!" said Rasher.

"You do bring up an interesting point, Miss Koritsa," said the Judge, "Mr. Rasher, when you were given the autopsy report. Was there any indication of where the electrocution might have entered Julian's body?"

"No...Your Honor," said Rasher, "But their studies did determine that internal electrocution was the cause of death. But that only proves that the electrical blast fired at him was indeed from close range."

"But that is impossible!" said Cream, "The only entry ways for electricity to enter the body to cause internal frying of the body's organs would be precise hit inside the mouth, ear holes, or the...(ahem)...tuckus."

"You refer to the anal canal?" Rasher suggested, "This is a courtroom after all. I assumed you understand the importance of being politically correct?"

"Yes...I...do..." said Cream uncomfortably. _Was he seriously expecting me to say that in public like it was nothing?_

"The point being made here is that for Julian to have been murdered by electrocution would have taken a precise hit in these for it have caused fatal or deadly damage," said Cream.

"Most electical blasts send to have a wide range, which makes firing at a precise location or target very difficult," Twilight added, "Unless there is an electrical conductor to guide the electricity, such a direct hit isn't possible!"

"But I have a witness who claims that they saw Sylvia make the impossible possible!" Rasher said confidently. The crowds began to murmur to each other. The Judge banged his gavel.

"Order. We shall have order in the court," said the Judge, "Mr. Rasher, would you please have your witness take the stand?"

"Very well, Your Honor," said Rasher, "The courtroom wishes that Miss Anemone L. Kappa take the stand!" Cream was in shock.

 _Lemon fairy is going to testify against Sylvia?_ Cream thought, _She has a very vivid memory...a little too vivid when it comes to gory or graphic details. Any details she gives could be used against me..._

"This court case just got much more complicated..." said Twilight with worry.

 **I had to do a** ** _Phineas and Ferb_** **joke at least once. After all, Cream is a ten year old attorney.**

 **Amicitia is Latin for Friendship.**

 **People either love or hate the constant barefoot emphasis, but think about it. If you saw a ace attorney doing their job barefoot. Wouldn't it catch your eye? As if Cream's age doesn't draw attention to herself.**

 **I was planning on doing the court cases script style, but I decided to keep the story line as it is.**

 **See you Next time!**


End file.
